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Night Spirits: The Story of the Relocation of the Sayisi Dene
For over 1500 years, the Sayisi Dene, ‘The Dene from the East’, led an independent life, following the caribou herds and having little contact with white society. In 1956, an arbitrary government decision to relocate them catapulted the Sayisi Dene into the 20th century. It replaced their traditional nomadic life of hunting and fishing with a slum settlement on the outskirts of Churchill, Manitoba. Inadequately housed, without jobs, unfamiliar with the language or the culture, their independence and self-determination deteriorated into a tragic cycle of discrimination, poverty, alcoholism and violent death.
By the early 1970s, the band realized they had to take their future into their own hands again. After searching for a suitable location, they set up a new community at Tadoule Lake, 250 miles north of Churchill. Today they run their own health, education and community programs. But the scars of the relocation will take years to heal, and Tadoule Lake is grappling with the problems of a people whose ties to the land, and to one another, have been tragically severed.
In Night Spirits, the survivors, including those who were children at the time of the move, as well as the few remaining elders, recount their stories. They offer a stark and brutally honest account of the near-destruction of the Sayisi Dene, and their struggle to reclaim their lives. It is a dark story, told in hope.
By the early 1970s, the band realized they had to take their future into their own hands again. After searching for a suitable location, they set up a new community at Tadoule Lake, 250 miles north of Churchill. Today they run their own health, education and community programs. But the scars of the relocation will take years to heal, and Tadoule Lake is grappling with the problems of a people whose ties to the land, and to one another, have been tragically severed.
In Night Spirits, the survivors, including those who were children at the time of the move, as well as the few remaining elders, recount their stories. They offer a stark and brutally honest account of the near-destruction of the Sayisi Dene, and their struggle to reclaim their lives. It is a dark story, told in hope.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 6, 2012
Every Manitoban should read this book -- a very clear, local example of the genocidal consequences of Canadian Indian policy upon a particular people in northern Manitoba.
December 21, 2017
The most difficult book I’ve ever read. Many tears were shed. EVERY Canadian needs to read this important piece of our history. I had the opportunity to visit the vestiges of the Dene village outside of Churchill with one of the Dene elders. It was heart wrenching. An entire generation lost, so incredibly sad and unnecessary.
April 18, 2020
Heartbreaking. The story got so dark and depressing that I actually stopped reading. But that was the point. Written in their own words. The survivors tell their truth as they lived it... the relocation of the Sayisi Dene.
An essential read for anyone wishing to learn more about how the Canadian Indian Affairs decimated a people, physically, socially and spiritually.
Highly recommended.
An essential read for anyone wishing to learn more about how the Canadian Indian Affairs decimated a people, physically, socially and spiritually.
Highly recommended.
August 10, 2012
Wow. Not many books move me to tears but this one certainly did. This book is very sad and disturbing to read at times, but it definitely highlights a dark part of Canada's history. Something in which the effects are still felt today. This should be a must read for all Canadian students.
June 24, 2019
Should be required reading for all Canadians. A heart-wrenching story of injustice, loss, and burgeoning hope against all odds.
September 2, 2020
Gut wrenching. An important read told by the people's own experiences..Recommended for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of the government's treatment of First Nations people in Manitoba.
September 20, 2022
A heartbreaking story that everyone should read at some point in their life to educate themselves more on Indigenous history and intergenerational trauma.
October 31, 2024
This should be required reading for Canadians, as it presents in concise miniature the destruction caused by colonialism. The patterns seen here so clearly are present across the whole country.
Read
August 5, 2020A gut-wrenching indictment of the Indian Affairs Department for it's incredibly callous actions against the Sayisi Dene people. Like a lot of readers of this appalling and wretched saga I could only read this account a bit at a time. A shameful moment in Canadian history.
June 27, 2017
I'm typing this review immediately after finishing the book. I say this, because so much of the narrative is raw and painful, and it's left me feeling stunned. I don't think I have ever read anything like Night Spirits.
I started reading this about a month ago, and quickly realized that I would not be able to read it during my break at work, as is my usual habit. Just the introduction left me choked up and broken-hearted, and thoughts of what I'd read swirled through my mind through the rest of the afternoon. After the introduction, though, the narrative begins with the history of the Sayisi Dene prior to their relocation. It was actually beautiful, fascinating reading! The traditional nomadic lifestyle was described in detail. There probably was a certain amount of nostalgia, but there was also a degree of realism-- it wasn't an easy life. I tend to get so caught up in the idealization of traditional ways of life that I lose track of that, so it was cool to have a description that acknowledged hardship.
But the bulk of the book was dedicated to the relocation and its aftermath. And what. a. terrible. thing.
It was an emotional roller coaster-- first I was outraged, then I was anxious, then I was sad, then devastated-- actually, that's not a roller coaster. That's a downward spiral. Because that's what their experience was. The book is told through the individuals who experienced all these changes; they are relating their memories and experiences, and it makes it so easy to connect with them, to feel their pain, and to feel their need to heal. Because that's ultimately the focus of the book. The Dene acknowledge their whole past-- good and bad-- because it shapes their present and their future. The fact that they survived is a triumph, and the book ends on that note.
It's a beautiful, harsh, difficult read. I cried. I put the book down in shock. I learned so much.
I started reading this about a month ago, and quickly realized that I would not be able to read it during my break at work, as is my usual habit. Just the introduction left me choked up and broken-hearted, and thoughts of what I'd read swirled through my mind through the rest of the afternoon. After the introduction, though, the narrative begins with the history of the Sayisi Dene prior to their relocation. It was actually beautiful, fascinating reading! The traditional nomadic lifestyle was described in detail. There probably was a certain amount of nostalgia, but there was also a degree of realism-- it wasn't an easy life. I tend to get so caught up in the idealization of traditional ways of life that I lose track of that, so it was cool to have a description that acknowledged hardship.
But the bulk of the book was dedicated to the relocation and its aftermath. And what. a. terrible. thing.
It was an emotional roller coaster-- first I was outraged, then I was anxious, then I was sad, then devastated-- actually, that's not a roller coaster. That's a downward spiral. Because that's what their experience was. The book is told through the individuals who experienced all these changes; they are relating their memories and experiences, and it makes it so easy to connect with them, to feel their pain, and to feel their need to heal. Because that's ultimately the focus of the book. The Dene acknowledge their whole past-- good and bad-- because it shapes their present and their future. The fact that they survived is a triumph, and the book ends on that note.
It's a beautiful, harsh, difficult read. I cried. I put the book down in shock. I learned so much.
September 16, 2018
"At the word hope, Ernie pauses. 'It's the hardest thing,' he says. 'Despair is so much easier.'"
Night Spirits is a heartbreaking, insightful look at the genocidal relocation of the Sayisi Dene. It offers a look at many individuals perspectives of the events that transpired over 1956-1973, and articulates the tragedy that occurred with such clarity that it's hard to take in all at once.
The picture of the transition from Duck Lake to Camp-10 to Dene Village and finally to Tadoule Lake is so complete. The past at Duck Lake is shown in a sort of fuzzy light of happiness before the whole thing is broken into a picture of black-and-white as the world the Sayisi Dene once knew is taken from them and replaced with something foreign.
The book not only offers a look at the tragedy that took place in Camp-10 and Dene Village, but it also offers a glimpse at what lay after that, at the establishment of a new home in Tadoule Lake. Following the great loss and pain of the relocation instituted by the Canadian Government, the Sayisi Dene reestablished themselves at Tadoule Lake, but faced the reality that so much of their previous way of life had been lost, including their language and survival skills. The end of Night Spirits shows the struggle in this transition to a new community, but also the hope in what lies ahead as the people are reconnected with their land and their past.
Night Spirits is well written and unapologetically truthful. Through a combination of interviews, it tells a part or Canadian history that is hardly talked about and almost completely unknown to those outside of Churchill and the Sayisi Dene.
4/5
Night Spirits is a heartbreaking, insightful look at the genocidal relocation of the Sayisi Dene. It offers a look at many individuals perspectives of the events that transpired over 1956-1973, and articulates the tragedy that occurred with such clarity that it's hard to take in all at once.
The picture of the transition from Duck Lake to Camp-10 to Dene Village and finally to Tadoule Lake is so complete. The past at Duck Lake is shown in a sort of fuzzy light of happiness before the whole thing is broken into a picture of black-and-white as the world the Sayisi Dene once knew is taken from them and replaced with something foreign.
The book not only offers a look at the tragedy that took place in Camp-10 and Dene Village, but it also offers a glimpse at what lay after that, at the establishment of a new home in Tadoule Lake. Following the great loss and pain of the relocation instituted by the Canadian Government, the Sayisi Dene reestablished themselves at Tadoule Lake, but faced the reality that so much of their previous way of life had been lost, including their language and survival skills. The end of Night Spirits shows the struggle in this transition to a new community, but also the hope in what lies ahead as the people are reconnected with their land and their past.
Night Spirits is well written and unapologetically truthful. Through a combination of interviews, it tells a part or Canadian history that is hardly talked about and almost completely unknown to those outside of Churchill and the Sayisi Dene.
4/5
September 16, 2019
I felt angry and cried several times while reading this book. It's really important that this history and these perspectives are documented. A lot of the content is very dark... the devastating effects of alcohol, poverty, domestic abuse, rape, losing your culture and way of life, losing meaning and purpose. But there are some happy moments as well! When the Sayisi Dene were a healthy and independent community prior to the relocation, and even in the bad times later on there are a few sprinkles of kindness and joy in life. The ending is about Tadoule Lake and how survivors are living in the modern world. It sounds like life is much better now but there are new challenges and there are still ripple effects from the past, there's still healing needed.
As a white, middle class Canadian from Winnipeg I felt I should try to get some perspective on some of the people I am working for. It is 2019 and I recently got to work alongside a nephew of Ila Bussidor who lives in Tadoule. The book was first published 1997 so it's still pretty recent history. I borrowed the book from my boss, and read during summer 2019. Progress has been made but the community is still working with the government to settle things.
There is a lot to learn from the book, but one big takeaway I got was to keep in mind when you see a photo and a headline there is more to the story, sometimes an important perspective that was not taken into account!
As a white, middle class Canadian from Winnipeg I felt I should try to get some perspective on some of the people I am working for. It is 2019 and I recently got to work alongside a nephew of Ila Bussidor who lives in Tadoule. The book was first published 1997 so it's still pretty recent history. I borrowed the book from my boss, and read during summer 2019. Progress has been made but the community is still working with the government to settle things.
There is a lot to learn from the book, but one big takeaway I got was to keep in mind when you see a photo and a headline there is more to the story, sometimes an important perspective that was not taken into account!
September 4, 2018
This was a very difficult book to read. It begins with vivid descriptions and first-hand accounts of life in Duck Lake before the relocation. People worked hard but lived happy lives, following traditional ways of doing things. Children were well cared for and highly indulged, but grew up to be responsible, well-adjusted adults. Then, through misinterpretation of events, the governments of Canada and Manitoba decided to relocate the Sayisi Dene to Churchill, with no apparent plan for sustainability. Watching the degradation and destruction of these proud people over a period of less than 20 years is heartbreaking. The effects are catastrophic and ongoing.
February 16, 2020
A few years ago I visited Churchill on the Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba. I was fortunate enough to listen to an older Dene woman speak about her experience growing up under the forced relocation of her tribe by the Canadian government. She had been through hell and was working to live a life of meaning, connected to the land and to her tribal traditions. She recommended this book to learn more about their experiences.
This book is a collection of personal experiences interwoven with history. It is unbelievable how quickly the tribe broke down - how quickly evil took over. This book will break your heart.
This book is a collection of personal experiences interwoven with history. It is unbelievable how quickly the tribe broke down - how quickly evil took over. This book will break your heart.
February 3, 2018
4.5 stars
January 28, 2019
Perhaps the best book I have ever read on the history of Indigenous people in Canada. Absolutely powerful, a must read
January 19, 2024
An important book to read about Sayisi Dene community and what happened to them in Churchill.
September 28, 2024
Read this book as part of an Indigenous course at the U of Manitoba many years ago. It made a deep impact on me.
December 13, 2024
Well put together chronicle of the destructive power of bureaucracy.
April 5, 2025
A very interesting read. I had never heard of this Canadian Indigenous history before . Well worth reading.
October 18, 2012
I read this book as part of an Indigenous Studies course in university. This is one of the only books that has made me cry. It's heart-wrenching, all the stories in here are from the people that it happened to. Not many books about natives are first-hand accounts like this and it makes it all the more real and terrible. I often had to stop reading and just reflect on the stories, about how I felt and how angry I was that these things could happen as a direct result from the government but yet they don't do anything to help. It's a fantastic book, but be prepared to shed a few tears.
December 16, 2015
To echo what a lot of other people have said about this book: this should be required reading for every person in Manitoba, if not Canada. This is such an important piece of Canadian history that illustrates quite pointedly a very specific example of how the Canadian government has committed cultural and literal genocide of the indigenous people who live here.
Such a powerful piece of writing.
Such a powerful piece of writing.
November 21, 2012
I read this book this morning. It blew my socks off. I used lots of kleenex. It's ugly and tragic, and it's a part of Canadian history that most people don't know about. It's changing my world view.
January 7, 2022
One part of history I never learned about in school. Brutal story and the worst part about it is it is a true story.
March 25, 2015
This book is both eye opening and thought provoking. It gives the insight to a people who have been misunderstood for too long.
March 25, 2016
It's a very heavy book.
heavy as in disturbing the author doesn't write the book in her perspective but has multiple which really impacts the reader.
heavy as in disturbing the author doesn't write the book in her perspective but has multiple which really impacts the reader.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews