Subdued
Charles Garnier Indian Residential School was the site of abuse and suffering for many Indigenous children. This photo of the building was taken a few years before its demolition in 2004. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre Algoma University)
Story told by Wayne Delormier
I stole a boat from residential school once and banged it up, so I was punished. Before going for my punishment, the older Mohawk boys told me to start crying after the fifth hit so that they would stop. They said that I wouldn’t feel anything after the fifth hit because it would go numb but that I still had to cry or else it’d just get worse. If I did, the prefect of discipline - priest Hannin - wouldn’t make me take down my pants to hit me.
I was tough though, I didn’t need to cry. But they told me to just pretend.
I got hit 10 times on each of my hands with a strap. There was an infirmarian there to make sure that they wouldn’t go higher than an inch above our wrists so the brothers wouldn’t get carried away and kill us or cause severe injury.
Like the other boys told me to do, I started crying, “waah, waah.”
The infirmarian looked and saw the big blue lump on my wrist and told them to stop.
So they stopped after the 10 hits on each hand. My wrists and hands had swelled up about half an inch. They weren’t supposed to get my wrists.
Good thing I didn’t get it on the behind though. I can still remember those guys screaming. They always seemed to be quiet after that. Subdued.
Father Daniel Hannin, the prefect of discipline, was nicknamed “the Devil” by children at school, due to his severe punishments. This photo of him was taken in his later years. (Courtesy: Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre Algoma University)
Tha’tehonató:te’
Wayne Delormier roká:raton
Énska kí: ia’ká:ienhte’ kahonwé:ia’ takenénhsko’ tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’ tánon’ wa’kerihwéntho’. Né: káti’ wa’onkhré:wahte’. Ohén:ton tsi niió:re’ wa’onkhrehwahtà:na’, ne sénha thotí:ien’s Kanien’kehá:ka rotihsken’rakéhte’ wa’onkhró:ri’ thenkón:ni’ ne takahséntho’ nó:nen wísk nienká:ienhte’ tenionkehsnónhse’ke’. Wahonnì:ron’ nó:nen enwatóhetste’ iá:ken ne wísk nienká:ienhte’ iah thaonsakáttoke’ ase’kénh enwakahsíthen’ nek ki’ tsi shé:kon ó:nen’k tsi thenkón:ni’ tsi tekahsénthos né: tsi tóka’ iah, kwah nek entio’serà:rehste’. Ratsihénhstatsi Hannin ne roterihón:tahkwe’ ne kahrewatáhtshera’. Tóka’ eh tho néntiere’ iá:ken kí:ken nahò:ten’ ionkhró:ri, iah thahakónnien’ iá:ken ne aontakate’nónhkwenhte’ né:ne ahakhna’tshaia’ákhon’.
Wakahkátstehkwe’ ki’, tánon’ iah tha’teiotonhontsohòn:ne’ taonkwahsénthon. Nek tsi ionkhró:ri se’ ki’ ok thakón:ni’ wáhi.
Oié:ri nia’ká:ienhte’ wa’thakehsnónhse’ke’ ne tsarónhkwen nonkwá:ti. Tewátsnie’ tho tkanièn:te’ ne orihwí:io aión:ni’ ne tóhsa skaweiónhkara sénha è:neken tsi teiakwanentshawì:tonte’ aionkhikaré:wahte’, oh naiá:wen’ne’ tóhsa iahonnohétstahkwe’ tánon’ aionkhiiáhsehte’ tóka’ ni’ kwahtokèn:’en aionkhikaré:wahte’.
Takatáhsawen’ wa’tkahséntho’ tsi ní:ioht tsi ionkhró:ri ne ronátia’ke rotihsken’rakéhte’, “Waah, waah.”
Ontkáhtho’ ne tewátshnie’ tsi kowá:nen oròn:ia’ niwahsohkò:ten wakenentshawi’takwá:ronte’ tánon’ wa’akohró:ri’ ahontoríshen’.
Wahontoríshen’ ki’ tsi ó:nen oié:ri nia’ká:ienhte’ wa’tionkehsnónhse’ke’ ne tetsarónhkwen nonkwá:ti. Tóka’ sha’tekaweionhkaríhen ón:tohwe’ ne kenentshawi’ta’téhshon tánon’ kehsnonha’kéhshon. Iah iá:ken tha’teiotonhontsohòn:ne’ taionkehsnónhse’.
Ioiánere’ ki’ tsi iah teionkhna’tsháie’. Shé:kon kè:iahre’ tsi na’tehotihenréhtha’ thí:ken rotihsken’rakéhte’. Nó:nen enhonwatinonhwenhserário’ tsi ní:ioht ne sha’tenshontó:tate’ nó:nen enwateweiennén:ta’ne’. Tha’tehonató:te’.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette
Sleeping quarters at the Charles Garnier Indian Residential School. Taken in 1924-1925.