Cadaver dogs have identified evidence of human remains near the old Royal Victoria Hospital. The Mohawk Mothers must now reach an agreement with all levels of government on how to proceed with sensitive archeological work.
The recent findings were presented to Quebec Superior Court justice Gregory Moore on Thursday. Now the group is asking for more security around the site.
“It’s most important that the site be protected and that we have better access to archives and records,” said Mohawk Mother Kwetiio.
“So we can do this properly. So all of our panel’s recommendations can be fully informed and make the best recommendations possible,” she added.
Three dogs were used to conduct the search, each working independently to not influence the other dogs. The scent detection is accurate within a six- to 10-metre radius, according to the dogs’ handlers.
“The dogs are trained using decaying soft tissue and decaying bone, human bone,” said junior archeologist Karonhianoron. He was appointed by the Mohawk Mothers group to oversee and monitor the recent searches done on the site.
Each dog gave a signal near a stretch of wall near the Hersey Pavilion, which used to be the nurses’ dorms.
“While they all signalled in the same spot, the area of interest could potentially be inside one of the buildings or further out,” said Karonhianoron.
Last fall, the Mothers won an historic injunction, suspending expansion work on the Royal Victoria hospital site after all parties agreed that construction work could begin if no human remains were detected.
“It’s most imperative that we maintain that this investigation be Indigenous-led in order to be conducive to finding our children,” said Kwetiio.
The site was never a residential school, but the Mohawk Mothers believe children were buried there during CIA-funded brainwashing experiments in the 1950s and ’60s at the Allan Memorial Institute.
The parties involved in the original agreement must now determine how to handle these new developments.
Justice Moore ordered an agreement be reached by July 14.
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