Shoes are left at St. Ambrose Cathedral in Yarmouth as a tribute to 215 Indigenous children found at a former Kamloops residential school. (Y95 News Photo)
A woman from Acadia First Nation in Yarmouth is paying tribute to 215 Indigenous children, who’s lives were lost at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
Stephanie Tuplin, who is originally from Membertou, says she and her daughters held a smudging ceremony and said prayers outside St. Ambrose church on Monday.
Tuplin also placed shoes on the church steps, and called on the community to do the same.
She says more and more shoes have been placed at the church.
“I love Yarmouth, and I’m so happy the community showed up. When I see everyone out there, crying along with me, it shows us native people, we are humans. We deserve the sympathy and the love that every race can show us,” said Tuplin.
She says she was inspired to act by her daughter.
“I have an eight year old who saw the news, and she saw these children were buried there. Native children, like her. When my daughter started to cry, I started to cry, and I realized we needed to do something.”
Tuplin says it’s truly sad these children were taken from their families.
She’s calling on the Federal government to investigate more residential school grounds.
