The chief of the Tseshaht First Nation on Vancouver Island says ground-penetrating radar has detected 17 suspected grave sites around the property of the former Alberni Indian Residential School.
The nation says its interviews with survivors, the historical records and other documents also show that 67 students died at the school, many of them from medical conditions.
Tseshaht Nation officials say children from at least 100 Indigenous communities attended the school when it operated from 1900 to 1973.
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B.C. land surveyor GeoScan has been working on the project, using ground-penetrating radar to detect possible grave sites at the Alberni school location.
The company, which has worked at other residential school sites, began scanning at Port Alberni in July 2022.
Tseshaht Elected Chief Councillor Wahmeesh, whose English name is Ken Watts, says it’s essential to embark on what he calls “this journey of truth” despite the process being difficult for survivors.
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