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In the 1880s, through an amendment to the Indian Act of 1876, the government of Canada began to require all Aboriginal children to attend schools administered by churches. Separating these children from their families, removing them from their communities and destroying Aboriginal culture by denying them the right to speak Indigenous languages and perform native spiritual ceremonies, these residential schools were explicitly developed to assimilate Aboriginal peoples into Canadian culture and erase their existence as a people. Daring to break the code of silence imposed on Aboriginal students, residential school survivor Isabelle Knockwood offers the firsthand experiences of forty-two survivors of the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School. In their own words, these former students remember their first day of residential schooling, when they were outwardly transformed through hair cuts and striped uniforms marked with numbers. Then followed years of inner transformation from a strict and regimented life of education and manual training, as well as harsh punishments for speaking their own language or engaging in Indigenous customs. The survivors also speak of being released from their school -- and having to decide between living in a racist and unwelcoming dominant society or returning to reserves where the Aboriginal culture had evolved. In this newly updated fourth edition, Knockwood speaks to twenty-one survivors of the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School about their reaction to the apology by the Canadian government in 2008. Is it now possible to move forward?… (more)
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The books starts off with a preface about Mi'kmaq language. It connects language with the spirit of the Mi'kmaq culture, explaining why the Europeans were so adamant in
The title "Out of the Depths", also the title of the last chapter, sets the tone for the book, though the reader may not understand the meaning until reading the book. It refers to the Mi'kmaq's ability to survive the Residential school experience.
The book describes the creation of the Residential School in Nova Scotia, then different aspects of Residential school life to the closing of the school, and the eventual demolition of the school site.
The book focuses on the Mi'kmaq and their experience as students of the Shubenacadie school. The author uses her own experiences as well as experiences of other former students to describe the Residential school experience. The book is written for an older audience; the writing is easy to understand and well organized but the subject matter can be disturbing for some readers.
The book describes the students being mentally, physically, spiritually, and sexually abused. She also discusses the different ways in which the residential school staff use mortification and shame to punish students for their discrepancies, real or imagined; One example was of students who couldn't control their bladder at night (children were from 4 and up) and the Nuns would make the student wear the dirty sheets on their head in front of everyone. Physical beatings are covered in detail, and she speaks of some students who were beaten to death.
The book covers the Mi'kmaq culture and how it differed from the Catholic culture. The reader gains insight to traditional culture and spirituality of the Mi'kmaq and how it was challenged through the forced conversion of the students.
The information in the book is very accurate. The author uses primary sources for describing her experiences, either from her own personal memories, as well as a large number of other former students' recollections. Many of the experiences described echo those described in other scholarly books about the residential schools, as well as governmental documents concerning the Residential Schools.
The book is successful at explaining the atrocities of the residential schools while also teaching about the Mi'kmaq culture and traditions. The author explains herself well, incorporating various examples and sources (including official documents).
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good understanding of the Residential school experience, of the Mi'kmaq culture and history or of Canadian history. Previous knowledge of the topic is not required, and readers already well-versed in the history of Residential schools will gain further insight.