The province is announcing $2 million in Residential School site research.

Northern Affairs Minister Don McMorris says the funding would be provided to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) to support research into undocumented deaths and burials on formerly federally operated residential school locations in the province.  McMorris also called on the federal government to match the funding and bring the total to $4-million.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says this is a great start, as there will be other schools coming forward.  He says it will hopefully lead to holistic healing and counselling sessions.

Currently, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is putting together their approach to support First Nations and help carry out this research, as many Indigenous communities across the province have already announced their intention to carry out investigations into former school sites in their communities.

The residential school system operated in Canada for more than a century. The federal government reports that 150,000 Indigenous children were removed and separated from their families and communities to attend these schools.