Lejac Indian Residential School

I posted some photos on Facebook of Lejac and someone I know posted a message on one of the pictures I put up asking me why am I posting pictures of residential school on the internet. That residential school was a bad place and when someone posts pictures of our school on the net it brings back bad memories for others.

First of all, my response is I'm sure it was the wife who posted that comment and not her husband who attended residential school with me in the 1960s. They were on one of my Facebook Groups called 'Indian Summer' where I banned the both of them. They were using the group to promote hatred against others including the husband's younger brother. I stepped in and defended the younger brother and the husband's response was 'why are you interfering with the teachings of an Elder?'

I recognized the fact that his younger brother is about 40 years old and he basically drank all his life and caused all kinds of misery for his parents and all his brothers and sisters. But he is now under a court order to stay sober and in fact he has been taking counselling for over a month today. And so I stood up for the younger brother because he is trying. If all the world goes to the dumps you must always always stand up and try. And so I said 'let's give him a little credit'.

I can't change anyone. We can only change ourselves. Let's clean up our own house and let others clean theirs. If they ask us we can come help them. But never ever interfere with their home, unless they are hurting others must we step in. I also know there was a history there in that family, people not getting along. We have to work to get along or our hatred will destroy all that is good around us.

Lejac Indian Residential School was not all bad. I once said that given the conditions on my reserve in the 1960s for some of us residential school might have been a safe haven. I believe that we are each here on earth for our own experience which will teach us things we never knew before. Some people will take the opportunity and try and learn from it. Others are too damaged and come away with nothing more than all the negative things and feelings or memories. It stops them from moving forward. Verne (administrator)