Commonwealth_ An expert committee established to assist Indigenous communities in locating unmarked graves at former residential schools in Canada has announced that the federal government has discontinued its funding. The National Advisory Committee on Residential Schools Missing Children and Unmarked Burials (NAC) will be forced to cease operations when its current funding agreement expires on March 31, 2025. Crystal Gail Fraser, a founding member of the committee and a Gwich’in scholar from Inuvik, N.W.T., described the decision as “a betrayal.” Fraser expressed her deep disappointment, stating that this move undermines the values of truth and reconciliation that Canada has pledged to uphold.
A Critical Setback for Truth and Reconciliation The decision to halt funding follows previous budget cuts announced in July 2024 for unmarked grave searches, as well as delays in financial support for the Survivors’ Secretariat, a non-profit organization dedicated to residential school survivors. These financial constraints are expected to significantly hinder efforts to uncover and document the full extent of burial sites linked to Canada’s residential school system. The NAC was formed in response to the shocking discovery in 2021 of 200 potential burial sites at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, in British Columbia. The findings, made using ground-penetrating radar, garnered national and international attention, sparking widespread condemnation of Canada’s historical mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. The revelation also intensified demands for accountability and justice for residential school survivors and their families.
Federal Government’s Shifting Position The federal government’s withdrawal of financial support comes despite earlier commitments to truth and reconciliation. In 2022, just one year after the discovery in Kamloops, Ottawa reaffirmed its commitment to addressing the legacy of residential schools and supporting Indigenous-led efforts toward healing. This period also saw a historic visit by Pope Francis to Canada, during which he issued an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the operation of residential schools. For Fraser and many others involved in the reconciliation process, the sudden funding cut represents an abrupt shift in the government’s stance. “It’s a shock to learn that Ottawa is withdrawing its support just under three years later,” Fraser said. “All of the signals that we’ve seen from this government have indicated ongoing engagement with the process of truth and reconciliation.”
The Ongoing Search for Truth The discontinuation of funding is particularly significant given the ongoing efforts to uncover the full scope of deaths and disappearances associated with Canada’s residential schools. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada which concluded its work in 2015, determined that at least 3,200 children died while in federal custody at these institutions. However, Murray Sinclair, the chair of the commission, warned at the time that the actual number could be much higher—potentially five to ten times greater—due to incomplete and poorly maintained burial records. Despite the TRC’s findings and recommendations, Fraser argues that Canada is still in the midst of the truth-seeking process. “When it comes to residential school histories and children who have either died or disappeared as a result of their institutionalization, we are still very much in the truth process,” she emphasized.
A Setback on a Landmark Anniversary
The timing of Ottawa’s funding cut is particularly painful for those involved in Indigenous rights advocacy, as it coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the TRC’s final report. The report, which outlined 94 Calls to Action, aimed at fostering reconciliation, emphasized the importance of sustained government support for initiatives that uncover the truth about Canada’s residential school system. The funding halt raises serious concerns about the federal government’s long-term commitment to these goals. Many Indigenous leaders, researchers, and community members fear that without adequate financial resources, critical work in identifying and memorializing unmarked graves will be stalled, leaving many questions about the past unanswered.
