Courtesy: Nadleh Whut'en

By Cheryl Jahn

Potential unmarked graves at Lejac

Dec 2, 2024 | 4:11 PM

NADLEH WHUT’EN – The Lejac Residential School was founded on the south side of Fraser Lake in 1922. The confirmation of 215 potential unmarked graves at the Kamloops Residential School in the spring of 2021 prompted those with residential school histories to look, including those with families who attended Lejac.

The journey to find answers began two years ago.

“Two years ago, the Guiding team news came as new projects started and the meaning of their project is Let’s look for our children in our language. It means let’s look for our children. That’s the whole purpose of this project,” explains Chief Beverly Ketlo of the Nadleh Whut’en First Nation.

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The Guiding team is made up of Lejac survivors as well as intergenerational survivors. And this weekend, the Nadleh Whut’eh held a news conference to release its findings.

“A lot of kids didn’t go home and we’re still trying to find out who these kids are that are missing and where they belong,” says Archie Patrick, former Chief of the Stellat’en First Nation and a survivor of the Lejac Residential School. “We have information today that shows that there are likely sites in the location of the little school. We knew there were more children there. We just didn’t know where.”

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has found that at least 4,100 children died while attending residential schools across Canada.

“The work is essential for survivors, intergenerational survivors and the rest of communities to gain closure. We need to find the truth of what happened at these horrific institutes, including finding every child who didn’t make it home,” says Ketlo. Through the 54-year history of the Lejac residential school 7,850 students attended that school.

“In the long term and still affecting many, many of our people happened and in the minds and the hearts of the children that went here and may have returned home and may not have,” says Patrick. “It stems from an attitude from the governments of today that we weren’t really humans.”

“Police and the priest. I had to go to school and so my mom and dad rightfully took me to the residential school here,” says Rose Luggi, also a survivor. “It was a trauma for me every day. I didn’t know the English language, and every day I got strapped for that.”

The total area of the survey was equivalent to 27 football fields and, while the findings of the geophysical surveys is preliminary, the Guiding Team will continue the work.

“So in addition to the GPR and Magnetometer on Lejac there are other search methodologies that we are considering that we will consider. There’s also developing technologies nationwide because of there are over 139 nations in this country,” explains Terry Luggi, Manager of the Indian Residential School Project.

The Guiding Team will continue to oversee geophysical surveys and engagement with survivors to determine the next steps.