In 2021, a pivotal announcement reshaped the conversation surrounding residential schools in Canada. Fast forward nearly five years later, and the investigation into the discovery of 215 suspected unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site continues to unfold with lingering uncertainties.
Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, the B.C. First Nation spearheading the investigation, acknowledges the challenge of reaching a definitive resolution regarding the site’s fate. Recent updates reveal that certain areas exhibit burial-like characteristics, while others have been ruled out.
Moving forward, the decision-making process regarding potential grave excavation or preservation as a sacred site demands extensive consultation among numerous First Nations entities. Any potential exhumation would involve intricate steps such as forensic analysis, DNA testing, and repatriation of remains to their respective communities.
George Abbott, a former BC Cabinet Minister now involved with the BC Treaty Commission, emphasizes the importance of allowing Indigenous communities to make these delicate decisions autonomously. He stresses the need for thoughtful discussions and decisions regarding the future of these lands without external pressures.
The Kamloops Indian Residential School once accommodated over 500 children from 38 Indigenous Nations across B.C., highlighting the systemic impact of such institutions on Indigenous communities. The legacy of residential schools is intertwined with a history of destructive public policies that marginalized First Nations for an extended period.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 2015 report exposed widespread abuse within Canada’s residential school system, documenting over 4,100 deaths, with records showing at least 51 children perishing at the Kamloops institution between 1914 and 1963.
Despite these grim findings, Abbott notes a concerning resurgence of denial and revisionist rhetoric aimed at undermining the reality of residential school atrocities. Such attempts to downplay the severity of the residential school experience negate the broader context of Indigenous rights denial across various aspects of their lives.
Tk’emlúps continues its ongoing investigation through the use of advanced technologies like ground-penetrating radar, LIDAR scanning, specially trained dogs, and scrutiny of records from the Catholic Church, federal, and provincial archives. The Kamloops residential school’s history under the Catholic Church, transitioning to federal government management until its closure in 1978, underscores the deep-rooted legacy of these institutions.