Indian Residential Schools in the Yukon Territory
An Explorer's Guide to Carcross, Yukon
Dateline: February 11, 2006. Last update: March 1, 2024.
History of Choutla School: A 14-page history of the Carcross Indian Residential School, written by the principal of the school, Michael C. F. Gibbs, in 1966.
Carcross Indian Residential School Narrative: A very detailed compilation of facts and statistics, by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (pdf, 800KB).
Carcross Residential School Administration Files, 1907-1933: 332 pages of letters and other documents compiled in 2021 (pdf, 47MB).
Carcross Residential School Administration Files, 1939-1940: 199 pages of letters and other documents compiled in 2021 (pdf, 28MB).
More files: As well as the two above, there are many others at IndianDaySchools.org, including Admissions, Training, and Deaths - search for "Carcross Residential School".
"Betwixt and Between": The Anglican Church and the Children of the Carcross (Chooutla) Residential School, 1911-1954.: A 21-page article by Kenneth Coates, published in BC Studies, Winter 1984-85 (pdf, 2.3MB).
Historical outline of Chooutla School: A brief chronology published in The Whitehorse Star of July 3, 1969.
Deaths at Choutla School: Twenty children are listed.
In 1903, the Anglican Church first opened a school in Carcross for Indian children.
In 1911, a new school building was constructed to house 40 students.
The Weekly Star (Whitehorse, Yukon Territory), September 22, 1911
The editor of the Star visited at Carcross the latter part of last week and while there went to see the new Indian school building which he was shown through and over by Contractor Eli Hume and Building Inspector Ole Dixon.
Heretofore the editor of the Star, who is quite familiar with every public building in the Yukon Territory, had reckoned the Territorial Court House and Carnegie Library buildings at Dawson the most substantial structures ever erected in Yukon, the Administration building coming next on the list. But for solidity of structure from foundation to turret, the Indian school building at Carcross is far ahead of any of them, and is pre-eminently the finest and most substantial public edifice in the territory. Mr. Hume has not only followed plans and specifications to the letter, but he has seen that every part and detail will withstand the ravages of time and wear.
The exterior of the building is already completed and the interior is all that remains to be finished. Lathers, plasterers, painters, and, in fact, the entire force is now working indoors and making excellent headway. The heating plant installed by Matthew Watson of this place is almost completed and, barring further delay in receiving finishing material from the outside - considerable delay for that class of material having already been experienced - the building will soon be completed and ready for occupancy by the seventy native sons and daughters, for which number the capacity of the building is rated.
The building stands on a most ideal location, one capable of great improvement in the way of landscape work and scenic arrangement, and the future of the best building in the Yukon Territory will be watched with interest after it is turned over to and occupied by the Indian children and those having them in charge.
Below, the new school.
The photo below is from a stereocard published in about 1912.
It shows Indian boys from the school swimming in Nares Lake.
Click on the stereocard image below to open a much larger version.
In 1913, publication of the newspaper "Northern Lights" was started by Mr. Evans in the interests of the Choutla Indian School. In 1914 printing was moved to the school, with students learning typesetting and other printing duties. It was published every 3 months until 1924.
June 1917, a representative of the Weekly Star got a tour of the school:
The Weekly Star (Whitehorse, Y.T.), June 15, 1917
A representative of the Weekly Star paid a visit to the Chooutla Indian
school last Monday ard through the courtesy of Manager C. F. Johnson was shown over the grounds and buildings and given an insight into the work being performed by the pupils in the various departments under instructions of their teachers.
At present outdoor activities seem to be to the front and at the time of our visit little children of both sexes could be seen in different parts of the grounds
busily engaged in gardening and other open air occupations. Quite an area has been planted to all kinds of vegetables, many varieties of which are now making appearance above ground. In the matter of garden truck the school is self-sustaining. We were shown by Mr. Johnson as fine samples of potatoes grown there last season as we have seen anywhere.
The school staff is composed of Rev. W. T. Townsend, in charge of the
religious and educational department; C. F. Johnson, general manager; Mrs. Johnson, in charge of art department; Miss C. J. Naftel, girls' matron; Miss Carrie Bennett, boys' matron; Miss F. A. Newman in charge of the kitchen. The housekeeper, Miss Amy Appleyard,
is now taking her vacation on the outside.
The art department is a feature of the institution, and the articles manufactured by the pupils, consisting of fancy bead work, moccasins and wood carving, find ready sale to visiting tourists and others. Last season $90 worth of stuff was disposed of at a net profit of about $60. Twenty-five dollars of this amount was devoted by the children to the purchase of a life membership for Mrs. Canham, wife of the former Bishop of the Church of England at Carcross, in the Woman's Auxiliary. The remainder of the money went into various missionary funds.
The Chooutla school is doing a great work in the education of the younger
generation of natives in many branches of learning and useful industries and the very efficient staff should be encouraged and helped in every possible way by the people of the Territory so that they may be enabled to continue on in the course they are now following so successfully.
On April 17, 1939, the school burned. Classes were held in various temporary accommodations until 1954. The regular Carcross school had burned in July 1936.
In 1954, the building below was constructed, to hold up to 160 students.
The Choutla school was closed in June 1969.
In the July 1972, the Anglican Diocese of Yukon leased the school from the Yukon government. They operated the Carcross Community Education Centre (often called "the hippy school") from then until June 30, 1979. The photo above, by Gregory Bryce, shows 18-year-old student Tish Hopkins turning under the remains of a vegetable patch, probably in September 1974.
The main school building was demolished in the mid-1980s.
In April 2001, lawsuits were filed against the Anglican Church and others for abuses against students in the 1950s and 1960s.
The last remnants of the school, a garage and warehouse, were demolished in July 2017.
