1943 - 1947 | The End of an Era

1943

• The Inkameep School is without a teacher, and the Oliver Society for the Revival of Indian Arts and Crafts begins to rally the government for a new teacher with the same goals and agenda of supporting aboriginal culture, as Mr. Walsh exhibited.
• Mr. Patrick J. Kiernan is hired to teach at the school in September. He resigns in January of 1944 citing deplorable living conditions supplied for the teacher.
• The First Prize, of $10, for Applied Work at the Canadian Handicrafts Guild Annual Exhibition in Montreal is awarded jointly to Johnny and Frank Stelkia.

1944

• The Okanagan Society for the Revival of Indian Arts and Crafts produces their Brief: "Native Canadians: A Plan for the Rehabilitation of Indians" and turns their attention towards the civil rights of aboriginal peoples in addition to their concerns over Indian education in the Okanagan Valley.
• CBC broadcasts "Tale of the Nativity" on Christmas Day.
• The Oliver Society for the Revival of Indian Arts and Crafts work to support a petition sent to Ottawa by chief Narcisse Batiste George for a new teacher to be hired for the school.
• Mr. Benjamin C. Widdowson is hired in March and resigns a year later in March 1945. Tutelage under Widdowson often consisted of 4-5 hours of catechism per day and the art program was discontinued completely. Widdowson's disapproval of Walsh's teaching style and art program led him to gather the children's masks and artwork and destroy them in the school's fire stove.

1945

• Reverend Father O'Reilly is hired in June and continues as teacher at the Inkameep Day School until October of 1949. The school's curriculum remained one of primarily religious education during this period.
• Ernest Baptiste is killed by a landmine in Italy.
• Inkameep Day School students Irene Baptiste and Bertha Baptiste begin attendance at the Oliver Public School.
• Due to the focus on religion by the appointed teachers at the Inkameep School and the wide divide over ideas of progressive education for aboriginal peoples, the Oliver Society for the Revival of Indian Arts and Crafts discontinues their efforts to promote the arts and drama amongst the Okanagan children.

1947

• A collection of paintings submitted for the Sixth Annual Exhibition of Indian School Children's Work is unveiled at the Provincial Museum by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor of B.C., Mr. Charles A. Banks.
• Anthony Walsh is elected to a one-year position as Research Associate at the Anthropology Lab at Sante Fe, New Mexico.
• Chief Narcisse Batiste George dies.
• Miss Rita Kristensen is hired in October. There is no record as to when she resigned.

 

Next Section »» 1950 - 1990 | The Interim Years