NIPIGON - The Red Rock Indian Band is planning a peaceful demonstration next week in Nipigon to speak out against what it says are repeated indignities to ancestral remains.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Red Rock Indian Band said the demonstration will take place on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Nipigon if the federal, provincial, and private representatives continue to hinder the search for the remains of ancestors in the area.
Last May, human remains were found at the construction site of Parks Canada’s $37 million administration and visitor centre for the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area in Nipigon.
Carbon dating revealed the Indigenous remains, which were deliberately buried, dated to approximately 1404.
Further excavation of the site uncovered the remains of four other Indigenous people and the specific site it may have held significance to the people living in the area at that time.
The Red Rock Indian Band believes more archaeological artifacts are likely at the site, but during construction, an estimated 150 loads of earth were removed and transported to other locations.
“Had someone been there who is trained to watch for remains, we very likely would have our ancestors intact instead of taking part in this morbid scavenger hunt where we are searching through loads and loads of earth,” said Red Rock Indian Band Chief Allan Odawa Jr.
“I can confidently say, this would never happen with a settler cemetery. We need to see major legislative changes that provide us the rights to protect our ancestors, regardless of who currently occupies the land.”
According to the statement by the Red Rock Indian Band, Parks Canada did not have an archaeologist on site during initial excavations and it did not follow the steps outlined in its own document: Unearthing the Law.
“What occurred at this site speaks to the larger systemic issues of settler entities having control over our land and in turn, over our ancestors,” said Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige. “The community simply wants to find its ancestors, but the lack of accountability for where the earth has been moved to demonstrates that this is not a priority for all parties involved.”
Burial site investigations have been issued at the known sites where the removed earth was transported, but the Red Rock Indian Band statement says there is a discrepancy regarding the amount of earth moved and its location.
“The province has failed to enforce penalties and repercussions for the obvious dishonesty exposed as an outcome of the burial site investigations,” the statement reads. “As of October 15, 2024, there are nearly 60 loads of earth moved from the original site that are unaccounted for with no additional ancestors uncovered since August, leading the community to believe that the missing ancestors’ remains could be in these unaccounted-for loads of earth.”
The statement goes on to say that Parks Canada and its contractors continue to provide unclear information regarding the unaccounted-for earth.
“There is a process to excavation, there is a dig pattern which is to be followed, and earth moved is supposed to be tracked for this exact situation. Yet, here we are, still begging the developers to tell us where pieces of our ancestors could be,” Chief Odawa Jr. said.
“We have been met with resistance and an utter lack of accountability at every turn. Much work is needed to repair this relationship, and we remain hopeful that Parks Canada, Canada, and Ontario will apologize to the ancestors for disturbing their final resting place and to the Anishinabek of the entire region for this gross negligence and indignity to our ancestors.”
Supporters of Indigenous rights are invited to join Red Rock Indian Band community members and surrounding First Nation citizens in solidarity at this peaceful demonstration. Details of the demonstration have not yet been released.
