From residential school to one of Manitoba’s 1st Indigenous nurses – CBC

Ann Thomas Callahan shares her educational journey

Mar 18, 2018

One day, four-year-old Ann Thomas Callahan was told to get ready. She put on a dress, and was proud to wear it. Her father packed a lunch and together they travelled to the File Hills Indian Residential School near Balcarres, Sask., by horse and wagon.

She was excited about the prospect of being able to see her sister, who was already at the school, but on the ride through the bush, she noticed that her father was unusually quiet.

When they got to the school, her father held her hand and walked her up to the veranda as other children were arriving at the school. When they reached the steps, he handed her off to her cousin and asked her to keep Ann calm.

As he walked away from her, that’s when it sunk in — her father was leaving her there.

Read More: http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/ann-thomas-callahan-indigenous-nurse-manitoba-1.4577447