Lejac Residential School Site Search
Nez Keh Hubuk’uznootah
“Let’s Look for our Children”
This website contains content about residential schools and may be triggering and upsetting. As you read and think about this information, pay attention to your body’s cues that you might need to come back to this topic another time. Your well-being is important.
The Indian Residential Schools Survivor Society provides support for survivors and intergenerational survivors of Indian residential schools. If you need support, please get in touch with the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-721-0066.
Lejac Indian Residential School
The Lejac Indian Residential School operated for over 50 years from 1922 to 1976. During that time over 7,850 First Nations children attended the institution. Lejac inflicted deep and painful wounds on many of these students – and many students never made it home. In response to this painful history, the Nadleh Whut’en Chief and Council have launched a healing project led by the Lejac Indian Residential School Guiding Team. This team, which includes survivors and intergenerational survivors, is dedicated to planning the future of the site, focusing on healing and reconciliation.
Search Process
The Lejac Indian Residential School Guiding Team has begun a process to search the grounds of the former school for unmarked graves. Lejac already has a cemetery where many students are buried; however, many more who never returned home were never accounted for. To heal the wounds inflicted by Lejac, the Guiding Team has commissioned a geophysical survey of the grounds. This work is ongoing.
The Guiding Team
The search process is led by the Lejac Indian Residential School (LIRS) Guiding Team, which includes both survivors of the LIRS and intergenerational survivors. This team ensures that all work is carried out with respect and in alignment with the wishes of survivors.
Updates
Nadleh Whut’en Finds Further Evidence of Loss Through Search for Unmarked Graves at Lejac Residential School
(Nadleh Whut’en Village) – Nadleh Whut’en has discovered potential unmarked graves at Lejac Indian Residential School. A rigorous ground penetrating radar search has identified several anomalies as reflections of interest, meaning they have traits consistent with burials. These findings bring a new wave of grief to the surface for impacted communities and all residential school…
Nadleh Whut’en Hereditary Leadership to Bless Ground Penetrating Radar Crew Searching for Missing Children
Content Warning: This document contains content about residential schools. A note on safety, self-care and self-regulation: this content can be triggering and upsetting. As you read and think about this information, pay attention to your body’s cues that you might need to return to this topic again. Your well-being is important. The Indian Residential Schools…
Nadleh Whut’en and Fraser Lake show what Reconciliation Means as Quilters Guild Honours Residential School Survivors
(Nadleh Whut’en Territory) As part of National Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations, the Fraser Lake Quilters Guild will be gifting thirty handmade quilts to honour residential school survivors at the Charlie Nooski Memorial Park. The initiative is the result of Terry Luggi, Indian Residential School Project Manager’s connection with Linda Nooski around the Nadleh Whut’en Whuz…