Indigenous Peoples in North America--Canada--Residential schools

The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is a department of the government Canada which oversees policies relating to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has included a number of predecessors, including: The departments responsible for Indian Affairs: The Department of the Secretary of State of Canada (to 1869), The Department of the Secretary of State for the Provinces (1869-1873), The Department of the Interior (1873-1880), The Department of Indian Affairs (1880-1936), The Department of Mines and Resources (1936-1950), The Department of Citizenship and Immigration (1950-1965), The Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources (1966), The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1966 to the present). The departments responsible for Northern Affairs: The Department of the Interior (1873-1936), The Department of Mines and Resources (1936-1950), The Department of Resources and Development (1950-1953), The Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources (1953-1966), The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1966 to 2011) Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (2011-present)

Rev. Father William (Bill) Maurice s.j. was born in 1916 to parents Tansi and Rose Maurice. William had four brothers: John, Peter, George, and Joseph. He also had a sister named Laura. He was a missionary to the First Nation communities of the Diocese of Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie. He was a math teacher, a prefect of studies, and eventually a principal of the Garnier Residential School in Spanish, Ontario. He also ran a photo lab at the Spanish school. When the Garnier school closed in 1958, William briefly worked in Regina teaching and coaching students. In the 1960s he was a chaplain at the Radar Base for American and Canadian soldiers. He later became responsible for the 12 missions from St. Anne's Parish on the Fort William Reserve. In 1967, William assisted Indian Affairs with community development. In 1972, he worked as a community and social services worker in Armstrong. He was also an assistant band manager for the Fort William Reserve. He briefly served as the chaplain for the Thunder Bay Correction Services and the district jail. He was asked to become pastor of Wikwemikong Reserve on Manitoulin Island and eventually became the Jesuit Superior for that region. He also coached hockey for the Thunder Birds hockey team on Manitoulin Island. In 1984 William returned to Thunder Bay to become the Jesuit Superior of the region and the pastor at Beardmore. His retirement years were spent classifying genealogies from the Northwestern Ontario missions where Jesuits had worked since the 1850s. He created indexes of names which included many Native persons from the Northwest. He also collected, transcribed, and translated the journals of the early Jesuit missionaries in the Northwest. Rev. William Maurice lived at St. Anne's Parish Rectory on the Fort William First Nation Reserve from 1991 until he passed away on Monday April 14, 2008 at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Center. A tree was planted in Memory of Rev. William Maurice in the Blake Funeral Chapel Memorial Grove.

Kay Lindsay worked at a number of residential schools including Shingwauk, Moose Factory, St. Johns in Chapleau, Alert Bay, and MacKay. She worked in residential schools for a total for 42 years.

Irene Elsie Louttit Barbeau was born December 19, 1943 to parents Stanley Peter John Louttit and Lydia Louttit. Irene was a student at Shingwauk Residential School in Sault Ste Marie from 1958 to 1961. While at Shingwauk Irene boarded at Shingwauk Hall for her first two years. In her third year she boarded at a private home. After graduating Irene worked for Indian Affairs at Churchill Plaza. In the fall of 1963 she moved to Moose Factory and began working with National Health and Welfare. In the 1980s Irene became involved with the St. John Divine Church in Nepean, where she worked as the Church Secretary and later as a Parish Administrator. From June 1986 to March 1990 Irene worked as an Entitlement Office for the Indian Registration and Ban Lists Directorate. Irene later worked on the Shingwauk Project.

Canon (Harry) Morrow (1916-2012) was born in Hamilton, Ontario on April 11, 1916. Morrow worked as a teacher and wood working instructor in the 1940s at the Shingwauk Indian Residential School. Canon Morrow met his wife Edith Elford while working at Shingwauk. Morrow later became a minister and was ordained in the Anglican Church as a Deacon in 1954 and as a Priest in 1955. Harry served in numerous parishes including Garden River, Manitoulin Island, Sudbury, New Liskeard, and Thunder Bay. Canon Morrow was the rector of St. John the Evangelist in Thunder Bay from 1973 to 1981 when he retired to Sault Ste. Marie. Nicknamed “the good Canon”, he and his wife, Edith May, were heavily involved in the life and work of the Cathedral, parlaying their many skills into new and novel activities. Harry was known for his inventive means of bringing the Gospel message alive through the use of drama, mascots, humor, and artistic skills. In addition to serving as an honorary assistant at the Cathedral, Canon Morrow was also responsible for carving a beautiful wooden Canterbury Cross which hangs in the Cathedral Chapel and was dedicated to Archbishop Wright and Bishop Nock. He was active in the Kiwanis Club of Sault Ste. Marie for over 40 years and supported numerous charities in Sault Ste Marie. Harry and Edith were parents to two children, Mary Nock (David) and Kevin Morrow “Joshua”. Canon Morrow passed away on January 27, 2012 at the age of 96.

Ruth Audrey Cox was born on August 8, 1905, the first child of Albert and Alice Cox of Toronto Ontario. She attended night school, the Canadian School of Missions, and Trinity College. In 1933, she began working as the Kitchen Matron at the Indian Residential School in Fort George. Ruth was the Laundry Matron at Shingwauk Indian Residential School from May 1938-1955. In 1941, she married Fred B. Ingle at the Bishop Fauquier Memorial Chapel. Fred Ingle was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He came to Canada in 1930 and originally settled in the Ottawa valley. Fred began work at the Shingwauk Indian Residential School in 1938. Ruth is the mother of Ken Ingle. Ruth passed away on Palm Sunday in 1993.

George Young was a guidance counselor at the Shingwauk Residential School. George Young later married Ella Visitor, who was a student at Shingwauk.

Susie Ann Kicknosway Jones is from the Bkejwanong Territory, also known as Walpole Island First Nation. Suzie attended Shingwauk Residential School from the age four and a half (1941) until she was sixteen in 1953. She graduated from the Technical School, Sault Ste Marie in 1953. Susie moved to Michigan after graduating, and did not return back to Walpole Island until she retired at 55. Susie has been a Board of Education trustee for the Lambton Kent Distract School Board. She has also held numerous positions within the Walpole First Nation including a position on council, the health committee, advisor, and a member of the board of education. She is also involved with the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association (CSAA) and the Shingwauk Educational Trust (SET). Susie has held many roles within CSAA and SET including spokesperson, vice-president, and president. In 2011, Susie was awarded an Ontario Senior Achievement Award by the Ontario Seniors' Secretariat.

Donald Harris Sands born on Walpole Island First Nation Reservation in Ontario on January 3rd, 1928. He was raised by his great Aunt Lela Altiman in his great, great grandfather's home. At the age of five Donald was sent to Shingwauk Residential School in Sault Ste Marie on September 1, 1933. Donald left Shingwauk on June 1st, 1944. After graduating from Shingwauk he entered military service and later took up his vocation as a printer in California. Don's sister Nellie Sands also attended Shingwauk. Don later became an enthusiastic Shingwauk Alumnus. He participated in all the Reunions and Healing Circles, and was an active founding member of the Shingwauk Alumni Association. Don Sands passed away on Friday June 28, 2002 in his home in California.