Education offered survivor a lifeline out of the tragedy of Dene Village
She was among the more than 250 Sayisi Dene moved there from their traditional hunting grounds 60 years ago — a disastrous move for which the federal government formally apologized earlier this week.
And she suffered a terrible personal tragedy there — her father was killed when he was struck by a car filled with youths from nearby Churchill.
"He left early Sunday morning," recalled Tom, saying her father headed into town and spent the day visiting relatives. It was dark by the time he started the trek back.
He never made it home.
"Someone came to me later on to tell me that. That person was at the scene of the accident shortly after it happened. Apparently my father's body was mangled to pieces. As a matter of fact, he also said that his teeth were on the windshield."
Her father was Dene. The drivers and passengers of the vehicle were white. No one was ever charged.
"Nothing ever came out of it," she said. "They claimed that they had an inquiry, but there was no information given to the family."
Dumped and deserted
Tom said it was typical of the way Dene were treated by townspeople after being dumped on the barren tundra outside Churchill in 1956.
The Sayisi Dene were forcibly relocated from their home around Little Duck Lake in northern Manitoba after being blamed for overhunting caribou. That claim was later disproved.
They were moved again to Camp 10, and then again to a shantytown called Dene Village. There were no jobs, or food. Alcohol-fuelled despair set in, and deaths were commonplace. Some people froze, while others were murdered or died in house fires. Female survivors said rape was common.
Education a lifeline
Tom remembers the chaos. But despite numerous tragic losses, she not only survived, she later thrived. Even though she left school at 13 to care for younger siblings, education offered her a lifeline.
"Fortunately, I loved books. That's what probably saved me," she said. "I'd meet people and they actually thought I had university education. And of course, I [was] too embarrassed to tell them that I didn't even finish elementary school."
She eventually did finish school, and went on to college and university.
Tom said education is what helped her. That's why she hopes compensation from the federal government will go towards educating Dene youth today, and help secure their future.
On Aug. 16, the federal government formally apologized to the Sayisi Dene for their role in the relocation, and a compensation package of $33 million was promised to survivors. About $5 million will go to individual survivors, with compensation ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 per person. Most of the compensation money will be put in trust for community development.
"It's the beginning," said Tom. "At this point, I don't think there is anything going on for the young people. So at least it's something."
But Tom says despite the apology and compensation, she doesn't think healing will happen in this generation.
"Even now, for people, it still affects them. It has affected our children, so it's going to be a long time healing. A long, long time."