Scraping every last bit
Wayne Delormier (right) stands next to a peer at Spanish residential school. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
Story told by Wayne Delormier
When I was at Spanish residential school, they didn’t feed us enough. I was always hungry.
We had mush for breakfast - I guess it was some kind of oatmeal. For lunch and supper, we’d have soup, beans and two-day old plain rolls with no butter. And for snack, they gave us a slice of raw turnip and tea. That’s all we’d get. We’d eat with our heads down and protect our plates so no one would steal from us.
We also had tea with every meal. I’m surprised I still like tea after all of it I had there.
If you wanted meat, you’d have to hunt and get your own. They used to have one-shot rifles - 22s. Good enough to get a partridge, rabbit or a goose. And we’d have to strip and clean it on our own. They’d allow us to do all that. And on top of that, you’d have to serve it yourself to your table. All 12 of us would have to get a piece of it. We had to share it.
Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University
We had guys who’d serve our table. And man, they’d fill up their plates before they’d fill up yours. Give themselves much more.
The priests would eat so well. Way better than us. They had desserts, we never had desserts.
They gave us tin plates to eat from and I still remember the sound of the kids scraping every last bit off those tin plates. We tried to get every piece of food. I can still hear it.
Kanien'kéha version
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Kanien'kéha version ↓
Sahatira’nentahsión:ko’ Tsi Ní:kon Iókhware’
Boys harvest pumpkins at the farm on site. Brother Eugene McCleren stands in the back, Herbie Mitchell stands to his direct right. Fred Stacy is in the truck in the front. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre, Algoma University)
Wayne Delormier Roká:raton
Iah thia’teioierì:’on tsi ní:kon wa’onkhí:nonte’. Tiótkon shos katonhkária’ks.
Onekwítshera’ shos eniákwake’ nohrhon’kè:ne – Khé:re káti’ kenh ok ní:ioht arawéhn othè:sera’ kénhne’. Ne éntie’ tánon’ o’karahsnéha, onón:tara’, osahè:ta’ tánon’ tewenhniserá:ke shitió:ien’ iah tekawistohseráhrhon teiotena’tarakwe’nón:ni eniákwake’. Ok ne nikakhwà:sa, skakwe’taráhtshera iokáhte’ otsihkwa’kó:wa’ tánon’ onerahtákeri enionkhí:nonte’. Thok niió:re wa’onkwakhwahsón:rie’. Teiakwa’nonhwetshawerontátie’ tsi teniakwatskà:hon’ tánon’ taiakwáhnhe’ onkwakehra’shòn:’a ne tóhsa ónhka aionkhinénsko’.
Tiótkon shos ò:ni’ onerahtákeri ionkwathné:karahkwe’ tsi wa’tiakwatskà:hon’. Kwah wakenehrákwas nòn:wa tsi shé:kon waké:ka’s nonerahtákeri, tsi é:so ó:nen wakhnekihrèn:ne’ ne’ thò:ne’.
Tóka’ ensa’wahrahsón:rie’, ó:nen’k tsi enhsató:rate’ tánon’ iénhsko’ sá:wen. Rotiién:tahkwe’ ne’ énska ionròn:tats káhonre’ – 22. Wa’kakwé:ni’ wa’oròn:tate’ ohkwé:sen, tahonhtané:ken, tóka’ ni’ káhonk. Tánon’ ó:nen’k tsi ontionhà:’ak wa’akwaiénsere’ tánon’ wa’akwanóhare’. Enionkhiríhon’ shos akwé:kon thí:ken naiakwaiá:iere’. Ok nísi’ nón:we ne thí:ken, ó:nen’k tsi enhsatatéhrha’se’ satekhwahráhne. Akwé:kon ne tékeni iawén:re niiátion ó:nen’k tsi skátshon éniakwake’. Wa’akwaià:khon’.
Enhontatéhrha’se’ shos ken’ nihá:ti ronnón:kwe nonkwatekhwahráhne. Ótkon, kwah enhonteksíkhon’ ohén:ton tsi niió:re enwá:ton’ í:se’ othé:nen enhsatatéhrha’se’. Wahontekhó:wanahte’.
Kwah shos enhontekhwí:ioste’ ne’ ratitsihénhstatsi. Kwah sénha tsi ní:ioht nì:’i. Tiotsikhè:tare’ enhón:neke’, iah nonwén:ton nì:’i teionkwé:kon.
Karistakén:ra’ akehra’shòn:’a taionkhíkson’ naiákwatste’ nó:nen teniakwatskà:hon’ tánon’ shé:kon nòn:wa kè:iahre’ tsi nikawennò:ten tsi sahatira’nentahsión:ko’ tsi ní:kon iókhware’ nakehratnéhshon. Wa’akwate’nién:ten’ akwé:kon ne tsi ní:kon kákhwaien’ aiákwake’. Shé:kon wakathón:te’s.
Translation by Karonhí:io Delaronde