Garden River First Nation has secured a multi-year funding commitment from the federal and provincial governments to assist the community in its search for unmarked burials of residential school students in Sault Ste. Marie.
The three-year funding commitment will assist with searches on grounds associated with the former sites of both Shingwauk Residential School and Wawanosh Home for Girls, and is intended to establish protocols around the “remains, memorialization, identification and commemoration of children of families associated with Garden River First Nation,” according to a news release issued by the First Nation Monday.
“For decades, our Elders have talked about the children who never returned. There has, and continues to be, significant trauma that our families carry in all aspects of their lives, in particular the spiritual trauma our community has experienced,” said Garden River First Nation Ogimaw (Chief) Andy Rickard in the news release. “It’s time for us to bring our own children back to the community so they can be honored properly, so they can rest with their families and the completion of their spirit journey.”
The process will also include establishing relationship agreements with third parties that are already conducting archival research.
“We can’t rush these things. It never works that way,” said Rickard. “We must keep our families, our children, our Elders, our own survivors at the center of these initiatives and therefore we must do this right. We have to let our traditional protocols and our customs guide us, hence it is vital for us that this project is First Nation-led.”
Rickard told SooToday Monday that terms of the funding commitment will be disclosed at a later date.
“We've received just enough funding to get the initiative off the ground, but it is too early to share the exact numbers,” said Rickard. “While Canada and Ontario have both committed to funding some activities, several other important activities are still pending confirmation. Once we have those commitments secured, I will be happy to share.”
The Children Of Shingwauk Alumni Association began the first phase of its ground-penetrating radar search for unmarked burials at the former Shingwauk Indian Residential School, located on the campus of Algoma University, in September of last year.