We decided some time ago to create a post or website where we can write stories or put up photos from our ‘residential school days’ for others to see. We ended up at Blogspot.com which was created by Google for people wanting to create a ‘blog’ which is a little like a website where you go and see what people are talking about or posting. And in our case, our blog is called ‘Lejac Indian Residential School’ and can be found at http://lejac.blogspot.com/ where we have so far posted quite a number of photos starting around 1960 up to the early 1970s from a disk containing over 300 original photos sent to me by Jim Callanan a few years ago.
After we created the blog, I found Jim Callanan (formerly Br. James) through the phone book and we talked about what it was like there....at Lejac...in the 1960s. I sent him the link and he got back to me couple days later and made some changes to things I’d written. Which I later posted and you can see it by going to the blog, where I talk about being there, at Lejac, and his stuff is the writing in blue. And he and I agreed to stay in touch.
We launched the blog on September 1, 2009. We have since posted over 130 times. A posting is each time you add a story or put up some photos on the blog.
After we went on-line, about a year and a half after we launched the blog, I was notified by someone who grew up at Lejac. His mom was our cook at residential school in the 1960s and he sent me emails to say how much he enjoyed the blog. Jim also sent us several stories and more photos. We sent our link to The Travelling Feather, the McLeod Lake Indian Band newsletter who put a small blurb on ‘lejac.blogspot.com’ in the Band newsletter back in 2010.
Then in early 2011 we were approached by a young fellow out of Kelowna who was working on a presentation for his class. He chose to do it on Lejac and requested our permission to use stories from our blog. We graciously agreed. In return we requested his permission to print our exchange in the blog and he granted us that permission. Look for that beginning Feb. 5th, 2011. We met another student on-line (never actually met her in person) requesting permission to use things from our blog just this November (of 2011) for a paper she was working on. Once again we graciously acquiesced.
The blog is for everyone, if you want to share old photos or your stories on residential school. Speaking of photos, we came across quite a number of very old pictures on-line (on Facebook) which we hope to get permission to post here on our blog. I will work on that. Failing that, you may go to Facebook and search a group called ‘Lejac Residential School Memorial Project’ for some stories as well as photos.
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
Probably mostly for the heart and mostly for the soul. I spent most of my childhood there. Eight years to be exact. And all the things we done, the things we saw, heard, learned…affected us for the rest of our life. Whether for good or for bad. I prefer to think for good. Spoke to a fella number of years ago now…we were both there together in the 1960s and we agreed years later that it was not all bad. Not all of it was bad! And we also agreed that given the conditions on our reserve back in the 50s and 60s for some of us Lejac might have been a safe haven. I understand not everyone feels that way.
But for me it’s important to try and feel the good things we learned there. And then move forward. I hope others may find their way as well.
Our email address is ‘jackman2@telus.net’. Thank you and you all have a nice day. Verne Solonas, Administrator
After we created the blog, I found Jim Callanan (formerly Br. James) through the phone book and we talked about what it was like there....at Lejac...in the 1960s. I sent him the link and he got back to me couple days later and made some changes to things I’d written. Which I later posted and you can see it by going to the blog, where I talk about being there, at Lejac, and his stuff is the writing in blue. And he and I agreed to stay in touch.
We launched the blog on September 1, 2009. We have since posted over 130 times. A posting is each time you add a story or put up some photos on the blog.
After we went on-line, about a year and a half after we launched the blog, I was notified by someone who grew up at Lejac. His mom was our cook at residential school in the 1960s and he sent me emails to say how much he enjoyed the blog. Jim also sent us several stories and more photos. We sent our link to The Travelling Feather, the McLeod Lake Indian Band newsletter who put a small blurb on ‘lejac.blogspot.com’ in the Band newsletter back in 2010.
Then in early 2011 we were approached by a young fellow out of Kelowna who was working on a presentation for his class. He chose to do it on Lejac and requested our permission to use stories from our blog. We graciously agreed. In return we requested his permission to print our exchange in the blog and he granted us that permission. Look for that beginning Feb. 5th, 2011. We met another student on-line (never actually met her in person) requesting permission to use things from our blog just this November (of 2011) for a paper she was working on. Once again we graciously acquiesced.
The blog is for everyone, if you want to share old photos or your stories on residential school. Speaking of photos, we came across quite a number of very old pictures on-line (on Facebook) which we hope to get permission to post here on our blog. I will work on that. Failing that, you may go to Facebook and search a group called ‘Lejac Residential School Memorial Project’ for some stories as well as photos.
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
Probably mostly for the heart and mostly for the soul. I spent most of my childhood there. Eight years to be exact. And all the things we done, the things we saw, heard, learned…affected us for the rest of our life. Whether for good or for bad. I prefer to think for good. Spoke to a fella number of years ago now…we were both there together in the 1960s and we agreed years later that it was not all bad. Not all of it was bad! And we also agreed that given the conditions on our reserve back in the 50s and 60s for some of us Lejac might have been a safe haven. I understand not everyone feels that way.
But for me it’s important to try and feel the good things we learned there. And then move forward. I hope others may find their way as well.
Our email address is ‘jackman2@telus.net’. Thank you and you all have a nice day. Verne Solonas, Administrator
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