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Crowdfunding allows Vancouver Island First Nation to search for remains of missing children

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On B.C.’s far west coast a crowdfunding campaign will mean a First Nation will be able to search the grounds of two former Indigenous residential schools.

The Ahousaht First Nation, based on Flores Island near Tofino B.C., will accept $75,000 to launch a campaign to search the grounds of two former schools in its territory.

“People who care, genuinely care, are supporting this,” said Ahousaht’s elected chief, Greg Louie.

“People we don't know, people who care, genuinely care, are contributing."

The campaign to raise funds for Vancouver Island First Nations was started in the wake of the Kamloops Indian Residential School discovery in June.

Find Our Lost Children” had an original goal of raising $25,000. By Friday, the campaign had raised an impressive $154,704.

More than 2,000 donors have handed over money to help pay for ground-penetrating radar work.

Ahousaht is the first island nation to accept a donation from the GoFundMe initiative.

The nation is currently looking for a qualified employee to oversee the searches at the former Ahousaht Residential School and the Christie (Clayoquot/Kakawis) School.

"We've heard there has been death so we want to bring some resolve to our community,” Louie told CTV News.

Ahousaht is not alone in wanting to search the grounds of the notorious former schools.

In Alert Bay, B.C., the ‘Namgis First Nation has launched its own project.

“’Namgis First Nations Council has decided to execute a project to find out whether unmarked burial grounds also exist around the site of the St. Michael’s residential school which remained active in Alert Bay from 1894 to 1974,” the nation said in a statement posted to its Facebook page.

The Tseshaht First Nation near Port Alberni has also started the ball rolling on a project to search the grounds of its now demolished school.

Tseshaht leadership tell CTV News their project will be fully funded by the federal and provincial governments.

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