Albuquerque, N.M.— Nearly three months after the shocking and mysterious removal of a commemorative plaque at 4-H Park, honoring the lost lives of Indigenous children at Albuquerque’s old boarding school, the City of Albuquerque has finally laid out next steps to establish a burial site.
The following is a statement from Jovita Belgarde, Youth Coordinator for the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women on the need for more transparency and inclusion of voices in this ongoing reconciliation process:
“As Indigenous communities across the country, and internationally, recently observed ‘Orange Shirt Day–National Day for Truth & Reconciliation’, we at CSVANW deem it necessary to speak on the next steps laid out for 4-H Park.
“CSVANW is relieved to hear that the City of Albuquerque is following through with some of the requests that the greater community has been asking for such as investigating the mass grave of Native children under 4H Park, conducting a study using ground penetrating radar, and creating a memorial at the park.
“At the same time, we assert our desire for the City to directly consult with the families of the deceased students and how they would like to put their relatives to rest. The greater Indigenous communities in NM deserve to know who these children were and where they came from. This is an integral step in sharing truth and beginning reconciliation.
“Lastly, CSVANW is asking for greater transparency on the ongoing process for the 4-H park, because the process of healing is not one-sided and it must be grounded on collective input and acknowledgment.”
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