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Investigation begins into St. Anne's burial sites

Fort Albany will be working with five other First Nation communities
Ste. Anne's Residential School
St. Anne's Indian Residential School. (Supplied)

Fort Albany First Nation will be working with five other First Nation communities to investigate St. Anne’s Indian Residential School burial sites.

The St. Anne’s Indian Residential School Survivors (IRS) Project has been underway for several months now, and will include establishing protocols for searches, remains, assessments and healing, Fort Albany Chief Robert Nakogee said in a news release today.

Preliminary research suggests students who attended the school were from Moose Factory, Fort Severn, Constance Lake, Attawapiskat and Weenusk (Peawanuck). Fort Albany will spearhead the project, working with the other communities.

Manitoba-based planning firm Narratives Inc. has been hired and additional specialized resources will also be brought in as needed.

Last year, Ontario committed $10 million over three years to identify, investigate and commemorate burial sites on the grounds of former residential schools. The money will also go toward support for school survivors, their families and communities. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada has also earmarked $1.3 million for 2021-22.

St. Anne’s school was established in 1906. It was run by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Grey Nuns of Cross until the school closed in 1976. The government took over the management of the school in 1965 and the residence in 1970.

Originally located at the Fort Albany Mission on Albany Island, the school was moved to the north shores of the banks of Albany River in 1932.

“The stories that we know of so far are absolutely horrifying. It’s time we sat down, listened and documented these. Former chief Edmund Metatawabin already started this important work of documenting the truth,” reads the statement. “We look forward to carrying on that important work to search the grounds for our children and start the process of healing.”

Nakogee said the initiative will be "extremely difficult".

"The multigenerational trauma continues to hurt us across the demographic. We want to take our time, establish our protocols and make sure we do things right. We appreciate the commitment Canada and Ontario have made and look forward to continuing on this path of establishing truth before reconciliation," he said.

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Marc Miller said their thoughts are with the people in the communities involved.

"The communities deserve the truth, and we remain committed to addressing past wrongs and the horrific abuse suffered at this institution, as work continues towards healing and closure," he said.

The project will receive resources from Canada and Ontario including mental health supports.

“The painful legacy of the Indian residential school system continues to inflict deep harm and ongoing intergenerational trauma on survivors, affected families and communities,” Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford said in the statement. “Ontario is committed to supporting the difficult and painful work that lies ahead for the leaders of the St. Anne’s Indian Residential School Survivors Project and the Fort Albany community, while ensuring trauma-informed supports are available at every step.”

In Ontario, there are 18 known residential school sites, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).

On the James Bay coast, there were residential schools in Fort Albany and Moose Factory. The residential school closest to Timmins was Chapleau Indian Residential School.

A 24-hour national residential school crisis line, established to provide support to former students and their families, can be accessed at 1-866-925-4419.


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Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

About the Author: Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

Dariya Baiguzhiyeva is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering diversity issues for TimminsToday. The LJI is funded by the Government of Canada
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