Johnny Kiyawasew passed away at the age of 11 in a small hospital in northern Alberta in 1943, far from his family at Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. He was a student at St. Francis Xavier Residential School in Calais, Alta., and his family was kept in the dark about his death for many years.
Robert Kiyawasew, Johnny’s younger brother, expressed his frustration at the lack of communication regarding his brother’s passing. After years of uncertainty, Johnny’s grave was located in 2013 by his sister Roseann with the help of a private investigator.
Records indicate that Johnny died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a hospital in High Prairie, where he was buried, over 75 kilometers away from the residential school. The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the University of Alberta are now conducting extensive research to unveil the stories of children like Johnny who attended residential schools but never returned home.
Chief Sheldon Sunshine of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation highlighted the tragic findings of the research, revealing that many children at St. Francis Xavier succumbed to tuberculosis and malnutrition. The Chief emphasized the human impact behind the data, expressing sorrow over the hardships endured by Indigenous children in the school.
Robert Kiyawasew, grateful for his sister’s discovery of Johnny’s grave, now visits it regularly, reflecting on the solitary resting place of 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.
Raymond Frogner from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation acknowledged the challenges in obtaining accurate residential school records, citing disorganization and inconsistencies. He described the process of piecing together fragmented records as akin to solving a puzzle with missing pieces.
Chief Sunshine raised concerns about the difficulty in accessing church records, noting restrictions that limit information sharing to individuals with direct family ties. Despite these obstacles, the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation remains committed to unraveling the stories of children who never returned from St. Francis Xavier, recognizing the significance of closure for affected families and the impact of intergenerational trauma.
The community’s ongoing efforts aim to honor the memory of these lost children and shed light on a dark chapter in Canadian history.