As Percy Onabigon’s family spread cedar and tobacco around his grave — located more than 1,200 kilometres from his home community — Marcus Ryan said he’s never felt so overwhelmed with emotion.
Percy was taken from his family in Long Lake #58 First Nation in northern Ontario as a child and put into St. Joseph’s Indian Residential School in Thunder Bay. Due to his epilepsy and partial paralysis, he was sent to a number of institutions, including what was called the Orillia Asylum for Idiots, without his family’s consent.
In 1966, Percy died of tuberculosis at the Oxford Regional Centre in Woodstock. He was 27.
His family spent decades fighting to bring his remains back to Long Lake #58. Next week, it’s finally happening, with a traditional burial ceremony and funeral mass planned over two days.
As the warden of Oxford County, where Percy was originally buried, Ryan said getting to know the Onabigon family has been an eye-opening experience.
“We all know that there are residential school denialists nowadays, but there’s also people who just don’t know,” said Ryan. “Especially in a community where you don’t have a reserve and where there wasn’t a residential school, there’s always a risk that some Oxford residents would think, ‘Well, those were bad things, but they didn’t happen here.’
“As I was standing there with the family at the graveside, I was thinking, ‘it happened right here, I’m looking at the grave. The family is here. This is where Percy ended up.'”
Percy had a twin brother, Harold, who died as a baby.
Claire Onabigon, Percy’s niece, completed her thesis on the impact of the residential school system on Long Lake #58 First Nation and neighbouring Ginoogaming First Nation. Through her research, she learned that four generations of her family were put in the residential school system — including Percy, her mother Bertha, and uncles Kenny and George.
Following Percy’s exhumation in Woodstock this spring, his remains were sent to Ontario’s Forensic Pathology Service in Toronto, where an autopsy and DNA analysis were conducted.
“It has been a long road home, for sure, for Percy. We met with the chief coroner, forensic pathologist and forensic anthropologist this week, and can now make final arrangements,” said Percy’s niece, Claire Onabigon, in a news release issued by Oxford County earlier in September.
Meanwhile, Ryan came up with the idea of honouring Percy locally with a special exhibit. With the family’s blessing, the archives team has set up four display cases at the Oxford County Administration Building.
“It was an honour to be asked to do it, just knowing there’s so much behind it, not just as a story, but so many larger issues,” said Oxford County’s archivist, Liz Dommasch.
The process involved reaching out to archives and museums across Ontario that provided documents as well as Indigenous artifacts.
“We just wanted to make sure that we were doing it right and we were honouring Percy’s legacy in the process,” Dommasch said.
The display consists of four glass cases, each telling a different part of Percy’s story. It starts with an introduction to Percy and his family in Long Lake #58 while recounting Oxford County’s Indigenous history.
Then, it features Percy’s experience at St. Joseph’s Indian Residential School, as well as information about the residential schools closest to Oxford County. The third case highlights the history behind the institutions Percy was sent to, with the final piece highlighting his family’s efforts to repatriate his remains.
“We also touched on some of the larger issues … of denialism, as I know sadly, there’s been a bit of pushback online about the whole repatriation of Percy,” Dommasch said.
“It provides a number of resources as well that people can look into if they want to learn more, not just about residential schools and truth and reconciliation [but] more broader, general context leading up to Sept. 30.”
Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a federal statutory holiday in Canada that aims to recognize the lasting legacy of the residential school system. and honour survivors and those who never made it home.
“As archivists, our job is to preserve historical records and make sure that stories are not forgotten,” Dommasch said. “I think this is one story that definitely needs to be told over, and over and over again.”
The exhibit, which has been up since early September, will be taken down following an Oct. 6 closing ceremony with members of the Onabigon family and other dignitaries.
“This [display] means so much to us and is very much appreciated. Thank you, Oxford County, for taking these steps toward reconciliation,” Claire Onabigon said.
A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former students and those affected. People can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-hour national crisis line: 1-866-925-4419.
Mental health counselling and crisis support is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
