Ground search begins at former residential school site in Yukon

WARNING: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.

Work begins this week on the first ground search for unmarked graves at a former Yukon residential school.

A gathering was held Monday to mark the occasion in Carcross, at the former site of the Chooutla Indian Residential School.

"It is our responsibility to uncover the truth and acknowledge the past. Ultimately, families have been searching for decades for answers they deserve," said Judy Gingell of the Yukon Residential Schools Missing Children working group.

"Through this search, we hope to provide some sense of peace and healing to families and communities affected by past wrongdoings."

At least 20 Indigenous children died at Chooutla Indian Residential School between 1911 and 1969, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The working group has said that number could be as high as 42.

"As the ground search begins, we do not know what will be found," Gingell said.

"All areas that will be searched were identified by former residents, families and through thousands of records. What is known from the stories and information, many Yukon First Nation students went to these schools and some never made it home."

GeoScan, a B.C.-based company, has been hired to do the ground work. The plan is to use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and a magnetometer to study the site in detail.

The federal government has committed $495,000 to the project, with the Yukon government contributing $595,000. The goal is to start with the Chooutla site, and then later look at other former school sites in Whitehorse, Dawson City and at Shingle Point.

Premier Ranj Pillai was also in Carcross on Monday and spoke at the gathering about the "emotional roller coaster" that may lie ahead for many people.

"We'll not know the results of this work for several months," Pillai said.

"Waiting for the results of this scan will not be easy, an easy task for any of us as we think about what has happened to these children."

Pillai said he hopes the work will provide a deeper understanding of the legacy of residential schools and ultimately, some healing.

"I believe this work will lead us towards a society where the wounds of the past are not forgotten, but rather transformed into a source of strength, resiliency and unity — like you see in this room today, in this building, in this nation," the premier said.

GeoScan has said the results of the ground work this summer will take a couple of months to finish and analyze. The results will then be presented to the community who can then decide when to share it with the wider public, and whether any further work will be done to examine what's been found.

Ashley Roussell, a member of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation and also a part of the working group, said Monday she had a lot of emotions.

"To be able to stand on the grounds of the former Chooutla residential school where my grandparents, their parents and siblings went, was emotional, but it was also spiritual releasing, I felt very cleansed by the rain," she said.

"I could feel the strength of my family behind me, giving me the strength to be able to stand there on those grounds."

Joanne Henry, executive director of the Committee on Abuse in Residential School (CAIRS) said in Carcross on Monday that she also had a lot of mixed emotions. She reflected on her years working with CAIRS, and how for many years it seemed people weren't quite ready to grapple with the legacy of the schools.

"I don't know how I feel. I really don't, because I've heard these stories forever. Maybe it's like, finally we're gonna find out, finally we're not being swept under the carpet," Henry said.

Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools or by the latest reports.

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for survivors and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.

Mental health counselling and crisis support is 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 at www.hopeforwellness.ca.