A peaceful demonstration led by the Red Rock Indian Band (RRIB) attracted close to 200 people as the community seeks to recover the missing remains of their ancestors.
The ancestors’ remains were found at the site of Parks Canada’s future Administration and Visitor Centre for the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, halting construction on the $37 million project.
The event took place on Monday morning in response to the community feeling hindered by the federal and provincial governments in their search.
Participants met at the band office before walking to the Nipigon River Bridge (Highway 11/17), where information pamphlets were given to drivers passing by.
Pamphlets being handed out to drivers – (CJ Goater/Acadia Broadcasting)
During the construction of the new facility, numerous loads of dirt were removed, including the soil containing the ancestors’ remains.
RRIB feels the federal government made it more difficult than it had to be to locate and return the soil.
“The red tape and gray areas, we just couldn’t get anything back,” said Chief Allan Odawa Jr. “It’s sad that it’s had to come to this point to make our voices heard”.
“With the burial investigation, they had to wait for the material to get off federal land before they could step in. So it’s just that long process, so hopefully what we get out of this is that this never happens again that the burial unit is involved (from the start).”
In the past week, the community has received a load of dirt from construction, and the hope is that they will find the missing remains.
“It’s gonna probably take roughly two to three weeks to screen the material,” added Odawa Jr. “Hopefully, we find all the missing ancestors and then after that, we’re going to do like a four-day ceremony, reinserting them into the ground with the same soil because they’re part of that soil now and it has to go back with them.”
The unanswered question is whether RRIB has all the dirt.
“Yes and no, so like, that’s that part still being investigated,” added Odawa. “We’re hoping that we have all the loads now.”
The community hopes they will find everything they are looking for in the soil now in their possession.
Construction site where RRIB ancestral remains were discovered – (CJ Goater/Acadia Broadcasting)
Moving forward, the hope is that the demonstration leads to accountability.
“I want them to know because they did break a lot of their own rules in the process of this stuff, so like if I start talking about that, we can be here (for) like a full day probably on how much of the ball they had dropped on this situation,” said Odawa “They get they’re accountable for it for this cause, they broke their own policies and procedures like, sombody has to like make them accountable… it was time to get loud.”
Parks Canada issued a release on Monday after the event and acknowledged the pain and distress caused to the RRIB community through the discovery of ancestral remains.
“Parks Canada understands that the uncovering of remains could be triggering for community members, and has made every effort to act with the utmost caution and respect,” said Parks Canada in the release. “After the first chance finding, which turned out to be an animal bone, Parks Canada worked with Red Rock Indian Band to hire an environmental monitor from their community for the remainder of the excavation and project.”
“Throughout the excavation process, Parks Canada diligently followed all protocols, including the Agency’s Cultural Resource Management Policy and Management Directive on Human Remains, which provides guidance that any activities related to the finding of remains are conducted with the full consent and cooperation of the local Indigenous community.”
Parks Canada added that they have been in active communication with the community throughout the process, and they added that they have been working and advocating to locate all of the ancestral remains.
“Though it is beyond our jurisdiction, Parks Canada has advocated for the return of materials from private properties and continues to work with landowners and provincial departments to locate and return all ancestral remains. We sincerely recognize the pain this unfortunate situation has caused, and it is our shared goal for the remains to be returned and honoured as per the community’s wishes.”
Red Rock Indian Band has written to Parks Canada in hopes they will not continue to build in the area.
“The ancestors protected the land, and now it’s our turn to protect our ancestors for future generations,” said Odawa. “With the archaeologists, while working down there, he said they if you find two, there’s more, so we’re not going to uncover any more earth because we don’t want to keep disturbing people in their final resting places.”
It is unclear if Parks Canada plans to try and move forward with the build, but alternatives are being looked at.
“It is our hope to reach a mutually agreeable understanding and path forward,” concluded Parks Canada. “Parks Canada continues to be committed to ensuring the protection and respectful treatment of ancestral remains, and is assessing alternate locations in Nipigon for the future site of the Administration and Visitor Centre.”
Peaceful demonstration on route to Nipigon River Bridge – (CJ Goater/Acadia Broadcasting)
