By Jaeden Demelo

Evidence of potential unmarked graves found at former site of Lejac Indian Residential School

Nov 30, 2024 | 4:20 PM

PRINCE GEORGE— After nearly two years of geophysical surveys, Nadleh Whut’en have confirmed there are newly identified potential unmarked graves at Tseyaz Bunk’ut (formerly Lejac Indian Residential School).

The Lejac Residential School impacted over 70 nations across British Columbia, with at least 7,850 students attending when the school was running between 1922 and 1976.

The geophysical surveys were conducted using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry in the winter of 2023 and the spring and summer of 2024. These surveys covered approximately 142,500 square metres, about 27 football fields, with GPR lines spaced every nine centimetres, collecting over 1900 kilometres of linear GPR data.

The announcement made today is preliminary as plenty of work continues to be done to create a clearer picture of the once hidden damage done at the former residential school.

The intergenerational trauma stemming from Lejac Indian Residential School and other residential schools continues to significantly impact Indigenous communities across Canada.

Evidence of potential unmarked graves found at former site of Lejac Indian Residential School

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“The abuses endured at Lejac and other Indian Residential Schools are not just a thing of the past,” stated Chief Ketlo. “The horrors experienced at Lejac are still very real for the survivors who lived through this genocide. Hundreds of people have died as adults due to the trauma they experienced there.”

“Lejac relentlessly taught the children that they were inferior. They were forcibly taken from their families, lands, and cultures, leading them to believe that everything about their identity was wrong in this world. This loss of belonging and safety during childhood has profound and lasting impacts on our community’s health,” she continued.

The amount of unmarked graves in the area has not yet been determined.

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Email: jaeden.demelo@pattisonmedia.com