Interview · North Dakota · Demus McDonald · NDNAEU 2
Themes: Language & revitalization, Identity & belonging, Education & learning, Boarding schools & assimilation, Spirituality & ceremony, Culture & continuity
Learn About questions
Where is St. Michael’s Boarding School? What years has it been open?
Why were people punished for speaking indigenous languages in the boarding schools in the past?
Why were students not allowed to pray in their traditional language?
What was the goal of the boarding schools in the past?
Learn From questions
Have I ever attended a school where I had to live onsite? What was it like and why did I go there?
Have I ever been punished for doing something in a different way than someone else? What was it like?
Are there parts of my identity that I hide from others because of fear of misunderstanding?
Transcripts
02 Demus McDonald: Boarding School Experiences
Watch this interview on YouTubeAnd when they put me at st.Michael’s boarding school the sister school we were punished for talking Dakota no I had one time I had to kneel on a ruler they put in the corner I had to face the corner kneel on the ruler and as it started hurting I would try to sit back on my ankle and father was sitting right there he reached over grabbed my hair back to make me deal straight up so that when we when we spoke our language Dakota then we got punished for it different ways sometimes they put a clothespin on their tongue in front everybody I didn’t know do we washing dishes one time my friend Martin Bruce that he was raised like me where we spoke Dakota first language we knew so anyway we’re washing dishes and I was facing lock the door and he was facing this way and he couldn’t see that sister behind and she was coming so he was talking about hotel and I couldn’t be gone she’s just coming up so she snuck up right behind him for tomorrow grab him you speak English Shh it’s taking them it’s little boys I said bending over but soon as she let him go he jumped up he grabbed her bonnet he jerked her bonnet into the pig stuck on that bonnet to her pins were popping out they took her bonnet eyeshadow short haircut it came to a point great didn’t remind me about Eddie Munster that moves out when what anyway tom was right there that tunnel went to the church from the church was another tunnel that went a different direction that’s where we had to we played in those tunnels in winter when it was 40 below you know those tunnels were warm but anyway he jumped in that tunnel took off with that volunteers running she was right behind her dress up so I got in there too and I was running got to the end you could see up there with there was light at home with dark you could see the light the door where he ran toward the church first and then he took off back across this way to that other tunnel and she was right behind him and when I got to do came out of that tunnel that was brother Vito’s would a copter shop he must have been cutting with us watch boy another little boy now I got to the door I thought I better peacock first open the door sure enough she’s bending over picking up her bonnet and he should have let that go way back to her night but anyway we got I was with him so I got punished and western Iran ruler and that’s the way we got punished but we could talk Dakota
Affiliation sources
NDNAEU document credits: Demus McDonald — Spirit Lake (Dakota).
Source materials
Supplied transcript documents. Text and transcription uncertainties are preserved as supplied.