On-going Projects
The Survivors’ Secretariat has several multi-year projects that are focused on Bringing the Children Home.
Database Development
Know History, a historical services company, has been hired to research the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School, identifying materials from over 50 archives across North America and Europe. Over 32,000 documents have been reviewed and stored in a research database.
In April 2024, the Survivors’ Secretariat hired a Data Librarian to manage inquiries and oversee the migration of data to a new community database. This online resource, developed by Animikii Technologies, will eventually serve as the central archive for all records related to the Mohawk Institute, accessible to Survivors and their families. Public access is not currently available.
Mobile Exhibit Project (MAP)
The Mobile Exhibit Project is set to launch in the Spring of 2025. Curated by the Secretariat and Survivors of the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School, the exhibit will feature mobile information boards that provide an overview of the Mohawk Institute’s operations and its impact.
This interactive exhibit, focused on the lives of students at the Mohawk Institute, is designed to educate the public about the legacy of Canada’s Indian Residential School system. Through storytelling and educational outreach, the exhibit aims to offer people across Turtle Island the opportunity to learn about this history, while fostering a space for dialogue and healing.
Documentary Development
A documentary about the work of the Secretariat is in the final stages of editing. Produced in collaboration with Sandbay Entertainment, the documentary highlights the efforts of Survivors to ensure the truth is told. Survivors of the Mohawk Institute, Survivors’ Secretariat staff, and representatives from our historical research firm participated in filming throughout the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Land Protection Protocol Development
The Survivors’ Secretariat’s ground search focuses on over 600 acres of the former Mohawk Institute, spanning land owned by Six Nations of the Grand River, the City of Brantford, and private owners. To protect this area from development, the Secretariat collaborates with Brantford and Six Nations to establish land protection protocols for sacred burial grounds associated with the former Indian Residential School.
Since 2023, Brantford began inviting the Secretariat to participate in Long-Range Planning, Development Reviews, and Public Works meetings related to land within the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School Buffer Zone. Once flagged, the ground search team communicates with the developer/homeowner to coordinate our search efforts.
Information Inquiries
In 2023, a Service System Navigator role was created to support the establishment of Indigenous governance protocols, with funding provided through a time-limited grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario. This funding was part of the Foundation’s commitment to advancing access to justice for Indigenous communities.
In collaboration with the Data Librarian, Indigenous Human Rights Monitor, and Secretariat Lead, the Service System Navigator helped to develop an inquiry process to research and verify the attendance records of Survivors and their families who were forced to attend the Mohawk Institute. This process is guided by Indigenous trauma-informed practices and will evolve to be rooted in the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance.
Reclaiming Our Role – Youth Supporting Survivors Program (YSSP)
The YSSP was made possible through a funding grant from the National Indian Brotherhood Trust- Future Generations. This one-year program employs and trains 6-10 Intergenerational Survivors (ages 18-29) to work closely with archaeologists and the ground search team in the search for missing children and unmarked burials.
