Out of the Depths: Experiences of Mi’kmaw Children at the Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia

by Isabelle Knockwood

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?

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Indigenous, Social Justice, Canada, Cultural Studies, Race

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1992

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very sad to read. I found myself quite a few times having to put it down. If only I had a time machine...

Since this book brings out a slew of emotions I'll just throw out my thoughts in any random order:

1) Don't preach, show: There is nothing more despicable and insincere than people who follow the ideology "do as I say, not as I do". Instead of actually practicing their faith and being role models to the children the nuns behaved like the savages they accused the children of being. What's worse is that even after so much time passed many of the ones that Knockwood spoke to in the 80s continued to support their behavior. In the words of "millennial Jesus" - "I gave you one rule to follow, treat others as you would want to be treated, and you couldn't even do that." FAIL.

2) The actions of our government...pathetic. I would sincerely hope that if my great, great, great grandfather (who was a magistrate) were to have ever presided over a trial with aboriginal peoples he would treat them with far greater human dignity. I mean, I don't typically believe in judging people of other time periods by the standards of our own but even in that time this kind of treatment of other people was not acceptable.

3) I'm a bit confused by Knockwood's declaration towards the end. She says (in summary) "you got me but you won't get my children and grandchildren" but then later she acknowledges that her children DID go to the Resi schools. So...I'm a little confused by the contradiction there. Perhaps she meant the school wouldn't get them in the same way they got her by beating her down? I don't know. I figured it'd be better to ask than make assumptions.

4) I noticed that Knockwood has a sort of hesitation when discussing the apology and other aspects of healing. I understand how that feels - like there's something still in the pits of her stomach forcing her to play nice when really you just want to scream. I can still see and feel that conflict of emotions from her. It's rather sad, but it's a result of the need to survive.

I hope people use books like these as a conversational tool to start talking about what happened. The more we own up to our horrible past the more we can do to build a better future and prevent ourselves from making those mistakes again.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking and important. If the idea of Residential Schools is unfathomable to you, it's because it should be. Nevertheless, it happened, and since I went through school without being taught this aspect of our history, I'm thankful to survivors for sharing their truth.

[Cassandra Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very emotional, but impossible to put down. There were so many times when I needed to put it down because I needed to relax and calm myself, but I felt that closing the book was a way for me to forget these stories and that was in some way disrespectful to the memories of these people.
These is definally a story that everyone needs to read, although it only talks about the Mi'Kmaq children in Nova Scotia, these experiences will give people who have not learned about Indian Residental Schools in Canada an idea what was happening to a lot of Native children in Canada.

[Dna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal read. Shame on Canada and Canadians for allowing this to happen to the First Nations children, for turning a blind eye, for aiding and abetting...

[Natasha MacQuarrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate to attend a session with the author, she is an amazing woman with spunk and moxie. The book is a tough read but one we all should read. If we don’t know our past we are doomed to repeat it.

[Juanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this before ever saying, "Get over it," when discussing residential schools with First Nation Canadians.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult as an account such as this is to read it is so important that these stories become known and the reason is we don't want to repeat it in history. This has a warning in it for today. The so called experts who are telling us the right way and thing to do while they silence any voices that question anything they say has happened before in many ways and with different messengers.Be it religious or political we must assess the deliverers and their methods and care for those who are the victims.

[L De Clou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very well-written book brings you into the residential school experience. A recommended read for every Canadian

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle Knockwood is a survivor of Atlantic Canada’s only residential school (although “Indian day schools” existed in the region), and she shares the truth of her experiences in this book. The first-hand knowledge is difficult to read, but clearly conveys how traumatic life in those schools were. She draws clear connections between lingering intergenerational trauma, and the failures of Canada’s federal system in acknowledging the truth necessary for reconciliation. Ultimately this is a short, heavy and important read to help settler Canadians act on truth & reconciliation.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember hearing about how the last residential school was closed in 1996. I heard about it over the radio, and that was the first time I had heard about residential schools (I was a teenager).

I remember hearing Stephen McNeil's apology in 2008.

This book is amazing and horrifying. It's both hard to believe and, cynically, really easy to believe that this happened because there is still this kind of racism out there.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

“As children, the residential school students were warrior children - we stood on the front line alone, unprotected and unarmed trying to defend our culture, identity and heritage”

I’m loosing count at the number of books I’ve read on residential schools/survivors and each time my heart breaks all over again. What these children and families went through is unimaginable and unforgivable.

Every child matters.

[Jasmine Renaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing first person account of what happened in the Shubenacadie residential school. The vivid descriptions had my crying along with the author. The book was very powerful, and helped in my understanding of residential schools. Though it puts you through an emotional roller coaster, it was almost impossible to put down.

[Itisme]

2004

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

More atrocities committed by the catholic church. Be nice to see some nuns get sent to the big house.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a good summary of life in residential schools. I like how it was specific to the Shubenacadie school, as I’m trying to educate myself about the Mi’kmaw people. I especially liked the interview between with author and her co-author, Gillian Thomas. It became clear how much courage it took to write about her experience in residential school, especially in the early ‘90s when this was first published. I also found the preface to the fourth edition important. The author points out that one issue remains unresolved: the survivors need to hear the other side of the story - the perpetrators need to speak. That’s a really good point. What a step towards reconciliation that would be.

The only reason I didn’t rate this higher, is that something in the writing style didn’t work that well for me. But the content was exactly what I needed.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sad, heartbreaking read. It shares Isabelle and her fellow school survivors stories as they tell it with authenticity, sadness, and share the immense pain they went though. Reading her reactions to Harper's apology in 2008 was also sad in many ways, especially to see how many people took it.

This took a while to read, only because it was hard to read. You could easily press through and complete in a day. The narrative is simple, which bares the trauma and suffering and brings it that much more into relief.

If you haven't read any books on the residential schools, read this one.

[Becky Coholan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! A book that tells about the role of residential schools, particularly the residential school in Nova Scotia, Canada. Knockwood uses a form of a scrapbook by including different images, gathering different voices of survivors who experienced different and similar events such as abuse, yet found beauty to keep them alive in a a system that ‘are them powerless.

The use of photos states that the children and institution existed in Nova Scotia! They show the pain, yet the "joy" that sustained them to live through the horror.

[Carol McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4 star rating is not about how the book is written, but for the content. Having little understanding of the Residential Schools in Canadian history, this has helped me know some of the ‘truths’ in truth & reconciliation. Now what is needed is to know why the authorities (Priests, nuns, RCMP, police, Indian agents, governments) acted as they did. Why did they feel it necessary to “kill the Indian in the child”?

[Kathy Burris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having never have learned about Indian Residential Schools this was a very informative read. What the nuns/priests did to those children is beyond disgraceful. The fact that the school were opened by the Canadian Government to "kill the Indian in the child," is a shameful part of our history.
I did get a chuckle when I read the boys nickname for Father Mackey was Scratch which apparently was one of the early nicknames for the devil, how appropriate.

[Gemington · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: residential schools, abuse, sexual abuse, spiritual abuse, genocide, anti-Indigenous racism, colonialism, child abuse, neglect, suffering, fear

Knockwood carefully combines her own lives experience at Shubenacadie Residential School with in-depth research and first hand interviews to create a survivor-led narrative. This book was a challenging read—detailing systematic abuse and punishment, enforced child labour, and cruelty that is impossible to forget.

[Veronica Highmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is honestly horrific and astounding. I read this book for a school book review and I'm very thankful I now have the knowledge that Isabelle shared. This is not an easy read. Take breaks while reading this and reflect on your previous knowledge and how your new findings will shape you as a person in society.

It's an honour to have the chance to read these peoples cynical experiences and that they've been able to share their voice and their side of the story.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knockwood’s weaving of her own firsthand experiences with accounts collected from other survivors brings to light some of the unimaginable horrors of the residential school system. Reading books such as this is one of the many important steps needed to truly meet the goals of truth and reconciliation.

[Mkpicketts]

Highly recommend to everyone - at times horrifying stories that give perspective to what children experienced at the Shubenacadie Residential School; gives fantastic insight into local history that I haven’t been exposed to previously

[Jill Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides real life experiences of those who are Indian Residential School survivors from Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. This book has some graphic scenes, reading this was nothing compared to how they lived everyday.

[Andrea Burke-Saulnier · Rating 5 out of 5]

So authentic, so honest, so painful. Such gratitude to Elder Knockwood for sharing these unimaginably painful stories.

[Andréa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for every Nova Scotian.

[Em Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Read. By all.

[Kayla R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking but important read

[Pamela Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible haunting recollection of unimaginable experiences . A very important read.

[Barb Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, true story about a young girl's experience at a residential school in Nova Scotia.