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'We want to work together': First Nation communities exchanging knowledge of unmarked grave searches

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Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask. -

Three Saskatchewan communities and unmarked grave search committees are sharing their experiences and knowledge to others.

As more First Nations across the country embark on their own journeys in searching for and discovering unmarked burial sites, many had questions about the process.

‘Learn Our Way,’ a day of education on Thursday, hoped to answer them.

“We really want people to know this is difficult work,” said Regina Indian Industrial School Commemorative Association (RIISCA) chair Sarah Longman.

A cemetery with unmarked graves for the former Regina Indian Residential School in west Regina was granted heritage status by the city in 2016.

RIISCA, in partnership with Star Blanket Cree Nation and George Gordon First Nation, held the day of education.

They shared their lived experience of going through the processes of discovering unmarked graves to other communities who are searching, or have plans to search, sites near their communities.

“The history is always really important,” said Longman. “To be where you are today, you have to understand where you came from.”

Longman stressed the work of discovering unmarked graves is very new. The discoveries made across Canada all have different stories, but each search can provide teaching.

“As the teams got together, we shared stories and some of the patterns that are starting to emerge out of the work,” she said. “We also talked about some of the knowledge gaps that are missing.”

To fill those gaps, ‘Learn Our Way’ brought in an archeologist, documentarian, elders and survivors.”

“This is unprecedented to us,” said Star Blanket Chief Michael Starr. “It’s something we did not know we would be doing.”

Starr believes searching is not done and patience will bring out each community’s story.

“It’s emotional,” he said. “Now that we understand the importance of it, we want to work together.”

A partnership that will bring healing for all.

“By sharing [the emotion], it helps to lift the burden of the work they are doing,” said Starr. “We want people to come forward and say, ‘We want to work arm-in-arm and hand-in-hand with reconciliation,’” said Longman.

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