President Brown: St. Bernard's Indian Residential School, Alberta

Dear students, 

The flags that can be lowered at Ayamdigut campus will fly at half-mast for seven days from today until March 11 to recognize the discovery of 169 potential unmarked graves at the site of the former St. Bernard's Indian Residential School and nearby cemetery within the Kapawe'no First Nation, 370 kilometres north of Edmonton in Alberta.  

As I have committed, we will continue to recognize these findings as they are announced by First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Canada. This is the Truth that must be witnessed and acknowledged before Reconciliation can truly occur; as an institution of learning we shall continue to honor the discovery of truth through this gesture of respect. In doing so, we honour the children who did not come home, their families, and survivors of Residential School. 

YukonU is a caring community. As we always are, please be kind to one another, thoughtful of others and offer support to friends and colleagues experiencing a difficult time.  

Alongside the grief we are experiencing at these announcements of unmarked graves, we are also grieving losses from opioid overdose in our communities, and now also grappling with uncertainty as war breaks out in Eastern Europe. 

I encourage you to be mindful of your mental health and give yourself permission to disengage with news and social media for periods of time. During such periods, it is helpful to be active, focus on practical tasks and connect with friends and loved ones.  

Please see below to review and take advantage of the available supports and potential actions you might take to learn more. 

Do take care, 

Lesley 
President & Vice Chancellor 

Supports at YukonU  

• Students: Contact the Connect2YukonU team to connect with a counsellor, an Elder or services for Indigenous students. Call or text 867 456 6996 or email connect@yukonu.ca.  

• Employees: Visit My Family Assistance Program on MyYukonU for more details or contact our two Employee Assistance Program providers directly at Nimco and Associates 867.668.3277 or 867.668.6059 / Family Services Employee Assistance Program (FSEAP) 1-800-667-0993 fseap.ba.ca (Password: 2bwell).  

Supports beyond YukonU  

• National Indian Residential School Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419.  

• First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness 24/7 Help Line: 1-855-242-3310  

• Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program for Survivors and their families: 1-800-464-8106  

• CAIRS (Committee on Abuse in Residential School) 4194, 4th Ave. Whitehorse. (867) 667-2247  

• CYFN Mental Health and Cultural Support Counselors: (867) 393-9200 ext. 9254 

• CMHA Yukon's Reach Out Support Line: 1-844-533-3030  

• Hospice Yukon, 409 Jarvis St (M-F drop-in hrs 11am-3pm): 867-667-7429 

• Yukon Rapid Access Counselling supports (M-F 8:30am to 5pm): 1-866-456-3838 or 867-456-3838 

• Crisis Services Canada (national, 24/7): 1-833-456-4566, or text 45645 

POTENTIAL ACTIONS: 

Learn more about the history and impact of Residential Schools 

• Chapter 4 of ECHO: Ethnographic, Cultural and Historical Overview of Yukon's First Peoples by Victoria Elena Castillo, Christine Schreyer, and Tosh Southwick 

• The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Final Report 

• Take the free YukonU YFN 101 training (consider taking it again if it’s been a few years!) 

• Attend the Community Dialogues on Missing Children and Unmarked Burials, March 30 – 31, hosted by The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.  

Contribute time or fundraising to local resources: 

• CAIRS (Committee on Abuse in Residential School) 4194, 4th Ave. Whitehorse. (867) 667-2247 

• CMHA Yukon's support line: Email distressline@yukon.cmha.ca or leave a message at (867) 333-7675 (ROSL) to access free info session and training. 

• Raven Recycling has a donation account for CAIRS—cans, bottles and other returnable containers can be deposited to this account.