July 1st, Day of Mourning and Reflection for the CMS

Ottawa, ON – Following the CMS statement on the haunting discovery of unmarked graves of 215 students at the site of Kamloops Residential School, the number of newly discovered unmarked graves on the sites of Indian Residential Schools has been growing, the latest of which being the Cowessess First Nation’s harrowing discovery of 751 unmarked graves on the site of Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. In light of these findings, as well as the recent attacks on Muslim Canadians, which resulted in the murder of four members of the Afzaal family in London, ON and a brutal attack on a Muslim man in Saskatoon, SK, the Canadian Mathematical Society believes that this year Canada Day should be a day of mourning and reflection. The CMS encourages its members to:

• acknowledge and learn the histories of the lands on which they reside and work;
• build relations with Indigenous peoples and all communities in this land;
• read the reports issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls; and
• reflect upon how the Canadian mathematical community can commit itself to the truth and contribute to healing and reconciliation, and how we can be inclusive and welcoming to all peoples.

 

At the Canadian Mathematical Society, we wish to build a community where the humanity and dignity of all of its members are valued and uplifted. This cannot happen without the participation of all.

 

If you or anyone you know needs support during this time, please note that the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) is available 24 hours a day to offer help to those impacted by the news of residential school discoveries.

For more information please contact:

Prof. Steven Rayan (Saskatchewan)
Chair, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee
Canadian Mathematical Society
chair-edic@cms.math.ca

Prof. Keith Taylor (Dalhousie)
Chair, Reconciliation in Mathematics Committee
Canadian Mathematical Society
chair-rmc@cms.math.ca