Mission Island's Sacred Awakening: Honoring Lost Lives and Continuing the Journey of Healing

On a serene August day, Mission Island bore witness to a profound moment of reckoning and remembrance. For decades, the final resting places of Inuit tuberculosis patients, who perished far from home in a segregated sanatorium, remained unmarked, their stories unheard, their families left without closure.

Now, through tireless dedication and a commitment to truth, these lost graves have been identified and solemnly honoured, marking a pivotal step in a long journey of healing and reconciliation.

The air on Mission Island was thick with both sorrow and a deep sense of peace as families gathered, some travelling great distances, to finally stand by the graves of loved ones they had never had the chance to mourn.

These individuals, predominantly Inuit, were forcibly removed from their communities, often without explanation, and sent to distant sanatoriums like the one established here. Many never returned, succumbing to the disease and buried in unmarked plots, leaving generations with unanswered questions and an enduring pain.

The identification of these graves is not merely an archaeological achievement; it is a profound act of restorative justice.

This painstaking work was led by the Inuit Tuberculosis Working Group, a collaboration born from the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, involving Inuit organizations, government agencies, and dedicated researchers. Their meticulous efforts combined archival research, historical documents, aerial photography analysis, and, crucially, the invaluable oral histories passed down through Inuit families.

Each piece of the puzzle brought them closer to giving names to the nameless and faces to the forgotten.

The ceremony itself was a powerful testament to resilience and the enduring spirit of the Inuit people. Marking the graves with plaques and traditional ceremonies provided a tangible connection, a place for grief to finally find expression, and for ancestors to be formally acknowledged.

For many, it was the first opportunity to truly say goodbye, to lay flowers, and to perform traditional rites that had been denied for so long. The emotional weight of the day was palpable, a testament to the decades of silence finally giving way to voice and remembrance.

Yet, while this day brought significant closure, it is unequivocally understood that the work is far from over.

The Mission Island initiative serves as a powerful reminder of the broader legacy of segregated sanatoriums across Canada and the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. There are still more graves to identify, more stories to uncover, and a deeper understanding of this historical trauma to be integrated into our collective consciousness.

The commitment articulated by all involved parties is to continue this vital work, not just on Mission Island, but wherever Inuit lives were lost and forgotten.

This re-awakening on Mission Island is a beacon of hope, demonstrating what can be achieved when communities, governments, and researchers commit to truth-telling and healing.

It’s a call to action for continued collaboration, to ensure that no life is ever truly lost to history again, and that the path towards genuine reconciliation remains steadfastly illuminated for future generations.