Excavations are taking place to recover the remains of children found in former Canadian residential schools. A highly-experienced forensic anthropology organization from Guatemala is assisting this process. Indigenous people of Canada have been struggling with trying to bring home loved ones who have passed away on the grounds of old residential schools. Approximately 150,000 children of Indigenous families were required to go to residential schools. Survivors from the said schools have been constantly shedding light on how it is possible for there to be unmarked graves at the said residential schools, which led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to publicize a report last 2016 on missing children and unmarked graves. Later on in 2021, both Canada and the international community finally paid attention to the issue when Tk’emlups te Secwepemc found 215 unmarked graves at an old residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
Token personalities such as Fredy Perccerelli (founding member of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation) and Kimberly Murray (federally-appointed special interlocutor) believe that Indigenous people should head the search for children’s deceased bodies. Murray was even quoted by the Senate’s Indigenous Peoples committee because they wanted to raise issues regarding how the federal government manages possible searches of residential schools. The government did exert efforts to handle the said issues. The government entered an agreement with the Hague-based International Commission on Missing Persons to allow the organization to help provide ways as to how Indigenous communities can search for and find justice for missing kids. Although this seems like a positive development, Murray states that Ottawa did not initially consult organizations that were led by Indigenous people. Moreover, Murray believes that the group the government consulted lacked “cultural competency” as well as experience to be able to properly interact with Canada’s Indigenous people. Hence, the government was unable to find the best source of help for the issue at hand. In line with this, too much government involvement may also lead to the government having ultimate control over information collected even if it should be independently handled.
A lawyer from Saskatchewan, Donald Worme, is active in tackling the problem. He is a member of the Kawacatoose First Nation and believes that help from the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala in Canada may positively impact the situation. After the 215 unnamed graves were found and publicized, Tk’emlups te Secwepemc hired Worme in order to take over the legal nuances of the events that took place. Worme said, “We had to immediately assess the circumstances for ourselves and determine what measures had been taken in other jurisdictions. There was no blueprint here in Canada.” Worme has extensive experience in handling similar cases, as he studied exhumations of those who were killed in Tulsa Riots, looked into the Rwandan Genocide, as well as delved deep into other mass murder cases around the world. Through this vast experience, Worme was able to pinpoint methods that could be used in searching for missing persons and unmarked burials and then discover the Guatemalan organization. Despite this assistance being provided, Worme still believes that Indigenous people must be at the forefront of these affairs and be active in the center. To elaborate on his beliefs, Worme said, “We cannot leave the sacred work to be done by others without the intense and specific knowledge that is necessary to undertake this. It’s sacred work, and seen as a responsibility.”
