Researcher hopes trove of rare residential school photos can help identify missing children
CBC
About 1,000 black-and-white photos from the early days of Canada's residential school system have been discovered in the archives of a Roman Catholic order in Rome.
Raymond Frogner, head of archives at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) in Winnipeg, found the photographs earlier this month when he was given exclusive access to the Oblate General Archives to identify residential school records.
He said the images are part of an early 20th century photo series sent by priests from various institutions in Canada — including the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, where the discovery of more than 200 suspected unmarked graves was reported in May 2021.
"The photos would give some indication of children who perhaps might have been known to be lost," Frogner said.
"If the photos are dated, we can actually get an indication of where they were."
The series contains images of the field where the suspected unmarked graves are located in Kamloops, he said.
The photographs also include images of a cemetery site without markers next to the former Marieval Indian residential school in Saskatchewan. Many of the cemetery's grave markers were removed in the mid-20th century. The cleared portion of the cemetery was surveyed by ground penetrating radar, which reported 700 potential graves.
The Marieval school operated from 1899 to 1997 on the Cowessess First Nation, about 140 kilometres east of Regina, Sask.
"That one will be interesting because some of the crosses of the gravesites in Cowessess have been removed," Frogner said, adding the images could help reveal when the markers were taken away.
While there are handwritten notes on the backs of the images found in the archive in Rome, he said, they don't identify the children photographed.
The NCTR is hoping to identify as many of the children in the photos as possible by digitizing the images and sharing them with Indigenous communities.
"It's good news that the photos exist and that they have been brought to light," said Marie Wilson, one of three commissioners who served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
"It will be a treasure trove. I hope it's not too late to serve the healing role that it could play."
WATCH | Newly found images could offer clues about missing children
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