Sask. First Nation announces
hundreds of unmarked graves
found at former residential school
site
WARNING: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.
The Cowessess First Nation says it has discovered hundreds of unmarked graves at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.
A news release Wednesday from Cowessess and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous First Nations (FSIN), which represent's Saskatchewan's First Nations, did not give a specific number but said it will be the most found to date in Canada.
Cowessess Chief Cadmus Delorme and FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron are scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday morning to provide more details of the findings.
The Marieval Indian Residential School operated from 1899 to 1997 in the area where Cowessess is now located, about 140 kilometres east of Regina.
The First Nation took over the school's cemetary from the Catholic church in the 1970s.
Earlier this month Cowessess started using ground-penetrating radar to locate unmarked graves. Currently, only one-third of the graves at the site are marked.
Last month the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in B.C. announced the discovery of a burial site adjacent to the former Kamloops Indian Residential School that preliminary findings indicate contain the remains of 215 children.
Support is available for anyone affected by their experience at residential schools, and those who are triggered by the latest reports.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419
