Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

116 • Truth & Reconciliation CommissionGrandin College girls’ basketball team, Northwest Territories. One Grandin student wrote in the school newsletter, “AtGrandin, Education comes first.” Although students could participate in school sports teams, “if you are behind inyour school work, you are forced to quit your sports.” Deschâtelets Archives.Oblate Provincial L. Poupore wrote to Indian Affairs about conditions at theWilliams Lake, British Columbia, school in 1957. He pointed out that a year and halfearlier, he had informed Indian Affairs about the need for a school gymnasium. Atthat time, he said, “The boys’ play room, a room about 35 by 60, was a scene of bedlamduring recreation periods. There were about 150 boys trying to play; the mud they hadbrought in on their feet had dried and there was so much dust in the room that youcould not recognize a boy at the opposite end.” Although the department had assuredhim the construction of a gymnasium would be a priority, nothing had been done,and “the problem of playroom space is worse than ever.” 498Despite the lack of financial support, hockey teams from a number of schoolsachieved considerable success in the 1940s and 1950s. Teams from Duck Lake andQu’Appelle in Saskatchewan, in particular, established enviable records. The DuckLake school team, the St. Michael’s Indians, won the championship of an eight-teamleague in the Rosthern area in 1946. 499 In 1948, the same team, coached by Father G.-M.Latour, won the northern Saskatchewan midget hockey championship. The followingyear, it won the provincial championship. 500 According to the Prince Albert DailyHerald, “While the Duck Lake boys were outweighed in their midget series they madeit up in hockey know-how, skating ability and shooting accuracy. Their drives, fromany angle, had the Regina players scared and baffled at the same time.” 501 Among theplayers on the 1949 Duck Lake provincial championship team was Fred Sasakamoose,