By Paige Sillaby, 1st year MDP student
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| Shingwauk Hall, formerly the Shingwauk Indian Residential School |
For my 1st MDP field placement I am working with
Thessalon First Nation (TFN) and the NORDIK Institute at Algoma University
(Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario).
Our collaborative project looks at diversification
potential for the TFN Bio Centre. The Bio Centre is a green house facility that
is currently underutilized. The First Nation is actively exploring options to
develop this asset, including for a wild food storage and processing distribution
hub. I have divided my time between Algoma and TFN (approximately 1 hour east of the Sault).
One aspect of the placement that I am interested in
exploring is the history of Algoma University. Three days out of the week I
work out of the 5th floor of Shingwauk Hall. This is the main building on
campus, and also the remaining structure of the Shingwauk Residential School
building. In 1971, Algoma was seeking opportunity for growth thus
moving into the former Shingwauk Residential School building, one year after
the residential school closed its doors. Shingwauk and Spanish Indian Residential School, another school 2 hours away, took children from North Shore communities in Ontario and across Turtle Island.
Since being on campus, I have been able to go on a
residential school tour. On this tour, I learnt that my office was the boys
living quarters (although some people say it was the girls). And while the
building has been renovated, there are still areas of the original building
that remain, such as little cupboards found in hallways and stairwells that the
children would hide in to keep safe. The reason for keeping these spaces was
something that the survivors of the school wanted to keep on site. I think that
it would be powerful to see these images, but I would not feel comfortable
taking these images and sharing them… knowing what they were used for. I
believe that some of these children’s spirits remain at the school.
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Monument at the front of Algoma University for the children that
never returned home
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Another area that was kept on the campus grounds is
the graveyard which is located at the back of the university. I tried to visit
this site, but there are a lot of unmarked graves on campus. Another story that
was told to me on the tour, talked about the water ways. The school faces onto
Lake Huron. Residential school survivors explain that the water way was how
they got dropped off at the school, and they would run to the water at night
hoping to return home. There are bushes there now but years ago there was a clear
path to the water.
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| A view from Shingwauk looking towards Lake Huron |
It seems clear to me that Algoma and the city of Sault
Ste. Marie have a long history with the Aboriginal peoples of the north shore of
Lake Huron. Both Batchewana First Nation and Garden River First Nation are
within a 10-minute drive. Members of local First Nations have told me that they
won't enter the school. I wonder if it is ethical, if it is right to preserve
the residential school, as it transforms into a growing Ontario University.
This is a question I will struggle with for the remainder of my placement.
For additional information, please see the Shingwauk
Residential Schools Centre (SRSC) website: http://shingwauk.org/srsc/node/8
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