Rambunctious ones
Wayne Delormier poses for a photo taken at Charles Garnier Indian Residential School. Wayne was sent to residential school in 1949 when he was 10 years old and left in 1954, without ever going home. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
Story told by Wayne Delormier
My dad had left when I was young so my mom was raising five of us by herself. In 1949, when I was nine years old, she went to the Indian affairs office to apply for welfare or “relief” as it was called back then. Instead, they thought it would be best to send me and my older brother, Marvin, away to residential school. We were the rambunctious ones.
We were brought to the train station in Montreal West. I was actually kind of excited, it felt like an adventure. I had all my things in a box tied with a string cause we couldn’t afford a suitcase.
We rode the CPR train. I remember the wicker seats in the cars - I can still smell it. Whenever I smell wicker now, it brings back those memories.
We were on the train for nine hours. We went through North Bay, Sudbury and a lot of other small towns. They didn’t feed us the whole ride. Then we got to Spanish in Ontario.
Wayne’s older brother, Marvin Delormier, was sent away to residential school at the same time as Wayne. Their younger brothers, Manning and John Delormier, were sent to the same residential school in 1955. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
When we got to the school, they put us in a gymnasium and split us into the boys and the girls - 50 on each side. There were kids from all over. Cree, Ojibwe, Inuit, Anishinabeg, Mohawk. I was holding on tight to my brother’s pant leg.
They told us we would watch a movie but had to tell us something first.
We saw two boys come up to the front. Their hands were tied behind their back.
One of the jesuit priests came up and shaved half their heads bald. The other half of their head would be shaved the next week so they’d have to walk around in embarrassment.
Then they told them to take down their pants.
Front view of Charles Garnier Residential School. This was the boys’ side of the Spanish Indian Residential School, where Wayne resided. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
You could see that the boys were taking their time with it so he said, “Pull your fucking pants down” and then did it for them.
For most of the girls, it was their first time seeing that. The boys were bent over the benches and he hit their bare skin with a huge harness strap. He hit them so many times until they were screaming. I’ll never forget that.
I still remember the name of the prefect of discipline who did the strapping - priest Hannin. We called him the Devil because he enjoyed himself when he strapped us. He used to smile. He liked to see our asses get red.
Then he told us, “This is what will happen if any of you try to run away.”
That was our first day there. I didn’t go home for five years.
Father Daniel Hannin rings the school bell at the former residential school in Spanish, Ontario. He was nicknamed “the Devil” due to the physical abuse he inflicted on the boys. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
Rotiià:tate
Group of boys in a classroom at Charles Garnier Indian Residential School. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
Wayne Delormier roká:raton
Ken’ shitewatién:ha rake’níha rohténtion ne ká:ti ake’nisténha akonhà:’ak ionkhiiehià:ron ne wisk niiátion. 1949 shiiohserò:ten’, 9 sha’tewakohseriià:kon ake’nisténha Indian Affairs tsi iehiatónhkhwa’ ia’ekwátho’ wa’ontatshennínionhte’ nahshakotihwíston’ aiakoia’takéhnha’ tóka’ ni “relief” tsi ratina’tónhkhwahkwe iá:ken. Khé:ken, residential school ia’onkhiiaténniehte’ nì:’i tánon’ rakhtsì:’a Marvin. Ionkeniià:tatehkwe.
E’nekèn:ke Tiohtià:ke ohthiio’kéha tsi tekatà:stha’ iaionkhiia’ténhawe’. Kwah se’ kén: ohstón:ha wa’katonhnhà:ren’, tsi ni’ ne ka’ tiohk nón:we ié:ke’s. Akwé:kon o’neróhkwakon waketárion ne akwawen’shòn:’a ahserí:ie’ wa’tékhnerenkte’ ase’kénh iah teiakwakarakwénie’skwe aiakwahní:non’ ne iontahkwenniaráhkhwa. Kè:iahre ne tewa’á:raton anitskwà:ra’ ne ohthiio’kehà:ke ka’seréhtakon. Shé:kon wakéhswas. Nó:nen enwakéhswen othé:nen ne tewa’á:raton ionnià:ton, nè:’e enskehiahrà:seron’.
9 na’kahwistà:’eke’ ohthiio’kehà:ke iakeniia’titákhene. Wa’atiatohetstahkwánion’ ne North Bay, Sudbury, tánon’ é:so ó:ia’ ken’ nikanatá:sa’s. Iah teionkhinón:ten tsi niioháhes. Sok Spanish, Ontario wa’ákwawe’.
Sha’ákwawe’ ne tsi ionterihwaienhstáhkhwa’, tsi iontia’tahkariiohstáhkhwa’ ia’onkhiia’tínionhte’, wa’tionkhinenhrakháhsi’ ne ionkwahsken’rakéhte tánon’ tionathonwí:sen - 50 nihá:ti ne tetsarónhkhwa naká:ti. Tsik nón: nithonenónhseron ne ratiksa’okòn:’a. Cree, Ojibwe, Inuit, Anishinabeg, Kanien’kehá:ka. Iohní:ron watienawà:kon ne rakhtsì:’a raothahsterenhtsherà:ke.
Wa’onkhihró:ri’ tsi eniakwaterò:roke’ ne teióia’ks nek tsi ó:nen’k tsi thé:nen tontié:renhte’ wa’onkhihró:ri’.
Wa’akhí:ken’ tehniksà:’a ohén:ton nontà:ne’. Tehninéntsteren nihsòn:ne.
Clergy from Charles Garnier Indian Residential School are pictured in the gymnasium during a graduation, sometime between 1957-1960. From left to right: Father Bernard Mayhew, father Peter Brown, father Daniel Hannin, father Ray Oliver. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
Shaià:ta’ ratsihénhstatsi wà:rawe’ tánon’ shninontsistakará:ti’ wahshakonónhkare’ tsi niió:re okèn:tstara’ wahiá:ton’. Tsahià:khsera’ niió:re ó:ia’ nonkwá:ti’ ensehshakonónhkare’ oh naiá:wen’ ahonatehen’enhatiè:sheke’.
Sok wahonwatihró:ri’ aontahiatate’nónhkwenhte’.
Wa’okèn:ta’ne’ tsi skennen’shòn:’a tho nahní:iere’ ne tehniksà:’a sok wahèn:ron’, “tatsatkon’serate’nónhkwenht” sok khé:ken tho nahshakoié:ra’se’.
Thó:ha akwé:kon tsi nikón:ti ne tsonathonwí:sen, nè:’e tontié:renhte’ ne thí:ken wa’kontkáhtho’. È:neken anitskwahráhne wa’tehshakohsà:kete’ tánon’ wahshakohna’tshaia’ákhon’ washarowá:nen wà:ratste’. É:so ieioiénhton nihna’tshà:ke wahshakosharaienhtánion’ tsi niió:re wa’thotihén:rehte’. Iah ki’ nowén:ton nè:’e thaonsonke’nikónhrhen’.
Shé:kon nì:’i kè:iahre tsi nahò:ten’ ronwá:iatskwe tsi niká:ien roteríhonte ahshakohré:wahte’ wahshakosharaienhtánion - ratsihénhstatsi Hannin. Rotkon’seráksen wahshakwanà:tonhkwe’ ase’kénh wahaon’wéskwen’ ahshonkwasharaienhtánion’. Enhoiéhson shes. Raon’weskwaníhahkwe ahatkáhtho’ onekwénhtara’ naiá:wen’ne’ iakwahna’tsha’kéhshon.
Sok wahshonkwahró:ri’, “ken’ neniá:wen’ tóka’ ensewate’nién:ten’ aiesewatè:ko’”.
Nè:’e tontenhniseratié:renhte’ tho tiákwe’skwe. 5 niiohserá:ke iah tesewakahténtion.
Translation by Katsenhaién:ton Lazare
The Charles Garnier Indian Residential School operated from July 1, 1879 - June 30, 1958 and was demolished in 2004. This photo was taken of what was left of it in the winter of 2005. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)