In 1943, Johnny Kiyawasew, an 11-year-old from Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, passed away in a hospital in northern Alberta, far from his family, after being sent to the St. Francis Xavier Residential School in Calais. Johnny’s siblings only discovered his fate many years later, as no one informed their father about his death. It was not until his older sister, Roseann, with the help of a private investigator, located Johnny’s gravesite in 2013 that the family gained closure.
Records indicate that Johnny died of pulmonary tuberculosis in a High Prairie hospital, where he was laid to rest, a significant distance from the residential school. The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the University of Alberta are now engaged in a comprehensive research effort to unveil the stories of children like Johnny who attended residential schools but never returned home.
Chief Sheldon Sunshine of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation revealed that research has revealed many children at St. Francis Xavier succumbed to tuberculosis and malnutrition, underscoring the human toll of the harsh conditions at the school. Robert Kiyawasew, Johnny’s younger brother, expressed gratitude for his sister’s determination in locating Johnny’s grave, a place he now visits regularly to pay his respects.
Robert Kiyawasew, a survivor of a day school himself, shared his experience of suffering similar injustices to his siblings who attended St. Francis Xavier, emphasizing the importance of preserving Native culture and heritage. The challenges in obtaining records from residential schools were highlighted by Raymond Frogner, emphasizing the fragmented and unreliable nature of the available documentation.
The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is committed to continuing its research efforts to uncover the stories of children who never returned from St. Francis Xavier, emphasizing the importance of closure for families affected by the intergenerational trauma caused by the residential school system. The Nation faces obstacles in obtaining historical records, with church officials often withholding or restricting access to vital documents.
Efforts to piece together the histories of children like Johnny, who never made it home from the residential school, will persist as part of the ongoing journey toward healing and understanding the impact of the traumatic legacy of residential schools on Indigenous communities.