Duck Bay Student School Survivors - 1952 to 1969, Duck Bay Special School No# 2163

IMPACT STATEMENT - 1952 TO 1969

Most, if not all the Student survivors living and relatives from Duck Bay, Manitoba, received a letter of registrants from Gowling Law Firm in Ottawa.  After reviewing the list of Schools that were included and eligible for compensation, We the undersigned are petitioning the Federal Courts of Canada and Gowling Law Firm to do a full and complete investigation towards whom is responsible for all damages done to the Duck Bay Special School No# 2163.  We the Student Survivors were severely and tragically became the victims of abuse and humiliation to which we had no control.  The authority came directly from the nuns and priest from the Roman Catholic Church mission. In 1923, father Maurice de Bretagne arrived in Duck Bay as the spiritual adviser for the community of Duck Bay and the following years after that, he was sent to Lebret, Saskatchewan to take charge of the Indian Residential School and later returned in Duck Bay in 1944.  Father Maurice De Bretagne incorporated the same principals to our school in Duck Bay as those of le Bret Residential School in Saskatchewan. He, the priest took the responsibility to do something about the students and the overcrowding of the old log house and to be used in educating the students.  He wasn't the first to take charge of the school system in Duck Bay as you read the archives statements, you'll find it was before our time. Father Maurice De Bretagne contacted and invited Mr. Dryden, Minister of Education of Manitoba to tour the community and see first hand the number of students urgently needing a new school in Duck Bay.  After witnessing and validating the process, the Minister agreed that a new school will be built and construction to start almost immediately.  In the meantime, Father, Maurice De Bretagne negotiated with the minister that he would use the theatre attached to the church be used for a classroom for the students, and on the condition that the community supply wood for heating up the classroom at the theatre. 

An agreement was reached that the community would supply

the wood for the theatre and later during our classes at school, we ran out of wood.  Father Maurice De Bretagne closed the school immediately until the wood was restored to the theatre.  All this information was kept in the archives and attached to this statement enclosed.   

I, Abie Parenteau, and on behalf of all student survivors at Duck Bay Special School NO# 2163, this petition is being submitted May 3rd, 2019.  At which time, it will be reviewed by the Federal Courts of Canada and Gowling Law Firm from Ottawa and at the hearing at 363 Broadway, May 13, 14, and 15th, 2019.

Signed____________________Dated_______________

By Abie Parenteau

Recipient:  Federal Court of Canada and Gowling Law Firm in Ottawa.   

From 1952 to 1972, we the student survivors suffered and were traumatized by the treatment we all experience at "Duck Bay Special School No# 2163". The church had a mission and their mission was to educate,  assimilate, and change the Aboriginal identity, culture, language and spirituality. We were not allowed to speak our native language in school or anywhere at the school grounds. If we disobeyed any of their school rules we would get punished.  We couldn't believe how incentive and cruel the nuns and priest we're towards all students.  Not knowing how to speak French or understand, we were often called "Le savage", which meant savage Indians. Not being allowed to practice our culture or speak our native language as created a lot of personal pain and stress among all students at the school. Tragically, we became victims of extreme physical violence towards some students, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and sexual abuse in our own school. They would humiliate the students by pulling their pants down in front of the class and wiped their bare buns (Ass) with a paddle, board or a strap made out of horse harness. Sometimes we would be detained in school for not finishing our work and for that we were not allowed to go home for lunch and they would lock the doors until school started at 1:00 P.M. We often thought, what would happen if a fire got started and I'm sure some of us students would panic and get trapped while trying to escape. The windows were pretty well secured and it was next to impossible all would escape.   A lot of students dropped out of school and never returned, cause of the trauma and suffering they experience while at school and a lot of the students have since past on to the spirit world. Our community consists of treaty people and mixed with Metis. We the survivors still living and relatives of the people that past on are partitioning the Federal Courts of Canada and Gowling Law Firm from Ottawa at the hearing at 363 Broadway, May 13, 14, and 15th, 2019. We, the survivors experience extreme violence and sexual exploitation in the hands of the nuns and priest. Our rights were violated and someone is definitely responsible with all the trauma and suffering we all experience.  Our inherent rights were violated and as stated under the proclamation of the British North American act, Queen Victory. The Roman Catholic Church mission was sent to these villages and communities to carry out their mission to assimilate and change the structure of our culture, our identity, language and spirituality. Under the Aboriginal and treaty rights that are affirmed by section 35 of the constitution act, 1982 are entrenched in the Canadian Constitution. This distinction is fundamental and will help ensure the long term recognition and protection of the collective rights held by Aboriginal persons. We as a group of Aboriginal Students that went to Duck Bay Special School No# 2163, from 1952 to 1969, find the Roman Catholic Church along with the nuns and priest totally responsible in the cruelty and suffering inflicted towards the students. I broke down the list of students survivors that went to the "Duck Bay Special School No# 2163 from 1952 to 1959 - The following years, 1960 to 1969 are not included. Students that remembered going to school from 1952 to 1969, please add your names. This petition was drafted and will be sent for review to the Federal Courts at 363 Broadway, May 13, 14, and 15th, 2019.  Enclosed also,  are the signatures of students the went to Duck Bay Special School No# 2163 in 1952 to 1968 and of does people that lost their loved ones, meaning their moms, dads and uncles, grandpas and grandmas.

Student list from 1952 to 1969: Willard Thompson, John Parenteau, Nelson Flett, John Flett, Oscar Mc Kay, Wilson St.Goddard, Wallace St. Goddard, Deloris St. Goddard, Ernest Parenteau, Raymond Butler, Pearl Chartrand, Christine Ledoux, Zelda Pelletier, Mrytle Watson, Agnes Flett, Evelyn Ferland, Elisbeth Chartrand, Margret Chartrand, Clarence Campbell, Melva Campbell, Viola Campbell, Shirley Chartrand, Stanley Parenteau, Harold Pelletier, Willard Lamirande, Emery Delaronde, Pauline Chief, Violet Genaille, Christine Lavallee, Gerald Thompson, Jane A. Delaronde, Charles Chartrand, Delmar Flett, James Genaille, William Thomspon, Lena Genaille, Yvonne Genaille, Evelyn Chartrand, John Chartrand, Harvey Campbell, Morris Genaille, Andre Genaille, Marlene Lavallee, Shirley Lamirande, Lorraine Delaronde, Mary Delaronde, Allan Chartrand, Verna Butler, Myrtle Thompson, Arlene Butler, Conrad Thompson, Oliver Ferland, Violet Mc Nichol, Roderque Chartrand, Yvonne Le Claire, Dennis Delaronde, Abie Abraham Parenteau, Irene Chartrand, Ralph Ferland, Irene Guiboche, Mary Genaille, Myrtle Lamirande, Marcel Guiboche, Gordon Parenteau, Stanley L. Parenteau, Vera Lamirande, Verna Lamirande, Christine Chartrand, John J. Ducharme, John Ledoux, Lawrence Thompson, George Ducharme, James Lafrenaire, Florence Ducharme, Edward Chartrand, Dickie Chartrand, Ruby Chartrand, Freddie Flett, Clarence Campbell, Vickie Ferland, Adelard Marion, Brian Chartrand, Agnes Lamirande, George Munreo, Roderick Pelletier, Gerald Thompson, Marilyn Thompson, Willie Thompson, Donald Parenteau, Fred Lamirande, Tommy Flett, Bruno Genaille, Olive Guiboche, Johnny Ledoux, Gladys Pelletier, George Chartrand, Clifford Pangman, Wiallaim J. Chartrand, Clifford Ferland, Riel Genaille, Rita Mc Nichol, Myrtle Watson, Raymond Butler, Bernard Chartrand, Nelson Buck, Daniel Thompson, Lloyd Flett, Alex Delaronde, Leonard Delaronde, Adeline Sutherland, Robert Genaille, Florence Watson, Melva Ducharme, Stanley Delaronde, Clifford Ducharme, Dorothy Ferland, Marlene Flett, Sylvia Genaille, Nathan Sanoffsky, John Chartrand, Irene Chartrand, and Raymond Delaronde...