Potential Unmarked Graves Found at Former Residential School in B.C.

Nadleh Whut'en First Nation announces preliminary findings from ground-penetrating radar survey at Lejac Indian Residential School site.

The Nadleh Whut'en First Nation has identified potential unmarked graves at the Lejac Indian Residential School site in north-central British Columbia using ground-penetrating radar and magnetometry.
The school, which operated from 1922 to 1976, forcibly housed approximately 7,850 Indigenous children, with survivors citing a legacy of trauma and abuse.
Preliminary surveys covered 142,500 square meters and identified 23 potential burial markers in areas outside the school’s existing cemetery, guided by survivor testimony.
The findings are part of a broader effort across Canada to locate children who went missing at residential schools, with further investigations planned in consultation with survivors.
The First Nation emphasizes that the search is survivor-led and has no immediate plans to exhume the graves, focusing instead on preserving the dignity of the process.