Transcript
Well, what had happen long ago was that parents did teach their children the skills they had learned themselves, the way they had survived. That is what they did has they themselves did not know the English language or good read books. It was only after the advent to the Indian Residential School that a person could learn to read books. At this location. My parents taught me the Cree language only; no one spoke English in my family before coming to school. Only after coming to school did I hear the English in conversation. I also learned a little English and I was only in school for 5 years. During my school years, I spent three years in the hospital. I went to the hospital from school and spent three years there in the hospital. So, I lost three years that I could have spent in school. I did not learn anything while I was in the hospital. I was young when I went to the hospital, I was only 10. It was only until 1957 that I came back from the hospital. I then came back to residential school and spent about 3 to 4 years in school. That is about all that I spent in school. I did learn the English language and I thought the teachers were pretty good. But I developed an attitude in school; I did not pay attention and did not do what I was told. I was thinking about the traditional hunting in the fall. This is the way my father taught me about things, preparations and getting ready for the fall hunt. But we did not go hunting as we were already in Residential School before the fall hunt and we could not go. So, this urge to go fall hunting affected my behaviour, to go with my father. So, I did not behave and listen in school so was eventually released from the residential school. But I put responsibility for the kids to go to school. I thought a lot about how I did not complete an education. I believe I would have completed my schooling as I was in my eighth grade when I was released from school in the fall. Had I stayed in school, I would have departed with other school mates; Edmond Metat, to high school had I properly conducted myself in school. But it’s my fault only that I did not learn in school.
Description
Staying in school by Edmond Edwards
Tags
Education school hospital hunting English