Mixed emotions over fire at Red Crow Community College

Some people on theBlood First Nation want to ensure the entire history of Red Crow Community College is remembered now that the building has burned down.

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"The story behind it, the legacy, and all the evilness, the ugliness, that went on in that building...hopefully it doesn't die down with the schoolit doesn't vanish," said VeronicaOka-Wells.

As a child, she says she sufferedand witnessed terrible abuse in St. Mary's Residential School, whichwashoused in the buildingbefore it became a tribalcollege in the '90s committed to teaching the history, culture and language of the First Nation.

She's grateful, in part,to see the buildinggo, but is worried the opportunity may be lost to teach others about the history of residential schools.

"It was a horrible place to be," said the vice-president of Red Crow Community College,Henry Big Throat, who attended St. Mary's. Since it hadbecome a tribal collegethere wasa complete turnaround, he says, and there is a lot of positive history.

For Oka-Wells, there was some relief watching the building go upin flamesbecause of the building's dark past.She rushed over to take pictures, to hold on to proof of where she had suffered.

"That's the evidence, that's the evidence," she said.

Oka-Wells would like to see the building's remainsturned into a memorial site to the people who attendedthe residential school.

"Once it's gonethere's nothing," she said.