Residential school cemetery. Photo by Manfred Joehnck.
Two years ago, barely anyone knew it even existed, now a small residential school cemetery on Regina’s western outskirts is on the verge of being protected and preserved as a heritage site.
A woman, originally from La Ronge, began the process when she learned her stepfather had ancestors buried there.
Janine Windolph is the president of the Regina Indian Industrial School commemorative association. For the past couple of years, she has been working to educate the public about the children’s cemetery and to get the city, the federal government and the church involved in maintaining the site.
The city administration is recommending it be given heritage designation. It’s a move that would ensure it would be recognized and protected from future development. Windolph says the fight has been worth it.
“There are no words for how I feel,” she said. “There have been a lot of tears and a lot of energy that have been put into it, but now it feels like it really has been fruitful.”
About 35 children are buried in unmarked graves. The cemetery is now fenced off and has been the site of memorial works and other events. Many people leave teddy bears and flowers.
Windolph says it is quiet and peaceful, and it shows respect to all those who went to the school, especially the children who died there. She wants to see it become a sacred place for gatherings, ceremonies and feasts.
“We just want to have the space open because 43 communities were impacted,” she said. “First Nations people are quite diverse, so people are going to want to come and do their ceremonies their way, so to have this space, for people to do this — that is our goal.”
The landowner has agreed to maintain the property along with a buffer zone around it. The heritage designation, which would protect the site from future development is expected to take place at the September 26th meeting of Regina City Council.
Over 500 children from 43 First Nations attended the school between 1891 and 1910 when it was converted into a jail. The building burned down in 1948. The only thing that remains is the small cemetery.
Housing is expected to occupy the land around the site within the next few years.