The First Nations said the remains were identified last weekend near Kamloops in southern British Columbia.

Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc said in a statement that they have hired ground penetrating radar experts to carry out this work, and their language and culture department is responsible for overseeing the project to ensure that the project is carried out in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner. This version does not specify the companies or individuals involved, nor does it specify how the work will be completed.

The statement said: “As far as we know, these missing children are undocumented deaths,” said Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc Kukpi7 (chief) Rosanne Casimir.

“Some people are only three years old. We seek a way to confirm with the deepest respect and knowledge of the lost children and their families, and know that Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc is the final resting place of these children.”

Casimir told CBC that the findings of the investigation were “preliminary” and the experts will provide a report next month.

In his speech on Friday, Casimir said that community members are still “responding” to the shock of the news because the leadership is considering the next steps.

She told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC): “One of them, we need to respect these children.” Kamloops at dawn.

Boarding school until 1969

Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc said that they are working with the BC Coroner Service to contact the students’ home communities, protect the remains, and work with the museum to find records of these deaths.

Lisa Lapointe, the chief coroner of British Columbia, said in a statement to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that the coroner’s office had received an alert regarding the discovery on Thursday.

Laporte said: “We are in the early stages of collecting information. As this sensitive work progresses, we will continue to cooperate with Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc and other institutions.”

“We recognize that the Canadian boarding school system has brought tragic, heartbreaking destruction to many people, and our thoughts are relevant to all those in mourning today.”

The Kamloops Indian Boarding School operated from 1890 to 1969, when the federal government took over the school from the Catholic Church as a residence for a day school until it closed in 1978.

According to the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), the school will have up to 500 students enrolled. These children originally came from aboriginal communities in British Columbia and beyond.

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, director of the History and Dialogue Center of the Indian Boarding School of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, said that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established in 2008, was told that it happened in the boarding school. And informed that 50 people died. Happened at the Kamloops agency.

She said that historical records “a large number of problems that are happening”, including “the ones that will be released by certain Catholic entities,” make it difficult for people to understand exactly what happened.

Turpel-Lafond said this discovery confirms what community survivors have done over the years-many children went to school and never returned. She also said that federal agents often take the children away, so some of the people they find may come from other aboriginal communities.

Turpel-Lafond also questioned how the rampant sexual abuse and physical abuse recorded in the residential school caused the death of these children.

“There may be reasons why they cannot properly record deaths, and they are not treated with dignity and respect, because that is the whole purpose of boarding schools…to completely control Indian children and eliminate their culture, identity and contact with their families,” She was on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Friday Early version.

UBCIC: Use “nothing to say” to describe sadness

The First Nations Health Administration (FNHA) said Thursday’s announcement will have a profound impact on the indigenous peoples of British Columbia and across the country.

FNHA CEO Richard Jock wrote in a statement: “It is regrettable that this situation exists and it illustrates that the boarding school system continues to cause destructive and lasting damage to the indigenous people, their families and communities. influences.”

On Friday, the Union of Indian Chiefs of British Columbia (UBCIC) stated that it mourned with Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc.

UBCIC President Stewart Phillip (Stewart Phillip) wrote: “When we hear such news, there is nothing to express our deep condolences as aborigines and survivors.”

“Today, we respect the lives of these children and pray that they and their families can finally get along with each other in peace.”

It is estimated that more than 150,000 children in Canada are enrolled in boarding schools From the 1830s until the last school closed in 1996.

Many children never go home from school

Based on death records, NCTR estimates that about 4,100 children were killed in school, but said the true total may be much higher. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission stated that a large number of indigenous children who were sent to boarding schools have never returned home.

Federal Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller Say in tweet He has been in contact with Casimir on Thursday to provide support.

Crown Indigenous Relations Federal Minister Carolyn Bennett (Carolyn Bennett) said in a tweet that the Indian National Boarding School Crisis Line applies to former boarding school students and others seeking support. You can use it by calling 1-866-925-4419.

In a radio interview on Friday, Casimir ended the conversation with a direct message to Ottawa.

Casimir said: “It is a good thing for the federal government to express goodwill and support for this tragedy.” “Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc and all affected communities and families have important ownership and responsibility. This needs to happen. And happen.”

On Friday, the Governor of British Columbia, John Horgan, issued a statement expressing shock and heartbreak at the discovery:

Hogan said: “This is an unimaginable tragedy. This is a stark example of the violence inflicted by the Canadian boarding school system against indigenous people and the consequences of these atrocities that continue to this day.”

FNHA stated that it has confirmed immediate support for the indigenous people of Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc through its internal health team, and its team is always on standby to support further needs.

A crisis hotline for Indian National Boarding Schools has been established to provide support to former and affected students. Call the 24-hour national crisis hotline: 1-866 925-4419 to obtain emotional and crisis referral services.

In British Columbia, the KUU-US Crisis Line Association provides Aboriginal and Aboriginal specific crisis lines that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.It is a toll free number, you can call 1-800-588-8717 or visit online kuu-uscrisisline.com.

Listen | Tk’emlúpste Secwépemc Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir (Rosanne Casimir) speaks at CBC Dawn Kamloops: