Leilani Muir's autobiography A Whisper Past is released

2014. Leilani Muir's autobiography, A Whisper Past: Childless after Eugenic Sterilization in Alberta is released. Muir was institutionalized by an abusive mother in her childhood, and sterilized at the Provincial Training School for Mental Defectives in Red Deer, Alberta (Muir, 2014 ; Friesen Press, 2015). She only discovered her sterilization after leaving the institution. Eventually, Muir launched a successful lawsuit against the government of Alberta, and set precedent which would lead to the compensation of hundreds of other people who were wrongfully sterilized under the Sexual Sterilization Act of Alberta (Muir, 2014 ; Friesen Press, 2015). Muir worked on her autobiography on many years, telling her own story in her own words.

Muir wrote the book, hoping it would help others (Muir, 2014). It took many years for her to write it (near 20 years), because of the difficult content (Muir, 2014). The book details many of the eugenic processes of Alberta, Canada, and is meant to be a record of that history, so that it is not forgotten (Muir, 2014). The book includes Muir's reflections on her early childhood, her life at the Provincial Training School, her life after leaving the School, her trial against the Alberta government, and her life after the trial. Although many books have been written about the theory of eugenics, this book tells the story of the effects of eugenic practice, and is significant for being told through Muir's point of view (Muir, 2014).

A documentary, The Sterilization of Leilani Muir produced by the National Film Board of Canada, and a play called The Invisible Child that played at the Edmonton Fringe theatre festival have also been created, based on Muir's life (Friesen Press, 2015).

-Colette Leung

Leilani Muir's autobiography A Whisper Past is released

2014. Leilani Muir's autobiography, A Whisper Past: Childless after Eugenic Sterilization in Alberta is released. Muir was institutionalized by an abusive mother in her childhood, and sterilized at the Provincial Training School for Mental Defectives in Red Deer, Alberta (Muir, 2014 ; Friesen Press, 2015). She only discovered her sterilization after leaving the institution. Eventually, Muir launched a successful lawsuit against the government of Alberta, and set precedent which would lead to the compensation of hundreds of other people who were wrongfully sterilized under the Sexual Sterilization Act of Alberta (Muir, 2014 ; Friesen Press, 2015). Muir worked on her autobiography on many years, telling her own story in her own words.

Muir wrote the book, hoping it would help others (Muir, 2014). It took many years for her to write it (near 20 years), because of the difficult content (Muir, 2014). The book details many of the eugenic processes of Alberta, Canada, and is meant to be a record of that history, so that it is not forgotten (Muir, 2014). The book includes Muir's reflections on her early childhood, her life at the Provincial Training School, her life after leaving the School, her trial against the Alberta government, and her life after the trial. Although many books have been written about the theory of eugenics, this book tells the story of the effects of eugenic practice, and is significant for being told through Muir's point of view (Muir, 2014).

A documentary, The Sterilization of Leilani Muir produced by the National Film Board of Canada, and a play called The Invisible Child that played at the Edmonton Fringe theatre festival have also been created, based on Muir's life (Friesen Press, 2015).

-Colette Leung