We call upon the federal government to work with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, churches, Aboriginal communities, former residential school students, and current landowners to develop and implement strategies and procedures for the ongoing identification, documentation, maintenance, commemoration, and protection of residential school cemeteries or other sites at which residential school children were buried. This is to include the provision of appropriate memorial ceremonies and commemorative markers to honour the deceased children.
Why “In Progress?”
On August 11, 2021, the federal government committed $321M in new funding for Indigenous communities and appointing a special interlocutor to propose law and policy changes to better responds to the findings of unmarked graves at former residential school sites:
- $83M added to the existing $27M program to fund searches of burial sites and commemorate the children who died at residential schools
- $107M for programs to support healing from intergenerational trauma
- $100M over two years to help Indigenous communities manage residential school buildings. To access this support, as well as support for the location, commemoration and memorialization of remains, communities can apply through the Residential Schools Missing Children – Community Support Funding Program.
- $9.6 million over three years in addition to the $13.4 million over five years already announced in Budget 2021 to ensure that the tragic history and ongoing legacy of residential schools is never forgotten.
- The funds will support initiatives that commemorate the history and ongoing legacy of residential schools, including events and activities marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation which will be observed for the first time this year on September 30, 2021
Mar. 19, 2022: CBC – Raymond Frogner, head of archives for the NCTR, will be visiting the Rome archives of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate to review and digitize residential school-related records. He said the NCTR is still negotiating with the Oblates to access the personnel files of priests and residential school staff. He said the Oblates are seeking restrictions around records from those members who are still alive. In a previous update on June 6, 2021 (Toronto Star), the Oblates who operated 48 schools in Canada said the work is not complete because of complications with provincial and national privacy laws.
The federal government released $27M in unused funding from a $33.8M budget allocations for Calls to Action # 72 and 73 in Budget 2019 to assist communities in the search for additional graves.
Current Status
April 4, 2022
In Progress
Previous Status
February 14, 2022
In Progress
Latest Updates
Site last updated on May 4, 2022
Disbursements of fed. funds to find unmarked graves
Sagkeeng First Nation
Fort Alexander IRS: $610,093 Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada: Sagkeeng First Nation has undertaken work related to Fort Alexander (Pine Falls) Residential School and……
May 4, 2022
Disbursements of fed. funds to find unmarked graves
Wabasca (St. John’s) and Desmarais (Wabiscaw Lake, St. Martin’s, Wabiscaw) IRS
Bigstone Health Commission: $2,009,322 2021-2024 CIRNAC: Bigstone Health Commission is undertaking work related to research, knowledge gathering, commemoration, memorialization, and fieldwork investigation around two former……
May 3, 2022
Disbursements of fed. funds to find unmarked graves
Sipekne’katik First Nation
Shubenacadie Residential School: $326,700 CIRNAC:The funding supports the “Shubenacadie Residential School Support Project for Sipekne’katik.” This funding will assist with the research, knowledge gathering, commemoration,……
April 20, 2022
Disbursements of fed. funds to find unmarked graves
Lac Seul First Nation
Pelican Lake (Pelican Falls) Residential School. Funding of $8,743,163 to support the continuing work underway in Lac Seul First Nation: CIRNAC funding of $6,091,563 for……
April 4, 2022
Disbursements of fed. funds to find unmarked graves
Williams Lake First Nation
St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School: $2.9M Mar. 29, 2022: CTV News – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $2.9M in funding to “continue supporting healing” for members of……
March 29, 2022
Commitments to Residential School cemeteries
$2.5M in funding to Indigenous communities
Govt. of Manitoba – The Manitoba government has committed $2.5 million to support the identification, investigation, protection and commemoration of the children who died attending residential……
March 23, 2022
Discoveries of unmarked graves at Residential Schools
TABLE: Residential Schools that have discovered unmarked graves
Indian Residential SchoolDate of Discovery# of unmarked gravesOfficial recorded deathsFirst NationKamloops IRS, BCMay 27, 202120051Tk’emlüps te Secwépemc First NationMuscowequan IRS, SK June 1, 202135-Muscowequan First NationBrandon IRS,……
March 1, 2022
Discoveries of unmarked graves at Residential Schools
Grouard IRS (St. Bernard’s IRS)
Grouard IRS (AKA – St. Bernard’s IRS – The Kapawe’no First Nation in northern Alberta announced the discovery of 169 potential unmarked graves on the……
March 1, 2022
Disbursements of fed. funds to find unmarked graves
The Nisoonag (Three Canoes) Partnership
Spanish Indian Residential School $699,574 + $900K from Ontario for 2021-2024 The Nisoonag (Three Canoes) Partnership is an alliance between Mississauga First Nation (MFN), Sagamok……
February 18, 2022
Disbursements of fed. funds to find unmarked graves
Grassy Narrows First Nation
TBNewswatch.com – $157,000 funding to research gravesites at the former McIntosh Residential School in Northwestern Ontario. The school, founded by Roman Catholic missionaries, was located 30 kilometres northwest……
February 7, 2022