The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Executive says 751 unmarked graves have been found near the former Marieval Residential School at the Cowessess First Nation. The FSIN says the gravesite was overseen by the Roman Catholic Church from 1886 to the 1970. During this time children who attended Marieval and passed away were buried there. In the 1960s the Catholic Church removed the headstones and today, there are over 600 unmarked graves. Cowessess Chief Cadmus Delorme says, “This is not a mass gravesite; it is unmarked graves.” He says, “Our end goal is to locate, identify, and put a mark down honouring our loved ones.”

He explains that the First Nation consulted with Saskatchewan Polytechnic for the ground penetrating radar, which was deployed on June 2nd.  And Chief Delorme says he asked the experts at Sask Polytech what the margin of error was for the ground penetrating radar so if you factor in a 10 to 15 per cent error then there would be at least 600 graves.

“We all must put down our ignorance, and accidental racism of not addressing the truth that this country has with Indigenous people. We are not asking for pity but we are asking for understanding. We need time to heal and this country must stand by us,” said Chief Delorme.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says, ” There will be hundreds more unmarked graves and burial sites located across our First Nations lands at the sites of former Indian Residential Schools.” He also notes that Saskatchewan had the highest number of residential schools and highest number of survivors.

Chief Cameron says there will be more burial sites found, “This was a crime against humanity. An assault on First Nations people. The only crime we committed was being born Indigenous.” .

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, says he is terribly saddened to learn that the remains of children had been found in the unmarked graves near the former Marieval Residential School. He says, “No child should have spent their last moments in a place where they lived in fear, never to see their loved ones again. And no families should have been robbed of the laughter and joy of their children playing, and the pride of watching them grow in their community.”

The Prime Minister says the hurt and the trauma that families, survivors, and all Indigenous peoples feel is Canada’s responsibility to bear, and the government will continue to provide Indigenous communities across the country with the funding and resources they need to bring these terrible wrongs to light.

Trudeau says the findings in Marieval and Kamloops are part of a larger tragedy. They are a shameful reminder of the systemic racism, discrimination, and injustice that Indigenous peoples have faced, and continue to face, in this country.

If you need someone to talk to, reach out to the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line, which is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419.

Premier Scott Moe says, all of Saskatchewan mourns for those who were discovered buried in the unmarked graves. He says it is heart-breaking to think that so many children lost their lives after being separated from their families, and away from the love and solace only a family can provide.
The premier says he has spoken with Chief Cameron of the FSIN and Chief Cadmus Delorme of Cowessess to offer the full support of the provincial.

Lisa Broda, the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth, says she and her staff mourn the children found buried in an undocumented burial site at the former Marieval residential school in Saskatchewan. She says, “We stand with Cowessess First Nation and all Indigenous people in this terribly difficult and emotional time, as the truth of our colonial past is further uncovered.”

Broda says the discovery of 215 children buried in a former Kamloops residential school reignited the cry for action with respect to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, most of which have not been fulfilled.

She says, many pleas from First Nations communities were for the fulfillment of TRC calls to action directed at addressing the lack of information about the burial of the missing children who never came home from residential school.

City of Saskatoon flags will be lowered to half-mast Thursday to honour all the children found in the unmarked graves. Mayor Charlie Clark says lowering the flags is only one action they will be taking to support the community.