HEALING AND RECONCILIATION FOR COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
Unearthing Truth: Locating Unmarked Graves

For over a century, Indigenous children endured the traumatic experience of Indian Residential Schools in Canada, and the haunting legacy continues with the search for those who never returned home.
Many Indigenous Nations are actively seeking their lost children, employing archaeological remote sensing and geophysics to locate potential burial sites. However, limited support and resources hinder these crucial efforts.
The Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology (IPIA) at the University of Alberta has made continued efforts to provide advice, resources, and other services to Indigenous communities searching for unmarked graves. The institute is also planning to conduct research to test and recommend cutting-edge technologies, providing essential guidance and alternative methods for communities engaged in this solemn undertaking.
Thanks to a grant from the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF), the IPIA can strengthen its commitment to help communities that lack federal or provincial funding. The funds will cover overhead costs for consultations, site assessments, surveys, and analyses for communities. A dedicated geophysical research assistant will be supported to provide training, process data, and compile comprehensive reports. In addition, a portion of the grant will be dedicated to testing new technologies for locating unmarked graves.
The sacred work of finding unmarked graves is part of truth-telling that is necessary on the path to reconciliation. Conducting these searches in a community-led, culturally appropriate way lessens the chance of contributing to harm and retraumatization of survivors and Elders in Indigenous communities.
Archdiocese of Edmonton
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