Did You See Us? Reunion, Remembrance, and Reclamation at an Urban Indian Residential School

Indian residential schooling histories need to centralize the voices of Survivors and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, and Did You See Us? will not disappoint readers. In this beautiful collection of stories, we learn about Survivor experiences, Indigenous storytelling methodologies, and the complicated and diverse nature of the genocidal Indian residential schooling system in Canada. The book is concerned with not only the history of the Assiniboia Indian Residential School (1958–73) but also its legacy, which Survivor Theodore Fontaine calls “an experience of reunion, reconciliation, and reclamation” (xxi). This is a prolific example of how a collaboration between community and academia can result in an Indigenous-driven research project.There has been an explosion of publications related to Indian residential schooling histories since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada published its final report (2015), but this book in particular tells a unique story of an institution that was an exception to the system. The Assiniboia Indian Residential School was an urban institution, located in a residential neighborhood, and opened during a time when “Indian schooling” was shifting to integration into provincial day schools in southern Canada. Do You See Us? reminds us that the system was not monolithic and that there were many unique characteristics, even among these carceral institutions.At various points in the book, Survivor Theodore Fontaine and sociologist Andrew Woolford take the time and care to delicately outline the theoretical background, intent, and violence of the Indian residential schooling system in Canada, but they are also careful to remind readers that the process of writing this book was therapeutic to those involved. Fontaine and Woolford’s contributions are complemented by the stories of Survivors. Throughout these remembrances—which come in the form of chronological memoir-style narratives, interview transcripts, and poems—the reader is presented with a wide variety of Survivor experiences and interpretations of their institutionalization at the Assiniboia Indian Residential School.What becomes evident is that those former Assiniboia Indian Residential School students are not solely defined by their time at residential school; their stories touch on other aspects of their lives, which demonstrate the complexity of being Indigenous in the settler state of Canada but also show that survivorship and strength is not limited to being a Survivor of the system. The diversity of narratives and experiences at this one residential school is noteworthy, especially the inclusion of the experiences of Indigenous parents – a rarely told perspective – highlighting those who loved their children and sought to act in their best interest in light of coercive policies, and that this is remembered by Survivors. Do You See Us? also includes the stories of Assiniboia Indian Residential School staff, at the invitation of the Survivor Governing Council that led the project.The authors and contributors take care to highlight the troubling aspects of the Assiniboia Indian Residential School; sexual violence is a part of this institution’s history, like other Indian residential schools in Canada. Although some Survivors highlight certain positive experiences during their time there, we must not forget that the system—even in the second half of the twentieth century—was designed to remove Indigenous Peoples from the Land, divide families, eradicate Indigenous languages, cultures, and sovereignty, and “civilize” Indigenous children; indeed, Fontaine reminders readers that it was an “experiment in keeping Indian children captive, while advancing toward the goals of assimilation and isolation from our Indian language, culture, family, and community” (18). Woolford notes some of the ongoing challenges with undertaking these kinds of histories in archives and the continued search for truth in these histories.This book is important for Survivors, especially intergenerational Survivors who want to better understand the experiences of their parents and relatives; for university students; and for Canadians. It is an example of a community-inspired, Indigenous-led project of truth and reconciliation that led to a publication that highlights the diverse, complex, and delicate stories of Survivors at one Indian residential school in Canada. Do You See Us? is a must read.

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