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Sites of Truth, Sites of Conscience is an historical report, based primarily on evidence gathered from the government and churches’ own archival records, that directly links the actions and omissions of the federal government and the churches that operated Indian Residential Schools with the crisis of the missing and disappeared children and unmarked burials. It documents the buildings, cemeteries, and burial grounds at several former Indian Residential Schools. Once places of silence and suffering, they are now sites of truth.
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Once places of brutal violence, genocide, and mass human rights violations, they are now sites of conscience that Canada and all Canadians must remember so this can never happen again. Building on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s work, this Historical Report illustrates how settler colonial laws and policies led to the deaths of Indigenous children and to the neglect, abandonment, and desecration of their burial sites. Indigenous children in the care and custody of the State were forcibly transferred to and died at multiple associated institutions, including sanitoria, reformatories, homes for unwed mothers, mental health institutions, and institutions for children with disabilities.
This historical Report traces the life histories of many Indigenous children to illustrate the importance of finding the truth, restoring human dignity to the children, and commemorating their burial sites. As Survivors, Indigenous families, and communities gather evidence from Survivors’ testimonies, forensic ground searches, and archival records, understanding how these institutions functioned together is critical to finding the missing and disappeared children and their burial sites.
Exposing these records, as painful as it is to read them, is a powerful antidote to denialism and will help Canadians to understand why truth, accountability, justice, and reparations are essential to reconciliation. This historical Report will serve as a catalyst for further research to support this Sacred work moving forward.
Download the Historical Report
The information in this report may be upsetting for some because it contains content relating to the deaths and forced disappearances of children at former Indian Residential Schools and other institutions. If you require immediate support, please contact the following:
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society’s 24/7 Crisis Support line:
1-800-721-0066
The 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line:
1-866-925-4419