Skip to content
All about politics. — Summer — French — Buttons — Mistissini — Jeanne — General-news — Buried — Politics

Individual in Question's Security Has Been Restored

After six decades, Jeanne was brought back to her hometown, Mistissini, for a long-overdue burial amidst her loved ones. This is among the first such cases to be resolved since the implementation of Quebec's law regarding missing and murdered indigenous children. This report was prepared by...

,   and  ASMedia
4 min read

Individual in Question's Security Has Been Restored

Mistissini: A Long-Awaited Homecoming

A lingering emptiness haunted Elisabeth since her return from the La Tuque boarding school. It felt like forgetting something crucial. Then one day, it dawned on her – she yearned for Jeanne*.

Elisabeth and Jeanne were uprooted from their homes in Mistissini and shipped off to the school, leaving Jeanne behind forever.

In the northern Quebec cemetery, a gentle spring sun shines on a chilly April Friday. Close relatives agreed to show us Jeanne's resting place after a relentless search to bring her home.

Her grave's fresh earth is covered in orange and purple flowers, while her tombstone reads "Welcome home, precious angel."

"She's at peace now," Elisabeth sighs quietly.

On September 30, 2021, Jeanne's small body, long buried in La Tuque, was exhumed and returned to Mistissini on the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

This was possible thanks to a Quebec law that aids in searching for Indigenous children who have disappeared or perished after hospital treatment.

The story was all too familiar: a child became sick and was sent away to a hospital outside the community and never returned. Families were left bewildered and questioning. Currently, Quebec is trying to clarify the deaths of 209 Indigenous children.

In a show of bipartisanship, Ian Lafrenière, Minister Responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, along with opposition deputies, visited Mistissini to present the community with the annual report on the implementation of the law.

"Over 200 children have vanished, and their families seek answers. It's a heartbreaking reality," Mr. Lafrenière stated before a small gathering of Cree families.

To Jeanne's family: "We offer you our condolences and our ongoing support. You will always be in our thoughts," the Minister said, voice quivering.

The Long Quest Begins

Caroline Shecapio accompanies Elisabeth during our visit to Mistissini. Like Elisabeth, Caroline also attended the Anglican boarding school in La Tuque. "We looked after Jeanne because she was the youngest," she remembers.

One frigid April night, Jeanne stirred Caroline from her sleep. "When the flu struck, she grew critically ill because she was spotting by the window. She slept between Elisabeth and me, on the same bed," she recalls.

Caroline successfully sought help for Jeanne, who was eventually taken to the infirmary. It was their last encounter. Later that very same day, Caroline was ushered into an office. "They told us that Jeanne was dead."

Years have passed, but the pain remains raw. Her voice trembles as she says, "I don't know what to say."

Caroline, around 10 at the time, managed to attend the funeral, but not Elisabeth. "We didn't have many attendees. I saw the casket. I recall its color – it was white," she remembers.

A survivor of the boarding school who took care of Jeanne testified before the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the child was buried in La Tuque cemetery with a simple number on a gravestone and a plaque.

Jeanne's parents learned of their daughter's death the following summer. Years would pass before her family could identify where she had been buried without consent. They eventually added a proper headstone.

But Elisabeth still finds no solace. Jeanne's place is in Mistissini. In the early 2010s, she began the struggle to bring her home. "That's where I started reaching out to people for help," she recounts.

The pandemic delayed the process. In 2022, Quebec joined forces with Anglican Church officials and the federal government to help Jeanne find her final resting place in Mistissini. Preparations intensified in the summer of 2024.

On September 20, 2024, the coroner's office and the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale carried out the exhumation in La Tuque. Anglican cemetery officials were present, aiding experts in narrowing the search area.

Family members were present during every step, with professionals explaining each move to the family. "We prayed all day," summarizes Caroline Shecapio. The gravity of the moment was palpable.

At the day's end, the child was escorted to the cemetery's edge by the procession. Her remains were taken to Mistissini, where she was honored according to Cree traditions. "It feels like a burden has been lifted," adds Caroline, gesturing to her heart.

The Prized Mementos: A Bracelet and Buttons

Among Jeanne's remains, authorities found a small hospital bracelet with her name written on it, along with two tiny dress buttons. They were passed to Elisabeth.

"I keep them in a small box," she murmurs.

Like an unexpected treasure, these mementos help paint Jeanne's life story. Tactile proof of her existence – a face given back to a child whose trail had grown cold.

Finally, Jeanne returns home after more than five decades. "Now, my heart is in the right place."

Fictitious names due to a publication ban protecting the identity of family members involved in the judicial process to repatriate the child.

  1. Caroline Shecapio, who also attended the Anglican boarding school in La Tuque, recalls taking care of Jeanne, the youngest among them, on a frigid April night.
  2. During that night, Jeanne grew critically ill after being exposed to the cold due to sleeping near an window, and was eventually taken to the infirmary, with Caroline being the last to see her alive.
  3. Years later, it was discovered that Jeanne was buried in the La Tuque cemetery with a simple number on a gravestone and a plaque, and her parents learned of her death the following summer.
  4. After a long struggle, Jeanne was finally repatriated to Mistissini in 2024, and during the exhumation, authorities found a hospital bracelet with her name and two tiny dress buttons among her remains, which were given to Elisabeth.
Indigenous woman Jeanne, who had been absent for nearly 60 years, has been laid to rest in Mistissini, close to her relatives. This resolution comes in the wake of Quebec's legislation on missing Indigenous children, making it one of the first resolutions since the law's implementation. Report by Fanny Lévesque.
Indigenous woman Jeanne, who passed away over half a century ago, was at last given a burial in Mistissini, close to her kin. This is among the initial cases resolved since the enactment of the Quebec Act concerning missing and murdered Indigenous children. Report by Fanny Levesque.
Indigenous woman Jeanne, who passed away over half a century ago, was brought back to her hometown of Mistissini for a family burial. This case, now reconciled, serves as one of the initial resolutions since the implementation of Quebec's law concerning missing indigenous children in the province. Fanny Levesque provides this account.

Read also:

Related

Latest