Shock and heartache deepen for N.B. chief with each discovery of unmarked graves

FREDERICTON -

Since the discovery of the first 215 unmarked graves in May, the number has continued to rise and, for some, reactions change.

But for the Chief of the Aboriginal Peoples Association of New Brunswick, Barry LaBillois, it's still shock and heartache.

"When you see the first numbers come out, the 715 and the higher numbers, and it's only 160 this time around to me it still has a big effect even if they find one body let alone 160," said LaBillois.

First Nations peoples are still shaken every day by the toll of graves numbers tallying up across Canada.

But those shock waves begin to ripple out.

"It's not that they necessarily lose interest, the shock of the story comes out, we hear about it, the outrage happens, and then we go into a grief process," said Giles Crouch, a digital anthropologist.

Time passing by leaves some communities wondering where the eagerness for allyship goes.

"It's really disheartens me, because you saw on Canada Day, the country more or less embrace the Aboriginal People and now it's after the fact two weeks later, well it's going to continue so we'll see what happens at the end of the day," said LaBillois.

With yesterday's announcement of another 160 graves discovered in British Columbia, it reopens old wounds for many and ignites a desire for change in others.

"You're going to have these stories keep coming out," Crouch said. "What's going to happen is you may not see as much outrage expressed over a period of time but what is going to happen through social media is people are going to start forming groups and associations, they're going to find ways to connect with these communities."

Communities that are hoping to see sincere change and investment in their future to offset the grief of their past.