Episode 25: Unmarked Burials, Denialism, and the Role of Youth in Reconciliation ft. Benjamin Kucher

CORRECTION: 2025 marks the fifth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, not the fourth. Host Aubrianna Snow speaks with Benjamin Kucher about unmarked burials, residential school denialism, balancing academic and community responsibilities, and the future of reconciliation.Benjamin Kucher is a Métis archaeologist, writer, and activist from the Métis Nation of Alberta and a descendant of the Michel First Nation. He is the former Chair of the National Indigenous Advocacy Committee and currently a researcher at the University of Alberta where his research focuses on Métis identity, material culture, and the role of trade beads in shaping cultural practices. Beyond his academic work, Benjamin has been deeply involved in national conversations about truth and memory. He has attended all seven National Gatherings on Unmarked Burials organized by the Office of the Independent Special Interlocutor, where he served as Chair of the Youth Advisory Committee, helping to facilitate dialogue, hold space for Survivors and families, and ensure that youth perspectives are carried into national reports and recommendations. Benjamin is also the Chair of the Canadian Archaeological Association’s Indigenous Issues Committee, where he works alongside the CAA’s Working Group on Unmarked Graves to advance Indigenous leadership, data sovereignty, and the protection of traditional knowledge within the discipline. His writing and advocacy often center on confronting residential school denialism, pushing institutions to move beyond silence, and protecting truth against erasure and distortion. He is the author of We Were Never Theirs, a powerful work that blends scholarship and testimony to confront colonial silencing and to reclaim Indigenous memory. His voice has been featured in outlets such as CBC Indigenous and Windspeaker News, and he has presented his work at national and international conferences. At the heart of his work is a commitment to community, truth, and accountability. Benjamin brings to his research and advocacy not only academic training, but also the lived experience of carrying Indigenous identity into spaces that have long resisted it. His work is as much about healing and protection as it is about history.Read Benjamin's most recent work with Sean Carleton in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/confronting-residential-schools-denialism-is-an-ethical-and-shared-canadian-responsibility-265127 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.