Chief Robert Michell says relief isn害羞草研究所檛 the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
Michell is the chief of Stellat害羞草研究所檈n First Nation some 160 kilometres west of Prince George, B.C., and a survivor of the Lejac Indian Residential School where a geophysical survey is underway to find children missing since the facility closed in 1976.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not necessarily a relief,害羞草研究所� Michell said. 害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 come full circle because you watch the news every day, you watch what害羞草研究所檚 happening in other parts of British Columbia in relation to the residential schools 害羞草研究所� you knew at some point Lejac was going to be on the map to do this too.
害羞草研究所淎nd once the announcement came, then the hard conversation started as to where do we look? What are we looking for?害羞草研究所�
The Stellat害羞草研究所檈n and nearby Nadleh Whut害羞草研究所檈n Indian Band said this week they have launched a search of the Lejac site. The announcement comes as the Nadleh Whut害羞草研究所檈n band hosts a gathering of more than 20 First Nations from across B.C. and beyond to share the knowledge gained in their search for unmarked graves.
Representatives from communities surveying 18 former residential schools and three former hospitals are attending the meeting, which is the fifth of its kind.
Nadleh Whut害羞草研究所檈n Chief Beverly Ketlo said many at the gathering are looking to the Tk害羞草研究所檈ml煤ps te Secw茅pemc Nation for advice since their May 2021 announcement that ground-penetrating radar had discovered 215 possible unmarked graves at the Kamloops Residential School site.
Ketlo said the gathering also allowed the Nadleh Whut害羞草研究所檈n to speak directly to members of the 74 bands that had children at the Lejac school during its 54 years of operation.
害羞草研究所淲e need to learn from each other, what process do we use, what needs to be on the list to make sure we don害羞草研究所檛 miss anything when it comes to the investigation,害羞草研究所� Ketlo said. 害羞草研究所淲hich teams do we bring in? Which support teams do we bring in for wellness for our survivors?害羞草研究所�
About 7,850 Indigenous children attended Lejac school, and the Nadleh Whut害羞草研究所檈n band said there were 38 documented deaths at the facility that was razed in 1990.
Ketlo said the survey at the site would involve ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry, as well as possible involvement from archeological teams. The whole process of locating possible graves, including talking to survivors about their memories of what happened, will likely take many years to complete.
害羞草研究所淭his process is not a one- or two-year project,害羞草研究所� Ketlo said. 害羞草研究所淭his process is going to take years.害羞草研究所�
Michell said having other First Nations at the gathering will help guide the community and its handling of survivors害羞草研究所� trauma.
害羞草研究所淭he thing that害羞草研究所檚 going to be the most advantageous is the fact that individual survivors of individual schools do not feel alone or isolated, that there is a group of schools now that are looking into the same trauma inflicted (and) things that took place,害羞草研究所� Michell said.
害羞草研究所淭o have all of them gather and exchange stories, exchange ideas, exchange processes going forward on how to deal with the findings and what to do next goes a long way.害羞草研究所�
The experiences of Tk害羞草研究所檈ml煤ps te Secw茅pemc Nation and others would also help understand the complexities of the technical search process, he said.
害羞草研究所淚 think a lot of people have the misconception that you put a piece of equipment on the ground, you find an anomaly and there it is,害羞草研究所� Michell said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 not how it works 害羞草研究所� not every anomaly is going to be a body. So a lot of that has to take it into consideration.
害羞草研究所淭he next step is then to decide, once all the determination has been made that an anomaly could be a body. What do you do with that particular person? Do you move forward with exhuming? Those are the collaborative type of discussions that are involved 害羞草研究所� things like, 害羞草研究所楾his is what we害羞草研究所檝e done, whether it worked or not, and we suggest that you do this.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
A joint statement by the Nadleh Whut害羞草研究所檈n band, the Stellat害羞草研究所檈n First Nation and the B.C. Assembly of First Nations says the three-day meeting will end on Thursday.
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