Flags lowered out of respect for Cowessess First Nation

A message from Dr. David Malloy, King's Principal:

The news of yet more recoveries of unmarked graves, this time related to the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan is difficult to comprehend but devastatingly and shockingly true.

On June 24, 2021, we reacted symbolically by lowering the flags at King’s in honour of each individual who fell prey to those who showed them a lack of respect or dignity in their life and their death. 

While our raison d’etre as a post-secondary institution is to teach and to research, we respond with a gesture, but we commit to respond with concrete actions to ensure that each student at King’s is aware of Canada’s history regardless of how it may contravene our Canadian identity. We have work to do and it can no longer wait. I will share more details with you as soon as possible.

Please take care of yourself and if you need support our student counselling team is here for you along with after-hours support from our partners in the community, including Western Student Experience and for our employees via FSEAP. The national Indian Residential School crisis line is available to provide 24/7 support to Residential School survivors and others who are affected: 1-866-925-4419.

Please take care of each other and we acknowledge that this place is situated on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenausaune, Lenaapeewak, and Attawandaron peoples, all of whom have longstanding relationships to the land of Southwestern Ontario and the City of London. King's values the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional First Nations, and all of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (also known as North America).