Planning for a Remote Sensing Survey

Remote sensing surveys are one small part of a much larger process and should not be the first or only step in searching for unmarked burials. Please ensure that you've read through the introductory guides on the Community Resources page prior to reading through these resources to fully understand where the following information fits within the much larger investigation process.

A large portion of the information below is also presented in the following videos and documents:

When a community has reached the point at which they are ready to start preparing for a remote sensing survey, there are a few steps that are needed to prepare the community before, during, and after a ground search. Each Nation will have its own specific needs, but we provide a short overview of example steps below based on our own experience:

Site Identification
  • Compile all information available from archives, testimonies, community historians, to outline all areas of interest for GPR survey.
  • Reconstruct a timeline of landscape use using aerial photos and community knowledge. It is important to understand how the landscape has changed over time, including; where were buildings located in the past, any construction or development activities, land sales and title transfers, etc. 
  • Find out who currently owns the land by doing a Land Title Search. When working on lands that are not owned by the Nation, land access permissions are required for any work to be done. Lands Departments within your Nation's governance structures can be very helpful when navigating these issues.
  • Obtain permission to be on the land from the Titled owner if the land is not owned by the Nation. This may often be the Roman Catholic Church, private landowners, the Provincial Government, or others. 

Resources:

Survey Workplan
  • Work with specialists (see Map of Remote Sensing Experts for specialists in your area) to identify which areas are suitable for particular types of remote sensing survey based on the historic landscape use. 
  • Determine who you want to conduct the remote sensing survey (see Considerations for Private Sector GPR Companies), or if you would like to train your own members to conduct these types of surveys.
  • Conduct a Site Assessment to test the efficacy of remote sensing technologies on select portions of the site prior to committing to a full-scale Phase 1 survey.
  • Categorize areas of interest that are suitable for remote sensing according to priority and work with specialists to develop a phased workplan.

Resources: 

Event Planning
Event planning activities will varying significantly from Nation to Nation, and will not be extensively discussed here. The intent here is to provide a few key areas that are important to consider in addition to other standard event planning tasks (e.g. catering, room rentals, audio-visual equipment) when planning any events or gathering around a ground search. These include: 
  • Ceremony and Elders (before, during, and after the event)
  • Wellness supports (before, during, and after the event)
  • Communication Plan (to Elder and Survivors, to relevant Stakeholders, to Media, to Community Members, etc.)

Resources:

  • Residential Schools Gathering and Ceremony Guide (First Nations Heath Authority)
    The BC First Nations Health Authority has produced a short guide to ceremony, protocol and other aspects of community health and well-being that should be considered at all stages of carrying out a search.
  • Lessons Learned: Survivor Perspectives (National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation)
    Based on Survivor accounts of their experiences with the various components of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, this report highlights some of the critical elements of a trauma informed approach to knowledge gathering and events with Survivors.
Landscape Preparation
  • Determine the specific landscaping needs of the areas of interest with the team conducting the search, as these will differ with the type of technology used.
  • In general, the best conditions for a GPR survey are when the landscape looks similar to a golf course, and good landscape preparation includes the following; 
    • Mow and remove all clippings in areas of interest to a short grass length at least 2 days prior to the survey team coming out. 
    • In some circumstances, mowing the grass may not be possible or feasible and areas may require a controlled burn due to tall grasses (please adhere to all fire bans in your area, if any). Burning grass will not affect the results of the GPR survey.
    • Remove or relocate obstructions such as benches, tables, garbage receptacles, rocks, etc.
    • Remove any low brush in areas of interest, if instructed by the GPR team. 
Survey Supports
  • Get contact information for the team conducting the survey. 
  • Ensure the team conducting the survey has contact information for the Project Coordinator to provide updates.
  • Have a designated Community Representative on site for cultural and wellness support.
  • Ensure people (including the survey team) have access to washroom facilities, and a covered structure in the event of inclement weather. 
  • Ensure the team conducting the survey has a copy of the Agenda and is aware of any events or presentations that require their presence, well ahead of time. 

In order to have everything go as smoothly as possible, we have found it best to have a designated community representative on site at all times to help field questions from Elders, to hear their stories, and record their testimony if they wish to share additional information. Often, when Elders and Survivors are on site they provide additional information about possible locations and other recollections that help guide the search. 

Communication Plan

A critical piece of a remote sensing survey is the communication plan. It is important to decide whether or not the community wants to share results, with whom, and in what ways prior to the start of a search. There exists a large amount of misinformation and miscommunication in media, and releasing results prior to establishing a clear communication plan can contribute to further misinformation and harmful outcomes. If a community wishes to share their results, some recommendations are provided below.

  • It is often best to wait until the final report is received rather than release preliminary findings. 
  • It is often best to collaborate with the remote sensing technicians to find the best language to use when describing the survey results to reduce misrepresentation in the media.
  • Ensure that language used is consistent across all communication methods, and that definitions of specific terms are included in any media release.
  • Prioritize Survivor's. If a public release is desired, it is often best to have this follow a community release, where Survivor's and community members are the first to hear the results.
  • Clearly communicate to all project members and community members what information can be made public and what information is confidential, especially as it relates to the protection and security of search areas.
  • It is sometimes helpful to designate a particular person, or persons, that is/are the primary media contact through which all media requests should be filtered.

Some communications resources are listed below:

Wellness Supports
Survivors and Family members of Survivors may receive immediate emotional support by contacting the 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line toll-free at  1-866-925-4419.
Indigenous people may receive immediate emotional support by contacting the Hope for Wellness Help Line toll-free at 1-855-242-3310, or by online chat at  hopeforwellness.ca.