About Project: RECLAIM

This site was built to make it easier for First Nations and Métis communities to find information about their ancestors, understand their family's connection to Catholic missions and churches, and reclaim pieces of community history that have been hidden in Church records.

We know that these records were often kept without consent, and that they were written in languages like Latin or French, sometimes using Christian names instead of Indigenous names. We are working to make them more searchable, respectful, and easier to understand.

This is part of an ongoing effort toward truth and reconciliation between the Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples. We want to listen to communities about how these records are used, make changes based on feedback, and ensure that records are shared in ways that are respectful and meaningful.

If you have ideas, concerns, or questions, please use the Feedback Form or contact us directly.

This site is part of a pilot project designed to make Catholic Church records more accessible, especially to First Nations and Métis families looking to reconnect with their history. We are just getting started, and what you see here is only the beginning.

This is an evolving project. As we continue to work with Church archives, Indigenous communities, and local researchers, more records will be digitized and made accessible. We are committed to:

• Respectful handling of all records
• Transparency about what is included
• Ongoing consultation and feedback, especially from First Nations users

If you don't find what you're looking for today, please check back! New material is added regularly as it becomes available.

We are starting with older sacramental records (baptisms, marriages, burials) and some other archival records. These were carefully extracted from parish registers, then reviewed and entered into searchable databases.

• Not all records are online yet
• Some records are still being transcribed or verified
• New data will be added regularly as it becomes available
• At least two large photograph collections will be available right away

These databases were created to reconnect people with their histories, especially First Nations and Métis families whose names and stories are embedded in Catholic Church records. This is ongoing work, and we are committed to doing it with care, respect, and community guidance.

The records on this site come from original church records (mainly sacramental records) held by Catholic dioceses in British Columbia. To build the databases:

• We worked directly with the original handwritten registers kept by Catholic missionary priests. These registers were written in Latin, French, and English, with inconsistent spelling, fading ink, and challenging handwriting.
• Many registers are not in date order and often contain records from multiple communities or missions within the same volume.
• In some cases, the records are held in diocesan archives or regional repositories rather than in the communities where they were created.
• Each entry was carefully transcribed by trained researchers. We recorded names (including alternate spellings), parents' names, dates and places, priest names, and notes indicating First Nations or Métis identity.
• Where possible, we cross-referenced each record with the British Columbia Vital Statistics database, revealing major gaps, as many Catholic sacramental records do not appear in the provincial system.

We have not "corrected" spellings in the original documents unless they were obvious errors. Alternate versions are included to improve searchability. We recommend broad or flexible searches when exploring the records.

The spelling of many Indigenous names and places in these records is not accurate. The priests who wrote them often:

• Spelled names phonetically, based on how they heard them
• May have been the first people to write down Indigenous languages
• Often spoke French as their first language
• Sometimes had poor spelling skills, even in their own language

Because of this, the same name might appear in many different spellings throughout the records, even on the same page. We recommend that you try broad or flexible searches and look at similar-sounding names when exploring the records.