On November 5, 2024, the Survivors’ Secretariat hosted its Third Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Six Nations Community Hall. The meeting provided an opportunity for the Secretariat’s Board of Directors and Secretariat Lead, Laura Arndt, to report on and discuss the challenges and accomplishments of the 2023/2024 fiscal year.
The event began with the Thanksgiving Address, delivered by local Six Nations community member Joe Martin, followed by opening remarks from Secretariat Board Member Roberta Hill.
A meal was served, and a special recognition presentation was made to thank and honour the many individuals and organizations that contributed financially and/or in-kind during the 2023/2024 year.
Audited financial statements were presented by Whitney Deane, CPA, CA, a partner at Millard’s Chartered Professional Accountants.
This year’s AGM marks the completion of our first three years of funding, during which the Secretariat has made significant strides in our work to Bring the Children Home. However, we know there is still much work ahead—both in our investigative efforts and in securing the necessary funding to ensure the truth is told within the lifetimes of the remaining Survivors.
Initially, the “Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund,” allocated $216.5 million to 142 communities across Canada from 2021-2024. Survivors’ Secretariat received approximately 70% of their annual operating budget from this fund. In preparation for the funding agreement concluding in March 2024, the Secretariat submitted a new 3-year funding application in October 2023 and resubmitted it in February 2024. Seven months into the fiscal year, the Secretariat has received no new federal funding and continues operating on carry-over funds from paused projects.
Timeline of Federal Funding Cuts:
- October 2023: 3-year application submitted to Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).
- February 2024: CIRNAC advised a new funding cap of $3 million per year, with funds delayed until July 2024, citing the need to wait for 2024 Federal Budget.
- April 2024: The Secretariat opposed the funding cap in a letter to government officials, citing a larger scope of work.
- July 2024: Canada announced a $500,000 per community cap with a national allocation of $91 million over two years. This cap would have resulted in an 86% reduction to the Survivors’ Secretariat’s federal operating budget.
- August 2024: The funding ceiling was raised back to $3 million per community, yet the national budget remained $91 million over two years, with over 142 communities to serve in that two-year period.
To continue core activities, the Secretariat paused the Mohawk Village Memorial Park installation and Data Sovereignty projects, reallocating remaining 2021-2024 funds to sustain key operations including human rights monitoring and seasonal ground search activities (May – October 2024).
It is deeply disheartening and disrespectful to Survivors that, despite the government’s public commitment to reconciliation, essential funding to continue this vital work remains withheld. Survivors and their families deserve more than just words—they deserve action and the necessary resources to uncover the full truth of the Indian Residential School system.
“It is our responsibility as Survivors to further this work. We were there. What happened is burned into our collective memory. We cannot allow it to be forgotten.” - A Time for Truth: Knowledge is Sacred, Truth is Healing 2024 Gathering, Final Report
While we hope Canada will restore the critical funding to the Indian Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund, we are left wondering if the government will truly fulfill its promises to Survivors and Indigenous communities across the country. For every child taken from their families, those who returned, and those who never made it home, the Survivors’ Secretariat calls on the Canadian government to keep its promise.
“You make promises - keep them. Recommendations were made – get them done.” - Leo Nicholas, Survivor of the Mohawk Institute.
2023-2024 Year in Review
April
- Secretariat Board and Staff celebrate Blanche Hill-Easton’s 90th birthday at the office.
- Survivors’ Secretariat’s GPR team undergo drone training and certification.
- Survivors’ Secretariat Staff attend the Indigenous Knowledge Gathering with Tom Porter at Six Nations Polytechnic.
May
- Ground search officially opened.
- The Multijurisdictional Police Task Force (MJPTF) assisted to lay search grids at the Mohawk Chapel.
- Survivors’ Secretariat participated in Six Nations Community Awareness Week.
- Youth Supporting Survivors Program began.
June
- Secretariat Board and staff travel to the Indigenous History & Heritage Gathering hosted by the NCTR and the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres.
- The Second Annual Survivors of the Mohawk Institute Gathering takes place from June 27 – 29.
- Survivors of the Blue Quills (Sacred Heart) Residential School travel to Ontario and take part in an evening event with board members and staff.
July
- Survivors attend the 2023 Weengushk International Film Festival, a non-profit Indigenous run independent film festival on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario featuring award winning filmmakers and Indigenous leaders, to promote the Nature of Healing.
August
- The Youth Supporting Survivors Program (YSSP) wraps with a total of 66 grids searched.
- Survivors’ Secretariat Board and attend the Annual Gathering for Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association (CSAA) in Sault Ste Marie.
September
- Memorial 96 was launched for the first time – a display of 96 feathers arranged in two hearts, as a memorial to students who died while attending the institute.
- Secretariat Board and Staff attend the OSI Gathering in Montreal on Supporting the Search and Recovery of Missing Children.
- Jays Care Foundation act as the anchor support for the Secretariat’s first Orange Shirt Day Campaign.
- Secretariat Board and Staff visit Iroquois Lodge to hand out Orange Shirts to residents.
October
- Survivors’ Secretariat Staff host a pumpkin giveaway
- Survivors’ Secretariat hosts the first Fireside Chat at the Best Western in Brantford to create a space for Survivors to share with one another.
- Laura Arndt, Secretariat Lead and Roberta Hill, Board Member, travel to England to access records and documents at the Palace Archives at Lambeth Library, the Metropolitan Library and the National Archives.
November
- Ground search officially closes for the 2023 season.
- Survivors’ Secretariat hosts the Knowledge is Sacred, Truth is Healing Gathering in Thunder Bay.
- Survivors’ Secretariat Board and Staff participate in the Six Nations 35th Annual Santa Clause Parade.
- On November 30, Survivors’ Secretariat celebrates its second-year anniversary as an incorporated entity.
December
- Survivors’ Secretariat hosts the Annual General Meeting for the 2022/2023 Fiscal Year.
- Survivors’ Secretariat’s Wellness Team travel to Walpole Island to talk with the community about commemoration.
January
- Survivors’ Secretariat Board and Staff travel to the Iqaluit for the OSI Gathering – Northern Voices
- The Gary Miller Documentary begins filming at WCC.
- Secretariat Lead, Laura Arndt and Board Member Roberta Hill travel to Ottawa for a strategy meeting with partner Know History.
- The Ground Search team travel to Thunder Bay for Ground Search Training.
- Survivors’ Secretariat Staff host a Winter Wellness Fair at Six Nations Community Hall.
February
- The Outreach Team attends the Six Nations Job Fair as recruitment begins for the 2024 Youth Supporting Survivors Program.
- Secretariat Lead, Laura Arndt attends the Graves and Legislative Policy Conference in Winnipeg
- Survivors’ Secretariat Board and Staff attend the NAN Gathering in Thunder Bay.
March
- Survivors’ Secretariat Board and Staff attend the Never Ever Forget Me Gathering, hosted by Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, in London, ON.
- Survivors’ Secretariat Board and Staff attend a screening of “The Nature of Healing” in Windsor, ON, followed by a private tour of the Art Gallery of Windsor.
Since the establishment of the Survivors’ Secretariat in 2021, we have made considerable progress in our efforts to uncover, document, and share the truth about the Mohawk Institute and its 140+ years of operation. While significant strides have been made, there is still much work to do.
2024 Key Highlights
Ground Search
- 490 grids scanned
- 17 acres scanned
- 2.8% total area searched
Document Collection
- 32,000+ documents obtained
- 20,000+ documents reviewed
Commemoration
- 101 known student deaths
- 5,630 known students
- Hosted Gatherings
Advocacy
- Attended conferences
- Hosted communitites
- 4 letters of support
*data valid as of December 2024
Nia:weh
To the Survivors who have courageously shared their truths, to the staff who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and to our contract partners who have stood by us in solidarity—Nia:weh for your contributions. Your commitment and dedication have been vital in driving this important work forward.
You can watch the full AGM below: