"Individual's Safety Assured"
An Informal Take on Returning Home: Jeanne's Heartfelt Journey
After her return from the Anglican boarding school in La Tuque, Elisabeth felt a void in her heart. It was as if she'd forgotten something precious - her dear friend, Jeanne*.
More Than Just Friends:
Fanny Lévesque, our website - Texts: Fanny Lévesque | Photos: Édouard Plante-Frochette, our website
Jeanne and Elisabeth were both plucked from their families and taken away from the Mistissini community in the 1960s, only to be separated when Jeanne fell ill and passed away at the Saint-Joseph Hospital in La Tuque.
On a gentle spring day in northern Quebec, we visited Jeanne's grave at the local cemetery. Her close relatives, who had been searching for her for a long time, graciously showed us where she rested. The soil was fresh, and the tombstone was adorned with bouquets of orange and purple flowers - a warm welcome home.
A Tragic Farewell:
The little girl died of pneumonia at eight years old, far from her parents, 500 kilometers from her home. Her small body was laid to rest in the hospital cemetery, but her community craved closure. That wish was finally granted on September 30, 2021, on the occasion of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
This momentous outcome was made possible by a Quebec law designed to help find Indigenous children who have disappeared or died after being treated in a Quebec hospital. Reconciliation efforts are underway as Quebec seeks to explain the death of 209 Indigenous children.
The minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit, Ian Lafrenière, along with opposition deputies, traveled to Mistissini to present the community with the annual report on the implementation of the law. Lafrenière acknowledged the horrors faced by families seeking answers, vowing, "This is awful. It's difficult work, but it must be done."
Heartfelt Words:
To Jeanne's family, the minister said, "We had a brief moment together, but you will be in our hearts forever." Kept in their hearts and memories, Jeanne has not been forgotten.
Looking Back:
Caroline Shecapio, a fellow resident of Mistissini, accompanied Elisabeth on our visit. They recall their time together at the boarding school in La Tuque, where they shared a dormitory with Jeanne. One cold April night, Jeanne woke Caroline up; her breathing was shallow. She was taken to the infirmary, but unfortunately, Caroline didn’t have the chance to see her again. Later that same day, they were informed that Jeanne had passed away.
The pain is still raw for Caroline, who struggled to find words to express her feelings all these years later. Her eyes well up, and her voice trembled as she explained, "I don't know what to say."
A Long, Arduous Journey:
Despite being unable to attend Jeanne's funeral, Elisabeth persevered, determined to bring her home. As the pandemic complicated the efforts, Quebec finally became involved in the case in 2022. The process began in collaboration with Anglican Church officials and the federal government since Jeanne was a boarder. Preparations intensified in the summer of 2024.
The task was daunting but necessary, as the Coroner's Office and the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale finally proceeded on September 20 last year, in La Tuque. The Anglican cemetery officials were present, allowing the experts to narrow down the search area.
Family members were present for each step of the process. "We prayed all day," summarized Caroline Shecapio. The atmosphere was charged, heavy with emotions and anticipation.
After a day filled with emotional moments, Jeanne's remains were escorted to the cemetery limit by the procession. They were transported to Mistissini, where she was celebrated according to Cree traditions.
"It's like they took a weight off our hearts," added Caroline, finally finding closure as Jeanne returned home.
A treasure trove of mementos, a hospital bracelet with Jeanne's name and two tiny dress buttons, were found with her remains and given to Elisabeth.
"I keep them in a small box," Elisabeth whispers, each item reminding her of her dear, lost friend.
With Jeanne at last home, Elisabeth finally finds peace, proclaiming, "Now, my heart is in the right place."
Historical Context:
The tragic story of Jeanne, and many like her, highlights the dark legacy of Canada’s residential school system and the ongoing efforts at reconciliation. By the 1960s, the system had taken countless Indigenous children away from their families and communities, often subjecting them to inhumane treatment.
The Canadian government ran over 150,000 Indigenous children through residential schools beginning in the 1880s and ending in 1996, many of whom suffered abuse, neglect, and death. Sites like Lac St. Anne in Alberta and Kamloops in British Columbia have been found to contain unmarked graves, rekindling nationwide calls for accountability.
Similarly, Indigenous children have died in day schools, hospitals, or sanatoriums, often without proper acknowledgment or understanding of their tragic end.
The community of Mistissini, however, has not been heavily impacted by residential schools but has long suffered from forced relocations, environmental dispossession, and systemic inequities. Their efforts to return Jeanne home, therefore, may relate more to ancestral remains disrupted by development or historical policies.
Healing Process:
Reburials, such as Jeanne's, help to restore dignity to the victims, allowing the community to seek closure and begin the healing process. Families who have suffered loss due to the residential school system or other historical injustices find solace in the reburial of their loved ones, even if decades may have passed.
Reburial efforts can also spur ongoing conversations about the need for accountability and the importance of understanding and acknowledging the pain inflicted on Indigenous communities throughout Canada’s history.
Further Reading:
1. Residential Schools in Canada: - History of Residential Schools in Canada: Trying to Understand Our Past (National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation) - The Sixties Scoop: A painful chapter in the history of Indigenous child welfare (Canadian Human Rights Commission)
2. Returning Indigenous Remains: - How Indigenous communities are reclaiming their ancestors (CBC) - The Repatriation of Mountains: Ancestral Remains and the Human Landscape of the Past (University of Nebraska Press)
3. Healing and Reconciliation: - Healing the Circle: A Guide for Rehabilitating Families Impacted by Aboriginal Child Welfare Issues and the Sixties Scoop (Manitoba Friendship Centre) - We Wish to Tell You, Redux: The First Nations Act, Truth and Reconciliation, and the History of Indigenous-Settler Relations in Canada (Project Muse)
- Despite being of French origin, Jeanne was buried in the local cemetery in Mistissini, her Cree home, a decision that signified the general news of her return amidst the political landscape.
- Jeanne, a dear friend of Elisabeth, was placed in an Anglican boarding school in La Tuque, connecting her story to the broader context of the Residential Schools in Canada.
- reburied next to her relatives in the Mistissini community, Jeanne found peace, finally ending the long, arduous journey for her friend, Elisabeth, and her family.
- The process of reburying Jeanne was not only about restoration of dignity but also initiating the healing process, as it connected to the larger narrative of reconciliation and the need for accountability in Canada's history with Indigenous communities.
