Mohawk Mothers suspect unmarked graves at Royal Vic site, demand suspension of McGill construction project

A group called the Mohawk Mothers from Montreal’s Indigenous community is calling for the grounds of McGill University to be investigated with the belief children – particularly Indigenous children – may be buried in unmarked graves at a legacy site currently under construction.

The Mohawk Mothers say bodies could be buried near the Allan Memorial Institute section of the former Royal Victoria Hospital site.

They are asking McGill to immediately stop the construction being done on the site to allow the area to be examined.

“We’ve had so many people come to us – and it’s been going for many, many years – that there are unmarked graves of children that have been experimented upon by one of the institutes,” said Kahentinetha of the Mohawk Mothers.

“We think it’s true. People have told us. We can’t divulge who they are because we fear for them. We might be jeopardizing their safety.

“It’s our land and we want to check it and we want to (find) our own people, our children.”

During the 1950s and ‘60s, Dr. Ewen Cameron conducted experimental treatments at the Allan Memorial Institute, including drug-induced comas and intensive shock therapy.

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In recent testimony, one of the few remaining survivors of the experiments – 78-year-old Lana Ponting from Winnipeg, who spent six months at the Institute – alleges that Indigenous children were brought there from residential schools. Ponting also said victims of the experiments were buried in nearby grounds.

“She was one of the victims in the ‘50s,” said Kahentinetha. “And the program that was there was a CIA program, well Canadian government as well, and it was called the MKUltra, which was mind control.

“I don’t know how many could live through that, how many children died from any of that. So we want to know the truth and we want those files that McGill has. And this should be made to the public, the public should know what happened.”

The nearby Royal Victoria Hospital is slated for expansion. McGill University is planning an academic centre on the 130-year-old site.

A spokesperson for McGill University told CityNews in a statement: “In 2016, McGill commissioned a study on the archeological potential of the Royal Victoria Hospital site. According to this study, it is unlikely that Indigenous remains will be found on the new Vic project site.

“However, should this be the case, it will be made public immediately, the work will be suspended, and an archaeological officer of the minister of culture and communications will be alerted (as stated in the Cultural Heritage Act.1)”

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The Mohawk Mothers say work should be halted, and McGill should be asking for permission.

“Its our land, it belongs to us,” said Kahentinetha. “Even McGill does these (land) acknowledgements all over, and so does the City of Montreal. They do these acknowledgements that this land is ours. It’s unceded, and it’s since time immemorial.”

The new project is undergoing public consultations. The Mohawk Mothers plan to present their testimony on Nov. 10.

“We the Kahnistensera, the Mohawk Mothers, all Indigenous mothers exercise our rights and our duties and responsibilities, which is to look after the land, look after the babies, the children.”