ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

Lac Seul First Nation submitted the proposal to create the Bringing Our Children Home Initiative and oversee the search for missing children from the former Pelican Lake Indian Residential School. Chiefs in Assembly supported the project administered by LSFN and partners (Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and Northern Nishnawbe Education Council) by way of Resolution 21-17. Our team consists of nine employees that work to ensure that the search is completed according to the direction of Survivors. We currently operate out of two locations: Frenchman’s Head and Thunder Bay. Our work includes the facilitation of Community Engagements in the 33 SLFNHA communities in order to plan and implement a strategy as directed by the Survivors. This includes but is not limited to:

• Ensuring entire process is Survivor led.

• Appropriate mental health supports are made available.

• Conducting historical and archival research.

• Conducting and gathering oral histories and interviews.

• Ground survey and search of all sites (Former grounds of the Pelican Lake Indian Residential School, and Sioux Lookout Zone Hospital, etc.)

• Bringing missing children’s families to the sites as directed.

• Repatriation as directed by our Survivors.

• Ensuring spiritual, customary and religious ethical practices are supported.

• Ensuring the use of trauma-informed approaches.