Title: Wawahte
Author: Robert P. Wells
Publisher: Freisen Press
ISBN: 978-1466917194
Pages: 206
Genre: Native American History / Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Nicole Olson
Hollywood Book Reviews
Author Robert P. Wells tells the heart-breaking stories of three Wawahte people subjected to Indian Residential Schools in Canada. Wawahte tells three distinct stories of three Indian Residential Schools, Esther, Bunnie, and Stanley. These schools forcefully took children and separated them from their families in order to assimilate the children into Canadian culture. Stanley recalls feeling as if the school wanted to “beat the Indian out of them.” Each account recalls corporal punishment being used on children in a shameful and humiliating way. Esther’s story was incredibly heart-breaking as the reader can feel the hurt and resentment still present in Esther’s spirit.
The author as well as his trio of survivors call to the readers to read about the atrocities that Canadian Aboriginals were subjected to in history. Many people are unaware of the consequences of European colonialism and do not understand the pain and suffering that native people went through as their land and traditions were stolen away. This book serves a great purpose to tell three true accounts about what innocent children suffered due to their heritage. Esther recalls the minister at her school making the children feel ashamed for their culture. She tells how her siblings changed as they returned home from their school, and how disrespected she felt by teachers and staff at school.
These three true accounts of survivors of Indian Day Schools call readers to question what they’ve been taught in their own schools. So much of what North American children learn in school history text books glosses over the truth of Aboriginal people. Their traditions and culture have been turned into mere misunderstood cartoons and unfortunately – the good fight for equality and respect still rages on.
The author does an excellent job telling the stories of three victims of colonialism in Canada. Their stories put back the human element taken away from Indian people – mocked and silenced by the White Man. Bunnie’s chapter includes the poem “In Memory of a Great Man,” which is a poem about Dr. Martin Luther King. The inclusion of this poem highlights the racism and bigotry many people of color face in North America. Robert P. Wells and the people in his book are taking a stand and telling their story. Their ammunition is their own true experience – they reveal pain and heart ache faced by children. Though their stories are now decades old, their history continues to repeat itself today even in North America.