Chief Augustine Shingwauk     (painting by Reverend Wilson, circa 1890)

Chief Augustine Shingwauk, son of Chief Shingwauk and elder brother of Buhgwujjenene, succeeded his father as Chief in 1854.  Some forty years after his father's journey to southern Ontario, Augustine made a similar trip; to ask for a teacher for his people's children. 

This trip proved fruitful, for in 1871 Rev. E. F. Wilson was appointed missionary and educator for the area.  Later that year Augustine and Wilson travelled together to southern Ontario to raise funds for the construction of a residential school for native children.  The money that was raised contributed to the cost of building the original school at Garden River.

Augustine advocated academic education for native children because he knew that it would be necessary for their future role in maintaining native identity and heritage during a time of white political, economic and cultural domination.  Unfortunately, the government policy at the time endorsed the integration and assimilation of the native people into the dominant white Christian society.  This was enforced by the educators who firmly believed that they were "civilizing these pagans".