by Mary Boo, NACAC executive director

This spring and summer, the hundreds of residential or boarding schools used by the Canadian and US governments to separate Indigenous families came roaring back into the news with the discovery of more than 1,000 graves in Canada, mostly of children. Often run by Catholic and other churches, these schools forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families and were part of a cultural genocide that lasted more than 150 years.

In May, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Nation of British Columbia announced that they had found the remains of 215 students near Kamloops Indian Residential School. In June, the Cowessess First Nation found 751 unmarked graves near the site of the Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. The Penelakut Tribe found more than 160 graves at the former Kuper Island Residential School in British Columbia. CNN reported on the tribe’s statement: “It is impossible to get over acts of genocide and human rights violations. Healing is an ongoing process, and sometimes it goes well, and sometimes we lose more people because the burden is too great. We are at another point in time where we must face the trauma because of these acts of genocide. Each time we do, it is possible to heal a little more.”

A doctoral student has found 222 sets of remains at the Chemawa Indian School cemetery in Salem, Oregon. In Michigan, Chippewa Indian Tribe researchers have documented 229 students who died at the Mt. Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School. Only five deaths were officially reported.

Dozens of other schools in both Canada and the US are being investigated with ground-penetrating radar. In the US, efforts are being made to return the remains of many children buried at schools to their tribal homes.

Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission—created in 2009 as part of a settlement of a class-action lawsuit—found that at least 6,000 children died in Canadian residential schools. Christine Diindiisi McCleave, the executive director of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, told High Country News that “it’s likely that the number of students who died in the United States is much higher.” 

Unnecessary deaths weren’t the only tragedies of these schools. Children were physically and sexually abused, stripped of their language and culture, and—of course—separated from their loved ones, often forever. These schools contributed to deep, lasting intergenerational trauma affecting thousands of survivors and their relatives to this day. 

In the US, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American appointed to a cabinet post, recently announced an investigation into the boarding schools, with a report due April 2022. As Secretary Haaland explained, “The Interior Department will address the intergenerational impact of Indian boarding schools to shed light on the unspoken traumas of the past, no matter how hard it will be. I know that this process will be long and difficult. I know that this process will be painful. It won’t undo the heartbreak and loss we feel. But only by acknowledging the past can we work toward a future that we’re all proud to embrace.”

In Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission gathered stories from survivors and others affected by residential schools and issued numerous reports, including a final report with 94 recommendations. Although much remains to be done on most of the recommendations, this year, for the first time, the Canadian federal government passed legislation to designate September 30, 2021 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—an opportunity to “recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools.” In August, the government pledged millions of dollars to, among other things, provide and build a national monument in Ottawa.

In the US, we have yet to come to terms with what our government did and the lasting impact it has had. The current federal investigation is an important step in the right direction. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition has made several other recommendations:

  • Provide trauma-informed resources for boarding school survivors
  • Support a Congressional Truth Commission
  • Make efforts to heal the intergenerational trauma caused by the schools

In child welfare, we must also act. First and foremost, in the US we must defend the Indian Child Welfare Act, which is being attacked by those seeking to diminish tribal sovereignty or increase the supply of children available for adoption. In Canada and the US, we must support efforts to keep Indigenous children with their families and communities, including providing adequate resources.

One way to do that is to learn about and support the Touchstones of Hope movement, created by the National Indian Child Welfare Association and the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society to redesign child welfare services to embed Indigenous ways of caring for children and families into child welfare systems, policies, and practices. Deep conversations led to the creation of Reconciliation in Child Welfare: Touchstones of Hope for Indigenous Children, Youth, and Families, which is guided by five principles:

  • Self-Determination: Indigenous peoples are in the best position to make decisions that affect their communities and lead the development of laws, policies, research, and practice.
  • Culture and Language: Indigenous cultures are ingrained in all theory, research, policy, and practice that affect their communities.
  • Holistic Approach: Approaches to working with Indigenous communities recognize and reflect the distinct realities of the whole community including culture (traditions, spirituality, and social customs), language, environment, and socioeconomic factors.
  • Structural Interventions: We stand up to injustices to protect the rights of all Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, including children and youth.
  • Non-Discrimination: Indigenous peoples are entitled to equal access to resources and services that are responsive to their needs and the unique cultural context of their experiences.

It is past time for all of us in the US and Canada—especially those of us in child welfare—to look closely at our difficult history, acknowledge what we have done wrong, and recommit ourselves to addressing the racism and legacy of trauma still affecting Indigenous children and families today. Honoring those affected by residential and boarding schools. embracing Touchstones of Hope, and defending tribal sovereignty and the Indian Child Welfare Act are four ways we can do that.

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Last Updated: March 4, 2026