Old Sun Classroom

This computer reconstruction approximates how classrooms at Old Sun Indian Residential school would have appeared. This reconstruction was created using historic photographs as well as descriptions provided by former students.

“I have reason to believe that the agents as a whole … are doing all they can, by refusing food until the Indians are on the verge of starvation, to reduce the expense,” – Sir John A. MacDonald, 1882

Visualizing Classrooms From the Past

Old Sun Community College has undergone a remarkable transformation from an institution of oppression and coercive tutelage to one of that is playing a key role in cultural revitalization. The changing of dormitories into classrooms, and chapels into a library means there is often little within the building to remind staff, students, and visitors about its history as a former Indian Residential School.

Computer reconstruction and gaming technology provide a mean of visualizing how different areas of Old Sun might have appeared in the past. Dr. Katayoon Etemad who is a computer science researcher at the University of Calgary created this reconstruction of a classroom at Old Sun Indian Residential School as it may have appeared in the 1960’s. The model was created using historic photographs and the memories of residential school survivors who attended Old Sun Indian.

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

Old Sun, photograph of students in grade four and five classroom, 1940-1949. Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University

Formal classroom photo of students at their desks. Principal and teacher stand at the back - [194-?]. P7538-1015 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Duncan Winnipeg sits at a desk in a classroom. 1955-1957. NA-4817-9. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Students in a classroom. 1955-1957. NA-4817-10. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Grade 7 students in a classroom. 1956. NA-4817-11. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Making paper mache masks for Halloween. 1955-1957. NA-4817-54. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Making paper mache masks for Halloween. 1955-1957. NA-4817-55. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives .

Sylvia Peacemaker sits between two friends in front of a quonset hut used for additional indoor teaching and recreation space. 1955-1957. na-4817-7. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives

Display of finished items and three students from woodworking class. 1945. P75-103-S7-190 from the General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada.

Junior Classroom. Posed photo of students seated at their desks with teacher (blurred) standing at the back - 1945. P75-103-S7-182 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Senior classroom. Photo consists of students sitting at their desks, in view from front of classroom to the rear- 1945. P75-103-S7-184 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Grades 3 and 4. View of classroom with students at their desks and teacher standing at rear- [194-?]. P75-103-S7-193 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Senior students. Photo consists of senior girls at their desks, boys standing against side wall, and Principal and staff member standing at rear- [194-?]. P75-103-S7-201 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Grades 4 and 5 classroom with students working at their desks- [194-?]. P75-103-S7-205 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Senior class and teacher Miss J. Rutherford. - [194- ?]. P75-103-S7-206 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Junior students - 1952. P75-103-S7-208 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Junior Classroom. Posed photo of students seated at their desks with teacher (blurred) standing at the back - 1945. P7538-1005 from The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada

Rita Jane Many Guns- What I Don’t Want My Kids to Go Through

These are the things when I got older and I thought when I start having kids, “I am going to make sure my kids speak English. I did not want my kids to go through what I went through not knowing a word of English when I went to school.” That’s where I made a mistake, it’s just the opposite, my kids speak English and they don’t speak Blackfoot. It just seems they lost their language but because I wanted them to speak English when they went to school. I didn’t want them to experience what I experienced [speaker very emotional].

And not only that, I’ve seen my friends that were abused in school. I get, I get so scared. One time my friend, I don’t what she did. The supervisor, he was a man, I think his name was Mr. Hamilton, he just grabbed her by the hair and he dragged her down the stairs. I was so scared and my friend was screaming, no one helped her.

Those kind things, I think back on, what we went through school. And the other thing what I find very humiliating, I guess, degrading. When we bath, we all have to shower in front of everybody in the bathroom or where there’s about six of us at the same time we bath. I hated to go take a bath. And everyday we are given vitamins, those olive oil. We stand, line up, the supervisor just walks along and squirts them in our mouths. I hated them I just about throw up and if you get caught, you’ll get into trouble, even those vitamins if you get caught not swallowing them, you’ll get punished for it.

Now I feel good that my kids didn’t have to go to residential school to experience all this what I experienced.

– Monoot’taki, Rita Jane Many Guns

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Notes:

Oral interview with Monoot’taki, Rita Jane Many Guns. Conducted, translated, and transcribed by Gwendora Bear Chief. Old Sun Community College, May 6, 2022.