Williams Lake First Nation calls on feds to support revitalization of former residential school site

The Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) is asking for an investment from the federal government to help revitalize St. Joseph's Mission, a former residential school site near Williams Lake, B.C., that the nation purchased in 2023. 

WLFN started investigating deaths and disappearances at the residential school shortly after the Tk'emlúps te Secwepemc First Nation shared preliminary findings from a 2021 ground-penetrating radar survey that indicated the presence of 215 potential unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

WLFN purchased the St. Joseph's Mission site from a private owner for $1.2 million, with help from the province.

WLFN Kúkwpi7 (Chief) Willie Sellars said last year that while the future of the site is uncertain, he hoped it would be a "place of healing."

"It needs to be a place of closure, of gathering in a good way, of honouring our ancestors and survivors," Sellars said in 2024. "People want to go to the site, and people want to honour ancestors and honour the survivors, but right now, it's a crime scene. We can't gather there." 

The First Nation is looking for funds to get it to that place. 

"We can't leave the site like this," said project lead Whitney Spearing. "It's a cold, desolate place, and it's impossible for people to gather safely."

WLFN submitted a proposal to the Canadian government in December, but says it has not heard anything back. 

"How can the people of Canada learn more about the legacy of the residential school system if they're not able to visit these places?" Sellars said. "I'm calling on the Government of Canada to step up and make an actual investment in a place of healing at the site of the former St. Joseph's Mission."

The federal government has given millions of dollars to First Nations across the country to help with site searches, research and memorials, including more than $8.6 million to WLFN alone. 

In an statement to CBC News, Indigenous Services Canada communications officer Eric Head said the federal government committed $150,000 to the WLFN in January this year for site assessments, which he said is a first step before funding for site development would be considered. 

Sugarcane up for best doc at Oscars

The call comes as Sellars heads to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards, where the film Sugarcane, which explores the history of St. Joseph's Mission, is nominated for Best Documentary Feature. 

Sellars said this marks an important moment in Canada's journey toward reconciliation. 

"The amount of messages and the amount of support we've seen from not just the Indigenous communities across this country, but from the non-Indigenous people in this country has been pretty staggering and something that makes you proud of this reconciliation movement that we're seeing in our territories and in this country."

Sugarcane has been screened at a number of festivals, including Sundance, where it won a directing award, and at the White House in December. It began streaming on Disney+ last year. 

Should the film, directed by Julian Brace NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, win on Sunday night, Sellars said he will join the filmmakers on stage. 

While he's excited to be taking in the spectacle, he wants the message of the film to remain in the spotlight.

"At the end of the day, it really is about helping tell the story of those survivors who are really the most courageous people that I have ever met in my entire life."

A national 24-hour Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available at 1-866-925-4419 for emotional and crisis referral services for survivors and those affected. 

Mental health counselling and crisis support are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat.