MLA Richard Edjericon shared a heartbreaking story about a young Indigenous girl named Alma during the Feb. 25 session of the legislative assembly.
Alma, he explained, was born in Fort Smith, but was moved to St. Joseph's residential school in Fort Resolution, where she died at just five years old.
"Alma's mother went to meet the boat from Fort Resolution at the dock in Fort Smith," Edjericon said. "When Alma didn't get off the boat, Alma's mother asked the other children why Alma wasn't there, and she was told that the nuns said that she has gone to heaven."
Alma's death was attributed to tuberculosis, according to Edjericon, though it is not certain that was actually the cause. Whatever the case, she was buried in Fort Resolution, hundreds of kilometres from the place she was born, and from her loving family.
"A rotting cross with Alma's nameplate was found in the Fort Resolution cemetery along with other children's crosses and nameplates," Edjericon, who represents the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh riding, told his fellow MLAs.
Alma's mother has been dead for many years, and is buried in a Fort Smith cemetery. However, her sister, who is now 88 years old, is still hoping that the young girl's remains can be moved back to their hometown, to be laid to rest alongside their mother's grave.
She has Edjericon's full support on that mission, hence the MLA's decision to broach the matter in the legislative assembly. Unfortunately, their goal of relocating Alma's remains has been hindered by bureaucratic challenges.
"It's got caught up in the legislation," Edjericon told SA国际影视传媒.
The problem, he explained, is that the GNWT's archaeological policies classify burial sites like Alma's as "artifacts."
"The way I understand it is, right now, anything over 50 years in the Northwest Territories, they're deemed as artifacts," the MLA said. "Our own people are deemed as artifacts, but we don't see that.
"In our traditional customs, and how we take care of our loved ones that passed, even if it's 100 years from now, if [relatives] want them to be moved, there's a process as to how we deal with that. The laws [in the NWT] are different."
The good news, according to Edjericon, is that the GNWT coroner's office is not opposed to moving Alma's remains SA国际影视传媒� the legislation need only be adjusted to allow it to happen.
NWT Premier R.J. Simpson is supportive of such an adjustment, the MLA said.
"[The coroner's office] is working behind the scenes to see what we could do to change that so that we are able to sort this one out," he said. "I've been working with the premier and also the minister of [Education, Culture and Employment] Caitlin Cleveland. They all said that they really want the bring baby Alma home. They're just trying to work behind the scenes as to how they can make it happen."
While it remains to be seen how quickly the existing legislative can be changed to allow the transport of Alma's remains, Edjericon said he's "optimistic" that change will occur "sooner than later."
Bringing Alma's remains back to Fort Smith would provide some peace and closure for her surviving relatives, said the MLA. While that is the primary objective, he hopes such a development would also make it easier to move the remains of other residential school victims who were buried far from home, should their families wish it.
"That's my hope," he said. "The legislation needs to be modernized.
"We have other members that are buried in Fort Resolution, and some from the First Nation here in Yellowknife," he added. "Them too, the chief and council would like to see the remains brought back to the families here, so they could continue to honour and respect their memories."
