The Education of Augie Merasty: A Residential School Memoir

Publisher's description (U of R): 
A courageous and intimate memoir, The Education of Augie Merasty is the story of a child who faced the dark heart of humanity, let loose by the cruel policies of a bigoted nation.

A retired fisherman and trapper who sometimes lived rough on the streets, Augie Merasty was one of an estimated 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children who were taken from their families and sent to government-funded, church-run schools, where they were subjected to a policy of aggressive assimilation.

As Augie recounts, these schools did more than attempt to mould children in the ways of white society. They were taught to be ashamed of their heritage and, as he experienced, often suffered physical and sexual abuse.

But even as he looks back on this painful part of his childhood, Merasty's sense of humour and warm voice shine through. 

Author biography (U of R): 
A retired Cree trapper, Joseph Auguste Merasty attended St. Therese Residential School in Sturgeon Landing, Saskatchewan, from 1935 to 1944. He lived in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Resource format: Memoir

Age recommendation: Grades 9 - 12, University

Keywords: residential school, resilience, survivor, abuse, addictions, memoir, history, fishing, trapping, biography

Year of publication: 2015

Publisher information: University of Regina Press