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

Irwin Big Old Man- It’s Always Like I Had a Military Life

I think the most part the best part I liked about the residential school is when we got released to go out and play out in the yard. There was a bunch of garter snakes in the yard. I was the one that always chased everybody around. That’s why most of my punishments commenced. I’ve never been whipped by my parents till after I left residential school. I used to get whipped by a guy named Father Brown, he was kind of mad. He would just hit us with anything and smacks us in the head. Because, I guess, I don’t know if was my fault chasing everybody with garter snakes or what not… but everybody stayed away from me because of the snakes.

That’s when we were outside but inside was pretty… I think the worst bad experience, I think, of it all… It is Friday, they bring us home one the bus, but Sundays we had all had to start walking to the school no matter how cold it was on a Sunday morning or afternoon. I think that’s about all I could really think about residential school. I probably, what this lady said today at the workshop today, I only remember the little good parts and I think I blocked all the bad parts out. Cause I know there’s stuff out there like when we go out on the other side on the west side of the playground there was, like… we got to play with the girls and that was the only time we ever see them and what not, otherwise it was just like prison, as far as I’m concerned. I think the only good experience’s out of it is when I joined the army, I was already trained. I think that’s about my story. Like I said I was already trained cause we are always doing this we had to stand in line for breakfast and what not. We had to stick by rules.

So its always like I had a military life, all my life in residential. And then that is the sad part we grew up and my mom put us in residential school and then we kind of lost track of her. And then when they released us she got sick with cancer so she was in and out hospital, which made us miss part our mom’s life. I think that’s about it. I never really had a bad experience. Just when we were in the boy’s room and when the older boys were making the little boys fight each other. I guess that’s where the older generation became that’s how they all became boxers.

– Irwin Big Old Man

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