Latest news

• Statement on Unmarked Graves at the Former Kuper Island Residential School SiteJuly 14, 2021
  The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at UBC is troubled by the recent finding of over 160 unmarked graves by the Penelakut Tribe, in the area in which the Kuper Island Residential School once operated. It is not yet clear how many of those graves belong to children forced to attend the […]
• Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond (Aki-Kwe) Statement Congratulating Cowessess First NationJuly 7, 2021
  “Cowessess First Nation has made history by asserting their jurisdiction over child and family services. The child and care system as it exists in Canada is broken and continues to display ingrained institutionalized racism that discounts the value of some children’s lives due to their ancestry. Through this agreement with the governments of Canada and […]
• Statement Congratulating Mary Simon on her historic appointment as Governor GeneralJuly 7, 2021
  The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at UBC sends a heartfelt congratulations to Mary Simon on her historic appointment as Governor General of Canada.
• Sask. Catholic bishops resurrect fundraising campaign for residential school survivorsJuly 5, 2021
  Centre Academic Director Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-Kwe, spoke to CBC News about the Catholic Church in Saskatchewan and their fundraising campaign.
• ‘Where is their soul?’: Inside the failed push to make Catholic Church pay for its residential school abusesJune 29, 2021
  Centre Academic Director Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-Kwe, spoke to CBC News about the Catholic Church and the residential school settlement.

Press releases

• Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond (Aki-Kwe) Statement Congratulating Cowessess First NationJuly 7, 2021
  “Cowessess First Nation has made history by asserting their jurisdiction over child and family services. The child and care system as it exists in Canada is broken and continues to display ingrained institutionalized racism that discounts the value of some children’s lives due to their ancestry. Through this agreement with the governments of Canada and […]
• Statement Congratulating Mary Simon on her historic appointment as Governor GeneralJuly 7, 2021
  The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at UBC sends a heartfelt congratulations to Mary Simon on her historic appointment as Governor General of Canada.
• Discussion paper looks at the legal and human rights framework for mass gravesJune 28, 2021
  The Centre’s latest discussion paper explores mass graves connected to Indian Residential Schools.
• Statement on the Sisters of St. Ann and Royal BC Museum and Archives AgreementJune 25, 2021
  The Centre welcomes the agreement which will provide enhanced access to the records of the Sisters of St. Ann Archives.
• UBCIC and Heiltsuk Nation announce Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond to intervene in BC Human Rights case against Vancouver Police Department over racial profiling and wrongful detainmentJune 16, 2021
  Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-Kwe, will be applying to intervene on behalf of UBCIC in an ongoing BC human rights case against the VPD for the wrongful detainment of Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter, outside a bank in Vancouver in December of 2019.

Media coverage

• Sask. Catholic bishops resurrect fundraising campaign for residential school survivors
• ‘Where is their soul?’: Inside the failed push to make Catholic Church pay for its residential school abuses
• Federal government urged to criminalize mistreatment of graves like those found at residential schools
• Catholic group gives ‘formal commitment’ to disclose all records from B.C. and Sask. residential schools
• Calls grow for ‘rigorous review’ of honorary degree recipients as Senate considers revoking O’Grady degree