A 'comprehensive plan in place' for searching former Sask. residential school sites after feds pledge nearly $5M
The Government of Canada has announced funding to help search for unmarked burial sites at Saskatchewan’s former residential schools.
It’s providing $4.88 million to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) to help gather knowledge about the sites and support any necessary ceremonies.
“We acknowledge the ongoing impact of intergenerational trauma. We must never forget the tragic history of residential schools,” said Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
The announcement comes less than a week after the province promised $2 million to help.
“We do have a comprehensive plan in place…and we will be working closely with each of our member nations that have had sites,” said David Pratt, second Vice Chief of FSIN .
Pratt said on top of the searching, more services are going to be needed to help people heal from the trauma.
“We say we’re alright, but we know it's still inside us, inside our hearts,” said Chief of Fishing Lake First Nation Derek Sunshine.
“Obviously, mental health supports, addictions, the list goes on and on in terms of the those supports that we’re going to be needing moving forward,” said Pratt.
Eddie Bitternose grew up on Muskowekwan First Nation and is already aware that there are bodies buried around the former Muscowequan Indian Residential School.
The former Muscowequan Indian Residential School building still stands on the Muskowekwan First Nation (Colton Wiens/CTV News)
The former Muscowequan Indian Residential School building still stands on the Muskowekwan First Nation (Colton Wiens/CTV News)
“I think working with my dad, we pulled out our first box when I was about 12,” said Eddie Bitternose, who attended Gordon’s and Muscowequan Indian Residential School and Lebret (Qu’Appelle) Indian Industrial Residential School. “The priest at that time reburied it up on the hill...”
Bitternose said at the time, it was almost normal to come across a grave and go and tell the priest. He remembers finding seven or eight more graves while doing construction one summer.
“Then we’d have a little burial ceremony up on the hill and the day went on,” Bitternose said.
A 2018 study of the land around Muscowequan discovered 35 grave sites, but it only covered a small portion of the area. With the new funding, the entire area will be searched, and Bitternose expects more graves will be found.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.