(Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/Vancouver) On Friday morning, the Pope announced he will be touring Canada in July with stops in Edmonton, Quebec and Iqaluit.
First Nations in British Columbia have a profound sense of disappointment that after all of the efforts to have the ongoing trauma and concern over missing children and unmarked burials at the Catholic operated residential schools, there will be no visit to any of those sites. The invitation by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc to visit Kamloops Indian Residential School was supported by the UBCIC and all First Nations peoples, and non-Indigenous peoples. We urge a reconsideration of the itinerary and the addition of another stop on this important trip.