Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness
Thomas Indian School
Gowanda, NY, June 19, 2009
A Day on the Seneca Nation
A welcome from the
Seneca
Nation at Irving, NY. The Seneca Nation in New York State knows itself as Keepers of the Western Door. Senecas are traditionally the westernmost tribe of the Six Nations Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois peoples. The Six Nations include, the Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Tuscarora, Cayuga and Oneida Nations. The Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness came to Irving, New York, just a stone’s throw from the shores of Lake Erie, for a day at the site of the former Thomas Indian School on Seneca territory.
The Thomas Indian School began its time as The Thomas Asylum for Orphan and Destitute Indian Children in 1855. Its time as a school is usually dated from 1905. By the time its doors closed in 1957, it offered classes all the way to grade nine. But Thomas Indian School was much more than a school building or even a campus. It was a completely self-sustaining community including barns, dormitories, a hospital, a school, out buildings, orchards and a dairy farm. At present, only one building remains of the original complex––the building that was once the hospital. That building has been refurbished and remodeled. It houses some of today’s tribal offices. The Thomas Indian School was run by the State of New York throughout its time. It was not a federal school or a mission-based school as were most of the nearly 500 boarding schools in the U.S.
We had overcast to get the morning started but by late afternoon the sun was out and greeting us. We started out across the grounds at the Seneca Nation Library and gathered to look at old photos of students who attended Thomas Indian School. Lehman “Dar” Dowdy offered an opening prayer at the beginning of the Hoop walk through the complex. He also blessed us with an opening prayer at the Wellness Center where the day’s event would take place. Carrying the Hoop was Llona LeRoy, Tribal Council; Linda Doxtator, Tribal Council; Robert Thompson, Commander; and Jason Marr, Veteran. Tribal Councilman Travis Jimerson brought in the Eagle Staff. The official count of participants at the event was almost 200, which surprised the coordinators.
Barry E. Snyder, Sr., President of the Seneca Nation of Indians, opens the gathering. The day began with a welcoming talk by Barry E. Snyder, Sr., President of the Seneca Nation. We were especially delighted to receive a Proclamation from the tribe declaring June 19, 2009 to be Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness Day on Seneca Nation Territories. We are glad to see such support for the Journey by tribal government. Then there were presentations by Don Coyhis and Marlin Farley traveling with the Journey, as well as the screening of a film about the effects of the boarding school times on Indian people. It was time then for the community to pick up the open mic and share with their neighbors from their hearts.
Reggie Krause is the youngest of nine kids. They all went to Thomas Indian School. He wondered why his parents kept having kids and kept sending them to the boarding school. He knows now that it had a lot to do with drinking. He remarked that the school provided babysitters for the drinkers. “I didn’t understand what this whole process was in these Indian Schools. I have learned since,” he reflected.
Reggie said he hated Christianity because he was forced to go to church at this school. What they were doing to Indian kids changed his mind about Christianity. He remembers that bad things happened at these schools. There was sexual abuse by farm hands, never reported. He remembers there was no privacy in the dorms. Reggie witnessed sexual activity between kids when the lights were off. A lot of them were from the some same family he says. A lot of this sexual stuff we suffer from today goes way back. He says it can be traced back to the grandparents in some cases. He then says that the domestic violence is as high as the alcohol rate in many families. Reggie also said there were some good parts to boarding school. He had food and hot running water while he was at the schools.
Walking the Sacred Hoop
through the complex. After boarding school Reggie joined the military and then got married. He knew nothing of marriage or about parenting. He was not taught intimacy or parenting. The hardest part about being married, he remembers, was to learn what family is supposed to be like. It was strange to him because he didn’t have anything to go on. He didn’t have any family life. He says you can’t heal without forgiveness. “Even though they’ve done all these things,” he says, “I have to forgive them or I will stay angry. And then I can’t heal.”
Marilyn Anderson is the Interim Health services Administrator of the Cattaraugus Community Health and Wellness Center where our gathering was held. She was also a participant at the gathering and helped out with some of the day. How was the day received by the community? “There were a lot of similarities in terms of stories that were told, she said. “The feedback I got from people was that it was good, it helped to open their eyes to some things. For our non-Native staff it helped them to understand, as they are counseling our people, some of the things in our history, in our background.”
Reggie Krause shares his
experiences at the open mic. She also pointed out that some people reported good memories of the skills and work ethic they took away from their time at Thomas Indian School. “One woman came to me and said, I hate hearing all this negative stuff about boarding schools. Why do people always talk like that? She said I’m glad I went there. I learned a trade, I got a job that supported me my whole life. I don’t know why people have to make it such a terrible thing.”
Sunday John works in prevention aftercare for substance abuse at the Seneca Wellness Center. She also organized and coordinated the event. We asked her to help us understand the mix of bitter-sweet remembrances some people shared at the open mic. Sunday also works with reservation Elders’ groups. Here is what she said.
“Talking with Elder groups in my work, some of them say there were a lot of bad things that went on but they don’t talk about it any more. They have put it away. But on the other hand, they did learn how to be good housemates so they could get jobs afterward. The guys said they learned a trade but it was hard to get a job because they were still seen as the drunken Indians and no one wanted to hire them. So on one hand, they did learn to survive, and on the other hand there were so many tragedies that they just buried so they could go on. They admitted that they were fed, had a bed to sleep in, and in that sense, it could be considered good.”
There were nearly 200 people in attendance
at the Seneca Nation gathering. Thomas Indian School is also called “Salum” because that’s how many of the alumni remember the word “Asylum.” Ron Kraft is the President of the Thomas Indian School Reunion Committee, sometimes called the Salum school reunion group. There are about 50 members who still show up each year. Ron is 72 yrs old and retired from the military. He says he didn’t have bad feelings about the school but a lot of kids did. “I was brought up not to be an Indian. I never got anything for being an Indian,” he reflects. But things have changed. Now he is proud to be an Indian, whether he is wanted or not. “Now I feel fortunate. A lot of good things have since happened.” He now knows his sisters and brothers, which wasn’t possible in his boarding school times.
~ Forgiveness Journey Team
The 22nd event on the Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness took place on the Seneca Nation in Gowanda, NY on June 19, 2009. The Seneca Nation issued a Proclamation marking the day. The Proclamation states,
"Whereas White Bison, Inc. and the Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness Movement recognize the devastating affect unresolved grief from historical events has had on the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health of our people...
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that I, Barry E. Snyder. Sr., President of the Seneca Nation of Indians, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2009 as Wellbriety Journey for Forgiveness Day On Seneca Nation Territories."
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