Ontario gave $45,000 to an indigenous family to bring home the body of a “disappeared” family member who had been sent to residential school and later to an institution where he perished at age 27.
Except he died at age 3 and was buried on the reserve.
They “repatriated” the wrong body.
The “Indigenous Shake-Down Industry” is sadly comical.
“Even if it isn’t actually true, it feels as if it should be true; so that should be all that’s needed to enforce our demands.”
Imagine an entire billion-dollar business being built upon so specious a premise - except no imagining is required: It’s already here. It’s big and keenly dedicated to getting even bigger.
My reading of the (3-month-old) Percy Nabigon death certificate is that it definitely says cause of death was pneumococcal meningitis due to marasmus (severe undernutrition, as Michelle explains).
A couple of other points readers here should be aware of.
Percy was one of a pair of twins born in 1938, the other being a boy named Harold. Close examination of an archival photo shown in the VIDEO in the May 3 CBC article reveals a computer filename on the side of the photo of the mother with her twin babies. The filename reads, “Goggy, Percy, Harold and Uncle George.jpg”, suggesting that Claire had identified the photo with that descriptor on her computer (or another family member had). “Goggy” is probably a nickname for the babies’ mother, Mary Ann, or a term of endearment meaning “grandma.” To Claire and her siblings, Mary Ann was grandma.
The Onabigon family has confirmed elsewhere that the infant Harold died at the age of 3 months in 1938.
One of the twins died in October 1938 after spending two weeks in hospital in Fort William. If that twin, at 2.5 months old, was sent (likely by train) to hospital suffering from meningitis and severe malnutrition, it’s very likely the other was also at risk, and would have been sent for care at the same time. Babies born on the Long Lake reserve would not have ID bracelets like hospital newborns get. If the twins were sent off with their names pinned to their bunting bags, and those garments were removed – which twin was which?
The infant that died and was sent home to Long Lake for burial was likely Harold. Percy’s name might be (is) on the death certificate (which the parents maybe never saw, so they never realized the error had been made), but Percy returned home to Long Lake eventually and many people, including extended family, knew him during his childhood. Percy lived. The family is not mistaken on this point.
It appears that Kimberly Murray used research done not by herself or by her office, but by Kelsey Anger of Anishinabek Nation for the Onabigon family. https://anishinabeknews.ca/2025/03/24/st-josephs-indian-residential-school-survivors-gathering-brings-together-survivors-and-support/ March 24, 2025 (this names Kelsey Anger as the person who helped research the investigation into Percy’s history.) It’s also right there in the footnotes Michelle shares above, from Murray’s report. Records were “provided by the family of Percy Onabigon and the Anishinabek Nation, received April 30, 2024,” INCLUDING: “Ontario Death Certificate for Percy John Onabigon, May 1, 1966, provided by the family of Percy Onabigon and the Anishinabek Nation, received April 30, 2024.”
Percy, I firmly believe, was the twin who survived. Or if not, the family believed the child who came home alive was Percy, and he was known by that name for the rest of his life. And was buried with a spelling error on his gravestone (but it should be noted that the correct spelling, Onabigon, is just the most commonly used variant TODAY of the family surname, formerly spelled Nabigon).
I do feel there is a dangerous precedent being set by this repatriation, and CBC is aiding and abetting. Kimberly Murray is rubbing her hands in glee, having found an actual “disappeared” child, as Michelle says.
EDIT: "3-year-old" corrected to read "3-month-old"
Got it and replied. Thank you for the insights. No need to argue - these are complex subjects dating back decades - difficult puzzles to put together. I appreciate your help!
Ontario gave $45,000 to an indigenous family to bring home the body of a “disappeared” family member who had been sent to residential school and later to an institution where he perished at age 27.
Except he died at age 3 and was buried on the reserve.
They “repatriated” the wrong body.
The “Indigenous Shake-Down Industry” is sadly comical.
“Even if it isn’t actually true, it feels as if it should be true; so that should be all that’s needed to enforce our demands.”
Imagine an entire billion-dollar business being built upon so specious a premise - except no imagining is required: It’s already here. It’s big and keenly dedicated to getting even bigger.
My reading of the (3-month-old) Percy Nabigon death certificate is that it definitely says cause of death was pneumococcal meningitis due to marasmus (severe undernutrition, as Michelle explains).
A couple of other points readers here should be aware of.
Percy was one of a pair of twins born in 1938, the other being a boy named Harold. Close examination of an archival photo shown in the VIDEO in the May 3 CBC article reveals a computer filename on the side of the photo of the mother with her twin babies. The filename reads, “Goggy, Percy, Harold and Uncle George.jpg”, suggesting that Claire had identified the photo with that descriptor on her computer (or another family member had). “Goggy” is probably a nickname for the babies’ mother, Mary Ann, or a term of endearment meaning “grandma.” To Claire and her siblings, Mary Ann was grandma.
The Onabigon family has confirmed elsewhere that the infant Harold died at the age of 3 months in 1938.
One of the twins died in October 1938 after spending two weeks in hospital in Fort William. If that twin, at 2.5 months old, was sent (likely by train) to hospital suffering from meningitis and severe malnutrition, it’s very likely the other was also at risk, and would have been sent for care at the same time. Babies born on the Long Lake reserve would not have ID bracelets like hospital newborns get. If the twins were sent off with their names pinned to their bunting bags, and those garments were removed – which twin was which?
The infant that died and was sent home to Long Lake for burial was likely Harold. Percy’s name might be (is) on the death certificate (which the parents maybe never saw, so they never realized the error had been made), but Percy returned home to Long Lake eventually and many people, including extended family, knew him during his childhood. Percy lived. The family is not mistaken on this point.
It appears that Kimberly Murray used research done not by herself or by her office, but by Kelsey Anger of Anishinabek Nation for the Onabigon family. https://anishinabeknews.ca/2025/03/24/st-josephs-indian-residential-school-survivors-gathering-brings-together-survivors-and-support/ March 24, 2025 (this names Kelsey Anger as the person who helped research the investigation into Percy’s history.) It’s also right there in the footnotes Michelle shares above, from Murray’s report. Records were “provided by the family of Percy Onabigon and the Anishinabek Nation, received April 30, 2024,” INCLUDING: “Ontario Death Certificate for Percy John Onabigon, May 1, 1966, provided by the family of Percy Onabigon and the Anishinabek Nation, received April 30, 2024.”
Percy, I firmly believe, was the twin who survived. Or if not, the family believed the child who came home alive was Percy, and he was known by that name for the rest of his life. And was buried with a spelling error on his gravestone (but it should be noted that the correct spelling, Onabigon, is just the most commonly used variant TODAY of the family surname, formerly spelled Nabigon).
I do feel there is a dangerous precedent being set by this repatriation, and CBC is aiding and abetting. Kimberly Murray is rubbing her hands in glee, having found an actual “disappeared” child, as Michelle says.
EDIT: "3-year-old" corrected to read "3-month-old"
Michelle, I messaged you privately. Don't want to get into arguments on this public thread. I hope that message reaches you.
Got it and replied. Thank you for the insights. No need to argue - these are complex subjects dating back decades - difficult puzzles to put together. I appreciate your help!