Her escape 

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…

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

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Women’s health

I like to mix my flowers, my vegetables, and my medicines together in the garden. I grow motherwort, which is a bitter herb. It’s really good for your heart, veins, arteries, circulation, and nourishes the women’s reproductive system. They’re pretty when they flower too. I harvest and make tinctures and teas with it, and mix it with different herbs like red raspberry leaf and red clover.

Raspberry leaf nourishes and strengthens the reproductive system. It has a lot of vitamins and nutrients for your body. Red clover nourishes your blood, it contains phytoestrogens, it supports your liver and blood, and it helps to balance the hormones.

Motherwort is an annual plant that drops its seeds to reproduce. Usually by the beginning of July, you can start to harvest when you see their purple flowers. You can cut around 10 inches of flowering branches.

Raspberry is a perennial plant. You can harvest the leaves when they’re young because they’re more vibrant and fresh. Before the berries grow, the energy and nutrients are in the young leaves. The berries are also good. They supply a lot of Vitamin C and other nutrients to maintain a healthy body.

Red clover usually starts to bloom in early July right through fall. I like it for its ability to nourish the liver and blood. I usually use it in a mix for detoxing and nourishing the liver and rebuilding the body’s health.

Story told by: Elaine Delaronde<
Written by: Simona Rosenfield, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translation by: Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette