DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE - What started as a personal project to record stories for his three children evolved to make Albert Canadien a published writer.

In From Lishamie, Canadien uses 272 pages to contrast the difference between his early traditional upbringing on the land to his experiences at the Sacred Heart Residential School in Fort Providence. The title of the book comes from Canadien's birthplace.

In his recently-released book, Albert Canadien contrasts his early traditional upbringing on the land to his experiences at the Sacred Heart Residential School. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo

Canadien was raised at Lishamie, a small village located approximately nine miles down river from Fort Providence. At the age of seven Canadien, like so many other children, was forced to attend residential school.

"Mine was maybe a lonesome experience. I always wanted to go home," he said.

Canadien attended the school yearly until he was 13, at which point he went to residential schools in Fort Resolution and Fort Smith before finishing at Akaitcho Hall in Yellowknife.

The book focuses primarily on his time at Sacred Heart.

Canadien began working on the project in his spare time in 1995. He used to carry recipe cards in his pockets or jacket and jot down incidences as he remembered them.

"My intention was just to write stories for my kids about my own personal experiences," he said.

Canadien said he wanted his children to know how he grew up and also what he saw and experienced at Sacred Heart. The writing project was also a way to deal with some of the experiences.

"It's lifted a few things off my shoulders, but not entirely," he said.

Canadien faced physical, emotional and mental abuse at the school, some of which he details in the book. Canadien said he chose only to mention a few incidents that happened to him or in front of him.

"I didn't want the book to be one long story about abusive incidents at the school," he said.

"There was abuse but there was some good moments and funny moments too."

Some people found residential school to be a good experience, especially if they already spoke English or French. The nuns and priests had a tendency to leave those students alone, he said.

Canadien, however, only spoke Slavey when he entered the school.

"I didn't even know how to say hello," he said.

While writing, Canadien's project evolved to a point where he slotted the individual stories into a larger narrative. He finished the book in 2003, but left it sitting on a shelf until he met some staff from Theytus Books in Penticton, B.C. who were looking for Northern authors.

Canadien said he decided to publish the book to show there was life before residential school and that life affected what happened at the schools.

"I had to fit into a new society, something that was imposed on me," said Canadien.

Canadien also noted that although people have begun talking about what happened in the North in residential schools, no one has written it down.

"I wanted people to know what happened," he said.

Canadien, who lives in Yellowknife and is the director of the official languages division of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, is now working on a second book about the stories and legends he heard while growing up. With around 100 pages written, Canadien said it will be a while before it's finished.

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