About the Author:
Ila Bussidor was born in 1955, a year before the relocation. She lived in Churchill until moving to Tadoule Lake in 1973, and is a former Chief of the Fort Churchill Sayisi Dene Band.
Ustun Bilgen-Reinart is a freelance writer, journalist and broadcaster with a special interest in Aboriginal and development issues. She has produced numerous documentaries for CBC radio and television programs, including Morningside, Ideas and The Journal.
Review:
“Night Spirits is a story of an incredible journey toward healing not yet finished. . . This is a must-read book, ... well-constructed, well-written and difficult to put down. Equal credit must go to Bussidor’s collaborator, Ustun Bilgen-Reinart, a former Winnipeg journalist...It is, however, a disturbing book to read because such vivid stories of personal pain and despair will haunt you. All of the contributors, more than a dozen, are to be respected for their sheer honesty and the authors commended for their exceptional, compelling way of telling the story. ... This is an important book that will make a significant contribution to the history of native peoples.”– Winnipeg Free Press“Ila Bussidor’s story is about struggle, it is about vision. It is so deeply personal that once told, her people will enter into a new journey; a healing journey that will involve atonement on the part of the federal government. Canadians will weep. The Dene will heal.”– Ovide Mercredi“Dene writer Ila Bussidor, along with Ustun Bilgen-Reinart, a writer and broadcaster, have written a historical masterpiece, using factual information along with personal stories interwoven throughout the text.”– Indian Life“Although it would be understandable, these people rarely send time on exercises in self-pity. Non-Aboriginal people and the Canadian government are not constantly used as whipping posts for their ills. Despite the dysfunctional familal situations these individuals find themselves in, a strong sense of love of family still shines through, making their stories of loss and abuse all the more tragic. Instead, the sense of being down but not out permeates several narratives. As Bussidor concludes in the book, the ‘Sayisi Dene have survived the twentieth century. [They’ll] be here to greet the twenty-first.’” (The First Perspective)
“Dene writer Ila Bussidor, along with Ustun Bilgen-Reinart, a writer and broadcaster, have written a historical masterpiece, using factual information along with personal stories interwoven throughout the text.” (Indian Life)
“Larry’s Party was a pleasant evening out. A Red Sea Rising is a great way to remember the disaster that was. But the real Manitoba book of the year is Night Spirits . . . Ila tells stories that leave you gasping for breath. . . . Her intensity can be frightening, but it is never as frightening as the story she has to tell. This book is a Canadian holocaust memoir. Along with journalist Ustun Bilgen-Reinart, Ila Bussidor has put together a story of government carelessness and insensitivity (which has been followed with years of denial and whitewash), heartbreaking suffering and incredible strength.” (Winnipeg Sun)
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