In 1943, Johnny Kiyawasew passed away at the tender age of 11 in a small hospital located in northern Alberta, far from his family in the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation.
Compelled to attend the Catholic-operated St. Francis Xavier Residential School in Calais, Alberta, Johnny never made it back home, and it took many years before his siblings discovered the truth about his fate.
“My parents, especially my father, never received any information. They issued a death certificate without informing him,” stated Robert Kiyawasew, Johnny’s younger brother.
“It’s unjust… the church should have notified my father about his passing.”
After enduring years of uncertainty, Robert Kiyawasew explained that his older sister Roseann, with assistance from a private investigator, located Johnny’s burial site in 2013.
“The caretaker said, ‘I know precisely where he is buried and I will show you,'” Robert recounted.
Provincial records indicate that Johnny succumbed to pulmonary tuberculosis in a hospital in High Prairie, where he is interred, situated more than 75 kilometers from the residential school.
Currently, both the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the University of Alberta are conducting thorough research to uncover the narratives of children like Johnny, including many of his relatives, who attended residential school but never returned home.
‘It is heartbreaking’
Sheldon Sunshine, the chief of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, noted that research indicates a high mortality rate among children at St. Francis Xavier due to tuberculosis and malnutrition.
“It’s not just data; it’s people,” remarked Sunshine.
“Seeing the names is painful, knowing what our people suffered, losing lives as a result of the conditions in that school. It is truly heartbreaking.”
Johnny Kiyawasew’s grave is located in High Prairie, Alta., where he died in a hospital. ‘I visit every time I have a chance now. To see that lonely little grave, out there all alone,’ says Robert Kiyawasew. (Submitted by Kiyawasew family)
Robert Kiyawasew expressed gratitude that his sister was able to find Johnny’s grave before her passing.
“I make a visit whenever I can now,” Robert Kiyawasew said.
“Seeing that lonely little grave, out there all by itself.”
As a survivor of day school, Robert Kiyawasew shared that he faced similar traumas as his siblings who were sent to St. Francis Xavier, including punishment for speaking his native language.
“To treat us Natives as if we don’t exist… no,” Robert Kiyawasew declared.
“We have a rightful place in our culture. Our heritage is our entitlement to embrace it.”
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The Sturgeon Lake residential school narrative at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), which is a summary of the institution’s history prepared by the Government of Canada as part of its legal response, states that at least five children perished at the school in 1943.
A 1943 document cited in the summary indicates that the school “is deteriorating and poses a risk to the health of Indigenous children and is also a fire hazard,” mentioning that some student fatalities “last winter” were attributed to “the lack of comfort” caused by inadequate heating.
Difficulty obtaining records
Raymond Frogner, the senior director of research and head of archives at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, noted that records related to residential schools were poorly organized, inconsistent, and often unreliable.
“These records were managed by various church groups, provincial governments, and federal entities, and none of these organizations communicated effectively with one another,” explained Frogner.
“It resembles trying to reassemble a jigsaw puzzle when many pieces are missing.”
St. Francis Xavier residential school grounds at Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, year unknown. (Submitted by Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation)
Frogner mentioned that many church records are either inaccessible, contain incorrect or differing dates compared to provincial or federal documents, and when located, they are frequently withheld.
Sunshine noted that several times, researchers from Sturgeon Lake have been informed by church representatives that they will only release student records to individuals with familial connections.
“How can you establish family ties when so many are passing away?” asked Sunshine.
“This truly hinders our ability to uncover that information… It restricts our efforts to locate all of our children.”
Sunshine affirmed that the First Nation will persist in piecing together the stories of children who attended St. Francis Xavier and never returned.
“If we are unaware of where these children are, how can we provide closure for some of our families?” questioned Sunshine.
“Discussing intergenerational trauma? That is part of it.”
A 24-hour Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available at 1-866-925-4419 for emotional and crisis referral services for survivors and those impacted.
Mental health counselling and crisis support are accessible 24/7 through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat.