No Excavations Done Yet at Kamloops Residential School as First Nation Provides Update on ‘Complex’ Investigation

The former Kamloops Indian Residential School, lower left, is seen in an aerial view on Tk'emlups te Secwepemc land, in Kamloops, B.C., on Sept. 11, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

The Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation says its ongoing search at the former Kamloops residential school has proven to be “more complex than anticipated.” An update provided by the First Nation on Feb. 18 did not indicate that any excavation work has yet taken place.

Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc said it has ruled out some areas of the former residential school grounds as containing potential unmarked graves, while data from multiple surveys have identified zones that “should now be the primary focus.”