SOLVED. YA Drama. Young boy showing signs of neglect/abuse runs from orphanage/ foster home and finds himself in the care of two (First Nations?) trappers/ hunters. Dark! [s]

[Blaine]

Hello.
I'm in my early fifties and would have read this book in elementary school or high school, probably between 1979 and 1983. May have been on the curriculum in Vancouver, B.C. at the time.
Fiction.
There may be a reference to a Button Blanket (traditional wool garment decorated with mother of pearl created by North West Coast First Nations peoples) in the title.
I suspect this book is Canadian (aka CanLit) and, IIRC, set in the PNW/BC.
I recall the time period being contemporary.
Plot: A child runs away from an abusive situation at an orphanage or foster home and is found by two men. Showing signs of abuse and neglect ( the child has been wearing a soiled diaper so long he's suffering tissue damage) the two men (one older, one younger, First Nations (?)) decide to bring him back to their cabin and attempt to nurse him back to health.
Inevitably, things go awry (don't remember why) and things get incredibly, scorchingly, pitch black with an extremely bleak and downbeat ending.

Unless I'm experiencing a false memory I'm positive I watched a film adaptation soon after reading the book. It was equally bleak and tragic.

I have been keyword searching this novel (and possible movie) for years and have gotten bupkis. Maybe it's all a false memory but I doubt it.

Thank you,

Blaine

[Rainbowheart]

Dreamspeaker

[Blaine]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Dreamspeaker"
Thank you!!! I've let this one plague me for too long.

[Rainbowheart]

You're welcome, glad to help out!