This doctor tried to raise alarms about residential schools 100 years ago but was ignored
Share
SASKATOON -
More than 100 years ago, a Canadian doctor tried to sound the alarm on residential schools but historians say he was silenced by government officials. Indigenous advocates working to reclaim his legacy now say a great deal can be learned from his example.
In the early part of the 20th century, medical health officer Dr. Peter H. Bryce repeatedly warned his superiors at the Department of Indian Affairs of the rampant spread of tuberculosis killing Indigenous children in residential schools.
He spent months examining dozens of schools in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and found unsanitary conditions, poor health practices, buildings that were prone to fires, and a lack of ventilation. In a damning report to the government in 1907, initially hidden from the public by his bosses, he wrote “it’s almost as if the prime conditions of the outbreak of epidemics had been deliberately created.”
John Milloy, historian and Trent University professor, said it was one of the first attempts to flag the “dreadful health conditions” of the schools to the broader Canadian public.
“He made the mistake of illustrating that pretty effectively,” Milloy, author of “A National Crime,” told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. His book title refers to the words Bryce himself used in a 1922 public exposé, after his pleas for reform were ignored for years.
Milloy characterized Bryce as a whistleblower when the department shunned his findings. Milloy said that Bryce was subsequently blocked from speaking at academic conferences; and that for the rest of his life, he was “hounded” and disparaged by his boss, deputy superintendent Duncan Campbell Scott, whose department ran the schools.
In the wake of the horrific discovery of the unmarked graves of 215 children at a residential school in Kamloops, B.C., Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, tweeted about Bryce’s efforts decades ago.
“He fought to save these children’s lives,” Blackstock, a member of the Gitxsan First Nation, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “Had he been listened to, I think it's fair to say thousands of children's lives could have been saved.”
“He was just an example of moral courage. He was willing to stand up for his professional values.. and for his moral values, no matter what the price for him personally,” Blackstock said. She has “great admiration for him” and, last year, even wrote an article for the Canadian Medical Association Journal about the need to reclaim his legacy and learn from it now.
HOW GOV'T SILENCED BRYCE
Bryce, a non-Indigenous doctor, was not only a founding member of the Canadian Public Health Association but had served as the president of the American Public Health Association. And in 1884, he even drafted the country’s first provincial public health act, which went on to be used as a model in some U.S. states, Milloy said.
But a pivotal moment in his career came in 1904, when the government asked him to be the chief medical health officer of the Department of Indian Affairs. According to statistics at the time, Indigenous people were dying from tuberculosis (TB) at a rate 20 times higher than that of non-Indigenous Canadians.
So Bryce was tasked with investigating the health conditions and deaths in residential schools and on reserves.
In 1907, Bryce released a critical report stating that, based on records he surveyed, up to a quarter of the 1,537 pupils across Canada’s residential schools were dead because of TB. In one example, he found 69 per cent of former students died after they left one school.
His reports and calls for reforms such as better ventilation systems, fixing structural problems in the buildings, improved diet, and having specialized nurses trained to treat TB, were largely ignored.
Photo of Department of Indian Affairs' deputy superintendent Duncan Campbell Scott. (Photo by Yousuf Karsh, courtesy of the Library and Archives of Canada)
His boss Scott and others felt the reforms would have been too expensive, Milloy said. This would be the case with all Bryce’s subsequent reports.
Scott’s stance on the need for residential schools was well-known. He famously told a Canadian Senate hearing: “our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic, and there is no Indian question, and no Indian department.”
The department never published Bryce’s 1907 findings publicly but they were leaked to the press, Milloy explained. That year, newspapers ran editorials on them, with The Evening Citizen -- a precursor to The Ottawa Citizen -- even running a front-page story about Bryce’s findings.
“It was very annoying to the department to say the least, because it showed the public what a scandal it was,” Milloy said. “The death rate was, in many schools, larger than it had been for Canadian soldiers in the First World War.”
'HOUNDED' FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE
Although the reaction to the report was mixed, with Catholic church officials responding defensively, Milloy said it sparked a personal vendetta by Bryce’s boss at the Department of Indian Affairs.
“He was hounded by Duncan Campbell Scott for the rest of his life -- for the rest of his career,” Milloy said. He said Scott stopped Bryce from speaking publicly, blocked his nomination to lead the then-new Department of Health, and eventually cut funding for his work, pushing him out of public service.
One of Bryce’s last attempts to make change came in 1922, when he published a short book entitled “The Story of a National Crime: An Appeal for Justice to the Indians of Canada.” It laid out just how much the government was at fault for the TB deaths and it included correspondence showing how Scott and the department had hamstrung Bryce’s decade-long efforts.
Bryce died 10 years later, with residential schools in Canada not closing until 1996.
LEGACY BEING RESTORED
Bryce was buried in Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, the same place as Scott. Several years ago, Blackstock first became aware of the story of Bryce and Scott through Milloy’s book and that inspired her to begin to restore Bryce’s legacy.
Up until 2015, Scott had a glowing plaque referring to him as "one of the outstanding figures in Canadian poetry.” But Blackstock said it made no mention of how his inactions helped to prolong residential schools as an institution.
So, with the full support of cemetery staff and approval of the Bryce family, Blackstock worked with the former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Murray Sinclair, Milloy and others to replace the plaque with more balanced wording, including adding the phrases “cultural genocide" and "Confederate poet."
She’s since become close with Bryce’s descendants, and that same year, Blackstock helped erect a historical plaque at the cemetery for Byrce that celebrates the work he tried to accomplish.
Blackstock has become something of a caretaker of Bryce’s grave and even built a small garden at the site. “I go there probably once a month at least. We always refresh the flowers and it’s been so wonderful to see so many people come to visit.”
Although some of the research that went into writing Bryce’s plaque is included in the B.C. elementary school curriculum, Blackstock wishes Bryce could’ve had a larger impact on changing and ending the practice of residential schools and the way Indigenous people are treated in Canada.
She believes much of the school’s legacy remains across many facets of society, including the disproportionate representation of Indigenous children in the foster-care system.
“Courage is not a value, it's an activator of value,” she said when thinking of Bryce. And when it comes to undoing all the unjust legacies of residential schools today, she urges people in government or in the health field to learn from Bryce’s stand.
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Students in Montreal describe life in a newly erected encampment in Montreal as a whirlwind of preparations, from facing rain and a potential police crackdown to setting up a space for the exchange of ideas.
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
Subway service is expected to remain suspended through the afternoon rush on a portion of Line 2 due to a hydraulic oil leak that was first detected on Monday morning.
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
The United Conservative Party says it has gathered a panel of medical experts for a town hall meeting next month that's expected to discuss the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in children.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government will ask the province’s police watchdog to investigate how officers forcibly cleared out two pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses.
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.
Construction on Ottawa's new central library has passed the halfway point. According to Paul Hussar, program manager for design, construction, and infrastructure for the Adisoke project, says the building just passed 54 per cent completion.
Pro-Palestinian protesters at McGill University have become 'occupiers' living in a fortified and barricaded mini-village, a lawyer for the Montreal school argued on Monday as he asked for an injunction to dismantle the more than two-week-old encampment on its downtown campus.
Several people were sent to hospital with 'serious injuries' Monday after a vehicle failed to stop for police and then crashed into multiple other vehicles, according to Quebec's police watchdog.
A family in NDG that had mice and cockroaches falling through a hole in their bathroom ceiling says the ordeal finally appears to be over, but the pressure isn't off the landlord just yet.
Stuart Skinner, the Oilers' starting goalie all season and for each of their eight post-season games this year, allowed all four goals scored against his team Sunday night, some of them arguably his fault.
A man was injured when he was attacked while walking his dog earlier this month. The 55-year-old man was reportedly attacked by a man and woman with what appeared to be a knife and a machete.
The Crown will decide if they will ask to consolidate the charges among the four accused in the death of 16-year-old Ahmad Al Marrach in Halifax sometime this week.
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a Manitoba man was killed was killed as a result of being struck by a vehicle on the outskirts of Yorkton on Wednesday.
People living in Wellington County North, Arthur and Mount Forest are being advised to take cover as scattered thunderstorms sweep across the area into Monday evening.
A 29-year-old Timmins man is charged with impaired driving in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 144 near Greater Sudbury that sent two children to hospital by air ambulance Saturday.
One of two men wanted for attempted murder in Timmins has been arrested, while a warrant has been issued for a second suspect, who fled police on foot.
Parts of Grey-Bruce and Huron-Perth find themselves under a severe thunderstorm watch Monday afternoon, with the possibility of strong wind gusts, large hail, heavy rain, and an isolated tornado threat.
Under tough cross-examination from the Crown, a London, Ont. mother continued to vehemently deny that she sexually abused her children. The 54-year-old mother resumed with her testimony Monday for a second straight week in a row.
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Simcoe County is under a severe thunderstorm warning with the potential for strong winds up to 90 kilometres per hour, toonie-sized hail, and heavy downpours.
After a marathon, six-hour meeting on the Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan, council and the mayor voted in favour of increasing taxes to support the core.
As a fan of all things astronomy, Zeel Parmar has long dreamt of flying to Alaska to witness the northern lights with her own eyes — so she was shocked to find the colours of the aurora borealis shimmering over the skies of Windsor, Ont. late Friday night.
Chatham-Kent Police Service is recommending 35 additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems in several downtown areas at Chatham-Kent council Monday evening.
A wildfire burning dangerously close to Fort Nelson, B.C., has grown to more than 50 square kilometres, and officials are warning that the blaze's behaviour is expected to become more volatile over the next 48 hours.
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
After four targeted shootings in four days, Mounties in Kamloops are taking the unusual step of warning the public about two men they believe are likely to be targeted in future violent incidents.
Some Lethbridge charities are having a hard time staffing volunteers, saying the number of people willing to donate their time to non-profits over the years has decreased.
A 22-year-old man from the Greater Toronto Area is facing drug trafficking charges after police in northwestern Ontario seized $700,000 in drugs during raid.
Ontario Provincial Police are facing tough questions about their search for a missing Newfoundland trucker whose rig was found two weeks ago in Ontario, then sent back to Newfoundland, where his body was found Monday in the trailer.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
Artificial intelligence will have an impact on the Canadian labour force, a parliamentary committee recently heard, and MPs are suggesting ways the federal government can better prepare.
As his criminal trial got underway Monday, 'Freedom Convoy' organizer Pat King pleaded not guilty to a list of nine charges related to the major protest that paralyzed downtown Ottawa in 2022.
Canada’s foreign affairs minister is embarking on a five-day trip to the Middle East and the Mediterranean where she will focus on peacekeeping and aid.
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
The United Conservative Party says it has gathered a panel of medical experts for a town hall meeting next month that's expected to discuss the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in children.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
The Federal Court of Appeal says work on a massive rail-and-truck hub in the Greater Toronto Area can go ahead — for the time being, as the future of the facility remains in limbo.
Melinda French Gates will step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the non-profit she and her ex-husband Bill Gates founded and built into one of the world's largest philanthropic organizations over the past 20 years.
Kraft Heinz is exploring a sale of its Oscar Mayer meats business that could fetch up to to US$5 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The 148th Westminster show kicked off Saturday with an agility competition — won by a mixed-breed dog for the first time since Westminster added the event in 2014.
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
When it comes to gardening, a lot of questions come up, including the best way to keep pets away from plants, maintaining your lawn and keeping the dandelions at bay.
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
New York City FC coach Nick Cushing has repeated his denial of allegations that he punched a Toronto FC player, saying he is shocked and upset at the claim.
Amazon's self-driving robotaxi unit is being investigated by the U.S. government's highway safety agency after two of its vehicles braked suddenly and were rear-ended by motorcyclists.
The Biden administration plans to impose major new tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar equipment and medical supplies imported from China, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the plan.