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When I first entered residential school back in 1963 there were boys there from Hazelton some 180 miles (300 km) out west. Like Charles Sampson who was an older boy in Seniors and much later Wilfred Sampson who was our Drum Major in Band in 1971. The Gunanoots were also from the Hazelton area. Shubert was in Seniors in 1969, Harvey in Intermediates and of course Elaine was in my class in the 1960s.

We had students from Moricetown not far from Hazelton in the late 60s. There were a number of students from Burns Lake like Steven Tom, Francis Holland and the Alecs and the Augustas. North of Burns Lake is Babine. Roger West, Paul West and Alec West were brothers in Intermediates and Seniors in 1968 at Lejac. Garnet Williams and I both finished Lejac Indian Residential School in 1971. He and I were in Band that year and I saw him on tour. Funniest thing ever is after residential school I moved to Fraser Lake some 3 miles up the road to start Grade 9. And Garnet also registered at Fraser Lake the following year for Grade 10 in 1972.

Garnet was in Seniors with me in 1970-71. Victor Williams, his older brother, was in Seniors with us in 1969. Victor used to be in our dance band along with Alec West and all the other boys from Babine. The guys from Babine were all very good on guitar and were always playing in the band.

Antoine Madam was a much older boy at residential school in the early 1960s who left then came back later. Philip Madam was the school night watchman in 1970 for a few years. The Madams were from Babine. Takla was east of Babine. Victor and Kenny West were from Takla. They were in Senior Dorm in 1971. Also students like Tina and Doreen French attended Lejac in the mid to late 60s. A lot of our students came from Takla.

Stellaquo was a reserve just 7 miles (11 km) west of Lejac on Highway 16. Many of the students at Lejac through the 1960s and 70s came from Stellaquo. Students like Evan Casimel, Gary Michelle and Peter Luggi. Pete Luggi (Peter’s dad) used to also be our night watchman. All the students from Stellaquo were ‘day scholars’. They came in…in the mornings on the bus and went home at the end of the day. Gary, Evan and I hung out at Fraser Lake in the 1970s after residential school.

All the names used here for the different communities are the names used in the 1960s. For instance, Stellaquo is today called Stellat’en. Nautley is Nadleh, Shelley is Leihdli, Stony Creek is Saikuz, Fort is Nak’azdli, Portage is Yekooche, Tachie is part of Tlazten, Moricetown is Wetsuwet’en, Ingenika is Tsay Keh Dene and Fort Ware is Kwadacha.

We also had a couple of students from Nadleh just east of Lejac. Junior Ketlo and Richard Ketlo attended Lejac Residential School with us in the mid-1960s for a short time. Richard and I were in Grade 9 and 10 at Fraser Lake in 1971 and 1972.

Richard Patrick and George Patrick were from Stony Creek outside Vanderhoof. We had a few students from there in the 60s. Brady Antoine and his brothers and sisters also were from Stony.

A lot of our students were from Tachie, Pinchi, Portage and Fort. Everybody at residential school called Fort St. James ‘Fort’. There were a lot of Josephs at residential school. Shirley was in my class all the way through residential school. She and I used to hang out in class. Also Art was my best friend, him and Morris back in 1969-70. Emma Joseph, Andy Joseph, Bob Cho, Mojo, Alec M, Alec C, Philip, Benny, Stuart, James, Greta, Ann, Ronnie and so on. Lots of Josephs. And Thomas, or Alexander, Duncan, those were their last names. Barry, Ronnie, Yvon, Lucille and Teddy. A lot of students from the Prince families at Fort. Like Oliver Prince, James Prince and Tony (Hobo).

We had a few students at residential school from Shelley reserve like Domo Frederick and his brother, Robert. Also Peter and Clifford Quaw.

All the Solonas, Inyallies, Chingees, McCooks, Thomahs, Pierres, Izony, came from McLeod Lake, Ingenika and Fort Ware. In the 1960s. The Isadores, Abau, and so on. Too many to name but these were some of the kids who went to Lejac in the 1960s and 70s.