We acknowledge the ongoing investigation of additional unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools across Canada. We extend our thoughts to the Williams Lake First Nation and each of the Indigenous communities, Nations, families and youth affected by this news.

As more unmarked graves are surveyed across the province, we are here if you need support during this time. Foundry offers in-person and online supports for young people ages 12-24 and their families and caregivers. There are also Indigenous-specific cultural and emotional support services available from @IRSSurvivor below (see tweet here as reference).

To access the support Foundry offers:

• Visit a Foundry centre near you, located in 11 communities across BC. Find the centre closest to you at foundrybc.ca/find-a-centre
• Our provincial virtual services through the Foundry BC app, access counselling, peer support, primary care, employment services and groups. Support is also provided by phone at 1-833-308-6379, available Mon-Sun, 1:15 pm -7:45 pm. More information found at foundrybc.ca/virtual
• Drop-in counselling and youth peer support is available Tuesday to Thursday from 2-6 pm
• Book appointments can be made up to 14 days in advance at a time that works best for you.
• All services are free and confidential — no referral required.

At Foundry, we are working to respectfully hold and nurture relationships with Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous youth and family advisors, staff, lead agencies and partners, who lead, guide and inform our work.

Providing safer and more inclusive care for Indigenous young people, families and communities is our priority. In order to do this work well, we are cultivating cultural safety and humility. As an organization we strive to achieve this by:

• Making a significant commitment to developing, implementing and sustaining an Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility Framework. This includes the creation of an Indigenous Wellness Team led and staffed by Indigenous folks in Foundry who work alongside Indigenous consultants and knowledge keepers.
• Making a commitment to ensure that all Foundry staff participate in ongoing learning opportunities to increase our knowledge of the historical and current experiences of colonization and genocide.
• Committing to hearing and telling the truth of the continuing harm resulting from the ongoing colonization of Indigenous Peoples.
• Committing to building resources, investing in Indigenous staff and supporting the Indigenous Wellness work across the province where Foundry has a presence.
• Honouring and supporting Indigenous colleagues as knowledge keepers who help guide our growth and humility in this work.

Words and good intentions are not enough.

These are all starting points and Foundry needs to do more to redress the centuries of genocide that continues to take place on the stolen, ancestral and occupied territories of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples who have been here for millennia.

We recognize our role and responsibility as a white settler organization in calling out and dismantling colonialism in the work we do.

At Foundry, we are working respectfully to hold and nurture relationships with Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous youth and family advisors, staff, lead agencies and partners, who lead, guide and inform our work.

We continue to develop, implement and sustain an Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility Framework. This includes the creation of an Indigenous Wellness Team led and staffed by Indigenous folks in Foundry who work alongside Indigenous consultants and knowledge keepers

Our ongoing work also includes ensuring we create culturally safe and respectful environments for IBPOC communities including the development of:

• AROC, the Anti-Racism Organizational Change task group within Foundry.
• Anti-Racism Youth Forum

Over the past year, we’ve engaged The Commons and Reciprocal Consulting to complete organizational assessments to support Foundry’s ability to address systemic racism and to develop our approach to social justice and advocacy