Walking Together in Truth: Dialogues with askîhk Research Services and S4 Mobile Laboratories

Photo: Angela Burant

At S4 Mobile Laboratories, we know that the drive for justice and remembrance is best served by listening to those on the front lines. This is why partnerships like ours with askîhk Research Services matter so much—and why we’re honored to shine a light on the people doing this profoundly meaningful work.

For context, from the 1880s until the last school closed in 1996, Canada’s residential school system operated across the country. These government- and church-run institutions were designed to assimilate Indigenous children, who were separated from their families and communities—often forcibly—and placed in environments where their languages, cultures, and traditions were suppressed. Many children suffered various forms of abuse, and thousands are believed to have died at these schools, some buried in unmarked graves. The legacy of trauma continues to impact Indigenous communities today.

Recently, we sat down with Angela Burant, co-founder and director at askîhk Research Services, for a candid conversation about her team’s mission and how S4’s technology has become an integral part of their toolkit.

Uniting Expertise to Support Indigenous Voices

Angela introduces herself with humility: “I’m an archaeologist by training—I did both my undergrad and master’s at the University of Saskatchewan—and now I’m lucky to lead askîhk with an amazing group of colleagues.” The company’s roots were informal, she explains: “We were just students and young researchers, working on archaeological projects across Western Canada. But things changed when Dr. Terence Clark, a professor we worked with, was approached by Indigenous communities looking to start the difficult work of searching former residential school sites.”

For years, the group operated as independent contractors, coming together when communities called. “We paid many expenses out of pocket and just tried to make it work,” she says, “but it was clear this needed to be sustainable—not just for us, but for the communities relying on us. That’s why we became askîhk Research Services, to formalize how we could continue, and to be clear about being Indigenous-led and community-focused.”

Searching for the Lost, Supporting the Living

Angela’s voice grows somber when talking about the dark history of residential schools. “It’s hard to sum up. These were places where Indigenous children were taken from their homes, often never to return. If you visit a modern school, the idea of a graveyard on the grounds seems unthinkable. But for these sites, unmarked graves are heartbreakingly common.”

She’s careful to emphasize the importance of community: “We’re there as tools for the community. Every project is led by the community itself—not just in theory, but in decisions, stories, and healing. Our team may bring archaeological skills, but local knowledge and survivor accounts guide everything we do.”

How S4 Became a Game-Changer

Into this careful process came S4 Mobile Laboratories. “Our colleague, Joshua Murphy, is from Ohio and had worked with S4 during his studies. When he joined us in Canada, he immediately saw the potential for S4’s technology to help us confirm the findings we identified with ground-penetrating radar (GPR).”

Angela shares how hands-on the S4 team was from the start: “Russell, David, and Linda from S4 didn’t just ship us equipment—they drove up, showed us how to use it, troubleshooted with us, and made themselves available. That’s not just customer support—that’s partnership.”

What Makes S4’s Technology Special

“GPR is great for starting broad, scanning large areas quickly,” Angela explains. “When the GPR identifies ‘reflections of concern,’ we bring in S4 as confirmation. In this line of work, no technology is 100%, except for excavation, and that’s not always possible or desirable. The more lines of evidence we have—from testimony, from archives, from detection dogs, GPR, and S4—the more credible our findings, the more we can support communities, and the more we can counter denial.”

Angela acknowledges how important it is not only for cultural sensitivity, but also for practical reasons. “Having this confirmation means communities can address truth and healing—but also protect themselves legally, asserting their rights over these sites, or stopping construction that could disturb resting places.”

The Heart of askîhk: Community, Transparency, and Tradition

Angela stresses that transparency is key: “So much about residential schools was kept secret for so long. We want our work to be open—to invite community members to see the technology, ask questions, even use it themselves.” She adds, “There’s a real risk of outsiders taking advantage during such vulnerable times. That’s why we make sure nations own their data, their research, and the entire process.”

Even the company’s name—askîhk—carries meaning. “It was gifted to us by co-founder Monique’s kokum,” Angela shares. “It means ‘from the earth’ in Cree. That name grounds everything we do—searching for truth from the earth and caring for those who came before.”

Angela also touched on the challenges communities have faced in being heard. For decades, the truths about residential schools and the children lost there were not widely recognized, and many survivors felt their stories were doubted or dismissed. “That’s why having strong evidence is so important,” she explains. “When you can bring together testimony, archival documents, technology like GPR, and the confirmation that S4 provides, it helps make the findings clear and undeniable—not just for the community, but for anyone who needs to see the truth more plainly.”

This approach isn’t about confrontation, but about respect and healing: “Our goal is never to argue, but to support the voices and experiences of survivors and their families and provide communities with the evidence they need to move forward.”

“Technology helps, but it’s about trust.”

Angela closes our conversation with appreciation: “This work is hard, but we’re grateful for strong partners like S4 who respect our process and walk alongside us in a good way. Technology helps—but it’s the trust and respect, the willingness to listen to the communities, that truly matters.”

At S4 Mobile Laboratories, we couldn’t agree more. It’s a privilege to be part of askîhk Research Services’ journey, supporting hands-on, community-directed work that is changing lives and restoring history. Stay tuned for more stories from this partnership—and from the communities whose courage continues to inspire.