A sacred fire will burn in Niagara to honour the lives lost at a residential school in Saskatchewan.
The flame will be lit at the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre at sunrise today, burning for 24 hours.
Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre officials say the fire will honour and remember all the children found at the Marieval Residential School, their families, and the communities affected by the horrific discovery.
Any community member who needs support is also welcome.
People may come to the Centre any time over the next 24 hours and offer medicines to the fire in prayer.
Everyone is asked to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and wear masks.
Yesterday the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan announced the discovery of 751 unmarked graves near a former residential school.
Representatives say the findings were not from a mass grave, but from unmarked graves where the headstones had been removed.
At this stage in the investigation there is a 10 to 15 percent margin of error, and the remains could belong to adults or children.
Similar discoveries have been made at other residential schools throughout the years, including in BC where the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found earlier this month.
A 24-hour support line has been set up for former residential school students in distress and anyone else deeply affected by the residential school system - 1-866-925-4419. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society can also be reached at 1-800-721-0066.