British Columbia First Nation whose discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of a former residential school sparked a nationwide reflection on Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples announces plans for new research .
The T’kemlups te Secwepemc said in a statement that a new round of testing with ground-penetrating radar is expected to begin this week near the former Kamloops boarding school and last about a month.
The nation says Professor Sarah Beaulieu of the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia will lead the research with support from the T’kemlups Department of Natural Resources and the Le Estcwicwey team, also known as the team name The Missing.
Ms Beaulieu also led the search last year at the site of an orchard on the grounds of the former school which found 215 alleged graves after a child’s rib and tooth were found in the sector.
At the time, she said the search had covered less than one hectare and there were still 65 hectares to explore.
A ceremony marking the anniversary of the discovery is scheduled for Monday.
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