Recently, there have been disturbing reports of white nationalists gathering in the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc reserve near Kamloops, B.C. This demonstration of white nationalists, appearing days before the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, was a deliberate attempt to intimidate and spread fear among Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc community members.
Kamloops is where one of the first discoveries of remains of children at a former residential school site was found. The discovery in Kamloops sparked a nation-wide reckoning of this dark era of Canadian history that oversaw the attempted eradication of Indigenous people, language and culture.
Canada's history of residential schools is not up for debate. Since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission findings, people have been working hard to advance Indigenous reconciliation. Residential school denialism is nothing more than an attempt to distract the rest of us from this hard work.
Individuals who take part in such cowardly acts of racist intimidation (and masking themselves to avoid accountability) will find themselves facing the majority of Canadians who choose education, compassion and understanding and who are committed to Indigenous reconciliation.
HEU stands with the people of Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc, residential school survivors and their families, and Indigenous people and communities who are still experiencing the intergenerational trauma of Canada's residential school legacy.
On September 30, National Day of Truth and Reconciliation events will take place across B.C. and Canada. You may find an event near you at these links:
- Across Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation/list-activities.html
- In British Columbia: https://www.indigenousbc.com/events/
- In Metro Vancouver area: https://vancouversun.com/news/truth-and-reconciliation-day-2026-events-metro-vancouver