• Age: 14 to 18
• Grade: 9 to 12

“Too many survivors of Canada’s Indian residential schools live to forget. Theodore Fontaine writes to remember.”
– Hana Gartner, CBC’s The Fifth Estate

Bestselling Memoir, McNally Robinson Booksellers

Approved curriculum resource for grade 9–12 students in British Columbia and Manitoba.

Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine lost his family and freedom just after his seventh birthday, when his parents were forced to leave him at an Indian residential school by order of the Roman Catholic Church and the Government of Canada. Twelve years later, he left school frozen at the emotional age of seven. He was confused, angry and conflicted, on a path of self-destruction. At age 29, he emerged from this blackness. By age 32, he had graduated from the Civil Engineering Program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and begun a journey of self-exploration and healing.

In this powerful and poignant memoir, Ted examines the impact of his psychological, emotional and sexual abuse, the loss of his language and culture, and, most important, the loss of his family and community. He goes beyond details of the abuses of Indigenous children to relate a unique understanding of why most residential school survivors have post-traumatic stress disorders and why succeeding generations of First Nations children suffer from this dark chapter in history.

Told as remembrances described with insights that have evolved through his healing, his story resonates with his resolve to help himself and other residential school survivors and to share his enduring belief that one can pick up the shattered pieces and use them for good.

Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine (1941–2021) was a member and former chief of the Sagkeeng Ojibway First Nation in Manitoba. He attended the Fort Alexander and Assiniboia Indian Residential Schools from 1948 to 1960. As a youth, he played senior hockey across Western Canada before moving north to direct a mineral exploration crew in the Northwest Territories, a formative experience that set him on a lifelong path toward self-discovery and healing.

Theodore graduated in civil engineering from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in 1973 and went on to work extensively in the corporate, government and First Nations sectors, including eleven years with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs as an advisor and executive director. He served in leadership and voluntary roles with organizations such as the Banff Centre for Management, Peace Hills Trust, the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, the Manitoba Museum, and the Victorian Order of Nurses and Palliative Care Manitoba.

Theodore was a regular speaker and media commentator on residential schools and presented his bestselling memoir, Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools, to more than 1,500 audiences in Canada and the United States. He broke new ground by supporting other survivors and by seeking reconciliation directly with those who were perpetrators of his abuse. Theodore lived with his wife, Morgan, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, until his death in 2021.

Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine's profile page

Broken Circle: The dark legacy of Indian residential schools

In this powerful and poignant memoir, Ted examines the impact of his psychological, emotional and sexual abuse, the loss of his language and culture, and, most important, the loss of his family and community. He goes beyond details of the abuses of Native children to relate a unique understanding of why most residential school survivors have post-traumatic stress disorders and why succeeding generations of First Nations children suffer from this dark chapter in history.

This is an important book to share when helping students understand what it was like to live in Residential schools. As a memoir, this offers readers a first-hand account of the trials of Aboriginal youth who lived and survived under what were often brutal conditions. Librarians and teachers can share this book with readers to demonstrate how stories of injustice can inspire strong emotions in readers. Broken Circle also offers a significant model of a true story about hope and healing.

Author available for class visits.

Broken Circle: Indian Residential Schools: A Memoir

Fontaine attended residential schools in Manitoba from 1948– 1960. His memoir recounts his childhood experiences of abuse at the school and his adult’s analysis of how this affected his life. Fontaine cherishes his pre-school years among the loving family who taught him traditional values. Once he left his family and community, he writes that his emotional growth stopped. After graduation, Fontaine struggled with drinking and lived a nomadic life. He finally underwent therapy where he examined the impact residential schooling had on his life. Ultimately, Fontaine heals his emotional scars and secures some financial restitution. He is a man proud of his journey, his family and his 30-year career devoted to First Nations communities. Fontaine currently chairs the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute.

Caution: Indian, Aboriginal and First Nations are used interchangeably.

Broken Circle: Indian Residential Schools, A Memoir

Fontaine attended residential schools in Manitoba from 1948– 1960. His memoir recounts his childhood experiences of abuse at the school and his adult’s analysis of how this affected his life. Fontaine cherishes his pre-school years among the loving family who taught him traditional values. Once he left his family and community, he writes that his emotional growth stopped. After graduation, Fontaine struggled with drinking and lived a nomadic lifestyle. He finally underwent therapy where he examined the impact residential schooling had on his life. Ultimately, Fontaine heals his emotional scars and secures some financial restitution. He is a man proud of his journey, his family and his 30-year career devoted to First Nations communities. Fontaine currently chairs the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute.

Caution: Indian, Aboriginal and First Nations are used interchangeably.