The Fire Still Burns by Elder Sam George
Set in the Vancouver area in the late 1940s and through to the present day, this unflinching account follows Sam from his idyllic childhood on the Eslhá7an (Mission) reserve to the confines of St. Paul’s Indian Residential School, and then into a life of addiction and incarceration. But an ember of Sam’s spirit always burned within him, and so this is also a story of survival, recovery, and redemption, of facing past trauma to rebuild a life and a future.

- Last updated: September 8, 2023
on the web
Looking for reviews, author bios, and discussion questions to stimulate conversation? We’ve compiled these for you!
A story of survival, recovery, and redemption, of facing past trauma to rebuild a life and a future.
From Strong Nations' website. Strong Nations is an Indigenous book store.
Squamish Elder Sam George bares his soul in a new memoir of his life before and after residential school. The Fire Still Burns launches in North Vancouver on June 3, 2023. Elizabeth McSheffrey reports.
In 'The Fire Still Burns,' Sam George recounts his residential school experience and how it led to a life of addiction, violence and imprisonment
Here are some events and resources from our community to help you learn and reflect.