[3] Prior to European colonization of the Americas, the Secwepemc occupied traditional territory spanning approximately 145,000 square kilometres (56,000 sq mi), known as Secwepemcúl̓ecw in Secwepemctsín.
[4] The Secwepemc settlement of Tkʼemlups, meaning "river junction," was an economically important centre within the area that later came to be the British Columbian Interior long before European arrival in North America.
In May 2021, according to a source referencing TteS Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir's news release, the remains of 215 children, including some as young as three years old, were found buried on the site of the former residential school.
Work is being done to see if any records of these deaths can be found in local museums, and to inform community members who had family that attended the school, to provide help dealing with the discovery.
[6] Another source limits the discovery to having identified approximately 200 potential burial sites using ground penetrating radar techniques, citing more forensic investigation and excavation work needing to be done.