In Canada, the journey towards truth and reconciliation regarding Indian Residential Schools (IRS) has been both a moral imperative and a legal necessity. At the forefront of this critical research is Askihk ᐊᐢᑭᕁ Research Services, the country's premier full-service provider dedicated to uncovering the truths buried within the legacy of IRS.
Micaela Champagne's journey into this work is deeply personal. "My name is Micaela Champagne. I am a Cree and Métis woman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. My family is members of Canoe Lake Cree First Nation in northern Saskatchewan, and I am an archaeologist," she began. Micaela’s grandmother was a survivor of an Indian residential school in Saskatchewan, one of many institutions that left deep scars on Indigenous communities. "Hearing the stories from those residential schools deeply impacted me and my family. Every Indigenous family has always known about the history of these institutions, but the wider public either didn't want to know, did not care, or they weren't ready for that information yet."
Micaela co-founded Askihk ᐊᐢᑭᕁ Research Services with partners Angela Arendt, Katie Willie, and Terri Clark to address these historical injustices. "The mission of our company is to make sure that we are Indigenous-led and guided for Indigenous people. We follow proper cultural protocols and ceremonies as we conduct our research, understanding the significant trauma it can reopen for communities."
Askihk ᐊᐢᑭᕁ Research Services excels in comprehensive IRS research through respectful and thorough methodologies. They assist with planning and funding applications, historical document searches, and French translations. Their community engagement fosters collaboration with IRS survivor communities, and they preserve survivor testimonies. Utilizing advanced technologies like ground-penetrating probe and soil spectroscopy with S4 Subterra© Grey, they seek to identify unmarked graves with accuracy. They analyze data to create detailed site maps and develop strategies for communicating findings to communities and the public. Their commitment to transparency is reflected in their clear and comprehensive reporting of research findings.
Askihk ᐊᐢᑭᕁ Research Services has forged strong partnerships with several prominent organizations dedicated to truth and reconciliation, including:
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR): Collaborating closely to ensure that research findings contribute to the broader national narrative of truth and reconciliation.
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC): Working in tandem to uphold governmental commitments to reconciliation and justice for IRS survivors.
Office of the Special Interlocutor (OSI): Supporting OSI initiatives to investigate and address issues related to IRS and its impacts.
National Advisory Committee on Residential School Missing Children and Unmarked Burials (NAC): Contributing expertise to locate missing children and unmarked burial sites across Canada.
Canadian Archaeological Association Working Group on Unmarked Graves (CAA WGUG): Collaborating on standards and methodologies for the respectful and ethical excavation of burial sites.
A groundbreaking achievement of Askihk ᐊᐢᑭᕁ Research Services is their use of the S4 Subterra soil spectroscopy probe. This cutting-edge technology represents a significant advancement in IRS research methodologies. Unlike traditional geophysical survey tools that indicate the likelihood of burials, the S4 Subterra© Grey provides minimally invasive, precise confirmation of human burials. This capability not only enhances the accuracy of their findings but also provides survivor communities with the assurance and closure they deserve. Importantly, it counters the narratives of denialists by offering irrefutable evidence of IRS impacts.
The partnership with S4 began when a graduate student from the University of Saskatchewan, Joshua Murphy, remembered the technology used by Dr. Tim Matney's team in the States. "Joshua thought that the S4 technology would be a good complement to our GPR knowledge to help bring our certainty levels of clandestine graves without fully excavating," Micaela explained. The collaboration led to significant results, especially in southern and central Saskatchewan.
Micaela recounted, "We had the S4 team come with us, and it was an interesting field season because we were using new technology. Our team is usually fully remote sensing, nothing goes into the ground. But S4 collaborated with us, teaching us the technology and involving community members." She fondly remembered how the community's acceptance was shown through teasing the S4 team members, a sign of trust and integration.
Askihk ᐊᐢᑭᕁ Research Services exemplifies a dedicated commitment to truth, reconciliation, and justice for IRS survivor communities. Through their comprehensive research services, strategic collaborations with key organizations, and innovative use of technology, they are paving the way towards a more profound understanding of Canada's history and a path forward towards healing. Their work not only honors the voices of survivors but also ensures that the lessons learned from IRS are never forgotten. "The biggest message that I always have is Indigenous people don’t need these technologies to know that these stories are true. The technology part is for non-Indigenous people, to back up our claims," Micaela concluded, encapsulating the core mission of Askihk ᐊᐢᑭᕁ Research Services.
Comments