Using forensic techniques to identify missing Indigenous children is not only scientifically feasible—it is a moral obligation. For families who have spent generations wondering what happened to their loved ones, modern DNA analysis and ground-penetrating radar offer the best chance at answers. The same methods have helped identify victims of the 9/11 attacks and the Khmer Rouge genocide. Canada can and should apply them to its own painful history.
Identification can provide closure for survivors and descendants, allowing them to finally lay relatives to rest with dignity. It also serves as a factual record of state-sponsored policies that caused enormous harm. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission explicitly called for locating and marking burial sites. Forensic science is the most reliable way to fulfill that call.
Opponents worry about cultural sensitivities or retraumatization, but many Indigenous communities are demanding action. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has noted that families repeatedly ask for identification efforts. Proper consultation and respect for protocols can address concerns. The work can be done with care, involving elders and knowledge keepers at every step.
Funding is already in place. The federal government has committed over $100 million, and pilot projects are expanding. Delaying only prolongs the pain. Every child deserves a name. Forensic identification is the path to honouring that principle.