Back to the Garden

You can listen to the audio here, or read the text below.   CW: Before beginning, I wanted to warn folks that this sermon touches on the genocidal realities of the Indian Residential  School system and the death of children. Introduction On May 28 th Canadians learned that the remains of 215 children had been found on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Social media exploded with orange profile pics and cries of ‘I’m shocked!’ and ‘we had no idea!’ This, despite the fact that in the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, released six years ago in 2015, it very clearly said that thousands died at the Residential Schools and many of those remained in undiscovered graves, unable to be found due to the resistance of the church and government and the intentional destruction of records. After the Kamloops 215, it was announced on June 4 th that 104 more graves had been discovered at the Brandon school. On the 25 th , Cowessess First Nation near Ma