The Tuition of Thomas Moore

Often, in my research on residential schools, I have come across a before and after image of Thomas Moore, a pupil at Regina Indian Industrial School. Initially I found the image deeply distrubing, while my reaction was not as visceral as Susan Sontag's response to photographs of Holocaust survivors, I was nevertheless disturbed. There are no obvious signs of trauma on the face or body of the child in either photograph, rather a boy in different modes of dress. Nevertheless, they are powerful images that delineate a racist government agenda. An agenda that involvied the destruction of an indigenous culture and the abuse of thousands of children.

These photographs first appeared in the Department of Indian Affairs 1904 Annual Report. The denoted message remains the same over the last century: a juxtaposition of two photos. One with an Aboriginal boy in “authentic” traditional dress and another with the same boy in western clothing. The connotation of the images, however, has changed. What was once seen as a 'desirable outcome' is now understood as an act of violence.

I first saw these photos in Shingwauk’s Vision, J.R. Miller’s comprehensive history of residential schools. In this text the photos are cropped close to Moore’s body and hide revealing details about the intended reading of the photograph. For example, the first image containes a fur lined ledge indicating a “natural” and “authentic” setting, where as a potted plant, that is as cultivated and manicured as Thomas, is present in the after shot. Soon after comming across the images in Miller's work, I began seeing it again and again. I saw them on book covers, posters and even in the travelling exhibit: Where are the Children? The photos of Thomas Moore feature on the promotional material, the exhibit catalogue and the orginal was present in the exibit itself.

Throughout my months of research I have become exasperated by the constant presence of this image. My response to the, in my opinion, overuse of the pictures resonates with Sontag. I belive that some of pictures power to evoke an emotional response has been lost by its ubiquitous presence. On the other hand, however, the proliferation of this image shows that this horrific past is being confronted by academics, governments, and individuals. These images of Thomas Moore have become iconic and serve as powerful reminder of the traumatic experience of residential schools. While the initial impact of these photos are lost for me, they have gained deeper meaning as a metaphor for horrific history they represents and the work that has been done to confront this traumatic past.