Rain
At the age of 6, Nick was sent to work “in service” at the seminary in Jonquiere, where he endured physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. Nick endured abuse at the hands of the priests and seminarians from the mid-1950s until his escape at the age of 13. The photo depicts the Jonquiere College grounds in the late 1950s, which was one site of the abuse. The school is now a CEGEP. (Courtesy: Dany Deschênes)
Story told by Nick Huard
I can give you a story right now because it’s floating in my head. They took us away from home, and they brought us to rez school - well, it was a seminary - where we were in service. After a month, they told us that everybody back home had died because of a big sickness. And in turn, they told back home that we had died.
We were dead. We had no family to go to.
So, the first day, well of course when you hear news like that, you’re crying. This sudden realization that you’re alone in the world. And as a matter of fact, we thought we were the only three Indians left in the world.
The first day they let it go by, but the second day, if you cried you got beaten up.
“We’ll give you a reason to cry!” Wack!
So we found a way to mourn that was okay with us, that was when it rained. Because when it rains, nobody knows you’re crying. So every time that it rains, it reminds me of my grandmother. It reminds me of the time back in Jonquiere. I like the rain.
The Cégep de Jonquière campus now occupies the location where Nick served at the seminary. (Courtesy: Dany Caron)
Iokennó:ron
Aerial view of Jonquière, with the Saguenay River and the St. Dominique church in view. After running away, Nick only returned once to Jonquière later in life to broadcast a bowling tournament. He says that although the building is gone, the spirit of the place still lingers. (Courtesy: Library and Archives Canada)
Nick Huard roká:raton
Enkonkaratón:hahse’ ki’ kwah ó:nenk áse’ken nè:’e ki’ khok kanonhtónnion. Iotohétston sha’onkhi’nónksha’ tsi tionkwanónhsote tánon tsi ionterihwaienhstáhkhwa’ ia’onkhiia’ténhawe’. Ne akwáh nè:’e ratihénstatsi tsi thonterihwaienhstáhkhwa’, tsi nón:we tiakhirihwawà:se’skwe. Sewenhnì:ta shón:we’, wa’onkhihró:ri tsi akwé:kon wahonníheie’ ne onkwahwá:tsire, tiok nahò:ten kahnhra’kó:wa wahonáhsehte iá:ken. Sok wahonwatihró:ri tsi ì:’i ki’ ó:ni wa’akwénheie’.
Akwé:kon ónhte ionkwenheiòn:ne. Iah káneka teionkwahwatsiranákerahkwe.
Shontontenhniseratié:renhte’, wè:ne ki nà:’a, tsi nó:nen nè:’e thok niiorihò:ten ahserihwà:ronke’, tahsahsénhtho’. Ok thitiawenstsì:’on sattó:ken tsi sonha’tsíwa ne ken’ tsi ionhontsá:te. Tánon iakwéhrahkwe ó:ni tsi ì:’i khok iationha’tsíwa tsi nihá:ti ne Onkwehón:we.
Tiotenhniseratierénhton wa’onkhiríhon’, sok sha’óhrhen’ne’ tóka’ tahsahséntho’, eniesanonwen’serário’.
“enkón:ion’ ne orì:wa tsi nontié:ren ó:nenk se’ nahsátiere” Táwh!
Wa’akwaterien’tatshén:ri’ oh ní:ioht ió:wis onkwarihwà:ke aionkwatshen’niónhkwen’. Thó:ner wa’okén:nore. Áse’ken nó:nen iokennó:ron, iah ónhka teiakoterièn:tare tóka’ tesahsénthos. Tiótkon nó:nen eniokén:nore sewakehiahrahkwén:nis ne akhsótha. Sewakehiahrahkwén:nis ne tsi Janquiere shitkaterihwaiénhsthahkwe. Wakon’wéskwani nó:nen iokennó:ron.
Translation by Katsenhaién:ton Lazare
Rue Principale Ouest in Jonquière, Quebec from the 20th century. (Courtesy: BanQ)