On sacred ground – students honouring students

Cole Shaigec, grade 6 student at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, releases a butterfly in tribute to residential school students on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary, Alberta Wednesday, May 22, 2013.

  
As part of their Aboriginal Awareness Week studies, students from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, visited the former site of St Joseph Industrial School, one of the first residential schools in western Canada, Wednesday, May 22.

The 32 students spread ceremonial tobacco over the school’s memorial graveyard and released butterflies in tribute to the dozens of aboriginal students who died while housed at the school from 1884 until 1922 southeast of Calgary, Alberta.

The history of the residential school system is considered by many to be a source of shame in Canada. From the 1870s to the mid-twentieth century the program was implemented across Canada in an attempt to assimilate natives into European-Canadian society – separating children from their families, and in the worst instances leading to severe cases of child abuse and death.

Though St. Joseph (also known as Dunbow) is considered to have been one of the better residential schools, over 70 native children still died from poor conditions and illness in its nearly 40 years of operation.

The school no longer exists. All that remains is the graveyard holding the unmarked final resting places of the children, along with school’s dilapidated barns and sheds.

But for an hour and a half Wednesday morning, the private school students from Okotoks resurrected the memory of the lost native children – blending solemn tribute with the playful curiosity of youngsters.

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Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School students spread ceremonial tobacco while paying tribute to residential school students on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School students read a memorial/tribute to residential school students on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary,

Louisa Pittman, grade 5 student at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, releases a butterfly in tribute to residential school students, on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary.

A tribute to residential school students, on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary.

A Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School student releases a butterfly in tribute to residential school students on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary.

Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School students take part in a ceremony paying tribute to residential school students on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary.

A Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School student releases a butterfly in tribute to residential school students on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary.

Kelia Shaigec, grade 4 student at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, releases a butterfly in tribute to residential school students on the memorial grounds of St Joseph Industrial School, a Catholic residential school, south of Calgary.