Throwaway Child by Elise Abram
The skeleton of a young girl is found beneath the cement basement floor in an abandoned Victorian in Toronto. On duty is Detective Constable Michael Crestwood who contacts forensic anthropologist Dr. Palmer Richardson to assist in the investigation. What they uncover is the story of a six year old Cree girl, stolen from her family, warehoused in a government run facility and then forgotten.
In a story with ties to current headlines, THROWAWAY CHILD explores the injustice experienced by two girls imprisoned in a mid-twentieth century residential school and the tragic fallout ensuing as a result of one girl’s need to find a home.
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More information on residential schools in Ontario
- New documents may shed light on residential school deaths. (CBC Jan 28, 2014)
“Approximately 150,000 children attended residential schools in Canada from the 1870s until the mid 1990s. The church-run and government-supported schools operated under a deliberate policy of “civilizing” aboriginal children…”
- St. Anne’s Residential School Documents Ordered To Be Released. (Huffington Post Jan 14, 2014)
Of particular interest on this page is the photo history of residential schools (scroll down once page loads).
- Indian Residential School Resources. (Web Page)
It’s unfathomable that the last residential school closed down in Ontario as recently as 1996! This web site provides a primer on residential schools including lesson plans for teachers.
