File consists of a videocassette (VHS) recording containing the following clips:
- International Women’s Day – March 11/89
- Northwest Today – April 25/89
- Justa – Nov. 21/94
- [Interview] with Harkins – Feb. 7/95
- [Interview] with Harkins – Oct. 8/96
- Harkins on UVic Convocation – Dec.12/ 96
- Harkins, Mary John’s (?), Order of Canada – Jan.3/97
Videocassette Summaries
Context: Videotape contains taped recordings originally broadcasted on CKPG-TV, the Prince George CBC affiliate station. It contains multiple recordings of either interviews with Bridget Moran or TV broadcast announcements, news stories relating to Moran’s publications and dedications, or dedications related to Mary John.
Individual video segments as follows:
(1) CKPG-TV Evening News Date: March 11, 1989 Length: 1’30” minutes
Scope and Content: Contains a recording of a CKPG-TV broadcast of an International Women’s Day Brunch held in Prince George hosted by MLA Lois Boone and Brian Gardner, MP Bulkley Valley. The reporter notes the topics were daycare and women’s jobs. Luncheon guests were entertained by local pianist Stacey Gosshawk and the video shows Bridget Moran signing her book Stoney Creek Woman
(2) Episode of Northwest Today
Date: April 25, 1989
Length: 23’:18” minutes
Scope and Content: Recording of CKPG-TV show with CKPG-TV broadcaster Maureen Edwards interviewing Bridget Moran about Stoney Creek Woman
Highlights include:
- Edwards notes that next month Bridget will be receiving the Governor General medal
- Bridget recalls her work in social work; recalls how she worked for provincial department of welfare until suspended in 1964 for writing a public letter complaining of BC Government welfare services. Her letter criticized the government’s handling of foster children that if they could not handle them sent to reform school
- Five people were suspended, Bridget was not allowed back to work
- Had a lot in common with Stoney Creek Reserve people– was very poor herself and as Irish was a ‘repressed race’ -
- Social workers could only go in if children were being abused or neglected
- She refers to retiring from social work with the school district next month
- Bridget notes that it was her mother’s reaction to the poverty of Stoney Creek women that inspired her to do something for the community
- Bridget notes that she had agreed to do a ‘sociological profile’ of the reserve as requested by Harry Rankin after the inquest into Coreen Thomas’ death and that led to meeting Mary John at the inquest. She refers to Sophie Thomas as ‘a great leader’ on the reserve
- Bridget thinks that Stoney Creek Woman, the book can cause social change and raise people’s consciousness and making them aware of racism in the community
- Bridget talks about Mary John, the subject of Stoney Creek Woman; she briefly talks about Mary’s family; that Mary was great granddaughter of Six Mile Mary; her schooling at Lejac and her marriage to Lazare John
- Bridget believes that Mary began to ‘get political’ around the time of the inquest and that’s when she first met Mary. She notes that Mary’s work with the white community at the Vanderhoof hospital was a turning point for her in losing her shyness.
- She notes that Mary could not be with them for the interview due to illness
Pause for commercial
- Bridget notes the history of the native people in BC; decimated by white man coming to New World
- Edwards asks her why children were moved to a white family, and also placed in non-Catholic family – resulting in a loss of their culture and religion
- Bridget talks about the conditions at Lejac; Bridget notes that people were not aware that the residential schools were used as orphanages. Tells the account of Mary being moved to Lejac at the age of 7. Bridget briefly accounts the history of LeJac that was built in 1922. She talks about conditions at the school and the type of education (segregated by sex) and the little food provided to the children.
- She comments that perhaps the native people are too forgiving for the way they were treated
- Bridget states she is now working on the book Judgment at Stoney Creek; Bridget provides a short synopsis of the book (Coreen Thomas death and need for an inquest)
End of show
(3) CKPG –TV Show: Harkins Date: November 23, 1990 Length: 24’05” minutes
Note: On the programme Moran notes she started employment with the government in social work 39 years ago today ‘November 23, 1951’
Scope and Content: Contains a recording of Harkins TV show by CKPG-TV broadcaster Bob Harkins who is interviewing Bridget Moran. Harkins notes that Moran has received the Lt. Governor’s Award and has been nominated for a BC Book Award for the book Stoney Creek Woman
Highlights include:
- Bridget notes she was born in Ireland, raised in Saskatchewan
- She experienced being on welfare as a child in Saskatchewan
- She taught school in Happy Valley, Saskatchewan and did a tour in the navy in the WRENS and then attended the University of Toronto for 6 years; before moving to B.C.
- She briefly refers to her social work employment history: worked in Salmon Arm, Vernon and then came to Prince George.
- Bridget recalls events leading up to her suspension; refers to her open letter to the WAC Bennett government protesting the conditions for foster home children that led to her as well as 4 other social workers being suspended from their jobs. Bridget notes that the impetus for writing the letter was that of the case of a native girl who had lost her father and was running away from home all the time. The girl consumed a bottle of ink while under foster care and was found drunk wandering in the Millar Addition neighbourhood of Prince George. Moran appeared before Judge Stewart in court on her behalf, and was told nothing could be done for the girl, that she would have to be moved to a reform school. Moran protested and then wrote an open letter to the government about conditions that led to foster care children not receiving adequate professional care. Bridget felt that the most challenging cases of these children were being handled by those that were the least trained
- Bridget notes that although at that time she missed being in her job after the suspension she had ‘support all over Canada’ for doing what she did.
- She makes the point however that she was fired – not because she attacked the government – but because she couldn’t criticize government bureaucrats. She says “they were impregnable”-
- She refers to her present work in the School District as a social worker and expresses concerns for the amount of sexual and physical abuse she sees.
- She also replies to Harkins comment on welfare as a self-perpetuating cycle
Pause for commercial
- Harkins notes that Bridget has published both Stoney Creek Woman and Judgment at Stoney Creek
- Bridget talks about Mary John as a ‘serene and intelligent woman’ and comments that it ‘is really interesting to note Mary’s confidence growing’; ‘she channels her energy and anger and beomes constructive about it’
- She talks about how she was asked to write the book about Mary by her daughter Helen
- Bridget notes that she initially tried to get Judgement at Stoney Creek published first but that publishers turned it down as they did not think it was of consumer value. She discusses the inquest of Coreen Thomas’ death and the injustices towards natives in the justice system
- Harkins notes that many people at the time stated “we just didn’t know about racism” and he comments on how her works are now on the recommended reading list for Grade 9 students
- Harkins announces that Bridget will be at a book signing at Mosquito Books
- Bridget states she is working on another book entitled ‘A Little Rebellion”
Pause for commercial
Bob thanks Bridget for coming in for the interview – notes Harkins is a new programme that just started this week
End of show
(4) Community Close-up Date: November 21, 1994 Length: 5’58” minutes
Scope and content: Video recording of CKPG-TV Broadcaster Bob Harkins interviewing Bridget Moran.
Highlights include:
- Bridget notes this is her 4th career. She starts to talk about the publication of her recent book Justa: A First Nations Leader
- She refers to her trip ‘last May’ with Mary John to Metlakatla
- She discusses Justa Monk; the hardships he had and became a leader for his people
- She refers to the ravage of alcohol and violence on reserve and possibly that if natives had been able to keep their culture these problems would not be there
- She states her wish to conduct oral history workshops with different bands
- Bob asks her about her next project and Bridget notes that she will re-work her novel about Saskatchewan – The Horizontal Land – which she notes has been rejected by several publishers.
- She also states she hopes to conduct writing workshop in Wells
(5) CKPG – Bob Harkins Date: November 21, 1994 Length: 2’05” minutes
Scope and content Bob Harkins provides a critique of Bridget Moran’s books Justa, Stoney Creek and Judgment Day at Stoney Creek. Harkins notes that Justa chronicles Justa Monk’s journey from traditional family life to his rise as an influential leader as tribal chief of Carrier Nation; that Justa’s life fell apart when he had killed his brother during an alcoholic blackout. Harkins notes how Justa has since dedicated his life to helping his people in the struggle for a better existence
(6) Community Close-up Date: December [?]1994 Length: 6’00” minutes
Note: Discussion of Bridget Moran’s books starts at about 4’00”
Scope and content: Video recording of the CKPG-TV show with Broadcaster Bob Harkins interviewing Joan Jarman, Public Services Manager of PG Public Library. Jarman discusses Bridget Moran’s books, including that of Justa which has just been released. Jarman notes Bridget is a former recipient of the Jean Clark award for contributions to local history in Prince George. Harkins comments that the book demonstrates the difficult transition that natives have to make in Canadian society and recommends the book Justa .
(7) Bob Harkins for Community Close-Up
Date: December [?]1994
Length: 2’00” minutes
Note: This 2 minute segment was often broadcast the same day during the CKPG-TV evening news programme.
Scope and Content: Video recording of the Prince George CKPG-TV programme segment featuring Broadcaster Bob Harkins who recommends Bridget Moran’s latest book Justa “for reading pleasure” and as a holiday gift as well as other local history books.
(8) Bob Harkins for Community Close-Up
Date: Feb 7, 1995
Length: 6’07” minutes
Scope and content: Video recording of CKPG-TV Broadcaster Bob Harkins interviewing Bridget Moran.
Highlights include:
- Bob asks Bridget whether she considers it controversial to write about native history as a white person. Bridget notes that she never writes about natives without their permission; ‘they have asked me to do it’ Bridget states her goal is to ‘help them to do their own oral history”
- Bridget notes she is going to be doing a reading at the Vancouver Public Library and then at the Victoria Public Library; she states that she will be doing a book tour with Justa to promote the book and hopes to do workshops with native bands
- Bob refers to Justa’s opposition to Kemano Completion Project and asks about his reaction to the Premier’s recent announcement that the Kemano Completion Project will not go ahead
- Bridget notes that Justa book has been out for two months and rumoured to be going into its second printing
(9) Bob Harkins’ Comments Date: December 12, 1996 Length: 1’42” minutes
Scope and content Video recording of the Prince George CKPG-TV programme segment featuring Broadcaster Bob Harkins reporting that Bridget Moran had received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from University of Victoria. He reads a segment of the citation that was read at the convocation by Dr. Ashford of the Faculty of Education. He remarks it was ‘a glowing tribute’ and states her book Stoney Creek received a Governor General’s medal. Citation notes that Moran’s work attests to the famous quote ‘my life is my argument’ – “that injustice matters, suffering matters, racism matters”. Harkins comments that Bridget has already received an honorary doctorate from UNBC.
(10) Bob Harkin’s Comments
Date: June 23, 1997
Length: 2’10” minutes
Scope and content Video recording of the Prince George CKPG-TV programme segment featuring Broadcaster Bob Harkins reporting on the recent dinner held to honor Stoney Creek Elder Mary John who was recently presented with the Order of Canada by Governor-General Romeo Leblanc. Harkins notes a new publishing of Stoney Creek Woman was announced by Bridget Moran at the dinner.
