HEALING AND RECONCILIATION FOR COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
With Honour
The trauma of the residential school system has haunted communities and families for generations.
Many still grieve without closure for the children who entered through a school door but never left.
For them, Ground Penetration Mapping is one of the only ways to locate their loved ones, honour their resting place, and begin to heal. Yet these technological services remain costly, time-consuming, and require support from organizations who are deeply respectful and detail-oriented in their approach.
Hiawatha First Nation in Ontario is seeking to find and honour their lost children by working with Global GPR Services Inc. (Global GPR), to use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to survey the Hiawatha First Nation Cemetery. For years, the Nation has known that there were likely many unmarked graves on the grounds but have not had the funding or ability to conduct a proper search. However, today they’re ready to take the next step forward alongside Global GPR, bringing peace of mind to the community.
The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) is deeply honoured to provide funding for this initiative and to do its part in helping communities honour their ancestors and missing children. Projects like these require more than a contribution, but an in-depth understanding of how sensitive and retraumatizing GPR can be. As Hiawatha First Nation has identified an organization it trusts, the IRF is proud to lend its full support to this vital initiative.
Diocese of Peterborough
