Item R00001535 - Quarterly Returns

Sacred Heart Indian Residential School (IRS) was located on the Peigan Indian Reserve, southwest of Lethbridge. It operated from 1887 - 1961 (74 years).

Other names identifying the residential school 1893 - 1926 included Roman Catholic Day School, RC Peigan School, Roman Catholic School on the Peigan Reserve, Roman Catholic Boarding School on the Peigan Reserve, Boarding School at the Roman Catholic Mission on the Peigan Reserve, Peigan R.C. Boarding School, Peigan Reserve Catholic Boarding School, and Sacred Heart Boarding School. In 1926, the department approved the school’s official name, a Sacred Heart Indian Residential School. From 1927 - 1961, it was known by the following names - Peigan Indian Residential School, RC Peigan School, R.C. School on Peigan Reserve, Sacred Heart School at Brocket, Sacred Heart Indian Boarding School on the Peigan Reserve, Roman Catholic Indian Residential School on the Peigan Reservation, Brocket School, and School #759. Other names from 1961 - 1966 included Peigan R.C. IDS, School #737 (the Peigan Indian Day School replaced Sacred Heart Indian Residential School, Sacred Heart Day School, and Brocket IDS.

The Government of Canada was responsible for funding, which was managed and operated by the Roman Catholic Church from 1887 - 1929 with assistance from the Reverend Sisters of Charity. The residential school was managed and operated jointly by the federal government and the Church from June 1929.

In 1911, an agreement was signed between the Federal Government and the Bishop of the St. Albert Diocese in March. No copy of the actual agreement has been found.

No information is available to indicate what grades were taught.

In 1929, the Department admitted six orphan girls from the northern part of the province.

Student enrolment statistics are somewhat inconsistent from 1887 – 1950; however, numbers are available for 1952 - 1961 with a low enrolment of 8 students in 1896 to a high of 91 in 1955. Student enrolment statistics for 1956 - 1961 indicate day school students.