Canada’s Residential Schools - Volume 4 - Missing Children and Unmarked Burials - The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Oct 16, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana

Executive summary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s “Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Project” in Volume 4 of Canada’s residential schools final report. The project systematically records and analyzes student deaths and the presence and condition of school cemeteries within the regulatory context. Key findings include 3,200 identified deaths, substantial proportions missing recorded names, genders, or causes, higher mortality for Aboriginal children, limited body returns to home communities, vulnerable cemeteries, and inadequate federal standards for health and safety.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages273

Reading Time11 h 28 min

AccessFree to download

Executive summary

Statistical analysis

Operational policies and custodial care

Where are the children buried? Cemeteries and unmarked burials

Appendices

Canada’s residential schools

Schools destroyed by fire: 1867 to 1997

Outbuildings destroyed by fire: 1867 to 1997

Additional reported fires that did not destroy buildings: 1867 to 1997

School fires suspected or proven deliberately set: 1867 to 1997

Notes

Bibliography

Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Volume 4 Canada’s Residential Schools Volume 4 Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials e Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Volume 4 Published for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by McGill-Queen’s University Press Montreal & Kingston • London • Chicago This report is in the public domain. Anyone may, without charge or request for permission, reproduce all or part of this report. 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada [Website: www.trc.ca](Website: www.trc.ca) ISBN 978-0-7735-4657-8 (v. 4 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4658-5 (v. 4 : paperback) . Printed in Canada on acid-free paper An index to this volume of the final report is available online. Please visit http://nctr.ca/trc_reports.php Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada [Canada’s residential schools] Canada’s residential schools : the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (McGill–Queen’s Native and northern series ; 80–86) Includes bibliographical references and index. Contents: v. 1. The history. Part 1, origins to 1939—The history. Part 2, 1939 to 2000—v. 2. The Inuit and northern experience—v. 3. The Métis experience—v. 4. The missing children and unmarked burials report—v. 5. The legacy—v. 6. Reconciliation Issued in print and electronic formats. ISBN 978-0-7735-4649-3 (v. 1, pt. 1 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4650-9 (v. 1, pt. 1 : paperback) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4651-6 (v. 1, pt. 2 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4652-3 (v. 1, pt. 2 : paperback) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4653-0 (v. 2 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4654-7 (v. 2 : paperback) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4655-4 (v. 3 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4656-1 (v. 3 : paperback) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4657-8 (v. 4 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4658-5 (v. 4 : paperback) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4659-2 (v. 5 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4660-8 (v. 5 : paperback) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4661-5 (v. 6 : bound) . ISBN 978-0-7735-4662-2 (v. 6 : paperback) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9817-1 (v. 1, pt. 1 : ePDF) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9818-8 (v.1, pt. 1 : ePUB) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9819-5 (v. 1, pt. 2 : ePDF) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9820-1 (v. 1, pt. 2 : ePUB) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9821-8 (v. 2 : ePDF) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9822-5 (v. 2 : ePUB) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9823-2 (v. 3 : ePDF) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9824-9 (v. 3 : ePUB) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9825-6 (v. 4 : ePDF) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9826-3 (v. 4 : ePUB) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9827-0 (v. 5 : ePDF) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9828-7 (v. 5 : ePUB) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9829-4 (v. 6 : ePDF) . ISBN 978-0-7735-9830-0 (v. 6 : ePUB) 1. Native peoples—Canada—Residential schools. 2. Native peoples—Education—Canada. 3. Native peoples—Canada—Government relations. 4. Native peoples—Canada—Social conditions. 5. Native peoples—Canada—History. I. Title. II. Series: McGill–Queen’s Native and northern series ; 80–86 E96 .5.T78 2016 971.004’97 C2015-905971-2 C2015-905972-0 Contents Executive summary ..................................................................................... 1 1. Statistical analysis ................................................................................... 13 2. Operational policies and custodial care ................................................. 35 3. Where are the children buried? Cemeteries and unmarked burials ..... 125 Appendices 1. Canada’s residential schools ................................................................... 139 2. Schools destroyed by fire: 1867 to 1997 .................................................. 152 3. Outbuildings destroyed by fire: 1867 to 1997.......................................... 154 4. Additional reported fires that did not destroy buildings: 1867 to 1997................................................................

FAQs

What is the “Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Project” in this volume?

It is a systematic research effort to record and analyze student deaths at residential schools and assess the presence and condition of student cemeteries within the regulatory context the schools operated under.

How many deaths does the Commission identify in this project?

The Commission identifies 3,200 deaths on its Registers of Confirmed Deaths of both named and unnamed residential school students.

What major record-keeping gaps are reported for the deaths?

For just under one-third, the government and schools did not record the student’s name; for just under one-quarter, they did not record gender; and for just under one-half, they did not record the cause of death.

Oct 16, 2026

Uploaded by Eliana