Supreme Court Declines to Hear Mohawk Mothers’ Appeal on McGill Expansion Plans

Montreal: The Supreme Court of Canada has turned down the Mohawk Mothers’ appeal. They wanted more control over searching for unmarked graves at a McGill University site. The court didn’t explain its decision, which is pretty standard.

Kwetiio, one of the Mohawk Mothers, said it was disappointing but not surprising. They believe the fight isn’t over. They still want to push for their rights and continue working on the case.

McGill University welcomed the court’s decision. They said it supports previous agreements made with the Mohawk Mothers. The university emphasized that no human remains or unmarked graves have been found at the site so far.

The Mohawk Mothers are concerned about possible graves of Indigenous children buried near the former Royal Victoria Hospital. This site has been empty since 2015 and is being renovated by McGill for a new research hub.

Their claims are based on stories from survivors of unethical experiments done at a psychiatric clinic linked to the hospital. These experiments were part of a controversial program funded by Canada and the U.S. in the past.

The Mohawk Mothers expressed their disappointment with the legal system. They feel it reflects a colonial history that has ignored their rights. They want the courts to recognize their right to investigate past wrongs.

The province’s infrastructure agency, SQI, stated they are committed to conducting thorough archaeological research at the site. They want to ensure everything is done properly and respectfully.

Last year, the Mohawk Mothers asked the Supreme Court to have experts oversee the search for graves. This recent decision doesn’t seem to be the end of their legal struggles.

They are now looking into options outside the civil court system. They believe that disturbing human remains during construction could be a criminal act.

The Mohawk Mothers want to ensure that any potential graves are treated with care. They are worried about the evidence being damaged during construction.

So far, no unmarked graves have been found, but the site is still under development. The Mohawk Mothers feel like they are up against a system that doesn’t acknowledge their existence or rights.

In 2022, they sued McGill and the SQI, which led to a temporary halt in construction. They reached an agreement for archaeological oversight, but conflicts over the terms brought them back to court.

The Quebec Court of Appeal later ruled that the agreement was vague and unenforceable. This prompted the Mohawk Mothers to seek a Supreme Court appeal.

They mentioned that some areas have been investigated, and dogs have detected human remains. They are worried that construction could destroy more evidence.

The SQI insists they are acting in good faith and want to address the allegations of graves. They are committed to working with experts to ensure proper archaeological research is conducted.

– With files from the Canadian Press