shíshálh Nation on Sunshine Coast finds 40 unmarked graves

Editor’s note: Emotional support or assistance for those who are affected by the residential school system can be found at Indian Residential School Survivors Society toll-free 1 (800) 721-0066 or 24-hr Crisis Line 1 (866) 925-4419.

The shíshálh Nation on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast says it has identified 40 unmarked graves on and around the grounds of the former St. Augustine’s Residential School Institution.

The Nation says it launched its search using the guidance and direction of Elders and Survivors of the school.

“We have always known the truth, our Elders have told us and we always believed them. We want to show the little ones to know we haven’t forgotten them, we love them, and they are important,” said Chief Lenora Joe of shíshálh Nation. “The children have spoken, and we are listening. We have heard their voices.”

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The Nation says Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was used to locate the graves, which Joe says are “shallow graves, only large enough for the young bodies to lay in the fetal position.”

Joe says it was not just shíshálh Nation children who attended the residential school. More than 51 Nations were represented by the children who went to the school, Joe says, and those Nations also know of missing children.

“These were very brave young children. They were very strong. They were future leaders. And they knew what was happening was wrong. They would not change their ways. They were persistent. And wanting to be who they were. And because of that, they lost their lives,” she said.

The shíshálh Nation’s archaeological research project has been conducted in partnership with the University of Saskatchewan, and associate professor Terry Clark says the Nation and university “didn’t need GPR to prove this happened.”

“We always had enough proof to know,” Clark said. “This is a very conservative number, through all aspects of the research we strongly believe, there are many more.”

The Nation notes that as St. Augustine’s is located in the middle of Sechelt, the lands have been disturbed, and the use of GPR only to determine the number of missing children would be “inaccurate and inconclusive.”

“Survivors shared disturbing events of the disposal of children’s remains that did not include burial during the years St. Augustine’s was in operation,” the Nation said.

Joe says the stories from Elders and Survivors are the most sacred and accurate accounts of the Nation’s and university’s research.

“We have heard from our Elders, we must tell the truth about what happened to our people. We have always known that children are missing. This is not news to us. Across Canada, Nations have conducted investigations and each time results are shared with the number of children’s remains found in the ground. And it started with the 215,” Joe said, referring to the unmarked graves located by the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School in B.C.’s Interior in 2021.

“These children were our aunties. They were our uncles. They were our future leaders that we never met. They never grew up and decades later, they are still lost children.”

Joe is asking for the public to honour the privacy of the Nation and its members, in order to allow them to heal and process the information released Thursday.