The Survivors Speak

158 • Truth & Reconciliation Commission
where they were taking her; what was happening. Then she would come in by, then the
student would come in by herself.” 564
Students were particularly vulnerable to abusive staff members who sought to win their
trust through what initially appeared to be simple kindness. Marlene Kayseas recalled that
at the school she attended, the principal began focusing extra attention on her. “I don’t
remember if he did that to other kids, but he used to let me stay up when they used to
have movies, sometimes, if the sister was in a good mood, I guess. We watched a movie on
tv and if the kids, some kids went to bed, if they didn’t listen they were sent to bed.” This
favouritism, however, was the prelude to a sexual assault that left her scared and confused.
“‘Why is my friend doing this to me?’ I trusted him. And I just started to feel really, not
good.” 565
Andrew Captain recalled being well treated by a female staff member at a school in
northern Manitoba. Having won his trust, she would order him into a room and demand
sexual attention. “I thought that’s how much she cared for me in a different way, but I
didn’t know it was coming in the wrong way…. This kept on for a long time. But like I said,
I didn’t know if it was right or wrong.” 566
Shortly after one student’s arrival at the Chapleau school, one of the staff members
became closely attentive to his needs, encouraging him in sports and telling him to let
him know if anyone was bothering him. One night, this particular staff member escorted
the student into a small room and hugged him. In later encounters, the staff member
attempted to fondle him. 567
Fred Brass said that on one occasion at the Roman Catholic school at Kamsack,
Saskatchewan, a nun, who he thought was consoling him after he had been beaten up by
other students, “made me put my hands down her panties and made me feel her up and
this went on for a long, long time. That was supposed to be the one that was supposed to
comfort me and help me. But she used me in that way for her own self-gratitude.” 568
Elaine Durocher recalled that the staff at the same school took advantage of the children’s
simplest needs to coerce them into sexual activities.
And then after church, there was a little canteen in the church, and the priest would
sell us candies. Well, after they got to know us, they started making us touch their
penis for candy. So not only were we going to church to pray, and go to catechism,
but we were also going to church ’cause they were giving us candy for touching them.
We didn’t have money. 569
According to John B. Custer, one abusive staff member at the Roman Catholic school
near The Pas “would give us little gifts, like bananas and oranges, and I had no choice but
take them, because we were always hungry.” 570 At the Blue Quills school, Louise Large said,
students were sexually abused by staff who offered them money to buy candy. 571
Shortly after Ben Pratt started attending the Gordon’s, Saskatchewan, school, the residence
supervisor, William Starr, asked him if he wanted to work in the school canteen. He