Separate Beds
A History of Indian Hospitals in Canada, 1920s-1980s
Description
“Canada has a painful history of racially segregated hospitals that were intended to isolate and institutionalize Aboriginal people seen as a menace and danger to the nation. Separate Beds is a sophisticated, analytical, and lucid history of this neglected chapter of Canada’s history. ” – Sarah Carter, University of Alberta
Separate Beds is the shocking story of Canada’s system of segregated health care. Maureen K. Lux describes the arbitrary and contradictory policies that governed the “Indian Hospitals,” the experiences of patients and staff, and the vital grassroots activism that pressed the federal government to acknowledge its treaty obligations. A disturbing look at the dark side of the liberal welfare state, Separate Beds reveals a history of racism and negligence in health care for Canada’s First Nations that should never be forgotten.
Reviews
‘This is a must read for anyone interested in the history of Canadian Healthcare, Aboriginal health and treaty rights. ’
- Velvet Maud
‘separate Beds is an important book. It tells a story not well known by Canadians, or even Canadian historians…. Lux’s book is a useful contribution to the history of colonialism in Canada. ’
- Alison Norman
‘It is a text best read in small doses to digest and internalize… Separate Beds is a compelling book that should be read widely to foster understanding of our shared histories. ’
- Cheryl Susan McWatters
‘Lux has written a must-read book for scholars of history, political science, and public policy. ’
- Shay Sweeney
"Lux has delivered a book that captures the life and failures of Indian hospitals. For all those working in health care, this is a must read. "
- Yvonne Boyer, University of Ottawa
‘Lux’s detailed account will surely be of interest to scholars of Aboriginal history and health care as well as to the people interested in the development of Indian hospitals in Canada. ’
- Joanne DeCosse
"In painstaking research and matter-of-fact reportage, Associate Professor Lux of Brock University documents Canadian apartheid. Separate Beds: A History of Indian Hospitals In Canada is a riveting and extraordinary account of mistreatment of citizens. "
- Tom Korski