Chippewas of The Thames promise careful approach to any probe of Mount Elgin grounds
Chief French says they're working on a plan but said 'things need to be done right'
The Chief of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation said Friday that any inspection of the grounds of the former Mount Elgin Residential School won't be rushed and will only come after proper consultation within the community and with other Indigenous groups.
Jacqueline French said the council is working "tirelessly" to come up with the right approach to investigate the grounds but said it's not something that should be done in haste.
"The plan hasn't been set in motion but we're ensuring that we do things right," she said. "There's work that needs to be done ... we're in the preliminary stages of planning in terms of what that's going to look like. We're just not in a position to start going to the grounds and doing that work. We're working toward something."
French said the Chippewas community has been stricken by news that preliminary findings from a survey of the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., indicate that the remains of around 215 children are buried on the site.
The revelation has reverberated across the country and raised questions about the possibility of similar grave sites at other residential schools. More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded residential schools that operated across Canada from the earliest in the 19th century to the last, which closed in 1996.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation examining residential schools has identified the names of, or information about, more than 4,100 children who died while attending these schools, most due to malnourishment or disease.
Mount Elgin, located on Chippewas territory, opened in 1841 and operated until 1949. The school was also called the Mount Elgin Indian Residential School.
'Things need to be done right'
French said leaders in the community are "trying to build a strategy" in how any investigation into the grounds at the former Mount Elgin site might proceed.
She said much more needs to be done than simply hiring a company to scan the grounds.
"Things need to be done right," she said. "There could be ceremonies that need to take place, there's a lot that needs to happen in terms of planning. We will be forwarding a letter to the federal government and putting them on notice that this is the way we will be moving forward together as a community."
Some members of the Chippewas community have called for a deeper look on the Mount Elgin grounds.
On Thursday, French released a statement which she said came in response to a news release and flyers issued by a local company stating an intention to carry out a penetrating radar search at the Mount Elgin grounds.
In her statement, French said the Chippewas have not entered an agreement with any company to perform this kind of work, saying it would be a premature step.
"We're not going to allow companies to come in and ... take advantage of a situation and put themselves into a spotlight," she said.
"When we are prepared to investigate these crimes which were committed against our people and their children, it will come directly from us, not from any third parties on social media."