Established by Lauralee Archibald in honour of her mother, the Queenie Dorothea Commanda Archibald Bursary for Indigenous Students celebrates the life and legacy of Elder Queenie Dorothea Commanda Archibald—a residential school survivor, retired registered nurse and community advocate. Lauralee’s generosity will alleviate financial barriers for Indigenous students entering or continuing in any undergraduate degree of study, with preference given to students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Bachelor of Social Work.
As a member of Nipissing First Nation, Queenie spent her early years at a residential school from the age of five until she moved to a convent at the age of thirteen. At sixteen years old, she began her post-secondary journey at St. Joseph’s College in North Bay to pursue nursing—a path that was forged for her based on her natural ability to thrive in education.
Post-graduation, Queenie married and had four children, Frances, Douglas, Paul and Lauralee. The oldest three children were born in Marville, France and when Queenie and her then husband, Dougal, returned to Canada, they settled on Vancouver Island and they welcomed their youngest daughter, Lauralee. Queenie’s nursing career on the west coast of Canada included serving communities across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland until her retirement in 2000. Even after retirement, she extended her compassion for others through her community work with Indigenous organizations, including the Aboriginal Mothers Centre, the Pacific Association of First Nations Women, the Aboriginal Family Court in New Westminster and Spirit of the Children Society.
Through her volunteerism, Queenie provided guidance to other residential school survivors, women, and children, as she had a personal conviction to help others lead a better life through Indigenous healing. This was also a way for her to share her own story about her experiences in residential school to ensure that this history was never forgotten.
Lauralee was inspired to establish the Queenie Dorothea Commanda Archibald Bursary for Indigenous Students in recognition of her mother’s belief in the importance of education. After Queenie lost her status following marriage, she applied to have it reinstated for herself and all four of her children after the passing of Bill C-31 in 1985. This was partly driven by her aspiration to have all her children attend university, as it was incredibly meaningful to her that they pursue post-secondary studies.
Two of Queenie’s children went on to complete university degrees with the support of the Nipissing First Nation. Queenie’s oldest son Douglas graduated from Mount Royal University in Alberta with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1998. Lauralee began her academic journey at Carleton University, starting with a BA in Psychology, which she completed in 1995— becoming the first child in the family to graduate from university. Lauralee’s career at Carleton (1997 through 2018) included contributing to international work, providing research services and finally in equity and inclusive communities. After her retirement in 2018, she earned her Bachelor of Social Work in 2019 and Master of Social Work in 2021.
Lauralee’s two sons, William and Manfred, received support from Nipissing First Nation to attend Carleton’s Indigenous Enriched Support program and they both later graduated from Willis and Algonquin Colleges. They are both working in the field of Information Technology.
After retiring from Carleton University, Lauralee started a new career as a counsellor, primarily supporting members of the Indigenous community, with a dedication to helping those affected by intergenerational trauma. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Lauralee reinforced how much her mother’s resilience, compassion and belief in the power of higher education encouraged her in her own life. As she said, “It was my mom that put attending university in our minds.”
The Queenie Dorothea Commanda Archibald Bursary for Indigenous Students is Lauralee’s way of giving back—supporting Indigenous students in pursuing their undergraduate degree and continuing Queenie’s legacy of healing, empowerment and education.
Award Terms:
Awarded annually to Indigenous students in demonstrated financial need who are entering or continuing in any undergraduate degree of study at Carleton University. Preference will be given to students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Bachelor of Social Work. Endowed in 2025 by Lauralee Archibald BA/95, BSW/19, MSW/21 in honour of her mother Queenie Dorothea Commanda Archibald, a residential school survivor, registered nurse and advocate for Indigenous healing.