The Sterilization of Leilani Muir

The Sterilization of Leilani Muir is a 1996 documentary directed by Glynis Whiting about the life and times of Leilani Muir, the first person to file a lawsuit against the Alberta provincial government for wrongful sterilization under the Sexual Sterilization Act of Alberta.

Leilani Muir was born July 15, 1944, in Calgary, Alberta and grew up on a farm. She experienced a rough childhood as her mother often beat her and didnt provide her with regular meals. As a result, Leilani often went hungry and began to steal classmates lunches at school. The teachers were quick to notice this and would often bring lunches for her. Teachers also began to question Leilanis parents but in order to avoid answering these questions, her family would move away. Many neighbors did not even know Leilani existed as she was often locked away on the farm, hidden for no one to see.Just before Leilanis 11th birthday, July 12, 1955, Leilani was taken to the Provincial Training School for Mental Defectives also called the Michener Center located in Red Deer, Alberta. Leilani, not knowing at the time why she was placed in the centre, believed that she had been taken to an orphanage, since her mother had told her that she had never wanted a girl. During the next couple years Leilani played with the other girls, received a clean bed and clean clothes, was fed three meals a day, went to school and kicked butt if she felt like it. During her time at the Michener Center, Leilani was given a single IQ test in which she scored a 64. She was termed a moron and brought up before the Alberta Eugenics Board. They had asked her questions such as At what age does a baby begin to walk and talk? for roughlyminutes. Leilani had known the answer to this question as she had had a younger brother growing up. However, she still was deemed a danger of transmitting mental defects to progeny and incapable of intelligent parenthood. In 1957, at the age ofyears, Leilani was told that she was undergoing a surgery to have her appendix removed. The surgeons and staff did not mention that she was being sterilized by having her fallopian tubes removed. ........

Source: Wikipedia