Between the late 19th century and the mid-1990s, approximately 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly enrolled in 139 residential schools across the country, where they were cut off from their families, language and culture.

An Indigenous community in western Canada said Tuesday it has discovered what are believed to be nearly a hundred unmarked children's graves near a former religious boarding school for Indigenous people.

“What we have found is heartbreaking and overwhelming: 93 possible unmarked graves have been discovered so far, 79 children and 14 infants,” said Jenny Wolverine, chief of the English River First Nation, during a news conference on Tuesday.

And “this is not a final number,” she added, warning that number could be higher.

Hundreds of graves

In just over two years, more than 1,300 children's graves have been found near these facilities where indigenous children were forcibly conscripted, triggering a shock wave in the country and a nationwide awareness of the dark colonial past.

These discoveries were made as part of a georadar survey near the site of the Beauval Indian Residential School in the province of Saskatchewan.

According to the University of Regina, the school buildings were destroyed by former residents when they closed in 1995.

Between the late 19th century and the mid-1990s, approximately 150,000 indigenous children were forcibly enrolled in 139 residential schools across the country, where they were cut off from their families, language and culture.

This dark side of Canadian history was brought to light again following the discovery of the first children's graves in spring 2021.