A PAAT TSI KAAN SAKIIKS—Spark Creators

I attended an event over two years ago in which Cindy Blackstock spoke at Mount Royal University. She spoke about children and the Child Welfare system but what aroused interest in me was when she mentioned a man that I have never heard of until then. The man was Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce, an early “whistle blower” that attempted to make the government accountable with his findings related to conditions in the residential schools.  However, to no avail, it was an extreme assimilationist thinker against a conscientious thinker that brought together Duncan Campbell Scott and Dr. Peter Bryce but it was the former that got the upper hand. In a sense, I suppose D. C. Scott had more power and clout than Dr. Bryce. Power and clout hasn’t changed much over the years.

I have often said that, “as long as there is that little spark to indicate life, it is the people and the process that will keep it going”. Therefore, I would consider Dr. Bryce as an “a paat tsi kaan sakii” or a spark creator because of what he tried to do for the children who attended residential school. He was the consummate defender of children’s rights regardless of who they were. But as Duncan Campbell Scott put it, I want to get “rid of the Indian problem” so Dr. Bryce’s study was subverted and swept under the carpet. There was also more concern about lessening future expenditures for the government at the expense of children dying at the residential schools due to unsanitary conditions that Dr. Bryce had uncovered. I remember back in 1960 or thereabouts at the Old Sun residential school, a couple of girls froze to death while another survived. Apparently, they left the school grounds without permission which we were not supposed to subject to punishment when caught. Apparently, as the story unfolded, the step-father of one of the children wanted them to stay until the storm had passed but they insisted on going back. The fear associated with getting caught and punished outweighed the step-father’s wise instructions to stay put. The three girls between the ages of 8-10 got caught in a blizzard on their trek back to the school and ended up in a gully not too far from the school. The two girls on either side froze to death while the one in the middle survived. The mood was sombre when we were told the news of the girls. It has stood out in my mind as a stark reminder of deaths that have occurred in residential schools in many different ways. A lot of the deaths were preventable. After all these years, my thoughts go out to Mabel, Belinda and the one who survived, Geraldine, even though she has since passed.   

Why did this man’s name appear after two years since I first came across his name? As a residential school survivor, it made me feel somewhat special that there was a man 100 years ago or more that actually ‘cared’ about us Indigenous children who were vulnerable to a system that didn’t ‘care’ much about our health and whether we survived or not. Just like the old saying, one less mouth to feed or one less expenditure by the government. It really was of no significance to Mr. Scott as his goal was to assimilate us or have us “absorbed into the body politic” and do it all costs. Children indeed were the victims but Dr. Bryce did what he can in the midst of fierce adversary.

Blackstock said, "It puts a red hot poker stick into this myth that people in the period didn't know any better back then. And we really need to lift up people like Dr. Bryce, who spoke up and spoke out to save children's lives at a time that was critical,” I think that he is a great example of a great Canadian, someone who had the moral courage to stand up for his values and the lives of innocent children, and to keep speaking up."

In conclusion, we need to take Dr. Bryce’s efforts to do what was right back then based on his values and continue to make every effort to stand up to injustices, bullying, racism, discrimination, gender equality, and other matters of interest to society. In my Blackfoot language, I would say that Dr. Stephen Henderson Bryce was an “Iksi yi ki tapi” or “very courageous”.

Kudos and my hat off to him with deep respect and allow Dr. Bryce to continue to rest in peace. Thank you.