We have been asked this question by visitors on more than one occasion since the discovery of unidentified burials on the grounds of former residential schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. We went looking for an answer by asking Suzie O'Bomsawin of the Waban-Aki Nation Grand Council. Here's what she could tell us about it:

Q. Were any Abenaki children sent to residential schools?

R. Anglican Anglophones went to the Anglican school in Odanak or to 2 residential schools in Ontario (only for Odanak), Catholic Francophones (for Odanak and W8linak) went to several residential schools (La Tuque, Pointe-Bleue, Sept-Îles, mainly) in addition to the day school in Odanak (where the Abenaki Museum is located at the moment) - the Académie St-Joseph (open until 1960) Children who were orphaned or living in troubled families went to other boarding schools with Quebecers, especially in the Sherbrooke area. It is difficult to know the exact number of Abenaki children sent to residential schools, but there were some.

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