Misery
Lorraine Montour. (Courtesy: Melissa Stacey)
STORY TOLD BY LORRAINE MONTOUR
The nuns and priests, those sons of bitches, they always did something to piss you off. No wonder why we’re so damn miserable. If anybody listens to our stories, it’s all misery.
It was so nice when somebody came to raise hell at the school with either a priest or a nun for abusing somebody.
What kind of school was that to treat us like we were so mean?
They were always insulting someone and you would say to the nun, “You can’t do that, that’s wrong.”
You’re only defending yourself or helping somebody who got insulted.
They’re supposed to represent the cross; they’re supposed to represent good and they were the worst representatives of that.
My friend Muriel was crippled. She sat in front of me and I always helped her to get around or to get on her chair.
She raised her hand and asked the nun if she could use the bathroom. The sister said, “No, you can’t go, you’re gonna go in a half hour.”
Muriel looked at me and started crying so I got up to help her. She stood up and peed in her pants.
The nun wanted to punish her because she peed. She was so poor. The nun had no pity for her and was scolding her. That’s how they would mistreat people. It was at Kateri day school.
Atonhnhakariáhtshera’
Lorraine Montour and her peers pose for a class picture at Kateri School. Photo was taken around 1948. Lorraine is pictured in the second row, third from the right. *(Courtesy: Bonnie Alfred)
LORRAINE MONTOUR IAKOKÁ:RATON
Thí:ken iotiia’tatokénhti tánon’ ne ratitsihénhstatsi, ronnonkwe’taksénskwa, tiótkon ok nahatí:iere’ naiesana’kón:ni’. Iah ki’ teiorihwaié:wat tsi na’teionkwatonhnhakárien. Tóka’ ónhka’k eniontahónhsatate’ nonkwara’shòn:‘a, akwé:kon nek atonhnhakariáhtshera’.
Niion’wesénhne’ nó:nen ónhka’k éntien’ tánon’ enienenhská:ri’ tsi tehotíhthare’ ne ratsihénhstatsi tóka’ ni’ ne ioia’tatokénhti né: tsi shakotiiesáhton nónhka’k.
Oh ne ken na’kanonhsò:ten’ tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’ tsi tho nitionkhí:te’ tsi ki’ ní:ioht ne iationkwe’táksen’s?
Tió:konte’ ronwatihsenhtén:ni nónhka’k tánon’ enhshró:ri’ ne ioia’tatokénhti, “Iah ki’ thaón:ton’ eh tho náhsiere’, iah tetkaié:ri.”
Kwah nek ki’ tehsatatéhnhe’ tóka’ ni’ shehsnié:nens ne wa’ontatshénhten’.
Teiotonhontsóhon aontaionate’nienténhston ne kaiáhsa’; ok ò:ni’ ne ioiánere’ tánon’ iah káneka tho teiotiié:ren.
Ontiátshi Muriel iah shes té:ien’skwe’. Akhén:ton tietskó:tahkwe’ tánon’ tió:konte’ wa’khehsnié:nen’ ka’k iaiénhshon’ tóka’ ni’ akonitskwahrahtsherà:ke aionnitskó:ten’.
Wa’onnnentshakará:tate’ tánon’ wa’konwari’wanón:tonhse’ ne ioia’tatokénhti tóka’ ken aón:ton’ átste’ ienhtáhkhwa’ iá:ien’. Ioia’tatokénhti wa’kèn:ron’, “Iahten, iah thaón:ton’ tho iáhse’, ahsén:nen nenkahwistà:’eke’ niió:re’ tho ienhénhse’.”
Wa’tionkwatkà:neren’ ne Muriel tánon’ wa’tionhséntho’, né: ká:ti’ wa’tékta’ne’ akhehsnié:nen’. Wa’tié:ta’ne’ tánon’ wa’ontatanistiá:ke’.
Wáhehre’ ne ioia’tatokénhti aiakohré:wahte’ né: tsi wa’onnistiá:ke’. Niiakó:ten thí:ken. Iah káneka teiakó:tenre’ tánon’ iakottehtén:ni. Tho ki’ ní:ioht tsi enhonwanateweiennaksà:ten’ nonkwehshòn:’a. Katé:ri day school tho nitiawèn:’en.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko Arquette