Sharing Our Stories: Her escape / Tsi iako’niakèn:’en


Local Journalism Initiative
Fri, June 23, 2023

The girls and the boys were split up between two buildings but they were only about 150 feet apart. We were at the Garnier Residential School and the girls were at the St. Joseph Residential School.

We would sometimes send messages to the girls’ school by paper planes if the wind was right.

We were separated, but we would hear what was going on.

One day, we heard that an Ojibwe girl had disappeared. No one could find her. They looked everywhere.

It turned out that my friend, Joe Marion, who was her older brother, had helped her escape. He had arranged all of it and did the research before.

He talked to some guys who had run away and been brought back. All of them had floated down the river on a boat or on a log to the farthest town they could get. From there, they’d access a train or hitchhike. As far away as they could get. That was the only way they could successfully escape.

In close proximity to the two schools, there were mounted police to bring us back. But if you got far enough away, the expense was too much to look for you so you were free.

Sudbury was one of those towns people would run away to. From there, they’ve got roads and trains that could get them away…

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Wa’thatinenhrakháhsi’ ne rotisken’rakéhte’ tánon’ ne tsonathonwí:sen tha’tekanónhsate’ ahati’terón:take’ nek tsi 150 niwahsì:take khok tsi na’tetiatenonhsátere’. Garnier tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’ tiakwaterihwaiénsthahkwe’ ne ionkwasken’rakéhte’ nok tsonathonwí:sen St. Joseph tsi ionterihwaiénstahkhwa’ tkonterihwaiénsthahkwe’.

Sewatié:rens ieniakhihiá:tonhse’ ne tsonathonwí:sen kahiatónhsera’ teká:tens eniatiónnia’te’ tánon’ tóka’ tkaié:ri tsi ní:ioht tsi iówerare’ ienakhiiatenniéhten’ tánon’ ién:wawe’.

Teionkhinenhrakháhsion, nek tsi eniakwarihwà:ronke’ oh niiawen’hátie’.

Sewenhnísera, wa’akwarihwà:ronke’ tsi tseià:ta Tewa’káhnha na’eia’tò:ten’ wa’ontia’táhton’ . Iah ónhka teiakokwénion aiontatia’tatshén:ri’. Tsik nón:we wa’ontatia’tí:sake’.

Tsi na’á:wen’ kí: ontiatén:ro, Joe Marion, né:ne ronwahtsì:’a, wahshakohsnié:nen’ naie’niá:ken’ne’. Akwé:kon raónha rorihwahserón:ni tánon’ ohén:ton rorihwisákhon.

Wahshakohtháhrhahse’ tsi nihá:ti ronatè:kwen tánon’ tethonwatiia’ténha. Akwé:kon wahonhná:wenhte’ ne kahán:wakon, tóka’ ni’ karontà:ke ne iahón:newe’ tsi niió:re ne aonhà:’a í:non tkaná:taien. Tho ki’ nón:we, ohthiio’kéha enhontíta’ tóka’ ni’ enhonthahíta’. Tsi niió:re’ tsi enhatikwé:ni’ iahón:newe’. Thok thí:tsi enwá:ton’ enhatirihwaié:rite’ tsi enhati’niá:ken’ne’.

Aktóntie’ ne tekanónhsake tsi ionterihwaienhstahkwaniónhkhwa’, tehniiáhse’ iatenatanónhnha’ tho íthne’skwe’ taontaionkhiia’ténhawe’. Nek tsi tóka’ enhskwé:ni’ ia’tekaié:ri tsi niioháhes iáhsewe’, só:tsi iokarowá:nen ne aiesaia’tisákha’, né: ká:ti’ wáhi satatewenní:io.

Sudbury tkaná:taien nón:we thonte’kwahtáhkhwa’ nonkwe’shòn:’a. Tho ki’ nón:we, iohaténion tánon’ karistaténion nohthiio’kéha enwá:ton’ enhontíta’ é:ren ahotiia’tenhá:wihte’ ne tho.

Story told by: Wayne Delormier, Written by: Emma McLaughlin - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Translation by: Katsenhaién:ton Lazare, The Eastern Door