SNAP reacts to discovery of a mass grave on the grounds of a school run for decades by the Catholic Church in Canada
In a development reminiscent of the mass grave found at a Catholic care home in Ireland, the bodies of over 200 children were found buried on the property that once housed the Kamloops Indian Residential School in Western Canada. The school was opened by the Catholic Church in the late 19th century and run by it until the government took over in the late 1960s. We are grief-stricken to learn about this tragic discovery.
In 2015, Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued a detailed report of the horrific legacy of the country's residential school system. Tens of thousands of primarily indigenous children were separated from their families and forced to attend these facilities. The commission report determined that at least 4,000 children died of illness, neglect, accident, and abuse while attending these schools.
SNAP stands behind Canadian residential survivors. We recognize them and thank them for their courage in bringing this terrible history to light. Because of their perseverance and determination, these brave victims paved the way for others to speak out.
We call on secular authorities to force Catholic officials to release all the information on abuse and deaths in residential schools in Canada. These atrocities deserve answers and survivors and their families deserve justice.
SNAP has a volunteer leader on the ground in the Vancouver area who provides survivor support both personally and through a monthly virtual support group. Please contact Leona Huggins (604-240- 3741, [email protected]) for help.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578, [email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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