Honouring Indigenous History Month in Canada

A message from Lesley Cormack, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal, UBC Okanagan

Dear colleagues,

June marks National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time when we thoughtfully celebrate the history, heritage and culture of Indigenous peoples. Our very campus was founded in partnership with the Syilx Okanagan Chiefs in whose territory the campus is situated, beginning a longstanding friendship with the Syilx Okanagan Nation that we continue to honour today. 

This year, the devastating discovery of the unmarked graves of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School is a reminder of the historic and ongoing systemic violence and injustices directed against Indigenous peoples. It is heartbreaking to think of the innocent lives that were stolen. Many of these children would now be mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and Elders, their families and communities robbed of lives they would have shared together. UBC stands with Indigenous communities seeking the truth about their missing children and calls upon all Canadians to take personal responsibility to learn about these truths. President Santa Ono and I released a Statement on the Missing Children of the Kamloops Indian Residential School that conveys our sorrow and acknowledges UBC’s role in this history.

Read the full message