The Weeping Willow Tree Reflection Space

Grounded by the weeping willow, this reflection space in the Naanaagide’endamowin Courtyard has been created in response to the devastating and lasting effects of the Indian Residential School Policy. Long recognized by Indigenous communities for its pain-relieving medicinal properties, the weeping willow signifies strength. Its pliable limbs can bend without breaking, signifying the resilience and adaptability of Indigenous communities.

On May 27, 2021, a mass grave was discovered on the site of a former Kamloops Indian Residential School property on Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nations. The bodies of 215 children were found and became the catalyst for a nationwide search for the truth.

What shocked many Canadians did not come as a surprise to Indigenous communities. Stories of children who did not make it home or had disappeared have been recounted by the survivors of Residential Schools for many decades. In fact, the presence of unmarked graves, missing children and cruelties of the Residential School system were publicly shared by survivors during hearings held as part of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) from 2008 to 2014. The uncoverings validated what Elders, survivors and community members had been sharing all along.

The hope is that the Durham College community, sheltered under the branches of the weeping willow, will use this sacred place for reflection and quiet contemplation on the lives that were forever altered by the Indian Residential School system, remembering those children who never returned to the loving care of their communities. It is also a place to review the TRC Calls to Action, considering what you can do personally and professionally to ensure that the calls to action are fully realized.