First Nation and Catholic Archdiocese release details of Sacred Covenant

The Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver have made public the text of a Sacred Covenant signed on Easter Sunday.

The document is intended to foster a relationship based on trust and common goals as the two entities move forward on a path of reconciliation in the wake of the First Nation’s announcement about the discovery of 215 possible unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

The May 2021 announcement sent shockwaves around the world and triggered a reckoning in Canada where many other First Nations undertook their own work to conduct ground surveys at the sites of former residential schools.

A number of those First Nations have announced similar findings to those in Kamloops.

The Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc is currently weighing whether more intrusive techniques are warranted as it continues its investigation into the potential graves at the Kamloops institution, which was run by the Catholic Church.

"Whether that's going to be through the extraction of DNA, exhumation and/or other steps,” said Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “We know that these are more intrusive steps. But also, a disturbance of remains may be undertaken to find that truth."

At a Wednesday news conference outlining details of the Sacred Covenant, Archbishop J. Michael Miller said the church has promised to provide world-renowned experts using the most advanced technology to assist Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc investigators.

"To help them get the answers to questions that they deserve. We respect that they have so much work to do within their communities. And we stand ready, as always, to follow their lead,” he said.

Possible future steps in the investigation include exhumation of suspected graves, DNA testing to identify any located remains and repatriation of the remains of deceased students to their home communities.

In the years since the announcement about the possible graves, some have sought to discredit First Nations' claims about children who went missing at residential schools, including the head of one of the largest religious organizations in the United States.

Catholic League president Bill Donahue has written editorials, without evidence, calling the existence of potential unmarked graves at residential schools a hoax – something that doesn’t sit well with Vancouver's archbishop.

"To deny that the residential school system had a negative effect and that many students died while registered at the school ... he's just wrong,” Miller said when asked about Donahue’s claims.

The Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc say not all the details of the investigation have been made public.

"Our investigative findings and our investigative steps are currently being kept confidential to preserve the integrity of the investigation,” Casimir said. “Our investigators' findings to date are very consistent with the presence of unmarked burials. So, when we reach our next milestone, we will be sure to update you."