A review by sjklass
The Education of Augie Merasty: A Residential School Memoir by Joseph Auguste Merasty

4.0

Debut author Joseph Augustus 'Augie' Merasty is in his mid 80's and often living on the streets, despite offers of shelter from family, battling alcoholism, cancer and other health challenges. He approached the University of Saskatchewan to work with a scribe to document his experiences at St Therese Residential School from 1935-1944 (ages 5-14). Through letters and phone calls to Professor David Carpenter, Augie acknowledges Brothers and Sisters who were kind and caring but also abuses of power and cruelty of others. "I was once made to walk about twenty miles in -40f weather with fellow student, Abner Joseph, back to where we'd walked the day before....just because we lost one mitten each. We were very nervous and scared all the way, as we were only eleven or twelve years old at the time. We came back without the lost mittens as the wind and snow had covered everything that could be lost. We, of course, got the strap, twenty strokes on both hands". His testimonial was also used as evidence for the TRC. A shocking, heartbreaking and important read.