Johnny Kiyawasew passed away at the age of 11 in 1943 at a small hospital in northern Alberta, far from his family in Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. He was a student at the St. Francis Xavier Residential School in Calais, Alta., where he never returned home, leaving his family unaware of his fate for many years. His brother, Robert Kiyawasew, expressed disappointment that their father was never informed of Johnny’s death by the church.
It wasn’t until 2013 that Johnny’s final resting place was discovered by his sister Roseann, with the help of a private investigator. The provincial records revealed that Johnny succumbed to pulmonary tuberculosis at a hospital in High Prairie, where he was buried, a considerable distance from the residential school.
Currently, the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the University of Alberta are engaged in extensive research to unveil the untold 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 high mortality rates due to tuberculosis and malnutrition among the children at St. Francis Xavier, emphasizing the human impact behind the statistics.
Robert Kiyawasew expressed gratitude that his sister was able to locate Johnny’s grave before her passing, enabling him to visit and pay respects regularly. As a survivor of a day school himself, Robert shared the similar hardships faced by his siblings at St. Francis Xavier, where cultural identity was suppressed.
Research difficulties persist due to the disorganization and lack of reliability in residential school records, according to Raymond Frogner from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Church records are often inaccessible or incomplete, posing challenges to families seeking closure and understanding of their loved ones’ experiences at these institutions.
Despite obstacles, the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation remains committed to unraveling the stories of children who never returned from residential schools, acknowledging the importance of closure and healing for impacted families dealing with intergenerational trauma.