My Heart Shook Like a Drum: What I Learned at the Indian Mission Schools, Northwest Territories

The Canadian Government made it mandatory for all Indian children to attend religious mission schools away from the influences of Indian parents. Alice was raised in four Residential Schools in compliance with Government Legislation. She stayed at St. Joseph´s Roman Catholic Mission School in Fort Resolution, Federal Hostels in Breynat Hall in Fort Smith, Lapointe Hall in Fort Simpson and Akaitcho Hall in Yellowknife to get educated in the white man´s way while suppressing her Indian language, culture, native spirituality and practices in the process of trying to eradicate the Indian in her.
The hurts the Grey Nun supervisors gave Alice lasted a lifetime. Forgiveness came fifty years later in Alice´s adulthood when she forgave the Government of Canada and the mean Grey Nun supervisors after so many years of breaking away from the Catholic Church. It was a long process but Alice has relearned Spirituality. "It´s time to forget the pain of my childhood which was stolen from me. You can´t forget the assaults but can forgive the meanness of certain individuals so life can go on in a better state of mind." This story had to be told so the Canadian public can understand what one Indian child went through in residential schools funded by the Government of Canada