Marie Sharpe Elementary
Ms. Katsura, Mrs. Campbell, Ms. Soichuk, and Ms. Campsall, along with many other educators from Cariboo Chilcotin School District, took part in a tour of the grounds where St. Joseph’s Mission once operated. Thank you to Whitney Spearing, Kendall Halfnights, and Danikka Murphy for hosting us at the site, sharing your abundant knowledge, and helping us all to deepen our understanding.
The St. Joseph’s Mission Investigation, which began in 2021, is being led by the Williams Lake First Nation as part of the ongoing work to learn the truth about the children who never returned home from the Mission. The project brings together several approaches, including the use of ground-penetrating radar and other technologies, the careful study of photographs and historical records, interviews with Survivors, and conversations with families, community members, frontline staff, and leaders at many levels.
During this workshop, we had the opportunity to walk the Mission grounds and connect directly with the history of this place. The experience encouraged us to link the physical site to the stories of those who lived through it, to see how science and technology are being used to support the search, and to understand the importance of oral testimony and archival work in building a fuller picture of truth and accountability. Thank you for answering all of our questions, for sharing your understanding not just of St. Joseph’s Mission but of other residential schools in British Columbia and across Canada, and for allowing us to take part in the offering, songs, and smudging led by Danikka. This experience was invaluable to our practice as educators and leaves us hopeful for the future of education in our area.
Kukwstsétselp.
