Alvina Bear Chief- They Chased Me
Another time, this one had to do with a parent and her daughters. The daughters went to school here, they lived here Monday to Friday. Friday our parents came to get us and brought us home. Those girls, I don’t know what they told their mom about me.
They were just chasing me around downstairs, there was nobody around. That boiler room, they chased me out of there, the mother was right in there. They couldn’t catch me because I was a fast runner. And I was really scared of them, I thought “if they catch me, they are going to pile me.” But anyways I was able to run away, and it so happened my mom came walking. She told me “what happened to you?” and I told her.
Yeah, you know, even our own people did… there were some bullies. I experienced that from them. Not as much, just that time that I got strapped. And, but, you know, I can’t lie and say I got abused because I didn’t here. I knew how to be clean because every Thursday we started cleaning the steps, the dorm. This is how I knew how to be clean and keep my house clean. And church that too because we went to church every Sunday as soon as we got here, we went to church. That was how I knew how to pray
That’s all I have to say and thank you.
-Underground Woman, Alvina Bear Chief
Notes:
Oral interview with Alvina Bear Chief. Conducted, translated, and transcribed by Gwendora Bear Chief. Old Sun Community College, March 30, 2022.
