Chapter 10
Hope Remains After Cultural Destruction
Synopsis
Location
Historical Notebook
Synopsis
Many children were forced to live in residential schools, being taken away from their families and having their culture ripped away. Some didn’t make it home. Luckily, the ones who did, have been able to work toward re-learning their language and traditions. This story is partly told in Anishinaabemowin. Please listen with your heart.
Location
In front of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface (151 Av. de la Cathedrale). Stand next to the statue in the front circular courtyard, facing the front porch and stairs.
Historical Notebook
Desmond Mentuck is from the community of Waywayseecappo First Nation, which entered into treaty in 1874. Desmond is Anishinabe and is on a journey to reclaim his original language, and way of life, which was severely impacted by the residential school era. He also is an advocate for language reclamation and sharing his culture in the area of natural resource conservation.
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Hope Remains After Cultural Destruction P1
Hope Remains After Cultural Destruction P2
L'espoir Survit á la Destruction Culturelle P1
L'espoir Survit á la Destruction Culturelle P2
Même si tu ne Comprends Pas les Mots, Écoute Avec Ton Cœur P1
Même si tu ne Comprends Pas les Mots, Écoute Avec Ton Cœur P2
[Speaking Anishinaabemowin] |
Although you may not understand the following words, please just take a moment to listen with your heart. |
As I think back to my early days of growing up, I can’t help but feel sadness. |
Sadness that is so deeply imbedded I am only now understanding the root of it after many years of searching for happiness and balance in my life. |
The waves of destruction that the residential schools created |
have rippled three generations and continued to smash into a new generation of people that I have no idea who they are or where they come from. |
I am the voice of someone who’s family has endured many changes and experienced many nightmares and moments of complete despair. |
We have continued to look for happiness and have walked through many dark nights to get where we are today. |
My voice carries through the years and can be heard through many people who have experienced the same feelings and witnessed the same hardships. |
I have been carried on the backs of people who have walked a road I can never fully understand. |
This road was hard and rocky. This road had fear and sadness on either side. |
This road was leaving behind the life full of love, stability and a rich history that was connected to the earth. |
This road was leading my family through years of chaos and would take us to a place where we found ourselves again. |
Today I am nurtured and loved by people who have found themselves after losing so much. |
They lead me on a road that is full of amazing and beautiful sights and sounds. |
They speak to me in a language that I can feel in my spirit. The language carries me to a place that connects me to my ancestors and my creator. |
This connection has always been there and was waiting for me. It was waiting for me to pick it up and find myself again. |
We can have hope now and look to the future. The road we walk on now has many strong people on either side. |
The generations that have carried us and have carried such a heavy burden can now rest. We now carry their story and their strength. |
We speak our language with pride, knowing it has always been there waiting for us. We can walk this road with strength, knowing that there was something waiting for us. |
We can look at our children and lead them to a place where they will know who they are and where they come from. |
[Speaking Anishinaabemowin] |
(Sa parl en anishinaabemowin) |
Mêm si tchu konpran pâ li mô, ikoute avek ton keurre. |
Kan j’pans ankor a li premyé jor di kan sh’ta pchi, shu pâ kapab m’anpéshi, sh’file ankor triss. |
Enne tristesse si kreuze, ke si yeink asteur, ke j’konpran divou sa vyein. |
Li vag ke kâsse toutte la, fette par li z’ikol rizidansyel, l’on pâssi d’enne jinirasyon a l’ôt, pi konchune a frappi su enne jinirasyon novel di parsonne. |
Shu la vwè di kekun, divous ke la faméye, la eu bein di shanjman. Sa lâ viku, an mass di mova rêve, pi di tan di grô dizespwerre. |
Nouzôt, sa konchune a sharshi l’boneur, pi sa lâ pâssi a traverre bein di nwitte blansh, pour arrivi divou sa li randju ojordjwi. |
Ma vwè li pluss forte, avek li z’anni. A pu êt antandju par an mass di parsonne. |
Sta ein sh’mein djure, avek bein di rosh. |
Y l’ava d’la peur pi d’la tristesse shak kôti. Ste sh’mein-lâ, lessa an aryerre, toutte enne vi ranpli d’amour, d’êt stab pi enne grande istwerre avek la terre. |
Ste sh’mein-lâ, lâ amni ma faméye a traverre di z’anni di troube, pi nôzâ amni a enne plasse, divous sa si r’trouvi. |
Ojordjwi, sh’file bein pi emmi, par di parsonne ke sta r’trouvi, apra awerre pardju telman d’aferre. |
Y m’amenne su ein sh’mein plein d’imaj, pi di son pâ kréyab pi bein bô. |
Y m’parl dan enne lang ke j’peu filé dan mon espri. Ste lang-lâ m’amenne a enne plasse, divou j’wè mi zansêt, pi mon Kriyateur. |
Ste konneksyon la toultan iti lâ, pi a m’attanda. A l’attanda ke j’la prenne, pi ke j’ma r’trouve. |
Asteur, sa peu awerre d’l’espwerre pi r’gordi l’fuchur. L’sh’mein divou sa marsh dret-lâ, lâ bein dju mond forre su shak koti. |
Li jinirasyon ke l’ava porti nouzôt pi ein fardo si pizan, sa peu s’r’pozi asteur. Si nouzôt dret-lâ, ke sharri leu z’istwerre pi leu fors. |
Nouzôt, sa li fyerre kan sa parl notte lang, paske a lâ toultan iti lâ, a nô z’attand. Sa peu alli su ste sh’mein-lâ, avek d’la fors, paske sa sé, ki l’ava kechôze ke nô z’attanda. |
Asteur, si nouzôt li gid : sa peu montri a nô z’anfan, divou ksa vyein pi ki sa li. |
Desmond Mentuck, y vyein d’enne komunôti di Premyerre Nasyon Waywayseecappo, ke l’ava signi ein tretti an 1874. |
Desmond l’ita ein Anishinaabe, ke fa ein wéyaj, pour rawerre sa lang ki li ni avek, pi sawerre koman ki viva, di shôze ke l’ava iti marki d’enne manyerre sarieuze, par la piriode di pansyonâ. |
Y s’bâ itou pour gardee sa lang pi partaji sa kulchure, dan toutte ski lâ aferre, avek sôvi li r’sours nachurel. |