image Credit: Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars / CFJC Today

By Mel Rothenburger

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: First Nations face painful decisions on burial grounds search

Jan 26, 2022 | 4:15 AM

WILLIAMS LAKE FIRST NATION revealed the results yesterday of its investigation into possible burial sites on the grounds of St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School.

It was an emotional event, with support pouring in from indigenous and non-indigenous people across the country.

WLFN Chief Willie Sellars began by reviewing the history of the school and the stories of abuses that occurred there between 1891 and 1981. He emphasized that results are preliminary but said details of future phases will be communicated as they become known.

Then came the bombshell: 93 “reflections” were located, 50 of which were outside a known cemetery in the area. They were found using ground-penetrating radar, a technology that became familiar to the public after last year’s discovery at the former residential school in Kamloops.

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The news will further the national debate over residential schools, add impetus to the release of documents and drive new investigations. It also sets up a heart-wrenching decision to be made by First Nations undertaking such investigations.

As lead investigator Whitney Spearing strongly emphasized, the only way to confirm whether or not indications from the GPR are of actual gravesites is to undertake excavations.

Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc faces the same issue, and has yet to release the actual report of its investigation.

There are, understandably, both cultural and personal sensitivities to be considered. While some support exhuming the sites, others believe they should be left alone.

With federal funding, the process of searching for burial sites has been put squarely in the hands of the involved First Nations, as it should be. Chief Sellars agreed that a decision will have to be made about excavation, and said WFLN is open to dialogue.

With excavation being the only certain way to remove all doubt about the existence of previously undocumented burial grounds, each Band connected with these searches faces a difficult and painful decision as the long investigative process continues.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.