Lejac Residential School Site Search(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 survivors hearing the news today.
“We want to care for our community to ensure our relatives receive the honour and respect they deserve,” said Nadleh Whut’en Chief Bev Ketlo. “We are thinking of the children and honouring their spirits. Let us hold each other close and tend to a sacred fire according to Yinka Dene teachings.”
Lejac Indian Residential School impacted over 70 Nations across British Columbia. Between 1922 and 1976 at least 7,850 Indigenous children, including day school students, attended Lejac. Nadleh Whut’en now carries the solemn responsibility of stewarding the former school on Seaspunkut Indian Reserve #4.
“As a survivor of Lejac, these findings are a stark reminder of the injustices faced by our people. We stand united in our commitment to uphold the spirits of those who suffered and ensure their voices are not forgotten,” said Former Chief of Stellat’en First Nation Archie Patrick. “In our time of mourning, we carry the stories of these children forward for justice aligned with the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”
A team of survivors and intergenerational survivors of the Lejac Indian Residential School is determining how to manage the former site, including directing the geophysical survey conducted on-site. The Guiding Team is made up of Lejac survivors and intergenerational survivors from both the Nadleh and Stellat’en First Nations.
Nadleh began geophysical surveys at Tseyaz Bunk’ut, in areas identified by survivors, using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry. These surveys were conducted in the winter of 2023, and the spring and summer of 2024. GPR works by sending energy pulses through a grid of radio-frequency energy. These pulses detect changes beneath the ground surface, revealing underground soil conditions, potential object presence, and potential disturbance. When this disturbance is in a regular pattern, it may point to the presence of unmarked graves. Magnetometry detects magnetic and conductive metal objects beneath the surface.
“The abuses endured at Lejac Indian Residential School and other similar institutions are not just a thing of the past,” stated Chief Ketlo. “The horrors experienced at Lejac Indian Residential School are still very real for the survivors who lived through this genocide. Lejac relentlessly taught the children that they were inferior. They were forcibly taken from their families, lands, and cultures, leading them to believe that everything about their identity was wrong in this world. This loss of belonging and safety during childhood has profound and lasting impacts on our community’s health.”
In October 2022, the House of Commons overwhelmingly passed a motion demanding that the federal government officially recognize residential schools as acts of genocide. The intergenerational trauma stemming from Lejac Indian Residential School and other residential schools continues to significantly impact Indigenous communities across the country. It is essential that this acknowledgment leads to meaningful action and healing for those affected.
The Guiding Team remains dedicated to providing will, stewardship, and guidance on the next steps in caring for our relatives.
Quick Facts
- Throughout the 54 years the institution was in operation, a minimum of 7,850 Indigenous children attended the Lejac Indian Residential School including students who attended during the day, referred to as day scholars.
- Canada’s federally supported 134 Indian Residential Schools (IRS) operated between 1883 and 1996.
- An estimated 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit students attended Indian Residential Schools.
- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has found that at least 4,100 children died while attending Indian Residential Schools.
- GPR is not a bone detector. GPR is used to locate a variety of changes or readings beneath the surface.
- GPR is not sonar. It consists of radar signals and is systematically utilized on a grid pattern that is closely spaced.
- Magnetometry is a complementary method to GPR. Magnetometry is used to detect properties and changes of magnetic aspects within the soil.
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If you are an Indian Residential School survivor or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419