How ground-penetrating radar is used to find unmarked graves at residential schools

y Stephanie Taylor
The Canadian Press
Fri., June 16, 2023timer4 min. read
Article was updated 11 hrs ago

OTTAWA - Indigenous communities searching for unmarked graves have encountered a rising number of individuals questioning, or outright denying, that children disappeared or died in residential schools, says a new report from an independent special interlocutor.

Ground-penetrating radar is the technology behind the identification of what are believed to be unmarked burial sites, including for the remains of children, on the grounds of former residential schools.

The process gives communities with the first glimpses of physical evidence of possible graves, but it is not well understood.

It is also being used to fuel misinformation about the findings.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that investigated the residential school system and its legacy estimated around 6,000 Indigenous children died at the federally funded institutions. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation maintains a student memorial register that includes more than 4,000 recorded names. Many experts believe the actual number to be much higher.

More:
https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2023/06/16/how-ground-penetrating-radar-is-used-to-find-unmarked-graves-at-residential-schools.html