Fort Albany First Nation
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY CHIEF
NEE KEE WA NAN INITIATIVE PROGRAM
Press Release:
FORTALBANY FIRST NATION TO INTIATE CEREMONY AND
SEARCH AT ST. ANNE’S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SITES
July2024
CONTENTWARNING: The information and material presented in this press release may cause triggers and trauma invoked by memories of the past. If you or your loved one is experiencing distressed, please access the 24-hour Residential School National Crisis line at 1-866-925-4419 or the local Nee Kee Wa Nan Line at 705-278-4000
Fort Albany, ON – Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN) is taking a significant step forward by initiating Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and land investigations at the Old St. Anne’s Residential School Site. This effort is part of the Nee Kee Wa Nan (We Are Coming Home) program, supported by qualified professionals and a community-led working group from the surrounding Mushkegowuk region, which includes Fort Albany, Attawapiskat, Moosonee, Timmins, and Kashechewan. From July 15th to July 26th, the program will conduct a ceremony, community visit and information session, and an initial walkabout of identified sensitive areas within the St. Anne’s Residential School sites.
The GPR work through the Community Led Nee Kee Wa Nan program is a critical initiative aimed at uncovering the truth and investigating survivor testimonies of unmarked graves and burials related to St. Anne’s Residential School. This project is avital step in our journey towards truth, healing, intergenerational healing, and reconciliation.
Fort Albany First Nation will lead the work along with the Nee Kee Wa Nan Working Group, Mental Health Supports, Traditional Ceremony Knowledge, and surrounding First Nation communities to engage in the following key activities:
• Community Ceremony: A ceremonial gathering will be held to honor the significance of this work and to support the healing process for survivors, their families, and the entire community. The ceremony will provide an opportunity for reflection, remembrance, and collective strength.
• Community Information Sharing: Nee Kee Wa Nan will host information sessions to share details about their work, the technology used, and the processes involved in the ground assessment. This is an opportunity for community members to ask questions, express concerns, and gain a deeper understanding of the program’s objectives as well as get involved.
• Walking the Land: The Nee Kee Wa Nan team, along with community members, will walk the land to the identified areas. This activity is an essential part of the assessment process and ensures that the community’s knowledge and guidance are integrated into the work prior to any investigations of the land. The qualified consultants will then use this initial ground assessment to phase the search work with community readiness.
“Fort Albany First Nation and the Nee Kee Wa Nan Program invite all St. Anne’s Residential, Day School Survivors, and community members to participate in these events and support one another in this vital work. Together, we can ensure that the history of our community is respectfully acknowledged and preserved for future generations,” said Deputy Chief Terry Metatawabin of Fort Albany First Nation. Fort Albany First Nation also extends this notification to all of the Mushkegowuk region and communities, acknowledging the shared history and the collective importance of these efforts. We welcome your presence and support during this crucial time.
For more information about the Nee Kee Wa Nan program, please contact:
Deputy Chief Terry Metatawabin
Email: dc@fortalbany.ca
Phone: 705-278-1044 ext.227
Cell: 705-618-3893
Website: www.neekeewanan.ca
BACKGROUNDINFORMATION
NEE KEE WA NAN - ST. ANNE’S INDIAN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL INITIATIVE
The St. Anne’s Indian Residential School, operational from 1902 to 1976, was managed by the Catholic Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the Grey Sisters of the Cross. The Nee Kee Wa Nan Initiative, guided by the Nee Kee Wa Nan Working Group, who are from the surrounding Mushkegowuk region and include Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors from Kashechewan, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Timmins, Moosonee, and Peawanuk, came together in November 2022 to begin the important process of uncovering the truth, healing, and locating missing children at the former St. Anne’s Residential School sites. A significant par tof this initiative involves the youth and community engagement, exemplified by the logo designed by Rayanne Knapaysweet. Rayanne’s logo embodies key themes that guide the work of the initiative, including healing the inner child, reclaiming identity and culture, bringing the children home, love, collective healing, courage, and celebrating the children of today. The logo features a family holding hands, a child dressed in orange to represent “Every Child Matters,” seven yellow circles signifying the Seven Grandfather Teachings, a feather representing the talking feather, a Mushkeg tree symbolizing the land, and a tipi reflecting ancestral ways of life. Over the past two years, the Nee Kee Wa Nan Initiative has been putting together protocols and discussing healing initiatives to prepare for the searches. This includes ceremony, research, communications, gatherings, and healing for the surrounding areas. The Initiative has been collecting sacred oral testimonies and mapping the grounds with Survivors from the region, as well as developing a research database comprised of over 1,257 historical records. These records are instrumental in developing a list of students and preserving their experiences and memories. Together, these milestones have allowed the initiative to prepare in ceremony for the searches of the former St. Anne’s Indian Residential School site. For continuous updates, visit neekeewanan.ca. The Initiative remains committed to respecting community, family, and cultural traditions in its pursuit of truth and healing.
BACKGROUNDINFORMATION
GROUND PENETRATING RADAR TECHNOLOGY
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image underneath the surface of the ground. It is a non-disruptive method of surveying the ground and is commonly used to look for utilities or pipelines. GPR works by sending high-frequency radio waves into the ground in short bursts. A series of bursts over a single area make up what is called a scan. When the energy emitted by the GPR encounters a buried object or a boundary between different materials, the signal gets reflected to the surface. A receiving antenna then records the variations in strength and the time required for the signal to return. When interpreting GPR data, a technician will ‘read’ these variations in the return signal and interpret them to determine if there is anything of interest in an area.
Data is collected in parallel lines in a grid layout using tapes and ropes to guide the operator and to ensure the entire area is covered. Ground-based GPR units are dragged or pushed along the ground, much like you would mow a lawn. The areas need to be relatively clear of obstacles, including grass and trees, for the survey to be effective. The data is then put into a specialized software program for computer processing. The computer then produces a horizontal surface at a particular depth in the record, called a depth slice, which allows operators to interpret a plan view of the survey area.
A GPR survey can take anywhere from 1 day to 3 months to conduct. It is always dependent on how much ground there is to cover. On a good day, most teams will be able to cover 0.25 acre, or 1000 sq. ft. We recommend choosing specific places on a landscape based on Survivor testimony and archival research to investigate with GPR to increase the chances of locating unmarked graves. Often, communities will choose to conduct a GPR survey in a Phased approach, starting with a few small areas, and then conducting larger subsequent surveys as desired.
There are many different ways to investigate the land and Fort Albany First Nation and the Nee Kee Wa Nan program have taken into consideration using multiple methods including LIDAR, Photogrammatry and ground truthing to conduct this investigation.
Official Press Release here
