Page 4— Ha-Shilth-Sa—July 2, 2021
Research begins into unmarked graves at Alberni site Tseshaht start investigating undocumented burial at former residential school, as province commits funding By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Port Alberni, BC - When Jeff Cooke first heard that the remains of 215 children were found buried in an unmarked grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, he was pained with heartache. As the Huu-ay-aht elder thought of all of those children who never made it home, he said he was reminded of his own experience at the Alberni Indian Residential School and the possibility that more burial sites remained uncovered. “It’s pretty emotional,” he said. “Particularly for survivors of residential schools.” Since the missing children were located in Kamloops last month, Tseshaht First Nation elected chief Ken Watts said he’s received at least one call every day from survivors with leads to potential sites. After consulting with hereditary chiefs, residential school survivors, council and staff, the nation applied to Ottawa, requesting some of the $27 million federal funding being made available to help communities locate children who died at residential schools. There are 139 recognized residential schools in Canada. If the $27 million was distributed equally among them all, Tseshaht would receive less than $200,000. “It’s probably not going to be enough to do it right,” said Watts. “I’m hoping they go beyond that … it’s really important to honour those children that never made it home.” Ontario recently pledged $10 million to investigate residential school sites, followed by a $12-million commitment from the province to support work at the locations of B.C.’s 18 former schools. “We are working closely with [the] federal government to support requests from First Nations,” said the B.C. Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. “With respect to investigations at other former residential school sites, we have received several requests and are working through what is needed.” As First Nations determine the next steps, the ministry said they’ll be taking guidance directly from the communities. “Each child has been forever taken from a family and a community that loved them,” said Premier John Horgan in a statement about the burial site at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. “This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. And it is a stark example
Photo by Eric Plummer
Charlie Thompson speaks during a June 7 gathering at the former site of the Alberni Indian Residential School. Like many former students of the school, Thompson wants recognition of the children buried in the site, and answers as to why they never came home. province to demolish a former resideneight years old. The abuse from three of of the violence the Canadian residential his supervisors began during his first year tial school building. A cultural centre is school system inflicted upon Indigenous at the school and persisted throughout the planned to be built in its place. peoples and how the consequences of Watts is following their lead by seeking 10 years he was there. these atrocities continue to this day.” funding from the federal and provincial The Ditidaht elder is still filled with Right now, Watts said the nation needs governments to do the same. anger. In part, because he never got to the funding to hire someone to help with “I believe [they] have an obligation, confront his abusers before they passed. the research and to answer phone calls both morally and financially, to help us As he continues to care for his open from survivors. do the important work we need to do,” he wounds, the 73-year-old said he hopes “We need to hear the stories, do the said. “If you’re a survivor from northern that finding the children who went missscanning, come back with a report, B.C., and you want to come back to the ing from the Alberni Indian Residential determine next steps and make sure it’s site and reclaim who you are, it’d be nice all grounded in our culture,” he said. “It’s School will help others heal. to know that there’s a facility there to “It will help when these kids find their not just running a machine through our way back home,” he said. “Rightly where support you and your work.” territory – it’s cleansing the space and Indigenous people across Canada have they should have went.” cleansing the people that go in to do that heard horror stories about residential Buildings from the former residential work so they don’t have that negative schools for decades. school still stand within the community energy on them.” “A lot of people knew about the abuse,” of Tseshaht, like the Maht Mahs Gym. Part of the research will include idenWatts described Tseshaht’s territory as a said Watts. “People knew that a lot of tifying every student who attended the children didn’t make it home … but these Alberni Indian Residential School in Port hub for Nuu-chah-nulth people. Cultural aren’t just stories anymore. This is real. gatherings are often held in the gymnasiAlberni, said Watts. um, but when residential school survivors This is solid evidence that the horror “We owe it to the people that were see the building, many are triggered, said stories they say are true.” there,” he said. “Whether they’re with us Even though the Alberni Indian Resinow, or they’re gone, or they never made Watts. dential School was placed in Tseshaht ter“It’s such a reminder,” he said. “It’s an it home, we need to honour them.” ritory without the nation’s consent, Watts open wound that we hope we can take Similar to a war memorial, Watts said down someday – sooner rather than said they now “have a responsibility to they would like to commemorate every support [the families] to get the answers later.” student that attended the school, includthey need and deserve.” ing a special list of the names of the Recently, the Daylu Dena Council in Lower Post, a remote town near the B.C.“There’s lots of work to do and this is students who never returned home. just the beginning,” he said. “It’s going to Yukon border, received $11.5 million in Jack Thompson was sent to the Alberni federal funding and $1.5 million from the be tough, but it will provide some relief.” Indian Residential School when he was
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