Warning: This story contains distressing details. A list of supports are included at the end of the article.

Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) has released an interim report which found at least 55 children died or disappeared while attending the Saint Joseph鈥檚 Mission (SJM) Residential School.  

Investigations began in August 2021 following the discovery of potential unmarked graves at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School earlier the same year. So far, the investigation has involved several phases of geophysical surveys to determine the possibility of burials and unmarked graves at the site of the former SJM residential school. The investigation team has also scoured through archival documents and photographs and conducted survivor interviews.

鈥淪ince we began this journey, our team has been driven by one goal -- to reunite the disappeared and deceased children from St. Joseph鈥檚 Mission with their families. Our commitment is unwavering, and we will continue to use all available resources to bring these children home,鈥� stated Whitney Spearing, lead investigator and archaeologist, in a press release.

The opens with a prayer for the children lost to residential schools written by Nancy Sandy. It later details what steps have been taken by the investigation team and what is to come next in meeting its objective, which is to provide closure and healing for those who attended the school or who have lost children to the residential school system. 

Geophysical surveys

The investigation team worked with experts to conduct ground-penetrating radar, magnetic gradiometry and electromagnetic profiling at the site of the former SJM residential school which officially opened in 1891 and shut in 1982. Geophysical surveys were also conducted at the site of the Onward Ranch (OR), acquired in 1964 by the Oblates who ran the mission. These are all non-intrusive ways of surveying the sites.

Along with identifying potential burial sites, this research allows the team to map out historical features of the land in and around the SJM and OR sites. WLFN plans to complete geophysical surveying of the sites it can access in 2024, but there will still be more to do. The geophysical investigation cannot be completed until the team can access all areas used by the mission. Some properties are in the hands of private landowners.

Archival research

So far, the investigation has involved 55 survivor interviews and over 60,000 archival documents. The report notes research is far from complete, however, and the investigation team will continue its work until all documents related to SJM and its students are in WLFN鈥檚 possession. 

Along with uncovering the loss of children attending SJM, survivor interviews also allowed the team to construct a description of a day in the life of a student. Students came from as far as Witset First Nation, Penticton Indian Band and Duncan鈥檚 First Nation to attend the school. 

Bringing together archives compiled by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and findings from their own investigation, WLFN created a death or disappearance dossier (DoDD) which includes every child who died or disappeared while attending the SJM residential school. A child whose death or disappearance could not be confirmed was listed separately.

"To date, the investigation team compiled DoDD files for 55 children, more than twice the number recorded in the NCTR Memorial Register," stated the report.

Referencing work done by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the report notes children attending residential school died at a much higher rate than those in the general population. The children who died while attending residential schools were not usually returned to their families as no funds were allocated for this. As the burial process for students differed to that of clergy and staff, many of the students' graves were unmarked or done so inadequately. Today, many of the cemeteries at former residential school sites are abandoned. These factors make it difficult for families and communities to honour and remember their children who died or disappeared while attending residential school. 

The interim report also highlights findings from the RCMP鈥檚 鈥淓鈥� Division Task Force which, between 1994 and 2003, investigated allegations of physical and sexual abuse at residential schools in BC.

The report notes SJM ranks fourth highest for physical assault among residential schools in B.C. Zero of the 44 allegations of physical assault made by former students of SJM resulted in charges, and only 29 of 71 allegations of sexual assault resulted in charges. The WLFN investigation team is working with 鈥淓鈥� Division to assist in its archival research of the abuse and resulting deaths and disappearances of children attending the SJM.  

What's next

In a press release, WLFN Chief Willie Sellars said the interim report is only the beginning.

鈥淔or decades, our Elders whispered about the horrors that took place at St. Joseph鈥檚 Mission, but these stories were often met with disbelief or silence. Today, that silence is breaking. We owe it to the survivors, to those who never made it home, and to future generations to uncover the full truth," Chief Sellars said.

The investigation team plans to release an archival holding which would include photographs, records and artifacts gathered in their research. WLFN hopes to acquire the rest of the land held by the mission to ensure the history and impact of SJM is preserved and known, and to facilitate closure, commemoration and healing.

The interim report closes with a note on how investigations like the one into SJM and the OR are an important step towards reconciliation and emphasizes the legitimacy of their findings as a result of scientifically led research. 

It also includes a reminder that reconciliation is not supposed to be a comfortable experience, but knowing and acknowledging the truth of the past is essential for individual, community and nation-wide healing.

For those needing support you can reach out to the following resources: 

Hope for Wellness Helpline offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention by phone or online chat. Call toll-free 1-855-242-3310 or start a confidential online chat with a counsellor at hopeforwellness.ca. 

Indian Residential School Survivors Society, National Crisis Line is a service for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential School experience. Call toll-free 1-866-925-4419. 

Interior Health Authority, Interior Crisis Line Network is a service for those in crisis. Call 1-888-353-2273 for immediate assistance. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides crisis services for Indigenous Peoples across British Columbia. Adults/Elders call 250-723-4050. Youth call 250-723-2040. Or call tollfree 1-800-588-8717. Learn more at . 

M茅tis Crisis Line is a service of Metis Nation British Columbia. Call 1-833-MetisBC (1-833-638-4722).