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SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Memories of Indian residential schools in B.C. RECORDED: [location unknown], 1979-07-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Sister Norma Jeffs' recollections of her experiences as a teacher: background -- born in Vancouver, serious illnesses as a youth, decision to enter convent; why she chose the Sisters of St. Ann; first missionary experience on Kuper [Island] -- getting to know the Natives, teaching school, staff at Kuper, isolation from the mainland, dreary winters, runaway children; question of whether it was wrong to force own culture and religion on to Natives; experiences in Mission and Kamloops; positive and negative responses from Natives who went to residential schools; teaching the Native children English; some very bright students -- many success stories; differences between Kuper and Mission -- she set up a home-economics class in Mission, Oblates in Mission (missionary men from France); initially many Native parents did not want to send their children to school; canning fruit at St. Mary's Mission; beginning the mixing of boys and girls at school social events. TRACK 2: Sister Norma Jeffs remembers her time in residential schools: complaints Natives have about the schools -- they lost their culture through the church; boys mean to some of the girls; mistreatment of some Native children once they left the residential schools and were integrated into the main system; residential schools sheltered Natives from discriminatory world; language -- Nanaimo Natives now trying to teach their language to youth; many children from residential schools married each other; T.B. was very prevalent among Natives at Mission; difficulties getting money from the government; Indian Agents -- some very helpful; parents did not have much to do with the residential schools; supervising the dormitory at Kamloops residential school -- few problems, the girls listened to her; integration of different Native groups. (End of interview)

CALL NUMBER: T3533:0001 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Reminiscences of a missionary sister in British Columbia RECORDED: [location unknown], 1979-05-30 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Sister Patricia of the Sisters of the Child Jesus recalls her life as a missionary in B.C.: her background in Ireland; her desire to become a nun; choosing the Sisters of the Child Jesus; journey over to Canada; landing in Quebec, memories of Montreal and Trois Rivieres; had no idea what to expect of the Natives; beginning her life in B.C. at Sechelt -- Father Lepage, helping the teachers, learning about the Natives; impressions of the Native children; going up to Williams Lake -- first impressions of the landscape up there, description of the school buildings at St. Joseph's when she arrived, mosquitoes in summer, very cold in winter; discussion of Fathers and Sisters at the Mission school when she first arrived; Native children at Mission school were harder to understand than the ones at Sechelt; mainly Shuswap, some Chilcotin, differences between the two groups; enjoyed her time at Williams Lake very much; roles of Sisters, Fathers, Brothers; she found the boys easier to teach than the girls. TRACK 2: Sister Patricia: boys were easier to please; Natives were very reserved at first; describes a typical school day; she believes that residential schools allowed Natives to keep own culture; when she was a teacher, students learned practical things -- cooking, baking, sawing wood, sewing; Natives were very good at art; children and staff were always busy -- chores and school left little free time, but recreation did occur in the evenings (not organized games, children used imagination); music in the school; difficult for parents to visit children; believes children were very happy; Sisters made retreat to Vancouver at Christmas; children forgot much of what they learned over the summer holidays; teaching the children English; the Chinook language; going to mass on Sundays. CALL NUMBER: T3533:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Reminiscences of a missionary sister in British Columbia RECORDED: [location unknown], 1979-05-30 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Sister Patricia of the Sisters of the Child Jesus recalls her life as a missionary in B.C.: mass was attended by white people in the surrounding area; description of Father Thomas, his duties, and his relationship with the Natives; Father Maillard was principal of the Mission school; ranch supported the school; received only a small salary; growth of school over the years; development of the Williams Lake area; arrival of the railway; run-away children; relationship with settlers in Williams Lake region; in later years, the school became more integrated with the white community; illnesses at the Mission school. CALL NUMBER: T3533:0003 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Reminiscences of a missionary sister in British Columbia RECORDED: [location unknown], 1980-07-08 SUMMARY: [No content summary available for this tape.] NOTE: This tape (and interview) end with an abrupt cut-off.

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Sister Teresa Bernard RECORDED: [location unknown], [1981-01-09?] SUMMARY: [No content summary or documentation available for this interview.];