The British Columbia First Nation that announced the discovery of 215 potential unmarked graves at a former residential school in 2021, catapulting the issue into public discourse, says there may never be consensus on what to do with the site.
A statement from the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation says possible future outcomes for the Kamloops Indian Residential School property include excavation or preserving its orchard as a sacred site, “a place of memory and healing.”
The nation says its investigation is ongoing, with the findings so far pointing to several areas of focus, with “signatures that resemble burials” identified in some, and other areas ruled out as burial sites.
Tuesday’s statement says more than 500 children from 38 Indigenous nations living in 119 B.C. communities attended the institution at its peak, and the nation must seek consensus on how ancestral remains should be treated.
Still, it says “we also understand that full consensus may never be achieved.”
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The nation says any remains would need to be repatriated in their home communities, calling it an “extremely complex and sensitive process” involving consultation with those nations, DNA analysis and forensic expertise.
Whether to dig at the site has been a fraught question, with no agreement among survivors of the institution. Some have said they see exhumation as a process to help lay victims to rest, while others don’t want the site disturbed.
In 2022, a year after the initial announcement of the discovery of suspected unmarked graves, Tk’emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir described the nation’s approach as an ongoing process of “exhumation to memorialization.”
The probe has included the use of ground-penetrating radar, LIDAR scanning and specially trained dogs, along with the examination of records from the Catholic Church and the B.C. and federal governments, said the statement this week.
“While the investigation has been more complex than we initially thought, we are making progress and will continue adapting our methodologies and information as it advances,” it said.
A report by the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 detailed harsh mistreatment at residential institutions across Canada, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse of children, and at least 4,100 deaths.
The report cited records of at least 51 children dying at the Kamloops school between 1914 and 1963. Health officials in 1918 believed children at the school were not being adequately fed, leading to malnutrition, the report noted.
The Kamloops institution operated between 1890 and 1969, when Ottawa took control from the Catholic Church and ran it as a day school until it closed in 1978.
Hmmm “that full consensus may never be achieved” just like full acceptance of all the public apologies and therefore reconciliation was never achieved.
Any one see a pattern?
The chugs wanna keep the cha-chang going forever!
The name FirstNation.com is for sale.
Hey JV (it’s “Jay Vorhees”
from the old comment system), get back to your McDonald’s job you useless little w oke come-stain. After that you can start with the self flagellation, Mr. White Guilt. That is all you’re ever accomplishing. Hahaha
At JV- Karma? Lol.
I am watching Eby and Carney, your so called FN Liberal savours walk back FN rights through Fed Bill C-5 and Bill 51 in BC. And that’s before Eby even amends BC DRIPA legislation and the next election that the NDP are sure to lose.
Karma, LOL, Karma is the next election. Everyone is not now on to the FN abuse of abuse of DRIPA.
Democracy!! Can’t wait!
Don’t know what to do. Find one body and go from there. Word is there may not be any bodies
Dig or return the money. 12 million can be used elsewhere
Get the excavators out! Let’s start digging!
Bring 2 cases of chunky soup, 2 dozen flats of Lucky’s and 9 pallets of Hey Y’all’s! We’re pulling an all nighter
JV racist against white people? pot meet kettle.
Hey JV, produce a body or some FACTS to support your racist claims. There has not been ONE BODY produced! Its all speculation and lies. THIS is why this group will not dig the site! CAUSE THEY WOULD BE PROVEN WRONG! Its all a scam.
Lol look at the racist coward fabricating more lies just like the people that came before him. Too funny
At Tom McCormick. I’ve no doubt some graves exist.
But Actually all the deaths and burials were recorded and keep in records.
including cause of deaths. Mostly TB, Spanish flu etc.This in on public record. Look it up.
Similar numbers of deaths occurred at non FN schools.
Doug Brekfaust even if this country doesn’t belong to the first nations people anymore it doesn’t belong to you either coward. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but the “settlers” and their fabricated history is slowly being erased in this country. Soon people like you will be the minority in Canada and there’s nothing you can do or say to stop it. Karma is a beautiful thing lol
Doug Brekfaust hey look the racist coward has something to say. Oh right I forgot you live 2km from the Cap Rez so you know everything about first nations people Lol. You’re just a pathetic, insecure, racist loser that has nothing relevant to say. That’s all you are and that’s all you’ll ever be
At JV. I fully acknowledge the sites exist and that no doubt some degree of abuse happened.
It’s has happened under the Roman empire’s, Saxon, Norman, Viking, Mongol, and Egyptian empires.
Just about every European and that indigenous society country has been been conquered and abused multiple times. Celtic culture was once spread all over the western and Eastern European continent. All those cultures adapted and moved forward.
Happened here.So sorry someone in the past did that but now what?
The racist whites just can’t handle the fact that the gravesite is real and their people are responsible for it
Probably burials of settlers ambushed and murdered by indians.
its a scam, money maker is all it is
On May 27th, 2021, the Kamloops Indian Band made a FALSE claim when it announced the confirmation of 215 children who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. This was the catalyst for the ensuing nation wide hysteria.
This claim implying clandestine burial sites is currently unproven.
Chief Casimir must be held accountable.
British Columbians are owed an explanation.
As long as they can keep drawing out the investigation they can keep asking for more money to investigate. This is as predictable as the tide coming in. The Same thing happens when you find some kind of artifact at dig site, 100s of 1000s of dollars and years go by while the process is slow walked with make work and demands for money.
Just ask the victims of the 2021 Lytton fire still waiting to rebuild their homes.
But keep the guilt trip and the money flowing.
Get on with it. I have no doubt this school had a cemetery there. Pre-penicillin era and 90 to 150 years ago with long gone wooden crosses and fences.
If you don’t dig one up you’ll know the truth. But I guess that’s why the FN don’t want any of them dug up. Keep the real truth buried.
Not one grave has been exhumed why is that?