Fort Albany First Nation embarks on journey to uncover truth behind St. Anne's Indian Residential School

Residential school trauma in northern Ontario There were several residential schools in northern Ontario. Relatives of survivors are re-living disturbing stories they heard from their parents.

Community officials have announced that Fort Albany First Nation, located on the James Bay Coast, is initiating the difficult journey of uncovering the truth behind St. Anne's Indian Residential School.

"We have people that have been working on this for a long time. And we’re not replacing the work, we’re continuing it and making sure they’re involved as well," said Robert Nakogee, chief of Fort Albany First Nation.

He said preliminary searches suggest students who attended the school were from at least six First Nation communities, including Fort Albany, Attawapiskat, Weenusk, Constance Lake, Moose Factory and Fort Severn.

Nakogee said families who have lost loved ones are looking for answers to their questions to aid in their healing because they are still carrying pain decades after the school closed in 1976.  It had operated for 70 years.

"Survivors and family have been saying for years and years that they lost a loved one, that one of their children never returned, or that their child was buried at the institution and they never received any answers as to the cause of death," said Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum.

Nakogee said the federal and provincial governments are providing over $1.3 million in funding for the search -- which will be driven by the survivors and Narratives Inc, a planning firm from Winnipeg, Man.

"Healing is the most important thing that needs to be done cause it’s been ongoing forever and we’re carrying it today," he said.

“So within all those years since the day that they shut their doors, can you imagine the amount of crimes that happened behind those closed doors?" added Achneepineskum.

Nakogee said postings for the hiring of two community coordinators have also opened. They will be helping survivors contact others and work closely with the technical team, among other duties.

The province's minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller, said, "the communities deserve the truth, and we remain committed to addressing past wrongs and the horrific abuse suffered at this institution."