Ground search begins in Whitehorse at sites of 2 former dorms for Indigenous students

A ground search began Monday in Whitehorse at the sites of two Indigenous student dormitories that operated between the 1960s and early 1980s.

It's part of an ongoing project that began a few years ago, to examine the sites of former residential schools in Yukon for any evidence of unmarked graves. The Yukon Residential Schools Missing Children Project was launched after similar ground-penetrating radar work in B.C. in 2021 showed 215 potential burial sites on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

In Yukon, the first such search was conducted last year at the former site of the notorious Chooutla residential school in Carcross. The researchers said in September that they'd found 15 "potential" grave sites at that site.

Now, work is focused on the Whitehorse sites that were once home to Coudert Hall and Yukon Hall, both in the Riverdale neighbourhood.

"This is about truth. Uncovering what happened in the past, and how we move forward," said Chief Sean Smith of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation in Whitehorse, on Monday.

Coudert Hall, initially known as the Whitehorse Roman Catholic Indian Hostel, operated from 1960 to 1971. It served as a residence for students attending Christ the King Catholic School, with the number of students staying there fluctuating between 35 and 70, according to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Yukon Hall was operated by the federal government between 1960 and 1985 and was a non-denominational residence for students attending public schools in the city, including some non-Indigenous students. In the early '70s, it was merged with Coudert Hall to become the Whitehorse Student Residence.

"I think everybody right now is looking for answers," said Chief Amanda Leas of the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council in Whitehorse, about the ground search getting underway. Coudert Hall, now demolished, sat on what is now Ta'an Kwäch'än Council settlement land.

"It's a dark legacy and we're just working together to ensure that moving forward, everything is done properly."

It's not clear whether the search in Whitehorse is expected to reveal anything. Chief Leas and Chief Smith described the project as a way of helping their communities grapple with the past, and ultimately move forward.

"Our site, we weren't sure it was gonna get searched until somebody came forward with a story. So coming forward is so important to ensuring that the work is being done in a timely manner," Leas said.

Smith said the project offers a way for more people in Whitehorse to better understand and connect with the history and legacy of residential schools. Yukon Hall, also now demolished, sat on what's now Kwanlin Dün settlement land.

"I think it's really an opportunity for people to acknowledge what happened at those halls that housed children from our communities," Smith said.

The work is expected to continue until May 4 at the sites. The two First Nations say in a news release that a small crew will use "minimal equipment," and that the work is not expected to cause disruption to neighbouring areas.

Members of the public are being asked to not visit the sites while the search work is underway, to avoid disrupting the crews or the work.