Abusive indian day school
Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center
Story told by Stephen Silverbear McComber
I went to Indian day school, and we had non-Native teachers that were very abusive towards us. You know, calling us mostly “sauvage,” or “f’in Indians,” different stuff like that, getting smacked and getting hit and saying “you’re stupid” or “you’re a dirty savage,” everything. And if you look at it, it’s no wonder why this creates low self-esteem. When you’re young and it’s bred into you, you’re totally negative. You’re brought up in this negative situation. And so people today, I think everybody is kind of a victim or inherits some of those things and maybe some behaviours that we might recognize as not being so positive.
They had people here to talk about Indian day school, and I did go to one of the sessions. I know a lot of people, there were so many things - I think there was some sexual abuse there and different things.
I remember going to the dentist, and we didn’t even know why we went to the dentist. We had our teeth pulled out. I remember screaming and everything and, ah, you name it. So you wonder why certain things went on or even carried over today. A lot of it is the trauma that we experience when we were younger. That’s not even from residential school.
You go from residential school for some of our parents and our grandparents to when we went to Indian day school.
With the community taking over the direction of the Native education - that’s very, very important.
Ronwatikarewáhton ne Indian day school
Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center
Stephen Silverbear McComber roká:raton
Indian day school wakaterihwaienstahnónhne’, tánon’ ne iah tehonnonkwehón:we
ionkhirihonnién:ni kwah í:ken tsi ionkhikarewáhtha’ shes. Saterièn:tare wáhi, sénha ionkhina’tónhkhwa’ “sauvage,” tóka’ ni’ “f’in Indians,” thia’té:kon ne tho ní:ioht, ionkhiiaranonhsáia’kskwe’ tánon’ ionkhihwà:’ekskwe’ tánon’ rón:ton tsi tisatónhnho’kte’ tóka’ ni’ tsi tesaia’tá’tson savage nahsia’tò:ten’, akwé:kon tho ní:ioht. Tánon’ tóka’ enhska’én:ion’, iah teiorihwaié:wat tsi ne tho karihón:nis ónhka’k ehtà:ke aiontatón:ni’. Nó:nen ken’ nitisaién:ha tánon’ ne iesa’nikonhráta’s, iah teioiánere tsi ní:ioht tsi teskà:nere ne tsi ionhontsá:te. Iah teioiánere tsi ní:tsi satehiahròn:’on. Ok né: ká:ti’ ón:kwe nòn:wa wenhniseraténion, kwah í:kehre’ tóka’ akwé:kon tsi ki’ ní:ioht ne iakotkarón:ni tóka’ ni’ iakaohetstén:ni ne nahò:ten’ tánon’ tóka’ nòn:wa tsi niieweiennò:ten’ ne ontié:renk eniakwaién:tere’ne’ tsi iah kwah teioiánere tsi ní:ioht.
Wahonwatiià:thewe’ ótia’ke naiehthá:rahkwe’ ne Indian day school, tánon’ énska tho iewake’tóhton tsi ne onterihwahtén:ti’. É:so iá:kon kheienté:ri, tánon’ é:so iorihwà:ke – í:kehre’ ótia’ke tontahonwananónhton’se’ nok ó:ia nahò:ten’ ó:ni’.
Kè:iahre’ tsi shakotinawirahserón:nis ieiakwéhtha’, nok akwé:kon ne iah teionkwaterièn:tarahkwe’ oh nontié:ren tsi tho ieionkwenónhne’. Ionkhino’tsotákwen. Kè:iahre’ tsi tewakhenréhtha’, akwé:kon ki’ wáhi, senà:ton tsi nahò:ten’. Né: ká:ti’ sarihwaié:was oh nontié:ren kwató:ken’k nahò:ten’ onterihwahtén:ti’ tóka’ ó:ni’ akwé:kon ne iahontkón:tahkwe’ tsi niió:re nòn:wa wenhniserá:te. É:so ne tsi nahò:ten’ ionkwa’nikonhrakarewáhton shiiakwaksa’okòn:’a. Akwé:kon ne iah eh tetiawé:non ne tsi iontientáhkhwa’ tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’. Tsi iontientáhkhwa’ tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’ ronaterihwaienstahnónhne’ ótia’ke ne ionkhiien’okòn:’a ok ionkhihsothokòn:’a tsi’k nì:’i Indian day school tionkwaterihwaienstahnónhne’.
Tsi wa’awenonhátie’ ne kanakeráhsera’ tsi nonkwá:ti ahonwatihiatonhseráweienste’ ne onkwehón:we - kwah í:ken tsi iorihowá:nen.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette