THUNDER BAY — A large volume of earth remains unaccounted for at the National Marine Conservation Area where Parks Canada halted excavation in May after finding centuries-old human remains, Red Rock Indian Band’s chief says.
Chief Allan Odawa Jr. shared a recent photo of the site after earth had been returned to it, with a large gap in the ground.
The gap is where more than 60 missing loads of earth from excavation should be, he said.
“We started bringing the material back (recently),” Odawa said last week while at the Chiefs of Ontario fall assembly in Thunder Bay. “We only filled probably two-thirds of the hole.”
Odawa allegdes that Parks Canada and its contractor don’t know where the missing 60-plus loads went.
“We’re still searching for an answer. We need answers to recover our ancestors,” Odawa continued.
“And then once we get them back, then we can have our ceremony, put them back in the ground where they have their final resting place.”
Centuries-old partial remains of Anishinaabek ancestors were found in May at a site in Nipigon where Parks Canada planned to build a visitor centre and administration building.
Parks Canada halted construction activity and announced in August that it is looking for a new place to build the visitor centre.
Red Rock Indian Band members and allies held a protest Oct. 21 at the Nipigon Bridge to push parks officials to step up efforts to find the missing earth loads and recover more of the remains so that the ancestors could get a dignified burial.
Odawa said band officials and Parks Canada representatives met recently “to go over some of (Parks Canada’s) policies and procedures.”
Changes in those policies and procedures are needed “to make sure that this kind of stuff doesn’t happen” to another First Nation, he said.
“One way or another,” he said, “we’ll get our ancestors back.”
Parks Canada has not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication but has previously said it “diligently followed all protocols” at the Nipigon site.