Oblates of Western Canada fonds, 1844-1948

MSS 22

1.6 m of textual records

The Oblates of Western Canada have been in existence since 1844 in response to a request from Bishop Provencher, Vicar Apostolic of the Hudson's Bay and James Bay. The Oblates are congregations within the Roman Catholic Church serving as religious communities. The congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate was founded in Aix-en-Provence, France in 1815 and arrived in Canada in the 1841. Since then the Oblates spread across Western Canada establishing missions in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Their primary goal was to evangelize and introduce Christianity to the native people. During the settlement period of Western Canada, the work of the Oblates expanded to include the establishment of schools, colleges, hospitals, and other social institutions.

Acquired from L'Archives Oblates in 1981

The collection consists of photocopies of rare manuscripts, dictionaries, grammars, vocabularies, and other studies dealing with several North American Indian languages including the following: Algonquin; Cree; Chipewyan; Saulteaux; Ojibwa; Assiniboine; Dakota; Siksika; and Blackfoot. Included also are materials on Catherine Tegakouita (1656-1680) and on the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The eleven rare books listed in the register have been catalogued independently

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