Family Denied Federal Funding to Repatriate Residential School Survivor’s Remains Due to Adult Age at Time of Death
The family of Percy Onabigon, who has been fighting for years to repatriate his remains after he was sent to a residential school in Thunder Bay, Ontario, has been denied federal funding because Percy died as an adult.
Percy Onabigon was just six years old when he was taken from Long Lake #58 First Nation to St. Joseph’s Indian Residential School in 1944. He had epilepsy and was paralyzed on one side of his body. Without his family’s knowledge, he was moved between several hospitals, including the Orillia Asylum for Idiots. Percy died of tuberculosis in 1966 at the age of 27, and was buried over 1,200 kilometers from his home in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Woodstock, Ontario.
Percy’s niece, Claire Onabigon, applied for funding from the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund to bring him home. However, her application was rejected because Percy was not a child when he died. Claire criticized the government’s decision, pointing out that it was their actions that led to his removal and death in an institution.
“You took him from his family and hid him until he died — it’s your responsibility to bring him back,” Claire stated, addressing the Canadian government.
The federal government referred the family to provincial funding options, but the province directed them back to Anishinabek Nation, the organization that had initially helped them apply for federal funds. Anishinabek Nation estimated the cost of repatriating Percy’s remains at $45,000, which would include travel for relatives and a community feast.
Percy’s nephew, Frank Onabigon, suggested the government’s refusal wasn’t about the cost but about avoiding responsibility.
Kimberly Murray, Canada’s independent special interlocutor for missing children and unmarked graves related to residential schools, argued that the government’s refusal violates international law. She cited Article 12 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which requires Canada to support the repatriation of Indigenous human remains.
A government spokesperson stated that the fund was specifically for identifying and repatriating children who didn’t return from residential schools, and efforts were made to find alternative funding. In 2019, a proposed law to support the repatriation of Indigenous human remains stalled in the Senate. Murray has called for a national repatriation law to help families like the Onabigons in their healing journey.
Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, a residential school survivor and provincial representative, emphasized the importance of openly discussing the intergenerational impact of the residential school system on families and communities.
“This denial keeps us chained to our history without moving forward, without healing,” Mamakwa said.
Mamakwa stressed that repatriating the remains of those who attended residential schools is a crucial step in Canada’s journey toward reconciliation.
“Both levels of government should be actually resourcing the repatriation of Percy. I would call on [Premier] Doug Ford, I would call on [Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau, to provide the resources to bring Percy Onabigon home,” Mamakwa said. “Without that, they are part of the denialism of the history of the Indian residential schools.”
CBC News reached out to Greg Rickford, Ontario’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs, for comment on the province’s role in repatriating the remains of residential school attendees but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
