Millions in federal funding intended to recover the remains of children at a former Indian Residential School in Kamloops,vwere instead allocated for consultants, publicists, and other administrative costs, according to newly revealed documents.
Blacklock's Reporter says the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations attempted to withhold these financial records under the Access to Information Act.
The Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation received $12.1 million after announcing in 2021 that 215 unmarked graves had been discovered at the Kamloops Residential School.
That number was later revised to 200 “potential burials.” However, no human remains have been recovered to date, despite internal memos noting “requests from families to return bodies.”
Originally granted nearly $8 million for fieldwork, record searches, and site security, funding increased by more than $4 million, described as “robust and comprehensive” in council meeting minutes.
Expenses included $405,000 for administrative costs, $37,500 for marketing, and $100,000 to hire two trauma counselors for six months.
Another $532,000 was spent on security, while funds were also allocated to publicists, architects, and engineers for projects such as a Healing Centre, a museum, and a culturally supportive nursing home for indigenous elders.
The Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations pressed the First Nation for details on archaeological and forensic progress but noted the complexity of such work.
“We are not seeking to intervene in this matter but are trying to understand the approach,” wrote acting director Mandy McCarthy, who inquired about exhumation and DNA testing protocols.
Despite these questions, details about the spending remain censored, and records reveal little evidence of direct fieldwork to locate graves.
The funds’ use has fueled skepticism about the Kamloops claims, which gained national attention in 2021 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the findings “an irrefutable part of our present” and ordered national flags lowered for 161 days in honor of the children.
Kimberley Murray, Canada’s Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves, acknowledged last year that skepticism exists but condemned inflammatory accusations.
“It is one thing to say you don’t believe there are burials,” she said. “But when you say indigenous people are lying for personal gain, that is inciting hate.”
The financial records were ultimately released by order of Information Commissioner Carolyn Maynard, who criticized the department for failing to provide transparency.