Old Sun Chapel

This computer reconstruction approximates how the chapel at Old Sun would have appeared at Old Sun Indian Residential School. It was created using historic photos as well as descriptions provided by former students.

“We instill within them a pronounced distaste of the Indian way of life so that they will be humiliated when reminded of their origin. When they graduate from our institutions, the children have lost everything except their Native blood”. – Bishop Vital Grandin, 1875

3D Computer Reconstruction of Old Sun’s Chapel

Angie Ayoungman (front) and Gwendora Bear Chief (back) point out changes to be made to the virtual reconstruction. October 2021.

Computer science researcher Dr. Katayoon Etemad used historic photographs and survivors accounts to recreate the appearance of the chapel during the 1960’s. Etemad would provide members of the Old Sun Advisory Group with different versions of the model. Members would then suggest changes and send the model back to Etemad for revisions. This “back and forth” process eventually resulted in a closer approximation of how the chapel would have looked to staff and students.

The Prevalence of Religion at Indian Residential Schools

Residential School Survivors describe being indoctrinated with religion, being punished for speaking their language, and being mocked for practicing their culture. Felix Mukego who attended BQ IRS explained: “they try to indoctrinate you with religion. Pound in you a fear of God or whatever God is supposed to be. Made you pray maybe 7 times a day. Made you go to church every morning, whether you like it or not. On your hands and knees. On a cold cement floor to say your Catholic prayers” (Muskego, 2014).

This image gallery shows historic and modern photos of Old Sun College's library. Click on photos to expand and read their captions. If you have photos of that you would like to submit to this archive, please contact us at irsdocumentationproject@gmail.com.

Chapel of Old Sun ca. 1952. Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University

Canon Gibbon Stocken conducting service at Old Sun School. - [ca. 1949]. P75-103-S7-198 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Chapel interior, Old Sun Residential School. 1955-1957. NA-4817-65. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Choir at Christmas, Old Sun School. Nativity scene in foreground. Possibly in the chapel. 1955-1957. NA-4817-28. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Mrs. Water Chief (right) and Mrs. Gunny Crow (left) on the steps of Old Sun after leaving church held in the school chapel. 1955-1957. NA-4817-66. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Women and children leaving Old Sun after church in the chapel. Despite community members attending services held in the Old Sun chapel, students were not allowed to speak with them. 1955-1957. NA-4817-67. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Students in the chapel of Old Sun during the filming of a documentary, ca. 1952. Photo Source: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University

Siksika community members in the chapel of Old Sun during the filming of a documentary, ca. 1952. Photo Source: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University

Community members in chapel during filming of a movie. 1952. Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University.

Staff in chapel during filming of a movie. 1952. Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University.

Students outside standing in front of the school chapel. 1950s. Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University

Old Sun chapel 1952. Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University

Canon Gibbon Stocken and Chief Paul Little Walker at the front of Old Sun chapel [ca. 1949]. P75-103-S7-197 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

June Spotted Eagle- I Don’t Think He Liked Me

This other story it happened in the dinning room. Ah, every Tuesday night there were movies for everybody huh. In the evening between 7 or 8. Then the parents used to come and watch. The kids could sit with their parents. Then when the movie is going to end, we just know when the movie is going to be over, we hear God Save the Queen. When we hear it, the kids start crying because they know the parents will be leaving.

And I remember one time with my mom and my father I snuck upstairs with them on the boy’s side, those stairs, I snuck upstairs with them. I was thinking, “I’m just going home with my parents.” But anyways at the hallway Mr. Cole caught me. He just grabbed me, lifted me up and carried me to the dormitory even though I was bawling and kicking my feet. I know my one shoe fell off and I lost it, but I did find it later. I know sometimes Mr. Cole lets some kids go home with their parents but he never allowed me to go, I don’t think he liked me [laughter].

One time at grade 2, we were in the classroom. It used to be in the old library, it’s not one anymore for along time. Just across, there was a classroom, grade 2 with Mr. Warm, our teacher’s name. We still all sitting. That, that Mr. Cole came into the room. I just felt a pinch on my ear, and he just touched my ear with his big hand. And it hurt. I didn’t even do anything.

As we got older, maybe Grade 8 or 7 in that Quonset that was separate from the main building, we used to have dances every Thursday evening. It was fun, they used to play that song Splish, Splash [laughter]. One time we went to a concert- on not a concert, a track and field at Kainai, St. Pauls school. We slept there ‘cause it was late, too late to come back. So we stayed there. There we had a dance with them, the Kainai kids [laughs] and Mr. Cole- oh, not Mr Cole, Mr. Miller. They kept asking him, “do you have Splish, Splash?” [laughs].
“No, we don’t, we never heard of that song.” And I still hear it now and I still like that song, I still hear it sometimes [laughs]. Well it’s, as I got older well, when I was still here (at Old Sun Residential School), it wasn’t that bad… not like when I was young.

That’s all.

– June Spotted Eagle