Manitoba residential school survivors taking gift bundle to Kamloops, B.C.

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

A group of Manitoba residential school survivors is driving from Winnipeg to Kamloops, B.C., to deliver gifts in honour of the children buried near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

The bundle includes the ashes of a sacredfire that burned from May 29 to June 2 on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building, after thediscovery of a burial site that preliminary findings suggestcontains the remains of 215 children.

"It's a really tragic event, but they also pulled us all together," said Vivian Ketchum, a grandmother and residential school survivor who is part of the group heading to B.C.

"It's pulling out my memories, really, very strongly and I'm trying to use that in a positive way by going on this trip and speaking out."

Chickadee Richard and Geraldine (Gramma) Shingooseare also with Ketchum. They left Winnipeg on Monday and plan to arrive in B.C. on July 5.

They plan to stop in Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, where what are believed to be751 unmarked graves were found near the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School. The group from Manitoba will deliver some of the more than 3,000 paper cranes created by members of the Japanese Cultural Association of Manitoba.

Other items in the bundle include a Treaty 1 territory flag, a Mtis sash, child and infant moccasins, a child's star blanket, an eagle feather, a child's orange T-shirt, a medicine bag and painted rocks.

Community members donated all of the items in the bundle.

The discovery of what arebelieved to beunmarked burial sites in Kamloopsby the Tk'emlps te Secwpemc First Nation shocked many Canadiansand drew international attention to the former Indian residential school systemin Canada.

Searches at several other former residential schools have uncovered hundreds more suspected burial sites, including in Brandon, Man.

A journey to honour children who never went home

3 years ago

Duration 2:10

A group of Manitoba residential school survivors is driving from Winnipeg to Kamloops, B.C., to deliver gifts in honour of the children buried near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.