RCMP investigate after search of western Manitoba residential school site discovers possible unmarked graves
WARNING: This story con‐ tains distressing details.
RCMP are investigating the site of a former residential school in western Manitoba after ground-penetrating radar searches this summer revealed anomalies that could be unmarked graves.
The anomalies discovered in Minegoziibe Anishinabe — also known as Pine Creek First Nation — prompted Chief Derek Nepinak to ask the po‐ lice to investigate.
Mounties announced Fri‐ day they would investigate the anomalies found at the site after a communal feast and community forum was held on the First Nation on Thursday to detail the investi‐ gation.
Six of the anomalies were reported in June and 14 more in August. The discoveries were made by British Colum‐ bia-based company Al‐ toMaxx, which searched the site of the former Pine Creek Residential School. That in‐ cluded using ground-pene‐ trating radar to search under a Catholic church.
That number has now grown to 71 anomalies, Nepinak said Friday. To date, five scans have been complet‐ ed around a roughly 40hectare (100acre) area around the residen‐ tial school site, as well as around and under the church, he said.
In August, Nepinak said he had been told the anomalies discovered at that point were between one metre to 1.25 metres long (three to four feet), and are consistent with other ground searches of un‐ marked burials in Canada and elsewhere.
The investigation going forward will be a collaboration between the RCMP and Mine‐ goziibe Anishinabe, Nepinak said. The First Nation will as‐ sign delegates to the process and language speakers for translation services.
"We're going to be creat‐ ing, hopefully, an environ‐ ment where people feel com‐ fortable sharing," Nepinak said. "There are people that have a lot of things to say about their own experience ... what they've heard and what they've seen in the school in the past."
During Thursday's com‐ munity forum, officers out‐ lined how the investigation will unfold and sought input to ensure the probe is done in a culturally sensitive way, RCMP said in their Fri‐ day news release.
"Yesterday was the culmi‐ nation of the planning and ex‐ ecution of what we call 'Phase 1,'" Nepinak told CBC on Fri‐ day, adding it was part of
"community engagement to let our members know that this investigation is going to proceed in a respectful, trau‐ ma-informed manner."
Nepinak said Minegoziibe Anishinabe will take as much time as needed to ensure the search is done respectfully.
"There's no established guidelines, protocols or para‐ meters on what we're calling a collaborative investigation with the RCMP," he said. "This is the first of it's kind."
Investigation must be culturally sensitive: RCMP
The Mounties must ensure the investigation is thorough, methodical and culturally sen‐ sitive, and collect evidence to provide the answers the com‐ munity is looking for, said Manitoba RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson, officer in charge of major crime services.
The investigation comes after an Aug. 15 meeting at the RCMP's Winnipeg head‐ quarters between senior RCMP officers and represen‐ tatives from the First Nation, including Nepinak, council members and elders, the re‐ lease said.
That meeting centred on the ground anomalies and the potential role of the
RCMP in investigating them.
During the meeting, offi‐ cers learned the community was specifically concerned about possible criminality re‐ lated to ground anomalies de‐ tected beneath the church.
Representatives also shared that elders and com‐ munity members have addi‐ tional knowledge and infor‐ mation related to the anom‐ alies, the release said.
That meeting concluded with a formal request from community leadership for the RCMP to investigate the ground anomalies.
As part of the investiga‐ tion's initial phase, officers will collect information about every aspect of the anom‐ alies, identify witnesses and begin interviews — all with a trauma-informed approach.
Police will also consider site examination based on the analysis of the evidence collected during that first phase, the release said.
Many First Nations across Canada began searches of the sites of former residential schools children were forced to attend following the dis‐ covery of more than 200 po‐ tential unmarked graves at the former residential school site in Kamloops, B.C, in 2021.
That includes ground searches that have been started or planned at most of the 14 residential school sites in Manitoba.
Support is available for anyone affected by their ex‐ perience at residential schools or by the latest re‐ ports.
A national Indian Residen‐ tial School Crisis Line has been set up to provide sup‐ port for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.