For the Okanagan First Nations, the discovery of 215 children in a mass grave underneath the Kamloops Indian Residential School was not a complete surprise but a confirmation of something they had suspected: Members of the First Nations had suffered, died, and been buried with little sound made and nothing confirmed until five years ago. The Canadian Truth & Reconciliation Commission began to acknowledge the ugly past, saying it expected nearly 3,200 children died due to abuse and neglect in these schools in the 1800s.

The discovery is a dark moment for Canada, but it occurs because Canada itself stepped back and was willing to consider that the actions of more than 100 years ago matters today. In doing so, it opened the door to a discussion about the implications for First Nation communities and acted, as a nation, to become more self-aware.

In 1970, psychologist Gordon Gallup asked a question that has flummoxed theorists for years: How do we know if we are self-aware, and where does that self-awareness come from? In his study, he judged self-awareness by using a mirror and studying how animals and humans reacted at different times of their life. Their reaction showed their ability to assess who they were, and who they thought they were. They could look in the mirror and see the mirror image as another creature altogether, which meant they were not self-aware, or they could look in the mirror and see themselves, even if there were changes made outside of the mirror.

The self-awareness test boiled down to this: In order to be aware of who you are, you have to look reflectively at yourself. Canada is now faced with that moment—it’s being forced to look reflectively upon itself, to look back at its past and decide whether or not this is the moment it can use to define who it wants to be.

Individuals can find their way to self-awareness:

Coren is not a spokesperson for the Anglican Church but is an author and a columnist.

“The more I’ve learned over the years and the more I’ve learned as a cleric, in particular — it’s blood-curdling,” he said. “And I suspect we will find out more in the next few years too.”

Or they can refuse to accept it:

The prime minister had personally asked the Pope to do so during a visit to the Vatican in 2017 and a papal apology was one of more than 90 recommendations issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

In some sense, the refusal to accept the past is problematic because of the clear rejection of self-awareness of the situation, or the denial of reality. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney looked like a deer in the headlights as he spoke about cancel culture:

“We are grieving. I remind the premier that yesterday, there was a vigil at the legislature to show honour, respect and unity to the loss of innocent lives of First Nations children.”

The study of self-awareness and growth has been important for thousands of years. What makes human beings different than animals? What sets us apart? Why are we who we are? One of the key elements is being self-aware, which means we are able to see the value in us and others. It’s been argued that the difference is our awareness of the inner life of others, and the ability to put two and two together to build upon our combined experiences, in addition to our understanding of the self. 

America has faced years of struggle over self-awareness. We now balk at the refusal to become self-aware, refusing to acknowledge any harms of the past. Canada is reeling at this latest discovery, and they too face people who would prefer not to become self-aware, who refer to self-awareness as “cancel culture” rather than an introspective and serious look at what their country is, what it was, and what it should be. You simply can’t grow without understanding who you’ve been and who you want to become.

For the First Nations in British Columbia, that struggle never stopped, but the confirmation is gut-wrenching and the massacre an unthinkable moment that brings back the memories of their ancestors.

“The legacy of the Indian Residential School system has had devastating impacts on the Syilx Okanagan Nation that continue to be felt today,” Chief Clarence Louie wrote in a statement.

For those who need to seek help or advice on this issue in Canada, they have opened up toll-free numbers for support:

Anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their residential school experience can access this 24-hour, toll-free, confidential National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.

YouTube Video