Ramona Low Horn- Stolen Shoes

When we are going home we tied our shoes together and we threw our shoe’s in. We put our names on them. When we returned I couldn’t find my shoes. I just told [the supervisor] I cant find my shoes, they are not in the box, my shoes. She said you better find them. There were no more shoes in there, in the box. When I couldn’t find them I was sent into that room, there was only a bathtub, there was nothing else in there when I put in there. I always remember, Mr. Cole strapped me in there. I thought to myself I’m not going to cry so he wont strap me anymore. I was trying to be strong while he was strapping me. When I wouldn’t cry, he strapped me more. Here they were tying to make me cry.

When I see that room or pass by the room… and through the years I hated that room. I wouldn’t even look that way, in there I got strapped.  When I started working here, I couldn’t even look that way.  It really was because I was strapped in there. I hate that room, and left a scar, I was all bruised up on my back. Where we [slept], we were placed according to height and age. That night I was looking for my shoes and here a girl stole my shoes. I found them and I will not name her. Those were my shoes that she stole. I told her that morning that I found my shoes and she asked, “where did you find them?”

“I found them over there,” and I gave her the girl’s name. So I don’t know if she got strapped but she was sent to Mr. Cole’s office and I don’t know if she got strapped.  That’s why that late girl didn’t like me. She passed away not long ago. There were many times I was tortured.

-Ramona Low Horn

Notes:

Group Oral interview with Angeline Ayoungman, Gwendora Bear Chief, Olivia Good River, Ramona Low Horn, Rosemary Red Gun, Donna Jean Raw Eater, Allan Stevens, Walter Stevens, Francis (Butch) Wolf Leg, and Herman Yellow Old Woman. Conducted by Vivian Ayoungman, Joey Big Snake, Peter Dawson, Madisen Hvidberg, and Brendon Many Bears. Translated and transcribed by Angeline Ayoungman, Gwendora Bear Chief, and Madisen Hvidberg. Old Sun Community College, September 30, 2020.