A Long Way from Home

A Long Way from Home is the first comprehensive account of the tuberculosis epidemic among the Inuit in the mid-part of this century. The Inuit were victims not only of the epidemic but also of the Canadian government's shockingly slow response and lack of consideration for their culture. Focusing on patients' experiences and the programs set up to deal with the epidemic, rather than on a purely medical discussion of the disease and treatment, a voice is given to those involved and a human face to the bare statistics. Based on recollections of patients, interviews with participants in government programs, available literature and statistics, and records of the Northern Affairs Program, Pat Grygier examines the programs for the Inuit in all parts of Canada. Background information on tuberculosis in Canada, conditions of life in the North at the time for both Inuit and non-Natives, and the development and modification of government administration of the North are also covered.