Survivors urge all political parties to support residential school burial investigations

WARNING: This story contains details of experiences at residential schools.

As Canada's federal election heats up, residential school survivors and their advocates are urging political parties to pledge full support for investigations into unmarked burials and missing children linked to the institutions.

The previous Liberal government announced several initiatives following the findings of potential unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021. Four years later, the programs face questions about their future.

Last fall, an advisory committee working on identifying historical documents resigned, citing inadequate funding. Then in February, Canada discontinued funding for the expert committee advising Indigenous communities undertaking searches.

"The government of Canada, today, in 2025, should support this," said Cadmus Delorme, who was chair of the eight-person documents committee.

Delorme was also chief of Cowessess First Nation in 2021, when the community announced 751 suspected unmarked burials were located at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. He said Canada "has a fiduciary financial responsibility in this moment," as communities still seek closure.

"We have to address certain things we inherited — we can't just forget about it — and this is one of them."

Meanwhile, Crown-Indigenous Relations has announced, then reversed, funding caps to the investigations themselves, and some communities continue to face delays and red tape.

"This is Canada's fault. They're to blame," said Janalee Jodouin, finance and project lead for the Wiikwogaming Tiinahtiisiiwin Project.

"They need to bring the children home, period. It's not rocket science. They need to fund it and they need to fulfil their promises."

The project was started by Grassy Narrows First Nation to investigate the former McIntosh Indian Residential School in northwestern Ontario. The group announced in January it located 114 unmarked burial features on the property, of which 106 were in the historical cemetery area.

Frustrated with Canada's lack of ongoing financial commitment, Jodouin invited CBC Indigenous to meet with the project's elders advisory last week to hear about the impact.

'No closure'

In the meeting, one survivor likened the institution to a work camp where she was made to do hard labour. Another recalled witnessing kids being beaten. Others described the Catholic-run school's devastating legacy.

"I don't understand why they would try to erase the Indian again by not making this known," said Steve Lands, a former McIntosh student and project co-ordinator.

"Many of us here have lost friends and family members through the abuse, the trauma, the legacy of the residential schools. This is where we need the funding not cut."

"It is important that Canada knows what we have suffered, and then Canada should help us complete this project," said McIntosh survivor Geraldine Fobister.

Former Grassy Narrows chief Rudy Turtle said he's concerned about the cuts and would like to hear someone explicitly say they'll fund the residential school searches.

"It's part of our truth and reconciliation," he said.

"It's part of our healing journey that everyone talks about and to cut it now when you're in the middle, it just makes it worse. There's going to be no closure at all."

Parties respond

CBC Indigenous contacted the six leading parties for their position.

The incumbent Liberals said a new Liberal government would remain committed to advancing reconciliation and healing.

"A Mark Carney-led Liberal government will continue this important work to support survivors and communities and move forward on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action. I would refer you to the upcoming platform for additional information," a spokesperson said.

The Conservatives cited Leader Pierre Poilievre's comment at a Jan. 22, 2024 news conference. 

"We should provide the resources to allow for full investigation into the potential remains at residential schools," he said at the time.

"Canadians deserve to know the truth and Conservatives will always stand in favour of historical accuracy."

The NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party all pledged to support full funding for the investigations.

"This work must be community-led, trauma-informed, and backed by long-term federal support," said the NDP.

"It is essential to support these efforts so that light can be shed on this sad history," said the Bloc in French.

The Greens said they would fully support the projects "with long-term stable funding and Indigenous-led oversight to uncover and address Canada's colonial history transparently and respectfully."

The People's Party of Canada said it would not support investigations.

"We believe enough money has already been wasted on this matter. No body has been found and this story has been blown out of all proportion," a spokesperson said.

Laura Arndt, secretariat lead at the Survivors' Secretariat, formed in 2021 to investigate the former Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School in Brantford, Ont., wants candidates to recognize the issue goes beyond partisan politics.

She said funding cuts feed residential school denialism, a phenomenon some some scholars define as the twisting of facts about a system the Truth and Reconciliation Commission described as cultural genocide.

"We are talking about the truth of history in this country, and a history that can't be talked about without using the word legacy when it comes to Indigenous people," said Arndt.

"So I'd like to see the parties really committing to taking forward the issues of Indian residential school survivors and having the records disclosed."

Through document analysis, the secretariat has confirmed 101 known deaths at the Mohawk Institute — more than doubling the 48 listed by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation — but the group is in funding dispute with Ottawa that still may force it to shut down.

A national 24-hour Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available at 1-866-925-4419 for emotional and crisis referral services for survivors and those affected. 

Mental health counselling and crisis support are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat.