Ernest Barry Yellow Fly- Bedtime in the Jr Boy’s Dorm

Okay this is another story, we fooled around a lot. We didn’t play much, at night, that’s when we fooled around. That… I’m going to say it in English, pillow fight. We were making noise, the supervisor would quickly put the lights on, we quickly hide, our beds, we crawled in and covered ourselves with the blanket, pretending to sleep. Supervisor just knew, they’re all to be blamed, these ones. The supervisor would walk around the dorm where we slept. He would take off his shoe, his shoes, he would hit us on the head. He would walk to each one of us, hitting us on the head. Then he would shut the light off.

–Niimistostima, Ernest Barry Yellow Fly

Notes:

Oral interview with Niimistostima, Ernest Barry Yellow Fly. Conducted, translated, and transcribed by Gwendora Bear Chief. Old Sun Community College, June 1, 2022.

Featured Image: Junior boys’ dormitory, Old Sun School. Children saying bedtime prayers. 1955-1957. NA-4817-24. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.