Yukon Residential School and Missing Children Project ground search finds 15 'potential' grave sites at former Chooutla Residential School

Wednesday, 27 September 2023 13:51

By Stuart Bonell

Brian Whiting, PhD begins his presentation on the findings of GeoScan's ground-penetrating-radar at the media conference on September 26 (Photo: S.Bonell)

WARNING: This article contains information that could be distressing to some readers.

The Yukon Residential School and Missing Children Project called an urgent media conference on September 26 for updates to the Chooutla Residential School ground search near Carcross.

KnowHistory Director of Litigation and Residential Schools Nicole Marion spoke first at the conference. Her team has been working tirelessly on finding a full list of students who attended the residential school. They are also looking into students who never made it home.

“At this time, we’ve identified 33 documented deaths of children related to the Chooutla Residential School,” said Marion. “Only 20 of these children have been recorded on the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s national student memorial register.”

That number of 33 children, GeoScan’s Brian Whiting explains, is from a separate part of the investigation. While KnowHistory’s team looks at countless documents from databases across the country, the GeoScan team of geophysicists is exploring the area with ground-penetrating radar; searching for potential unmarked graves. His team found three potential unmarked graves close to the school, but the investigation couldn’t stop there.

“Away from the school, we found an additional 12 potential grave-like features,” said Whiting. “The total number that we identified of potential grave-like features is 15 for this field season, which consisted of two weeks of field work.”

Whiting earlier explained that geophysics and ground-penetrating-radar are NOT exact sciences, and that there is not guarantee that these potential grave sites contain human remains. The only way to know for certain will be if the community decides to break ground.

While the ground search at Chooutla Residential School will be wrapping up ahead of winter, Yukon Residential School and Missing Children Project elder advisor Sandra Johnson is hopeful about community healing moving forward.

“The trauma inflicted upon our ancestors, and generations that followed, is a wound that runs deep,” said Johnson. “But within the depth of pain, there is also an opportunity for healing and transformation.”

The Yukon Residential School and Missing Children Project reminds anyone who may have any information about residential schools in the Yukon to come forward and share their story. Co-chairs Doris Bill and Judy Gingell say that support will be available to anyone who comes forward.