MONTREAL — After the report of the possible presence of anonymous graves of indigenous and non-indigenous children, work carried out on land belonging to the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) in Montreal did not reveal any human bones, said Thursday the state company.
The hypothesis was formulated last January by the Committee of Institutionalized Orphans of Duplessis and the Kanien’keha:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) group.
The archaeological inventory on the land located near the former Saint-Jean-de-Dieu hospital was carried out by the archaeological consulting firm Arkéos.
The SAQ reported the conclusions of this inventory on Thursday in a press release, adding that it would now begin work related to the expansion of its Montreal Automated Center (CAM) next week.
This excavation work at the distribution center was suspended after the receipt of a letter by the two groups, and they had been met a few times, indicated the SAQ.
Regular monitoring of the work and the project was also provided continuously with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, it was added.
“Following this work, the experts conclude that the bones and bone fragments found on the future CAM site during the archaeological inventory are of animal origin. They also add that the area investigated was strictly used for agricultural purposes until its sale to the SAQ,” affirmed the state company.
“Despite the absence of human bones on this portion of the land, the SAQ recognizes that a painful part of history could have taken place in the past in the place where its activities are now located,” also declared the SAQ.
She is also “committed to recognizing this chapter of history on her property (…) by working jointly with these two groups to determine the form that this commemorative space will take.”
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