Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is currently engaged in comprehensive research alongside the University of Alberta to unveil the untold stories of children like Johnny Kiyawasew, who attended residential schools but never returned home. Johnny, who passed away at the age of 11 in 1943 at a hospital in northern Alberta, was enrolled at the St. Francis Xavier Residential School in Calais. It took decades for Johnny’s family to discover his fate, with his brother Robert expressing disappointment that their father was never informed of Johnny’s death.
Robert Kiyawasew’s older sister, Roseann, in collaboration with a private investigator, located Johnny’s gravesite in 2013, shedding light on his final resting place in High Prairie, over 75 kilometers away from the residential school. Chief Sheldon Sunshine of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation revealed that research indicates many children at St. Francis Xavier succumbed to conditions like tuberculosis and malnutrition, emphasizing the human toll behind the statistics.
Reflecting on the hardships endured by his family, Robert Kiyawasew visits Johnny’s grave regularly, finding solace in honoring his lost brother. As a survivor of a day school himself, Robert shared his own struggles and emphasized the importance of preserving Indigenous culture and heritage. The challenges of obtaining accurate records from residential schools were highlighted by Raymond Frogner from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, pointing out discrepancies and obstacles in accessing vital information.
Sunshine expressed frustration over the difficulty in accessing church records, which are often incomplete or withheld, hindering efforts to uncover the truth about the children who never returned from residential schools. Despite these challenges, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation remains committed to piecing together the narratives of these lost children, aiming to provide closure for families and address the intergenerational trauma stemming from this dark chapter of Canadian history.