Father Leboutiliers: Denial School Survivors

765 Words2 Pages

Saul, like other residential school survivors experienced a lot of denial and anger after being emotionally and physically abused. Saul was in denial and was trying to forget Father Leboutilier’s sexual abuse. Saul used hockey as a coping strategy to deal with his anger and pain. Saul had a “vision” which helped him play the game and distract himself from the sexual abuse that he was experiencing. When the racism and discrimination from playing for the Marlies got to him, he could no longer play hockey. His outlet for his anger was gone and he had to try to get through what was happening. Father Leboutilier had a big influence on Saul, as he was a father figure to him. When Father Leboutilier said, “This game brings out the best in you, Saul.” …show more content…

Saul tried to go through the pain and pressure but it was just too agonizing. Instead Saul transferred all of his rage and anger to alcohol. “When I could find work I was mostly a high-functioning drunk… I’d pass out listening to music with a book…I’d wake up in the early hours, switch off the light, take another few swallows and fall back asleep. You can live like for years like that.” (pg 181). Saul drank non-stop to forget the horrors he experienced, and he thought that the alcohol would hide the pain. Saul became depressed as he says, “I was at the bottom of that well for a long time. Coming back up to daylight hurt like a son of a b**ch”. Saul could not stay in one place and kept moving throughout the story. He is very unstable and his alcohol addiction physically affected him, as he says “The seizures hit me and I collapsed on a sidewalk in Winnipeg” (pg 190). Saul lost all hope for recovery, which led him the New Dawn Centre. A residential school survivor, Cynthia Wesley- Esquimax also experienced a lot of pain saying, “I carry a lot of emotional baggage and you are almost like a walking time bomb that’s going to explode at any time.” (1). This survivor like Saul, was physically abused and had to deal with sexual violence in the residential school. This shows how much hurt and agony First nations felt. The kids were very unstable after experiencing all of the abuse at a young age. This stage of the grief process is very dangerous, and can lead to children killing themselves rather than living with what they have gone

Open Document