Almost two-thirds of Canadians say more evidence needed to accept 'unmarked graves' report in Kamloops

Ottawa Citizen

4 days ago

It's been over four years since news broke of a potentially shocking find in the grounds of what was once the largest residential school in Canada, in Kamloops, B.C.
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Ground-penetrating radar revealed soil 'anomalies' that might — or might not — be graves. Despite the uncertainty, media organizations and members of the public started referring to the anomalies as the graves of children. To date, no human remains have been confirmed or exhumed, and the suspected anomalies remain unverified.
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Now a new survey from Angus Reid finds that a majority of Canadians, both Indigenous and not, are unwilling to accept that the anomalies are the graves of children without further evidence.
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Survey participants were given the following question: 'The Kamloops band's claim of 215 unmarked graves of children was later revised to about 200 'anomalies' and suspected burial sites. The federal government has given $12.1 million in funding to assist in investigating this issue. To date, no additional reports have been made public. What is closer to your view?'
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Sixty-three per cent of respondents chose: 'People should only accept the claim that this is evidence of unmarked children's graves if further information is publicly available to verify it through excavation.' The remaining 37 per cent agreed with: 'People should accept the claim that this is evidence of unmarked children's graves, even if no further information is publicly offered.'
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Regionally, the number of people who thought more information was needed varied from 55 per cent in Quebec to 75 per cent in Manitoba.
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The survey also asked respondents to identify themselves as Indigenous or non-Indigenous. When the Indigenous responses were tabulated, a slightly higher number (44 per cent) thought people should accept that the anomalies are unmarked children's graves. But most (56 per cent) thought more information was needed to verify the claim.
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The Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation first published the explosive news in May of 2021, stating: 'This past weekend, with the help of a ground penetrating radar specialist, the stark truth of the preliminary findings came to light — the confirmation of the remains of 215 children who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School.'
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The news touched off a prolonged period of public outrage and an unprecedented wave of arsons targeting predominantly Indigenous churches. That summer, more than 60 Canadian churches would be destroyed, desecrated or vandalized.
But by last summer the language had been toned down considerably, with a Day of Reflection statement from the First Nation noting: 'With the help of a ground penetrating radar specialist, the stark truth of the preliminary findings came to light — the confirmation of 215 anomalies were detected.'