One Winnipegger said he was shocked to stumble on a report that shows experiments were conducted on children at Brandon’s Indian Residential School in the 1940’s.
Maeengan Linklater was reading “Mysterious Manitoba” by Chris Rutkowski when he saw a passing reference to experiments on extra sensory perception, or ESP on students at the school in 1941.
A librarian friend found the actual scientific journal article and sent it to him.
The article was published in 1943 by a scientist named A.A Foster.
Linklater said the children weren’t hurt in the experiment, which was conducted by a teacher named Miss D. Doyle, but were given candy and other favours if they participated.
“There’s no parental consent, there’s no research studies that would have been ethical by our standards today, and these kids were exploited,” Linklater said.
Other articles Linklater read on the Brandon school including “Shingwauks Vision and A National Crime” described conditions there as deplorable, with malnourished children.
“If you’re starving and somebody says, ‘You want to participate in this study, we’re going to give you some candy.’ You’re three years old, you’re from Norway House and you know, you’re in this school. I mean what are you going to say?” Linklater said.
The article is just another example of what went on behind closed doors at the schools.
He said it shows the control administrators had over the students and how the children were dehumanized.
“I don’t mean to say this to inspire white guilt, I’m using this as a tool for change,” Linklater said.
He says he hopes that the uncovering of the article can further shed light on the history of Indian Residential Schools; it may change someone’s attitude, and contribute towards the dialogue on reconciliation.
Read the report below.
