Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:00am-12:00pm; Tuesday, Thursdays: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Location: 1520 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2G4
Contact: (705)-949-2301 ext. 4623; ShingwaukDG@algomau.ca (Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre Staff); archives@algomau.ca (Other archival inquires)
Access: Open to the public. For a specific request for research, visitors should fill out a “request research” form found on the “Contact” page.
Website: http://archives.algomau.ca/main
The Archives and Special Collections at Algoma University houses an extensive collection of fonds and documents concerning Indigenous history in the Sault Ste. Marie area, including several special collections on Residential Schools. The Residential School System was implemented by the Canadian government in the 19th century, federally run under the Department of Indian Affairs, as a means of forcing Indigenous children to learn English and adopt Christianity and Canadian customs. Attendance was mandatory for Indigenous children in the many communities that did not have day schools.
Initially an affiliate of Laurentian University in Sudbury, Algoma College began offering classes in 1967. When the Shingwauk Residential School closed in 1970, Algoma seized an opportunity for growth and moved into the former Residential school building. By 2008, Algoma University was established as an independent degree-granting institution.
The National Aboriginal Health Organization collection (2000-2012) contains 30 cm of textual records and 3.71 GB of electronic textual records created under the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO). The NAHO was a not-for-profit organization that sought to advance and promote the health and well-being of all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis through Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, collaborative research, building capacity, and community led initiatives. The NAHO was a unique organization as it was the only national Indigenous-controlled organization in Canada that was set up with three population specific centres committed to advancing and promoting the distinct needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations. The NAHO closed in June 2012 after the federal government cut all funding to the organization. During its years of operation, NAHO received its core funding from Health Canada. Responsible for the annual publication of the Journal of Aboriginal Health, the NAHO website holds an estimated 2000-3000 health documents. Some documents of note in Algoma’s online collection of NAHO’s health publications include: Métis Cookbook and Guide to Healthy Living, Resources for First Nations on Injury Prevention, Understanding Immunization: A Decision-Making Toolkit for First Nations Parents, Sexual Health Toolkit, Cancer Awareness Toolkit, Traditional Medicine in Contemporary Contexts: Protecting and Respecting Indigenous Knowledge and Medicine, and Suicide Prevention: Resilience and Copying. The Journal of Aboriginal Health was published online and distributed free of charge on NAHO’s website.
The Algoma Archives are home to the Indian Affairs Collection (1886-2010). This collection comprises 2 m of textual records created by the Canadian federal Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development pertaining to residential schools and the administration of Indigenous affairs. Some materials are digitized. The collection consists of eight series: Access to Information Request Series (2009-2010) requests and responses from Indian Affairs to ATIP requests for information filed by the Shingwauk Project and Residential Schools Research and Archives Centre), Annual Reports Series (1864-1990) annual reports completed by Indian Affairs as well as information about the management of Indian Residential Schools across Canada, Central Registry Files Series (1886-1966) textual records reproduced from microfilm of the Central Registry files relating to the former Indian Residential Schools across Canada, Control Number Date Files Series (1931-1992) reproductions of an index to data files organized by data control number concerning former Indian Residential Schools across Canada; actual data files are still held by Indian Affairs, Headquarters Files Series (1956-1963) reproductions of Indian Affairs headquarters files for former residential schools in the Kenora, Lakeheard, Sault Ste. Marie, and Sioux Lookout districts, Information Sheet Series (1991-1997) information sheets created by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Series includes information sheets about treaties, land claims, government, Aboriginal life, List Number Data Files Series (1903-1993) reproductions of an index to data files held by Indian Affairs, School Files Series (1907-1947) reproductions of school files from former Indian Residential Schools across Canada. series includes building maintenance reports, financial statements, administration correspondence, quarterly reports, and general school reports, and Treaty Series (1794-1991) reproductions of treaties between Indian Affairs and various Aboriginal communities throughout Canada.
Additionally, the archive houses the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement Collection (2007-2010). The settlement was the culmination of several lawsuits against the Canadian government and church groups for the operation and management of residential schools and included Common Experience Payments (CEP) to former students of residential schools, as well as an Independent Assessment Process (IAP) to allow those who suffered physical or psychological abuse to receive payments. The settlement also included $125 million to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation for healing programmes; $60 million for truth and reconciliation to document and preserve the experiences of survivors; and $20 million for national and community commemorative projects. These materials are also viewable on the Indian Residential Schools Settlement official court website. The collection holds 1.5 m of textual records from Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (2006-2007) by the Canadian courts.
The archives house an extensive collection of documents concerning several Anglican Parishes in Ontario, including: Coniston (1900-1967), Huntsville (1871-1998), MacTier (1912-1970), Missanabie (1913-1991), Sault Ste. Marie (1951-1969), Sundridge (1882-2001), St. Joseph’s Island (1881-2002), Emsdale (1900-2001), Duck Lake (1955-1975), Manitouwadge (1958-2005), Sudbury (1890-2002), and Thunder Bay (1895-1991). The Archdeacon Jim Boyles fonds (1999-2002) may be of particular interest to those studying residential schools, as Archdeacon Boyles represented the Anglican Church of Canada during the residential school crisis in the 90s, promoting healing and reconciliation in the aftermath of the devastating school system.
The Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association fonds (1993-2015) will be relevant to those studying the concerns and interests of residential school survivors. The CSAA is an organization comprised of staff, students, descendants of staff and students, and friends of the Shingwauk and Wawnosh Indian Residential Schools. The CSAA works for the development and implementation of Residential School healing initiatives and strives to provide a non-political voice for the concerns and interests of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. The fonds contains 2.5 m of textual records and graphic material (204 photographs in colour as well as black and white) and includes records received, generated, and used by the CSAA, general documentation, reports, correspondence, project summaries, job descriptions, grant proposals, newsletters, negatives, and other materials.