Medicine Unbundled: A Journey Through the Minefields of Indigenous Health Care

by Gary Geddes

"We can no longer pretend we don't know about residential schools, murdered and missing Aboriginal women and 'Indian hospitals.' The only outstanding question is how we respond."—Tom Sandborn, Vancouver Sun A shocking exposé of the dark history and legacy of segregated Indigenous health care in Canada. After the publication of his critically acclaimed 2011 book Drink the Bitter A Writer s Search for Justice and Healing in Africa, author Gary Geddes turned the investigative lens on his own country, embarking on a long and difficult journey across Canada to interview Indigenous elders willing to share their experiences of segregated health care, including their treatment in the "Indian hospitals" that existed from coast to coast for over half a century. The memories recounted by these survivors from gratuitous drug and surgical experiments to electroshock treatments intended to destroy the memory of sexual abuse are truly harrowing, and will surely shatter any lingering illusions about the virtues or good intentions of our colonial past. Yet, this is more than just the painful history of a once-so-called vanishing people (a people who have resisted vanishing despite the best efforts of those in charge); it is a testament to survival, perseverance, and the power of memory to keep history alive and promote the idea of a more open and just future. Released to coincide with the Year of Reconciliation (2017), Medicine Unbundled is an important and timely contribution to our national narrative.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, History, Medicine, Canada, Politics, Health

320 pages, Paperback

Published February 15, 2017

Reviews

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

The injustice faced by Indigenous Canadians at the hands of the Canadian health care system and residential school system is a story that needs to be told, and told again. In recounting their personal stories of suffering, survivors not only educate Canadians about the country's colonial history, but nakedly expose humanity's capacity for true depravity and resilience at the same time.

That these important messages had to be hidden under a thick overgrowth of the author's ego and personal reflections is unfortunate. I was very much looking forward to reading this book. However, I found myself fighting more and more to keep going. The structure and the style was incredibly difficult for me. It sits in a strange space somewhere between personal diary, newspaper article, investigative journalism, historical work, and novel. As an example, the author feels the need to inject his own personal anecdotes into the testimonials of those he is interviewing, and these additions only serve to detract from the story he is attempting to tell. He frequently makes statements and then provides no examples or evidence for those statements. The frustrating part is that these statements are often very demonstrably true, but he has not done the legwork to prove his point, which I honestly believe the reader would benefit from. Too much of his own self-discovery and not enough scholarly work. I suppose if you want an introduction to this subject and don't mind being slowed down by often repetitious, sometimes self-centred, and tangential wanderings, this may do the job.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking is an understatement . . . I had some insight into the treatment of FN people in "Indian" hospitals but I had no idea just how bad things were and how devastating the legacy left behind. Geddes often draws an all too clear picture that will leave you disturbed, saddened and angry. It is obvious Geddes has done an immense amount of research and he leaves the reader with a plethora of choices from which to pursue further investigation of residential schools, Indian hospitals, The Sixties Scoop and other historical events/issues in which Canada's FN were treated so horribly by the settler community/dominant culture. We have much to apologize for. We have much to reconcile.

[Whitney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so terribly disappointed by this book, which was assigned for a class I am taking on racial bias in health care. The author talks about himself and his own (little t) trauma ad-nauseam while making inappropriate plays on words ("the phallic, thrusting smokestack") describing the residential schools and hospitals where Indigenous children were raped and purposefully infected with Tuberculosis. I can hardly stomach his insensitivity and self-importance. Name dropping is rampant. Irrelevant wanderings of thought prevail. It's very simply Mr. Geddes' poor review of other, more important books by actual Indigenous people. It's a diary of his years of personal study of a topic which he is insufficiently skilled to report.
I wish he would have left his story out -- theirs are so much more important. He has the audacity to present copies of his other books as gifts to the Elders who agree to let him interview them...
I can hardly believe that a publisher accepted this book. It's chock full of grammatical, spelling, and construction errors. He constantly refers to characters he hasn't introduced yet or refers to conversations that he describes in subsequent chapters. There is no logical organization to the topics presented and he fails to even present the most basic explanation of important historical events, just refers to them as if I should already know what they are.
The only good part of this book is the bibliography. There you will find books that you should read instead of this one.

[Chris]

Geddes interviews survivors of segregated Indian Hospitals, but goes much deeper and broader than the abuses they suffered there. His travels, conversations and readings take him to the colonial roots of Indigenous health crises, especially their direct links with residential schools. He also explores how people survived, persevered, even learned to thrive. It's a circuitous journey but one filled with insights, wisdom and humility.

Two passages that jumped out at me:

-"It is readily acknowledged that Indian children lose their natural resistance to illness by habitating so closely in these [residential] schools, and that they die at a much higher rate than in their villages. But this alone does not justify a change in the policy of this [Indian Affairs] Department, which is geared towards the final solution of our Indian Problem." -the always-charming Duncan Campbell Scott
-In her efforts to empower the grassroots, [Pamela Palmater] pulls no punches, listing Canada's two main policy objectives: acquiring Indigenous land and resources and reducing financial responsibility for those displaced.

[Irene Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revealing, riveting, heart-breaking, this book should be mandatory reading for every Canadian and discussed in depth in every high school classroom.

In contrast to our international image of "niceness", the truth is that Canada has a legacy of genocide, one that has yet to be fully acknowledged and fully addressed. The so-called "Indian healthcare system" was the evil twin of the Residential School System, both playing key and complimentary roles in crimes against humanity.

The author has done a remarkable job in providing a view into this dark history in a deeply humble, compassionate way. His poetic touch, mammoth research, and raw human edge make this disturbing book a very compelling read.

We owe it to the First Nations to hear these stories, to listen deeply, to understand, to make amends, and to NEVER repeat anything like this again.

Make no mistake, this book will make you cry. And it should.

[Clivemichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbing realities, presented in a personal style. Well written

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I expected reading a book written by an old white guy about Indigenous People's experiences in Indian Hospitals and Residential Schools, but I certainly found the title and blurb about this book misleading. There were a few people who spoke of Indian Hospitals specifically, which was much less than I expected. Much was discussed about Residential Schools, and the interconnection between these two types of institutions. But what lost me the most was when Geddes went on a number of tangents about topics I had a hard time connecting to "health," even in a general term.
Overall, I found this a disappointing read, not because of the experiences shared by brave and resilient people, but because I felt Geddes didn't hit the mark in amplifying their voices. The book felt bogged down by other unrelated topics seemingly just to fill the pages.

[Lidia Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of stories by Gary Geddes who interviewed Indigenous people all over Canada and explores the ways in which health and healthcare treatments have overlooked, exploited and hurt them.
It's well written-- harrowing, mostly. As I hope to pursue a career as a public health nurse, I think it is an important discussion to have.
That being said, Geddes writes this "investigation" as if it was his memoir? In a way, I felt that the book focused on his experience with learning about the awful treatment Indigenous People have received throughout their lives (in the name of "health."), rather than exploring the issues both in the past and the current. There was no real discussion on solutions for Canadians in the field or necessary systemic changes.

All author proceeds of the book go to a scholarship for Indigenous Student at the University of Victoria which is pretty cool.

[Kiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the history of residential schools and segregated hospitals. A bit repetitive, reaĺly could have been shorter without losing anything.

[Laura Lipton]

Very good reading, but I wanted to know more about the topic the book was named for.
Ie less broad based, more focused on the health care, which we all know is sadly lacking..

[Sean Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geddes brings his usual clarity of argument and accessible writing style to expose the history of maltreatment of Indigenous people in British Columbia by the medical system—a story that was buried for 60 years as government authorities tried to cover their tracks. He focuses specifically on the Port Alberni Residential School, where aboriginal children were used in medical experiments. "Imagine looking around for starving or malnourished individuals, not so you can provide them with enough food to regain their health and strength, but because they are idea guinea pigs for experiments you have in mind," Geddes writes.
Whether the official Canadian government apologies embedded in the Truth and Reconciliation reports were well-meaning or mere political posturing is hard to tell. But as some of his Indigenous respondents point out, merely being paid money for a trauma that shatters multiple generations is hardly "reconciliation," that most slippery of concepts. Geddes intelligently avoids responding to such tricky issues with the simplistic conclusions all too typical of politically correct writers these days. Unlike lesser writers, he knows how to moderate his polemics to focus on compassion for the victims rather than political prescriptions. Anticipating the rabid cries of PC fundamentalists claiming cultural appropriation, Geddes was careful to first obtain the blessing of families victimized at the Port Alberni Residential School, who were thrilled to support this book. His view of the atrocities is unflinching but he doesn't allow his righteous passion to overcome his compassion or his reason.
And as a thoroughly well-informed historian, Geddes wisely sets the medical experimentation on Indigenous people in BC within the larger context of "man's inhumanity to man," to use a now dated yet still relevant expression. "When you go through the long list of illegal medical experiments conducted by the American, Japanese, German, and other military groups, you have to conclude that there is nothing we are incapable of inflicting on our fellow human beings, the more so if they are defenceless and seen as somehow inferior and, therefore, expendable." This despite the fact that the Nuremberg Code was established after WWII to prevent just such atrocities. That the Code is continually flouted and ignored is evident by the repeated failures of our public health agencies to protect the public from toxic chemicals and even wireless technology. It's arguable that the populations of entire countries are now test subjects in ongoing but unacknowledged medical experiments, 5G being just the latest example of a technology being rolled out with no prior medical testing for safety.
Geddes makes it clear that racism is often a red herring floated to justify and distract attention from the real motive: greed. "It's greed that drives colonization; racism just oils the wheels." Given that abused peoples throughout history are a constantly shifting target, his argument makes perfect sense. Greed for the wealth resulting from the theft of resources comes first; on its heels quickly comes the racist justifications for the crime—justifications that are easily discredited upon even cursory examination.
The author realized early on in his research that, in order to be a truly compassionate listener, he had to adjust himself to the different ways Indigenous people communicate. "I learned early on that word-of-mouth contact would be the only way of establishing the kind of trust that makes the sharing of experiences possible... Knowing that Indigenous peoples have been waiting a long time for us to listen to them, I pressed on... Moving slowly has allowed me to mature in terms of understanding..."
An excellent, thoroughly informative yet deeply compassionate read. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the subject.

[Sophie Menon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, I definitely enjoyed reading the book and hearing stories from across Canada of so many familiar places, but I agree with other reviews that the author put too much of his own personal opinions and experiences in the book which weren’t really necessary. I did learn a lot about the history of Indian Hospitals in Canada

[Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential and does contain meaningful history about the genocide of indigenous people. That being said, the author turned this into a personal memoir/journal that weaves throughout the book but rarely adds anything.

[Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely important topic. These stories need to be shared with the world.

I just don’t want to learn about it from this insecure, self absorbed and self serving “writer”.

Every story somehow led back to his own childhood traumas and experiences about being a poor, white guy.

Step aside, Gary.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly important information muddled up by the authors ego and desire to insert himself throughout. Bit of a mess.

[Carol Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Gary Geddes explores a very wide and diverse topic: indigenous health care, both historical and current, across Canada. He does so largely through interviews with former patients, their families, and other indigenous people from many different cultural groups. Because the topic is so vast, I found it easiest to read the book non-sequentially--picking it up at any point and reading 2 or 3 chapters from that point, then going to another part of the book and doing the same. There were a few times when I would have liked a little more documentation, for example, on claims that students at an Indian Day school had been experimented on with excessive doses of polio vaccine, and that this vaccine had "caused" cancer in an unexpected number of the students.
In general, however, this book will serve to raise awareness of the injustices that were done to indigenous people in Canada in the name of health care, and as such is an important addition to the historical record.

[Patricia L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be warned: it is such a compelling read that it made me feel like a colonial jerk.
The book includes many resilient people's stories, poetry, and books. The author offers a way (praxis) for Canadian to move forward by acknowledging what some of us have done to some of us.