Elders, Chiefs and other leaders from various First Nations gathered in the Dekker Centre on March 18, 2025 for the MGBHLM Reconciliation: Battlefords Industrial School Project Gathering. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

RECONCILIATION PROJECTS

MGBHLM announces new memorial, updates reconciliation efforts at Battleford Industrial School

Mar 19, 2025 | 11:10 AM

The Mosquito Grizzly Bear’s Head Lean Man First Nation (MGBHLM) is advancing its reconciliation initiatives at The Ridge, the former site of the Battleford Industrial School, with plans for a new memorial and continued work on ground-penetrating radar (GPR) investigations into unmarked graves.

Memorial to honour survivors and lost children

On Tuesday, the First Nation revealed plans for a memorial to honour residential school survivors and the children who never returned home.

The monument, made of black granite, will be installed in phases, with all granite components expected to be in place by Sept. 30. Bronze statues depicting residential school survivors and a buffalo will follow in a second phase due to production timelines.

The blueprint of the new memorial. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

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The memorial’s design will include intricate carvings, such as an eagle feather, symbolizing resilience and healing.

Joe Bear, owner of Everlasting Memorials, the company commissioned for the project, highlighted the significance of using stone for the tribute.

“You’re leaving the legacy forever,” Bear said. “This stone here is derived from the earth, and the stone has healing properties that tribal people across the globe looked at as part of our healing process to help us heal.”

A second monument, potentially listing the names of children who attended the school and their families, is also being considered, said Kelly Fiddler, project manager with MGBHLM Economic Development Corporation.

Joe Bear presents the new memorial to the audience. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW)

New art gallery under construction

The memorial will stand in front of the Henry Beaudry Art Gallery and Interpretive Centre, which is under construction and set to open in July.

The gallery, named after a Second World War veteran and self-taught artist, will serve as a space for Indigenous art, education, healing and reconciliation.

Read more- Ground broken on Mosquito First Nation’s new Cultural Centre and Art Gallery

In 2022, the First Nation received more than $5.8 million in provincial and federal funding for the project. Construction began in September 2023, with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe attending the groundbreaking ceremony.

Search for unmarked graves continues

The Battleford Industrial School, one of Canada’s earliest industrial schools, operated until 1914. Many Indigenous children from Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba attended the school, and efforts are ongoing to identify those who may be buried at the site.

“We’re about 30 per cent done with our GPR, but on 138 acres, there’s still a lot of work we have to do,” Fiddler said.

Kelly Fiddler. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW)

He said security remains a concern as the searches continue.

“We do have security out there, but we can’t stop everybody from coming out,” he said. “We still need to ramp up our security and make sure the sites are secure.”

The project also includes plans for a walking path leading to the children’s grave site, memorial markers and storytelling initiatives to preserve history.

Calls for public attention and reconciliation

Fiddler voiced concerns that public attention on residential school gravesites has waned.

“We need to be in the news,” he said. “We need to make sure this is on top of the government’s agenda, Canada’s agenda, because now we’re seeing funding cuts to all these programs.”

He emphasizing the importance of education and cultural revitalization in the reconciliation process.

“It’s a learning process, both for the community, but also in terms of speaking of all of the history of residential school,” he said.

“We also need to relearn our culture. Much of that was taken away from the residential school process, so relearning our culture, history, and language is so important in the healing process.”

The announcements were made at the MGBHLM Reconciliation: Battlefords Industrial School Project Gathering at the Dekker Centre.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com