Canadian First Nations face financial, emotional strain of ground search efforts

FILE - A memorial was created at George Gordon First Nation following the discovery of unmarked graves at a residential school site in Kamloops.

REGINA -

For three months a committee on the George Gordon First Nation in southern Saskatchewan has been working to find any spots where unmarked graves could be from Gordon’s Indian Residential School.

In May, the discovery of 215 unmarked graves found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School sent shockwaves through Canada.

A month later, Cowessess First Nation located 751 unmarked gravesites on the grounds of a former residential school.

Since then, more Indigenous communities across the country have begun the process for their own searches, but for some it’s proving to be quite a challenge.

“Triangulation is the process that we go through in dealing with Indigenous Services Canada’s records, the church records and our local historical records,” Brad Spence, co-chair of the George Gordon First Nation Residential School Committee, told CTV News

The triangulation process helps pull existing resources and records together to help the committee determine where to begin their search, since there are no marked graveyard sites where the school was located.

The committee is tasked with finding the proper equipment for underwater and land searches, as well as securing the support of the community and providing mental health and trauma support.

“We also need our emotional safeguards in place for if and when we start our search, and if and when we find something,” Spence said.

George Gordon First Nation remains weeks away from beginning their actual search, but they’re not the only community preparing.

Seven Saskatchewan communities are planning searches, in addition to many others across Canada. Each community's search bears its own unique challenges.

Federal and provincial funding helped many kickstart the search process, but some say it’s not enough.

“There’s still more investment needed at the First Nation level,” Chief Bobby Cameron of the FSIN said. We’re fielding calls, we’re fielding emails and we’re getting letters from chiefs and councils that they need more investment to do the work..”

Despite technical, financial and emotional challenges, for many the decision to keep going has never wavered.

“What would you do if this was your child? Or if this was your family member? I mean it’s just a fundamental question of justice and a fundamental question of respect,” explained Ry Moran, associate university librarian at the University of Victoria.

Those involved in the searches say it’s just one step in the journey towards healing.