Our Relationships

The CSAA is a survivor-led, grassroots organization based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Its mission is to support the well-being of former students of the Shingwauk and Wawanosh Indian Residential Schools, along with their families and communities. The CSAA actively works to fulfil Chief Shingwauk’s vision of a Teaching Wigwam—a place where Indigenous peoples and settlers can learn together on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, including the Garden River and Batchewana Nations, as well as the Métis people.

The organization maintains a strong partnership with Algoma University and other site partners, solidified through a formal agreement signed in 2006. This partnership includes governance of the CSAA archival collection at the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre and representation on several university committees, including the Anishinaabe Peoples' Council and the Algoma University Board of Governors.

The CSAA has two seats on the board of the Shingwauk Education Trust and plays a crucial role in university decisions related to Indigenous communities, reconciliation, and residential schools. The 2017 Algoma University statement on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada significantly incorporated the experiences of the CSAA, underscoring the commitment to acknowledging and honouring the history of Shingwauk Residential School survivors.

For more information, check out their website.

The Nisoonag (Three Canoes) Partnership is a collaboration between Mississauga First Nation, Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation, and Serpent River First Nation. This alliance was created to investigate and search for unmarked children’s graves at the former Spanish Indian Residential School sites.

In October 2021, Chief Alan Ozawanimke of Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation announced plans to secure funding from both provincial and federal governments for this important work. The necessary funding has since been obtained, and the Bringing Home Our Children Initiative is now set to proceed under the Nisoonag Partnership.

The Spanish IRS, located on Manitoulin Island, was the largest Indian Residential School in Ontario. It operated a Girls’ School from 1913 to 1962, managed by the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, and a Boys’ School from 1913 to 1948, managed by the Jesuits. The schools housed children from various communities, including those along the north shore of Lake Huron and Lake Superior, Manitoulin Island, Parry Sound, the Ottawa Valley, and beyond.

The Nisoonag Partnership is committed to honouring the memory of the children who attended the Spanish IRS, bringing closure to affected families and communities, and ensuring that their stories are remembered and respected.

For more information, check out the Mississauga First Nation's website or the link below.

Fort Williams First Nation leads the search to track down all students who attended St. Joseph's Residential School from 1870 to 1966