10/01/2026
Wila’a̱m A̱wilax̱wida Gi̱nga̱nana̱m 🧡
Every Child Matters.
I’m sharing this late in the day on September 30, and I’ve shared this image and its story before. I’m sharing it again because its meaning continues to deepen for me.
It captures my friend and her first son during an important moment in their family’s life — a moment of love, belonging and cultural continuity.
That is why this image feels especially meaningful on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The joy and connection it holds are part of what residential schools and colonial policies tried to sever: our relationships with our children, families, languages, ceremonies and traditions.
Remembering that history is personal because these are not distant stories from another time. As a Kwakwaka’wakw person, they are part of the history of my family and my community.
September 30 is a day to remember the children who were taken, the families and communities who were impacted, and the cultures, languages and traditions that Canada worked to suppress.
It is also a day to listen. To learn. To remember.
The last residential school in Canada closed in 1996. That is within the lifetime of many people alive today.
🧡 continued in Part 2