Hundreds show up at Jeanne Mance Park to mourn Indigenous children found in unmarked grave in B.C.

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Hundreds of people turned out at Jeanne Mance Park at the foot of Mount Royal on Monday evening for an impromptu solemn ceremony to listen to Indigenous drummers and throat singers and to denounce the unmarked mass grave discovered at a former residential school in British Columbia.

“Never forget what you learn here today because, if you don’t, you will repeat it,” said one of the drummers who played songs for more than an hour.

Another drummer thanked Nakuset, the director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, whose tweet hours earlier generated the large crowd. The drummer said he was worried only seven people would show up but credited Nakuset’s tweet for rallying people. She returned the gratitude to the drummers and said everyone was there to hear their songs.

Lucy Tulugartuk, an Inuk woman, said she was there because “family members lost their children.” She also said she believes there are other unmarked mass graves to be discovered near Canada’s former residential schools.

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The remains of what are believed to be 215 children were located using ground-penetrating radar at the site in Kamloops B.C.

“This is not history. This is current day,” Tulugartuk told the gathered crowd in between songs. “We were told we were evil. It was the opposite.”

“I was shamed to speak my own language in my home because the visitor did not understand my language.” Tulugartuk said as Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante sat on grass next to one of the two iconic lion statues in the park and appeared to listen intently.

“Our parents were silenced. Our parents were told it was okay to have their children taken from them.”

“Both of my parents are survivors of residential schools,” said one of the throat singers who sang Monday. “I’m here because they survived. My two daughters and my son are here because I survived.”

Jamie Starr showed up with her four of her six children — Riley, Alexis Damian and Dante — after they made cut-out cardboard hearts with the number 215 coloured inside them.

“I’m just trying to bring awareness to my children and teach them,” Starr said as her young children proudly showed off the cardboard hearts. “I just wanted to teach them and to show them.”

pcherry@postemedia.com