Cowessess First Nation awarded grant for historical research project

WATCH: Cowessess First Nation was recently awarded funding to advance the Marieval Indian Residential School Gravesite Project. Mick Favel has more.

Cowessess First Nation has been selected by Digital Museums Canada to have their history gathered, stored and shared online.

The new project will be focus on the history of the Marieval Indian Residential School, as well as other parts of the nation’s history.

Multiple initiatives are going ahead to collect information, including a portion dedicated to collecting oral accounts from nation members.

“We just want to tell this story and do it really well,” said William Desnomie, the director of the Marieval Indian School Research Project.

Information gathering has already been happening for roughly three years.

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Chad Pelletier has been taking part in the project for a year. He said all research methods must be done with respect.

“I appreciate the work for what it is. You want to do right by those who have passed on before us,” Pelletier said.

A major portion of the digital project will be focused on reclaiming the nation’s history which is currently being held by other agencies and organization.

Training is also being offered for those within the research for a variety of things including technology and mental health.

Dodie Ferguson is the project coordinator. She said the most important resource for the project is the people in the nation.

“It is their actual experiences that we are working hard to capture and to document on their behalf,” said Ferguson. “Until we get direction from our nation and members how they want us to share that information, it is our job to safeguard it.”

Cowessess First Nation is the first Indigenous group in Saskatchewan to receive funding from Digital Museums Canada.

A launch date for the project is planned for late 2027.

-With files from Angela Stewart.