INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 50 - No. 04—February 23, 2023 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776
67 Alberni residential school deaths, reports Tseshaht Radar identifies 17 likely burials after 13 per cent of the area studied, while survivors provide detailed accounts By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Editor’s note: This article contains material which may be disturbing to some readers Port Alberni, BC - Through over a year of research that included groundpenetrating radar and extensive analysis of testimonials from former students, an investigative team has announced that at least 67 children died while attending the Alberni Indian Residential School. This news was announced Feb. 21 by the Tseshaht First Nation before a packed Maht Mahs gym, itself a former structure built for the residential school, which operated for nearly a century in Tsehshaht territory near the western bank of the Somass River. From 1893 onwards, children from over 70 First Nations attended the institution as part of Canada’s assimilationist residential school system. AIRS was run by the Presbyterian then the United Church of Canada, before the federal government took over operations for the last five years before the doors were closed in 1974. The project’s tally is more than double the 29 AIRS deaths that were previously listed by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Besides multiple reports of physical, sexual and spiritual abuse, for generations survivors and the Tseshaht community have been aware of children dying at the institution. Following the news of 215 unmarked burials indicated at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School in May 2021, Tseshaht launched ʔuuʔatumin yaqckʷiimitqin (Doing it for our Ancestors), a multi-phase project that aims to “shed light on the truth, history and the need for justice,” according to the First Nation. On Feb. 21 findings from the first phase of this undertaking were released, the result of a combination of analysing historical records, statements from survivors of the residential school, above-ground laser LiDAR scanning and ground-penetrating radar. This radar scanning identified 17 possible burial sites of former students, which was obtained by radio frequencies collecting data by bouncing off of various changes in the earth. “In the data we look for things that are shaped or have the right size to be burials,” explained Brian Whiting of GeoScan, which conducted the ground scans. “We look for a break in the layers that suggests a grave shaft, and inside that break in the layers are there reflections that could be from a coffin or from material breaking down over time.” Although Whiting cautions that only archaeological excavations could com-
Eric Plummer photo
On Feb. 21 Maht Mahs filled up for the announcement of the first results from ʔuuʔatumin yaqckʷiimitqin (Doing it for our Ancestors), a multi-phase project that aims to “shed light on the truth, history and the need for justice,” according to the Tseshaht First Nation. pletely confirm a child burial – something while others don’t have a name anyone incinerator was, the technology that can that the Tseshaht will not undertake for can recall. or cannot be used remains to be seen.” this phase of the initiative – the process “We know the names of some of the Despite the trauma that resurfaces from of identifying likely graves includes com- students that died,” she said. “We know disclosing such disturbing information, bining data and ruling out other underwhat age they were when they died, what AIRS survivor Charlie Thompson was ground objects. they died of.” relieved that what he has known his while “We always try to rule out more normal “Overwhelmingly, the cause of death life is being widely publicized. causes, natural features like logs and was due to medical conditions,” she con“It lifts up my spirit,” said Thomproots and so forth before making the call tinued. “Conditions that were very clearly son, who had an uncle who died at the of something being a possible grave,” inadequate conditions, unhealthy condiinstitution. “We know, as a family, that Whiting said. tions at the school.” our uncle may be part of the number that The project team identified 100 hectares But accounts from former students also came up today.” of land where former students could have spoke of witnessing a pupil being killed, Charlie’s brother Jack Thompson also been buried, but GeoScan has so far only small coffins being taken out of the attended AIRS and spoke at the event. He covered 12 per cent of this area through building at night, female students getting mentioned police who caught students its drone-operated LiDAR scanning and impregnated from staff and forced aborafter they escaped. ground-penetrating radar. Tseshaht Chief tions. “The police have to be held accountable Councillor Ken Watts said that federal “And also witnessing newborns and for what they done. They never listened funding will be necessary to undertake aborted fetuses being disposed of in the to the students when they told what was the next stage of the project. incinerator,” added Meding. happening to them,” he said. “There “We’ve been able to do what we can Although survivors of the residential cannot be reconciliation until the truth is with what we have, but they definitely school have for many years carried stoknown by everyone.” have to step up,” he said. “We are not in a ries of this incinerator, Watts said it’s yet Looking ahead, the Tseshaht are underplace to carry all of it on our own source to be determined how its location can be going fundraising for a memorial at the revenue.” identified. former residential school site that lists As the results were announced 67 small “How do we actually verify that through every student who attended. stuffed bears covered a section of the other technology? That will have to be The First Nation also plans to tear down floor, a reminder of the next task for coming in the weeks and months ahead,” Caldwell Hall, which formerly served as ʔuuʔatumin yaqckʷiimitqin. Each of these he said, noting complications due to dea student residence. The old AIRS buildtoys are to be delivered to families of the velopment on the Tseshaht reserve after ing is currently being used by the Nuuchildren who never left the confines of AIRS closed. “One of the big difficulchah-nulth Tribal Council. the residential school, along with inforties of our community is the work that’s “There’s people who won’t even come mation gathered from the project about happened after. At the site we have new to our community because that buildthe victims. homes around the area, we have a lot of ing is still standing there,” said Watts. But this might not be yet possible for different development that’s happened. “We plan on tearing that building down. all of the families, as some victims are Nothing has ever come up in that develWe’ve told Canada that they need to step only identified by a first name, said the opment where we’ve been concerned, but up, they need to fully fund the teardown project’s lead researcher Sheri Meding, to identify that site where that individual of that building.”
Inside this issue... Memorial women’s march fills Downtown Eastside......Page 2 Truth and Reconciliation Day now a holiday.................Page 5 Mobile pet care comes to the west coast........................Page 7 Hesquiaht squad gets three wins at ANBT...................Page 10 Carver brings wolf figures to national park..................Page 15
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