TIOHTIÁ:KE (MONTRÉAL, QC) – The Kanienʼkehá:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) gathered with dozens of supporters near the former Royal Victoria Hospital site to hold a vigil for the victims of unethical medical experimentation and a press conference to share new scientific findings from several investigations led by independent experts.

Three techniques have been used to detect historic human remains and identify probable burial sites at the former Royal Victoria Hospital: ground-penetrating radar, historic human remains detection dogs, and, most recently, the S4 Subterra Grey probe, which is designed to detect burials by analysing soil contents and compactness. To date, the probe has been used in one location near the Allan Memorial Institute. The Kahnistensera announced that the results of all three remote sensing methods support the presence of human remains at this location.

“In one area near the Allan Memorial Institute, investigations using three separate remote-sensing technologies have finally been completed,” said Kahentinetha, one of the Mohawk Mothers. “We have received a report combining these results that states, quote, ‘The combination of three separate lines of evidence supports the presence of human remains’ near the Allan Memorial Institute.”

In addition to being on unceded traditional Kanien'kehá:ka territory containing important precolonial burials and other sites, the grounds of the old Royal Victoria Hospital are suspected to contain the unmarked burials of Indigenous children and other victims of psychiatric experiments conducted as part of the CIA's Project MK-ULTRA, a project that developed “mind control” and torture techniques. Burials on-site may also be the result of the neglect and mistreatment endured by those incarcerated in medical and pedagogical institutions.

The Kanienʼkehá:ka Kahnistensera are a group of women from Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation who have been leading the fight to ensure a proper archaeological investigation of the former site of the Royal Victoria Hospital, despite repeated attempts by McGill University and the Société des Infrastructures de Québec (SQI) to minimize evidence of historic human remains.

“Historic Human Remains Detection Dogs identified the scent of human remains in the New Vic Project in 2023, and disturbing discoveries were made when they started digging there. Two fragments of a pair of children’s shoes from the beginning of the 20th century, as well as many, many bones,” Kahentinetha added. “But instead of listening to the recommendations of the archaeologists, McGill and the SQI decided to fire them.”

Since 2015, the Kahnistensera have engaged in a legal battle to prevent construction of the site without a proper archaeological investigation. In October 2022, the Kahnistensera obtained an injunction against the construction project from the Superior Court of Québec; it halted all excavation of the site until a proper investigation and archaeological plan could be conducted.

After months of negotiations, the parties came to a settlement agreement, agreeing to select a panel of three independent archaeological experts to inform how the investigation should proceed throughout the site. This panel produced a thorough report detailing the technologies, techniques and precautions required in each area of the site, and requested their ongoing involvement as findings were made. Instead, the defendants unilaterally terminated the contracts of the panel members to avoid their ongoing involvement after historic human remains detection dogs began alerting to the presence of human remains. These areas identified by the dogs were then torn apart by mechanical equipment, a direct violation of the panel’s recommendations that resulted in the contamination and destruction of the soil, bones, and
artifacts that could hold evidence of a human burial.

At Wednesday’s vigil, the Kahnistensera shared that they are seeking support and solidarity from members of the public to ensure that no more burials are desecrated and that no more evidence of these crimes is destroyed.

“We have no choice but to take the matter into our own hands and to work with our communities to implement a thorough, respectful and honest investigation. Our lost children and loved ones can’t wait any longer.” Kahentinetha said. “Because we can’t afford to lose them again the way we did on the New Vic site, we will be keeping constant vigil and monitoring the site to make sure it is not destroyed until the area is secured for a proper investigation. We also invite the public to report any suspicious activity to us.”