1963

Me and Marvin we were just kids at the end of August in 1963. That's when the bus came every year to our reserve at McLeod Lake to pick up all the kids for school. Of course, I was completely excited!! I was only 7 years old. Mom bought me some brand new jeans which were way too big for me, and brand new runners. She had to use a string to tighten up my pants.

Then, on Friday, the last day in August everybody from the reserve would all go to the Hudson Bay store on the highway across the lake. And then wait for the bus. And all us kids we'd all be visiting one another and checking out who's who, and to see who was going to Lejac this year. Me and Marvin it was our first year, and we just couldn't wait to get on the bus!!! Me and Marvin we are best friends. We play together all the time. I always leave our house and walk past the graveyard, and Marvin and them they live just the other side of the graveyard. That's where I always play. Ever since I was little kid. Now, me and Marvin, it's our turn to start school.

Lejac Indian Residential School is on the shores of Fraser Lake in northern British Columbia. Lejac first opened up as an all native school at Fort St. James in 1922, then was moved to its present location in 1923, 100 miles west of Prince George on the north shore of Fraser Lake. It was for both boys and girls, and from grades 1 to 8, including kindergarten. But sometimes, in the early years they, they took in very young children to take care of them.

There used to be farms surrounding the school and farm animals. Students worked the fields and cared for the animals with the supervisors. That's how they fed themselves in the old days, in the 1930s and 40s. The only way to get to school in the old days was by train. Later kids starting taking the buses, at least that was how it was in the 1950s and 60s. All my older brothers and sisters all went to Lejac, and they always came back every summer in late June. Then in 1963 it came my turn.

I spent 8 years there, always leaving Labor Day Weekend, coming home for the Xmas holidays, then home for the summer in late June.

At school, we had about 75 boys on 'the boys' side' and about 75 girls on 'the girls side'. The boys' dorms and rec room were on the west side of the school, and the girls side was on the east side of the huge brick building with our dining rooms in the middle, and the church on the second floor facing south. Our classrooms were on the second floor above the dining rooms and rec rooms. Everything was separate when I first got to residential school. The girls had their own rec room and dining room. The boys had their own rec room and dining.

We even had separate dorms!

And there was a part we all called the new school. And you had to walk down a hallway past the girls' rec room to get there. And you walk up these stairs and that's where they have classrooms as well, on the second floor down at the New School. The senior girls have their own separate rec room below the classrooms and then there is our Showhall where we all watch movies every Friday Nite. Friday Nites are the best!

Things were very strict when I first got to Lejac in September 1963. They only taught us English and we were always praying. Soon as we get up in the morning, we had to kneel next to our bed and everybody would say a prayer. Then you have to wash up, and go downstairs to breakfast. Then another prayer just to start off breakfast then everyone went to class. Another prayer to kick off our studies then another prayer at the end of each class. We were the holiest kids in all of North America we prayed so much!!

And you weren't allowed to talk to the girls!

We sat across the isle from the girls on Sundays. And you weren't to be looking around or sitting with the girls. Downstairs, we had separate dining rooms and at the show on Friday Nites, they sat across the isle from us once again and you weren't allowed to be talking to them even during the movies.

But that was all in 1963.