Out of the Depths (New Extended Edition)

The Experiences of Mi’kmaw Childrn at the Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia

Isabelle Knockwood

“The Residential School experience had serious negative consequences for many of our people who have suffered in silence for too long. It is time to take the first step and let others know they are not alone in their suffering. No matter how painful, the stories of our people must be told and heard. Through sharing our past, we can begin to heal ourselves, our communities, our people as we look to a better tomorrow.” —Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, former Residential School student

“Any person interested in understanding the Micmac people must read this book. It chronicles the rebuilding of a nation that was bereft of its children. Years have passed, some have spoken but many remain silent, indicating that their wounds have yet to heal.” Jean C. Knockwood, B.A., Director of Post Secondary Education, Indian Brook Reserve, Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia

“These long overdue apologies [from the Canadian government and the Oblate order] are necessary, but they can do little to mend the damage caused by the suffering of generations of Native children in the residential schools. We are only now healing ourselves from that suffering. I see this book as part of that beginning.” —Isabelle Knockwood, from her 1992 Introduction

Listed as a supplementary resource for social studies (grades 7-12) for New Brunswick schools.

Contents

• Kwe’
• Preface to the Third Edition: The Code of Silence
• Chapter 1: Origins
• Chapter 2: Everyday Life at the School
• Chapter 3: Work and Play
• Chapter 4: Rewards and Punishments
• Chapter 5: Ghosts and Hauntings
• Chapter 6: Resistance
• Chapter 7: The End of the School
• Chapter 8: The Official Story
• Chapter 9: Out of the Depths
• Discussion between Isabelle and Gillian
• Spelling Mi’kmaw Words
• Acknowledgements

About the Author

Isabelle Knockwood, born in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, attended the Indian Residential School in Shubenacadie from 1936 to 1947. She is the mother of six children and has fourteen grandchildren. At the age of fifty-eight, she enrolled at Saint Mary’s University n Halifax seeking a major in Anthropology and a minor in English; she graduated in 1992. She now lives at the Indian Brook Reserve, Nova Scotia. At a special Sunrise Ceremony at Indian Brook, Isabelle was given her Spirit name, Maqmikewe’skw, which means Mother Earth.

Excerpt

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