For over a century, Indigenous children were removed from their families and placed in residential schools across Canada. Many never returned home. Their families were often told nothing about what happened—whether their child had died, where they were buried, or how they could be remembered. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented this tragedy and called for action through Calls to Action 71 through 76, which address missing children, burial information, and residential school cemeteries. The discoveries of unmarked graves at former school sites have brought national attention to this long-known but often ignored history. Understanding what happened, what the Calls to Action require, and what remains to be done is essential for reconciliation.
The Historical Context
Children Who Did Not Return
The residential school system operated for over a century, with children as young as three taken from their families. Conditions in many schools were terrible—inadequate nutrition, overcrowding, poor sanitation, physical and sexual abuse. Children died from tuberculosis, influenza, and other diseases at rates far exceeding those in the general population. Some died from abuse or neglect. Some ran away and perished trying to get home. The exact number of deaths is unknown, but the TRC documented over 4,000 deaths and acknowledged the true number is likely much higher.
Families Left Without Answers
When children died at residential schools, families were often not notified or were given minimal information. Bodies were frequently buried at or near schools rather than being returned home—sometimes because families lacked resources for transportation, sometimes because schools did not bother to contact families. Parents might learn their child had died months or years later, or never at all. This denial of information compounded the trauma of loss, leaving families unable to grieve properly or honour their children in traditional ways.
Unmarked and Forgotten Graves
School cemeteries were often poorly maintained, with simple wooden markers that deteriorated over time. Records of burials were incomplete, inaccurate, or lost. When schools closed, cemeteries were sometimes abandoned, neglected, or built over. Indigenous communities knew their children had died, but the locations of many graves were unknown or inaccessible. This was not accidental but reflected the devaluation of Indigenous lives and the erasure of Indigenous presence that characterized the residential school system.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Findings
Documenting Deaths
The TRC worked to document deaths at residential schools, finding records scattered across church archives, government files, and other sources. The Commission created a database of known deaths, though acknowledged it was incomplete. It found that many deaths were not properly recorded, that families were often not informed, and that the locations of many graves were unknown. The Commission concluded that the number of children who died will likely never be precisely known.
The Calls to Action
Calls to Action 71 through 76 address missing children and burial information specifically. They call for governments to provide the resources for communities to investigate deaths, locate and commemorate burial sites, and memorialize children who died. They call for a national strategy, for public education, and for the involvement of survivors and families in all work. They recognize that addressing this history requires resources, commitment, and respect for Indigenous leadership.
The Specific Calls
Call 71: Missing Children
Call 71 asks all chief coroners and provincial vital statistics agencies to work with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to provide records relevant to children who died at residential schools. It recognizes that information about deaths is scattered across many jurisdictions and that compiling complete records requires cooperation among agencies. Progress on this Call has been uneven, with some provinces more responsive than others.
Call 72: National Information Centre
Call 72 calls for the federal government to fund the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to maintain the national residential school student death register, including a public accessible online registry. The Centre has worked to develop this registry, but resources have been limited. A comprehensive registry would allow families to search for information about specific children and would document the full scope of deaths.
Call 73: Burial Site Investigations
Call 73 calls for federal funding for communities and groups to research and locate burial sites, and for the preparation of commemorative plans. This is perhaps the most visible Call, as communities have undertaken investigations using ground-penetrating radar and other technologies to identify potential unmarked graves. The federal government has provided some funding, but communities have identified need far exceeding available resources.
Call 74: Repatriation
Call 74 addresses the repatriation of children's remains, calling on the federal government to work with churches, Indigenous communities, and families to establish protocols for repatriation if families wish. This is deeply complex work—it requires locating remains, identifying individuals, consulting with families, and following culturally appropriate protocols. Some families want remains returned; others prefer to leave them undisturbed. Respecting family and community wishes is paramount.
Call 75: National Strategy
Call 75 calls for developing a strategy to identify, document, maintain, and commemorate residential school cemeteries and burial sites. This would provide a coordinated approach rather than leaving communities to work in isolation. The strategy would address resources, standards, and ongoing maintenance of sites. Development of such a strategy has been slow, though some provinces have taken steps.
Call 76: National Memorial
Call 76 calls for creating a national memorial to honour children who died and survivors of residential schools. The federal government has committed to such a memorial, but design and implementation have been ongoing. A national memorial would acknowledge the scope of loss and provide a site for national mourning and remembrance.
Recent Developments
Discoveries at Kamloops and Beyond
In May 2021, the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the discovery of evidence of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. This announcement—though confirming what Indigenous peoples had always known—shocked many non-Indigenous Canadians and prompted national attention. Subsequent investigations at other former school sites have identified evidence of many more potential graves. These discoveries have reinvigorated calls for action on the TRC recommendations.
Renewed Commitments
Following these announcements, the federal government made additional funding commitments for community-led investigations, for the development of a registry, and for commemoration. Provinces and churches have also made commitments. However, communities have expressed frustration that action remains slow and resources remain inadequate. The gap between commitments and implementation persists.
Church Responses
Churches that operated residential schools have faced renewed pressure to provide records, contribute resources, and take responsibility. Responses have varied. The Catholic Church, which operated the majority of schools, faced particular criticism for not releasing records and for the Pope's delayed apology. Pope Francis visited Canada in 2022 and apologized, though reactions to the apology were mixed. Other denominations have taken various steps toward acknowledgment and action.
Challenges and Tensions
Community Control
Survivors, families, and communities must lead this work. Decisions about investigations, commemorations, and what to do with remains must be made by those directly affected. External actors—governments, media, researchers—must support rather than direct. This principle is clear but not always followed; communities have sometimes felt overwhelmed by outside attention or pressure.
Resource Adequacy
The scale of work needed far exceeds resources provided. There were over 130 residential schools across Canada; investigating burial sites at all of them, documenting deaths, and supporting commemorations requires sustained, substantial funding. Communities have raised concerns that funding is insufficient, inconsistent, or comes with burdensome conditions.
Pace of Progress
Years after the TRC, implementation of these Calls remains incomplete. Communities have done significant work, but comprehensive national strategies are still developing. The urgency felt by survivors and families—many of whom are elderly and may not live to see resolution—is not always matched by government action. The gap between TRC recommendations and their implementation reflects broader patterns in reconciliation.
Emotional and Spiritual Impact
This work is deeply painful. For survivors who experienced these schools, investigations reopen trauma. For families who lost children, the possibility of finding remains brings both hope and anguish. Communities must provide cultural and mental health supports for those involved. The emotional weight of this work cannot be underestimated.
Moving Forward
Honouring the Children
At its core, this work is about honouring children who died far from home, often alone and in pain. It is about restoring their names, their stories, and their place in memory. It is about providing families with information denied them for generations. It is about acknowledging that these children mattered and that their deaths were not inevitable but resulted from a system designed to destroy Indigenous peoples.
Accountability
Accountability means more than apologies. It means providing resources for the work communities are leading. It means releasing records held by churches and governments. It means prosecuting those responsible where possible. It means ensuring such a system can never exist again. Whether Canada is willing to pursue meaningful accountability remains an open question.
Education and Memory
Canadians who were unaware of or had forgotten this history must learn and remember. Education about residential schools—their purpose, their conditions, and their deaths—must become part of how Canadians understand their country. Memorials, commemorations, and ongoing education keep this history visible.
Questions for Further Discussion
- How can governments ensure adequate, sustained resources for community-led investigations without imposing inappropriate conditions?
- What should happen when remains are identified—and how should decisions about repatriation be made?
- What forms of accountability are possible and meaningful for deaths that occurred decades ago?
- How can education about residential school deaths reach all Canadians without exploiting Indigenous trauma?
- What would a meaningful national memorial look like, and who should lead its design?