The Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre

Education

Since the first school opened in a little log cabin on Howey Bay in 1931, schools have been the focal point of the community. On Saturday nights desks were pushed aside as the whole town got together to dance. By Sunday morning the same room was transformed into a church, as the local clergy set up a portable altar and conducted service. For some time, until each congregation built their own church, this was common in many communities that developed around the area.
Team sports such as hockey, baseball, tennis and curling were very popular, both with children and adults. Today sports are as popular as ever, and tournaments are a highlight of the year.

Patsy (Allison) Prokulovich on her first day of school, 1939.

Sports Day at the Red Lake School, 1934.
Talented young actors (left) dazzled audiences with their recent rendition of Pinocchio at the Golden Learning Centre in Balmertown. Approximately 560 students currently attend elementary school in Red Lake and Balmertown.	Red Lake Madsen Public School and Family Futures, Red Lake, 2000.

Passing on Traditional Knowledge

Traditionally, Aboriginal children learned through example and by listening to ancent stories told by elders. When the Canadian government established residential schools, traditional knowledge, which formed an integral part of Aboriginal life, could no longer be passed on.

To help regain and preserve traditional lifestyles and values, Kaaren Dannenmann, a trapper from Trout Lake, and Celia Haig-Brown, Faculty of Education at York University in Toronto, have developed the Indigenous Knowledge Instructors' Program. Endorsed by the Assembly of First Nations and York University, this program offers instruction at Trout Lake, and practical work in surrounding communities. Graduates of the program work in the schools with students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Elder Sarah Olsen with youngsters at Trout Lake.

"By learning traditional values and practices students gain new respect for themselves and their heritage", says Ms. Dannenmann, who spent five years developing the program.

Ojibway language classes for children and adults of both Native and non-Native ancestry are currently available in Red Lake. Other organizations, such as the Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre, the Northern Chiefs Council, Kiishik, and the Northwestern Health Unit, also play a vital role in promoting health, pride and economic well-being in the Aboriginal community. These organizations also work closely with the Red Lake Museum in developing special programs and exhibits that interpret the area's rich Aboriginal culture and history.

The School Trip of the Century

Royal Pilot Train, June 3, 1939 " Of all the stories that have come out of the epochal pilgrimage of the King and Queen across Canada, I know of nothing that quite matched this one. Before I left Winnipeg to join up with the royal tour I felt in my bones that Sioux Lookout was going to be one of the really wonderful stories of Their Majesties Canadian Odyssey". Francis Stevens, Winnipeg Free Press.

In 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth travelled by train across Canada to solidify Canadian support for Britain on the eve of World War II. The response across the nation was phenomenal, as people travelled for miles to meet the train. Since the road connecting Red Lake to the Trans-Canada Highway was not yet built, the only way for people from Red Lake to attend was to travel by water, a distance of 180 miles.

On June 4th, courtesy of Starratt Airways and Transportation Company, 39 girls and 33 boys, ranging in age from eight to sixteen years, left Red Lake by boat and scow, with their teachers, en route to Sioux Lookout, to see their King and Queen. Crossing over four marine railways through the night, they reached Ear Falls by noon the next day. After a lunch of "boiled dinner", they entered Lac Seul. Ninety miles of open water lay between them and Hudson. By mid afternoon a fierce wind blew up and the children were getting seasick. The captain decided to seek shelter behind an island, where they stayed for four hours.

The trip could have turned into a tragedy, as there were no life jackets on board. Fortunately they arrived safely in Hudson, then travelled the remaining 23 miles to Sioux Lookout on the back of open air trucks, and joined the crowd of 8,000 spectators. They were greeted warmly by the King and Queen, and interviewed by newspaper reporters about their journey.

To preserve and share this unique story, the Red Lake Museum, in collaboration with performers from the region, produced a travelling play about the event, and presented it in Red Lake, Ear Falls and Sioux Lookout.

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