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Update from Yukon Residential School and Missing Children Project at CYFN General Assembly

Thursday, 29 June 2023 13:02

By Stuart Bonell

Judy Gingell speaks to delegates at the CYFN General Assembly in Klukshu, June 28 2023. Photo S.Bonell

Vice-Chair Judy Gingell discusses the investigation at Chooutla Residential School and warns that the process will be emotional.

Yukon Residential School and Missing Children Project vice-chair Judy Gingell made an update at the Council of First Nations General Assembly hosted by Champagne and Aishihik First Nations in Klukshu, yesterday. The update discussed the progress made in the ground search at Chooutla Residential School near Carcross. Gingell opened by saying that the process of learning what happened won’t be easy, but it is important.

"This may be [an] extremely emotional process, but it is our responsibility to uncover the truth." said Gingell to the delegates. "No matter how difficult it may be, we must ensure the forgotten and lost are remembered and honoured. Families deserve answers."

Joining Gingell at this update was Brian Whiting, a geophysicist at GeoScan who has been focused on finding unmarked graves at Canadian Residential Schools for over a year. Whiting says that, as helpful as the scanning technology and data is, there might not be much found in terms of remains.

"If they were not buried in coffins, in particular," said Whiting, "You know, dust to dust, ashes to ashes, it may be very difficult for our equipment to see what's in the ground."

Gingell closed the update by saying that the Yukon Residential School and Missing Children project will always need more information, and encouraged anyone with any story to get in touch.

"If you hear any of your people talking about the residential school, they need to contact us, because this information helps us decide where we have to go and where research has to be done."

The ground search at Chooutla began June 5, but results won’t be expected for months.

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