Over the weekend, 215 bodies were found buried at what was once a residential school in British Colombia. All of the bodies were children, some as young as three years old. This discovery caused outrage from the general public, but no one more than First Nations people themselves.
Kettle & Stony Point Family Well Being Program joined together with other organizations and individuals across Canada in collecting children shoes, initially 215, but that quickly changed to as many as people wanted to donate, to create a monument in an act of unity and support for those communities affected. The shoes were placed around the Kettle Point Monument.
Kimberly Bressette, a member of the program, said that this has been felt across Canada because for First Nations people, those are their brothers and sisters.
On May 31st, people across Canada put shoes outside their door, on their front porch in another act to show support for these communities.