New Memoir Explores Intergenerational Trauma of Indigenous Boarding Schools
A new memoir, “We Survived the Night” by Julian Brave NoiseCat, details the lasting impact of Indigenous boarding schools in North America and a personal journey to understand his family’s history.
The book begins with the story of NoiseCat’s father, Ed, who was discovered as an infant in the incinerator at St. Joseph’s Mission, a residential school in British Columbia, Canada. Ed grew up on the Canim Lake Indian Reserve, part of the first generation spared from forced attendance at these schools, but still deeply affected by the legacy of trauma. NoiseCat writes that his father was “an Indian who barely knows how to live in this world. Just how to survive.” The discovery of unmarked graves at former residential school sites in recent years, including over 200 at Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021, has brought renewed attention to this dark chapter in history and prompted investigations like the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative in the United States.
NoiseCat weaves together his personal narrative with reporting on Indigenous communities across North America, including the Tlingit in Alaska, the Lumbee in North Carolina, and the Diné in Arizona. He also incorporates traditional Coyote stories from the Salish people, narratives that were nearly lost due to colonization. “Looking out at that big, diverse Indian world is one of my ways of looking within—just as looking within is a way for me to look out,” NoiseCat writes. He explained his approach to storytelling, stating, “I do believe that there are spiritual dimensions to asking those sorts of questions,” and that he took on more ceremonial commitments in his community while writing the book.
The memoir explores themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of family relationships, offering grace to those who have caused pain while acknowledging the enduring wounds of the past. NoiseCat hopes readers will recognize that Indigenous peoples are central to the story of North America. “To me, to tell a story about someone is to say, ‘I have spent so much time with this person or thinking about this person and their story and their life and this is a story that only I could tell you about them,’” he said. Understanding this history is crucial as communities continue to grapple with the ongoing effects of these policies and seek reconciliation.
NoiseCat plans to continue his work amplifying Indigenous voices and stories, and hopes the book will contribute to a broader understanding of Native experiences and perspectives.
