Shirts and hoodie taken from shrine outside Healing of the Seven Generations
'If they really, really need a shirt, but can't afford one, I would probably give them one'
Several shirts and a hoodie have been taken from an Every Child Matters display outside the office of the Healing of the Seven Generations in Kitchener, Ont.
The display is made up of four orange shirts and hoodies representing north, south, east and west. Its purpose is to bring more awareness to the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across Canada.
Executive director Donna Dubie told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo two shirts were taken last week when the display first went up and a child's hoodie was taken Monday night. She said it's unclear who is behind the thefts.
"I want to believe goodness in everybody," she said. "I also believe that it's probably somebody that doesn't understand the significance of the orange shirts."
Dubie said she has not reported the thefts to police but she will if the display is damaged further or if more shirts are stolen.
The organization has asked neighbours to keep an out and to call police if they see anyone taking shirts or disrespecting the display.
She hopes the person or people who took the shirts and hoodie understand that the display is a memorial and anyone at the organization would be willing to speak to them about the importance of the Every Child Matters.
"If they really, really need a shirt, but can't afford one, I would probably give them one. They don't have to steal the display," she said.
More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded schools between the 1870s and 1997.
Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.