Student risked life running from residential school abusers (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Student risked life running from residential school abusers
ALAN CORBIERE
August 5, 2006 Saturday

 [no link available. Available thru LexisNexis]
At the Indian residential schools it was forbidden to speak a native language
in the classrooms, school yard, sleeping quarters and basically anywhere within
earshot of the teachers.
Students caught speaking Ojibwa at the Spanish Indian Residential School were
quickly and smartly punished with a strap. This is reportedly the case at
Reserve Day Schools as well.
However, there is one critical difference between being punished at a day
school than at a residential school - the day school students got to go home at
the end of the day to be consoled by a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or
sibling. 
This consoling was unavailable to residential school students. When their
situation became unbearable, some residential school students ran away.
The following is a story told by Raymond Armstrong of M'Chigeeng First Nation.
For two years Raymond attended Spanish Residential School for boys. Raymond
moved back to the reserve and was kept back by his grandfather. The following
is an edited, bilingual story of a young student who ran away from Spanish.
Debaajmod: Raymond Armstrong
Anishinaabebiigejig: Alan and Ted Corbiere
Nahaa ga-dbaajmatooninim "Wiisagenh", nahiing megwaa gii- skoonwiyaang oodi
Spanish. 
I will tell you about "Wiisagenh," while we were going to school at Spanish.
Aapji ngii-nigaagoomi oodi gii-yaawaang. 
While we were there, we were treated very badly.
Mii-sh maaaba gaa-bi-nji-maajaad maaba oodi, pane, maybe two-three times a
year. 
That is why this one always left there (Wiisagenh), maybe two-three times a
year.
Maanpii gii-bi-zhaa, maanpii maanda gii-bi-biindigebiiyaag oodi-sh gaaming. 
He came here, this here bay (West Bay on Manitoulin) that comes in from the
North Shore. 
Mii-sh maaba gaa-bi-zhaad zhiwi, nahaa Wiisagenh, kina maanda gii-gbading. And
that is where Wiisagenh came, when all of this was frozen over (the bay). 
Gii- gkendaan go wipii waa-bi-maajaad oodi. 
He knew then that it was time to leave there.
Jiibaakwegamgoong-sh ko ngii-nji-nokii. 
I used to work in the kitchen. 
Mii-sh go wiindamaagoowaang oodi shkiniigshag wiindamaagoog, Aah, wii-maajaa
miinwaa "Wiisagenh" kidoog. 
And that's where the young boys would tell me, Oh, Wiisagenh is going to leave
again," they said.
Aash mii sa genii wi, ndazhchigeyaan nahii, nwii-gimoodin bkwezhigan, maa
bezhigwaatig. 
And so I too, I sought to do something, to steal some bread, maybe a loaf of
bread.
Ngii-miinigoog shkiniigshag nahii, "pillowcase", wii-tooyaanh wi miijim
gaa-gimoodiiyaan, piniig, miinwaa wiiyaas, giizhaamendeg wiiyaas. 
The guys gave me a pillowcase to put the food in, the food that I have stolen,
potatoes and meat, cooked meat. 
Ko debnimaan, mii-sh go wi ngojing ngii-ni-kidoon fridgeing. 
And when I used to get a steak I used to go hide it some place in the fridge.
Mii maanda gaa-daapnamaanh maage nswi maage niiwin, mii-sh maanda biinamaanh
niwi pkweshmoniiginoon maaba Wiisagenh waa-bi-maajiidood, wii-bi-nwopod. 
When I picked up three or four (steaks) then I would put them in the pillowcase
for this Wiisagenh, to take with him to eat for lunch.
Maanpii-sh ko gnamaa ngoji gii-bi-nbaadigenag niwi mnishenying one of the
islands here. 
And maybe they'd spend the night over here on an island. There's about two or
three islands there between Spanish and West Bay and Sheshegwaning. 
Aapji-sh go wipii gii-gzod December, aapji gii-gnaajwi maaba mkom. 
And at that certain time of the month, December, the ice was nice. 
Nawaach maaba gii-yowaan Wiisagenh, naa, zhooshkwaadaaganan mechwe-dkobzojig. 
And this Wiisagenh used to have skates, the ones you tie on by hand (no boots
to them). 
Mii niwi gaa-bmoomaajin miinwaa niwi wiijkiwenyan, 
that's what he and his friend used to carry on their backs, 
wii-zhi- zhooshkwaadewag oodi maamnik, mii-sh miinwaa bmosewaad ngoji
shpaagonagaag 
and they were going to skate over there part ways, then they will walk where
there is deep snow.
Mii wi gii-nigaajigaaza maaba oodi. 
That's that, he was treated poorly over there. 
Gii-yekzi bmi-paakskindibe-ind, pshazhegaazo pshkwegin giishpin debnigaazod
nishnaabemod. 
He was tired of being slapped on the head and getting strapped with the leather
strap, if he was caught speaking Ojibwa.
Gaa go maamdaa gegoo wii-nishnaabemtaadiyaang, shkwaa-skoonwiyaang kogaagoyaang
niiwing naa wa zhiwi go naa, nahii zhaabdisewaad zhiwi name-ninwag. 
By no means were we to speak Ojibwa to each other, after school, if we all
gather round together, that's where those brothers would always walk back and
forth. 
Miinwaa go zhiwi aanind gaa-skoonwijig shkiniigshag gii-dbamaagaazod giwi
wii-baataayaad giwi. 
And even some of the boys that were in school, they were paid to tell on them
(the ones speaking Ojibwa). 
Aapji go gchi- nendamaawan gondag mekdekonyeg niwi. 
The priests really liked those guys.
Mii-sh maaba ko gii-bi-maajaad. 
So then that is when Wiisagenh used to leave.
Mii-sh maaba pane gaa-dbaadang Wiisagenh, gaa-zhi-nigaachigaazod oodi
skoongamgoong. 
This is what Wiisagenh always talked about, how poorly he was treated at that
school.
Aaniish mnik oodi gaa-bi-mshkowaakjiwaad giwi shkiniigshag, bi- maajaawaad
ngoji negoodewaad megwe-mtigoonski wii-nbaawad? 
How many of those boys froze along the way when they left and crawled in the
brush to sleep?
Gii-nigaazwidigenag oodi, bi-dkamiiwaad, gnamaa gaye wnishnawaad. 
They must have suffered over there as they were crossing or if they were lost.
Aaniish mnik oodi gaa-bi-nji-gjibwewaad shkiniigshag gii-bi- dkamiiwaad zhonda
mkomiing? 
How many boys ran away from there by crossing there on the ice?
Aaniish mnik gaa-bkobiisewaad? 
How many fell in the water?
Wiisagenh is remembered by many people in M'Chigeeng as having run away from
Residential School in the winter time by crossing the ice. Fortunately, he did
not freeze to death on one of those islands. Wiisagenh's situation must have
become intolerable and he felt he had to leave the school and come home to
M'Chigeeng.
Copyright 2006 North Bay Nugget
All Rights Reserved 
North Bay Nugget (Ontario)
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