What official inquiries or investigations have been launched following the discovery of remains at Canadian residential schools?
Executive summary
Since the 2021 announcement of possible graves at former residential school sites, a mix of official criminal probes, federal funding programs and Indigenous‑led archaeological searches have been launched: the RCMP opened formal investigations into anomalies at specific sites (notably in 2022) while the federal government established funding and a horizontal framework to support searches, memorialization and investigative capacity [1] [2] [3]. An independent Special Interlocutor was also appointed to examine missing children and unmarked graves and delivered a final report to the federal government in 2024 [4] [5].
1. Federal funding and an interdepartmental framework to support searches and reconciliation
Following the public revelations in 2021, Crown‑Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC/RCaanc) launched the Residential Schools Missing Children – Community Support Fund to finance Indigenous communities’ archival research, non‑invasive fieldwork and memorialization activities linked to former residential schools [2], and the federal government created a multi‑departmental horizontal initiative — Implementing the Federal Framework to Address the Legacy of Residential Schools — involving ISC, LAC, Parks Canada, RCMP and Justice to coordinate funding, governance and investigational capacity for missing persons and unidentified remains work [3] [6] [7].
2. RCMP criminal and anomaly investigations at particular school sites
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have opened formal investigations into ground anomalies detected at some former school locations: for example the RCMP began investigating 71 ground anomalies identified in scans around one school site in October 2022 and undertook inquiries tied to ground‑penetrating radar findings reported earlier [1]. These police probes have been site‑specific and have at times produced public updates—some excavations have yielded no evidence of human remains, a fact the RCMP and communities have acknowledged [1] [8].
3. Indigenous Nation‑led GPR surveys, archaeological digs and community processes
Across provinces, First Nations and Métis communities have organized technical teams to carry out ground‑penetrating radar (GPR) surveys, archaeological assessments, and, where communities choose, excavations and repatriation work; these community‑led investigations were a direct response to discoveries such as the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announcement in 2021 and subsequent finds reported by Cowessess and other nations [9] [10]. Reporting and expert summaries emphasize that GPR detects soil disturbances but cannot by itself confirm human remains or cause of death, and communities have paired GPR with archaeologists and forensic specialists for further steps [11].
4. Independent Special Interlocutor and a national reparations framework
An Independent Special Interlocutor was appointed to examine missing children and unmarked graves associated with Indian Residential Schools, and delivered a final report and Indigenous‑led reparations framework to the federal government in 2024; the Minister of Justice publicly received that report and framed it as part of a broader effort to honour victims and inform healing and reparations work [4] [5]. Subsequent public reporting indicates the interlocutor recommended creating legal frameworks and long‑term mechanisms to investigate and treat burial sites respectfully [4].
5. Capacity building, RCMP training and limits of official action
Federal documents show specific investments in capacity building: the RCMP delivered training sessions to law enforcement and Indigenous communities and the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) has funded positions intended to close operational gaps in unidentified remains work, all housed within the wider horizontal initiative [3] [7] [6]. At the same time, multiple sources warn of limits: GPR cannot confirm remains, some excavations have found no human remains, and many local funding agreements were reported to be time‑limited, creating concerns about sustainment of investigative support [11] [8] [12].
6. What official inquiries have not been fully documented here and reporting limits
Public sources reviewed document RCMP site investigations, the federal funding streams and coordination framework, the Independent Special Interlocutor’s mandate and final report, and widespread community‑led technical searches [1] [2] [3] [4]. They do not provide a comprehensive catalogue of every provincial or diocesan inquiry, nor a full list of all RCMP files opened across Canada; therefore this account catalogs the major federally linked and police investigations and initiatives described in the sources but cannot claim exhaustiveness beyond those documents [3] [1] [4].