N.B. Indigenous leaders meet with premier to discuss plans for searching former 'day school' sites
Following the discovery of the remains of 215 children at a residential school in Kamloops, B.C., New Brunswick Indigenous leaders are working with the provincial government to survey the sites of their former "Indian day schools."
"We need to reconcile what's happened in the past and we need to build a future together and all the conversation was very real, very personal," said Premier Blaine Higgs.
More than 10 Chiefs and Elders of New Brunswick’s First Nations spoke with the Premier on Thursday.
Barry LaBillois, who is the president and Chief of the New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council, took part.
"We talked about the day school down in Sussex. Not only that, we talked about that we have to have some type of recognition down there a plaque or something that this is where it is also work has to be done down there to sit back and say ok are there kids down here as well," LaBillois said. "It's important that we talk about the day schools that happened on the reserve as well and let the general public know of the issues that are out there."
The University of New Brunswick's history department is hoping to contribute resources to any Indigenous communities looking for archival information.
"We really just wanted to break down a barrier between a colonial institution like the university and to use our networks as a way to assist Indigenous communities in work that's already going on," said Dr. Erin Morton.
First Nations will be working with the province on next steps of bringing Indigenous history to light.
"(We're making) kind of a list of what they'd like to see, how we recognize the situation, how we make awareness, and how we move on from here so that's the next step is the request made there they wanted to formalize that to us so we all can understand how do we do this right and that's where we're headed is to do this right," said Higgs.
Higgs says there will be an investigation into 12 sites that were identified to determine whether there are unmarked graves.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
The Indian couple killed in a wrong-way police chase crash on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.