THE HAUNTED HOSTEL: Shades of the Past in a Modern Day School Residence for Native Children

Abstract

In the summer of 1987, I was asked by the council of chiefs of a Northern Canadian region, to do a 'review' of the operation of one of the few remaining school residences for Native children in Canada. The residence, or 'hostel' had been staffed by nuns until its administration was transferred to the Council of Chiefs in the early 1970's. The building was thought by the Natives to be haunted. It did seem to be haunted by some institutional patterns that had been established under the new administration, and persisted though the staff in 1987 was entirely Native. This paper explores these observations and attempts to make sense of them.