Nancy Dyson

In 1970, two young Americans who were seeking landed immigrant status in Canada took jobs as child care workers at a St. Michael's Residential School in Alert Bay, BC. Immediately they knew the residence was not a happy place. They witnessed humiliation, physical abuse, inadequate food and clothing and what they came to call cultural genocide. Their attempts to protect the children and change the methods of discipline were met with threats of dismissal.

Nancy & Dan witnessed a student attempted suicide and when they sought help for the student were rebuffed. No attempt was made to prevent female students from prostituting themselves in the local community.

A couple of years after they left the school, the school closed and they felt the problem was solved. Only 25 years later, a chance meeting with a school survivor made him aware that any child who attended one of these schools was damaged and still suffering from the experience. Many committed suicide or used drugs or alcohol with only a few overcoming the experience such as Chief Dr. Robert Joseph and Senator Murray Sinclair.

Every Canadian should read this book. It is a very readable volume but the treatment of these children may make you ill.… (plus d'informations)