Strapped, bullied and sexually assaulted at residential school, ex-student testifies

An Inuit mantold a St. John's courtroom Monday that he never felt loved at the Labrador residential school he was forced to attend, and that punishment against Inuit students was very common.

Toby Obedsaid students at the North West River school were also bullied and taunted but staff did nothing to protect them.

"We were scared of staff. They could do or say anything at anytime," Obed sobbed as he testified during a class action lawsuit at Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Obedfought back tears as he told the court how staff would make students have sex on field trips and forced others to watch.

Obedcried out that he was sexually assaulted at the age of seven by an older child who was at the juniordormitoryin North West River.

Obedis one of more than 1,000 former Newfoundland and Labrador residential school students seeking apology and compensation in a class action suit that started last week. He is the first of dozens of former students who are expected to testify.

Lawyers for the students told the court that the former residentswill be made to re-live all of the painful abuse they suffered.

Not allowed to attend funerals

Obedsaid he was taken from his family before he was fouryearsold and sent todormitoryin North West River, in central Labrador.

He toldthe court how he was kept from his parents, and that when he was told they had died in the 1980s, he was notallowed to attend the funerals.

Obedsaid he remembers students being strapped for speaking Inuktitut. He was strapped many times on the back of his hands, and said ifhe cried or moved,he would be strapped again.

His sister was once fluent in the Inuitlanguage but Obed said she has lost it because she was forbidden to speak it.

"She forgot, she forgot," saidObed."It's not right."

At one point Monday, the court was forced to take abreak whenObed was unable to contain his emotions.

He said he didn't want to continue on the stand, but did, adding that he wasspeaking for all the people who can't.

When testimony resumed,Obed said children who wet their beds wereforcedto stay there all day, and were not allowed to speak to anyone.

Under cross-examination, Obed was questioned bylawyers for both the Governmentof Canadaand the International Grenfell Association, whoaskedabout the punishment that students received.

Obedreplied giving names of teachers and staff that he remembered were responsible.

The InternationalGrenfellAssociation lawyer tried to establish that its members were unaware of any abuse thatObed suffered.

A lawyer forthe federal government asked Obedifhe thought the government knew whatwas happening to him.

"No," Obed replied.

Obed said testifyingwas very painful but he isrelieved that it is over. Obed hopes this class-action suitwill result in an apology for the Newfoundland and Labradorsurvivors, similar to apologies given to other former residential school students across Canada.