The Survivors' Secretariat at Six Nations of the Grand River says it has acquired over 36,000 records related to children who attended the Mohawk Institute Residential School, but funding barriers are hindering efforts to search for unmarked burials, according to secretariat lead Laura Arndt.
Arndt testified before an international tribunal on May 27, 2026, that the secretariat has faced significant challenges in securing adequate funding to conduct ground-penetrating radar surveys and other searches at the site of the former school in Brantford, Ontario.
The Mohawk Institute operated from 1828 to 1970 and was the longest-running residential school in Canada. The Survivors' Secretariat has been working to document the experiences of survivors and locate potential burial sites.
Arndt emphasized that the work is critical for truth and reconciliation, but the lack of sustained financial support from federal and provincial governments has slowed progress. The tribunal is hearing evidence on the ongoing impacts of the residential school system.
