Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

The history • 81Carpenter’s shop in the Battleford school, 1894. Saskatchewan Archives Board, R-B7.to other staff members about it. So, in a way, that’s, you know, gave me a chance toexpress my frustrations, and the things that I didn’t like.” 241Other students were able to concentrate on their studies. Frederick Ernest Koe saidthat at Stringer Hall in Inuvik, he devoted all his energies to his school work. “You kindof develop a protective mechanism on the shell that you didn’t rat on anybody, youkind of behave, you followed orders and things would go smooth.” 242 Madeleine DionStout succeeded academically at the Blue Quills school, but she did not credit theschool for her success. “It’s not residential school that made me a good student. My,the fundamental values and good example I had before I went to residential school bymy grandfather and my parents, and all the old people on the reserve where I grew upare the ones who made me a good student.” 243Work: “No idleness here.”Student education was further undermined by the amount of work the studentshad to do to support the schools. Because Indian Affairs officials had anticipated thatthe residential schools would be self-sufficient, students were expected to raise orgrow and prepare most of the food they ate, to make and repair much of their clothing,and to maintain the schools. As a result, most of the residential schools operated onwhat was referred to as the “half-day system.” Under this system—which amounted to