Where Do I Begin?

The MITHP Missing Patients Initiative Research Guide contains histories about the Manitoba tuberculosis hospitals where patients were treated, and information about how and why patients could be moved between different facilities.

The research required to locate the burial sites of missing Indigenous patients is complex, the records are scattered among many archives and repositories, and some records have not survived to the present day. The Guide will support your research by helping to untangle some of the archival mysteries that may pose a roadblock to your research. The Case Studies provide examples of how we have dealt with some of these issues that arise in doing research into burial sites.

The Guide contains:

  1. Histories of patient deaths and burials at TB care hospitals in Manitoba
  2. Details about where families might find information and about how to access records
  3. Instructions on how to conduct your search, step by step (or as close to step-by-step as possible)
  4. Where to look for records relating to specific Indian hospitals and sanatoriums
  5. How to access the records relating to specific Indian hospitals and sanatoriums
  6. Cemeteries associated with specific hospitals
  7. Case studies that demonstrate how this research is conducted

How Do I use the Guide?

The guide provides step-by-step information about how to start your search and where to look for records relating to specific Indian hospitals and sanatoriums.

Before you begin your research, read through each of the sections below, beginning with 'Getting Started on Your Research.' This section outlines a process called 'upstreaming' where you identify the information that you do know and go from there. You will also find a fillable pdf of our Research Checklist that you can download and fill in as your research progresses.

Next, "Why do I need to look in so many places?" explains how records related to health and burials were generated, and why they are located in many different sites. The “Research Tips” section provides you with contextual information and skills that may help with your search and a Case Study to demonstrate the research process. From there, you can delve into the Hospital-Specific Research Pages as guided by the questions you've answered in the Research Checklist, and and in the research you have already done.