Uncle Ugly
Nick Huard pictured at the Saint Ambroise terrasse in Saint Henri in July 2022. (Credit: Simona Rosenfield)
Story told by Nick Huard
I just had a Zoom meeting with the department of youth protection. They want me to work with the kids. It's a big emotional investment, and reminds me a lot of my own past, being taken away.
A week ago I went to Prevost. They had a mini powwow, and all of the Inuit and Native kids - mostly Cree kids - were there to do their celebration. I was standing in line. These six kids came running.
“It’s barbeque time!”
And then they realized that they walked in front of an elder, so they all backed up, and they said, “We’re sorry, Elder.”
And I said, “That’s okay, you guys go.”
One of them says, “What’s your name?”
I said, “You can call me Uncle Ugly.”
He said, “I can’t say that!”
I said, “Of course you can! But it has to come with a smile and a hug.”
I got to hug him. And then the second one called me Uncle Ugly to get his hug. And then there was this little guy that was on the side, and he looked at me with his big eyes.
He said, “Can I have a hug?”
It took my heart right out. It reminded me when I was in rez school and I wanted a hug and the only thing I got was sex abused.
So, it opened up a huge scar. But I owe it to those kids.
I can cry now - it’s raining.
Rakenonha’ó: Rahétken
Four boys from Pessamit, an Innu community in Quebec, form a line and shake hands with a group of priests at the classical college of Jonquière. They were the first from their reserve to attend the school. From left to right, the boys are Pieree-Pietre Picard, Camille Vollant, Henri Vollant and Leonard Paul (Courtesy: Library and Archives Canada)
Nick Huard roká:raton
Zoom tewakatkennisòn:ne skátne ne department of Youth Protection. Ronhská:neks í: skátne ratiksa’okòn:’a aionkwaió’ten’. É:so teiotonhontsóhon ón:kwe aiontahkwenniá:ien eh naiakonhnho’ténhake’ tánon sewakehiahrahkwén:nis ne tsi nonkerì:wawen’. É:ren shiiontia’ténha.
Tsahià:ksera tsi náhe’ Previst iewakenónhne. Ken’ niiorihwà:’a Pow Wow tho tahonterihwahterihwahténtia’te’.; tánon akwé:kon Othore’kehró:non tánon nok Ronnonkwehón:we— sénha kentiohkowá:nen nithontiiòn:sa Ratirón:taks— tho thatinién:tehkwe ahotinenhrón:ni. Tsi kanenhrahserón:ni a’tohserákta téktahkwe. Ià:ia’k nihá:ti ratiksa’okòn:’a ká:ron thoné:non.
“Ó:nen ieióhe átste karístatsi”
Sok kheh wahónttoke’ tsi shaià:ta thó:ien raohén:ton tahontatia’tò:roke’, akwé:kon ohnà:ken wahonhténtia’te’ tánon wahonnì:ron’
“Saiakwatathré:wahte sekstén:ha”
Wa’tkerihwa’será:ko’ “iah tekarì:wa, hao’ í:se tesewatié:renht”
Tseià:ta wa’eri’wanón:ton’ “nahò:ten iesá:iats”
Wa’kì:ron’, “enwá:ton ahskwanà:tonhkwe’ ne Rakenonha’ó: Rahétken”
Sok raónha wahèn:ron’ “iah thaón:ton’ nè:’e akì:ron’”
Wa’kì:ron’, “orihwí:io enwá:ton’”
“Nek tsi ó:nenk tsi aiesaiéhson’ tánon ahsekhnià:sa’.”
Ón:ton’ ahihnià:sa, tánon shaià:ta ó:ia’ wahakenà:tonhkwe’ Rakenonha’ó: Rahétken oh neniá:wen’ ahihnià:sa’. Sok shaià:ta shé: ken’ nihrà:’a aktóntie’ ì:re’skwe, tsi na’tehakà:ra tsi tehakká:nere.
Wahèn:ron’, “Káton’ ken í: ahsekhnià:sa’?”
Kheh tonkeriahsatáhko’.
Sonkehiahráhkwen’ ne shikahá:wi shikaterihwaiénhstha’ tsi ionterihwaienhstáhkhwa’ tánon wa’tewakatonhóntsohse’ ónhkak aionkhnià:sa, tánon khé:ken khok wa’ontia’tahsté:rihste’.
Ó:nen tonsonkwatewíria’ke’
Wa’tekhenonhwerá:ton’ ne eh nikentiohkò:ten ratiksa’okòn:’a.
Ó:nen tenkahséntho’— iokennó:ron
Translation by Katsenhaién:ton Lazare