Residential schools
What was the name of the residential school Bev Sellars attended?
St. Joseph's Mission
What Indigenous nation does Bev Sellars belong to?
the Secwépemc (Shuswap)
Nation
What age was Bev when she was first sent to St. Joseph's Mission?
She was 5 years old.
What career did Bev Sellars pursue later in life?
The chief of her First Nation and a lawyer
What is the major theme of the book?
The long-term impact of cultural erasure and abuse.
What was the primary goal of the Canadian government and churches in running residential schools?
to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture
What role did Bev's grandmother play in her understanding of her culture?
teaching her about traditional ways and language
What were students at St. Joseph's often forced to do instead of learning?
Manual labor (such as cleaning and farming)
What motivated Bev to write this memoir?
To tell the truth about residential schools and help others heal.
What is the symbolism of the title: “They called me number one”?
The loss of identity and being reduced to a number.
What language were students punished for speaking at residential schools?
their Indigenous language Shuswap
Why was Bev's relationship with her parents strained?
Because of the trauma they suffered at residential schools
What was one of the biggest emotional challenges Bev faced while at the school?
The separation from her siblings and parents.
What kind of activism is Bev involved in?
Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and historical truth.
What is Bev’s use of storytelling in the book?
To reclaim her voice and truth?
What kind of punishments did children face for breaking school rules?
physical abuse, isolation, and humiliation
What impact did the residential school have on Bev's ability to parent her own children later in life?
struggle with emotional expression and breaking the cycle of trauma
What emotion did the school try to suppress in the children?
The pride in their identity and culture.
What role does education play in Bev's healing journey?
reclaiming knowledge and empowering future generations.
What is the emotion that is the most deeply explored in the book?
Grief, particularly over lost childhood and culture.
Heads or tails?
Tails
How did Bev begin to reconnect with her heritage as an adult?
learning her language, participating in ceremonies, and advocating for her community
How did Bev describe the impact of the school on her sense of self-worth?
It made her feel ashamed and "less than" as an Indigenous person.
What is one way Bev supports other survivors?
By sharing her story and encouraging them to speak out.
What is the message Bev communicates to the reader?
That healing is possible through truth, culture and community