EDITORIAL – What is the actual number of ‘missing’ at the residential school?

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

IT’S FAIR TO SAY comments by Kúkwpi7 Chief Rosanne Casimir last week about suspected unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School have raised more questions than they answered.

My editorial Feb. 17 contended that her news release provided scant new information about research into 200-some “anomalies” in a former orchard at the school. It also expressed concern about Casimir’s comment that the question of the possible gravesites may never be resolved.

If the former orchard at the school simply remains a sacred site and is never excavated, how are we to know if there are actual any burials there? If they do exist, how many?

At the beginning of this sad situation five years ago, it was asserted by Casimir that ground penetrating radar had “confirmed” the orchard contains the remains of children, and even, for a time, that it was a “mass grave.” The number of 215 was attached to the suspected number of gravesites.

The description of the GPR findings has been re-defined as “anomalies” and the 215 has been adjusted downward to 200, or thereabouts. So the question is, is that still the official number? Despite the adjusted number, the situation is still commonly known as “the 215.”

Casimir’s news release said three methods were being used in the continuing search: GPR, LiDAR scanning, and cadaver (or Human Remains Detection) dogs. We know GPR can’t confirm whether human remains are present. LiDAR can’t penetrate the ground. HDR dogs, though, have an amazing ability to scent human remains buried at considerable depth even if interred decades ago.

The three methods, the news release said, have overlapped in some locations, with some areas being ruled out and others not. Does that mean the number of 215 has been reduced, or simply that the search of grounds at the school has been expanded without any findings?

This question is of immense important to the public, since a recent survey indicated that the majority of Canadians, including indigenous Canadians, want excavation to be done in order to provide empirical evidence on whether the gravesites exist. They also want to know how many gravesites are suspected — the issue is not only whether the burials are real, but the extent of them.

Casimir states she will not agree to be interviewed following up her news release. That’s unfortunate; the time has come for Band officials and their consultants to call a meeting, open to the public, to reply to questions involving the search.