Context
On Friday, September 27th, 2019, the Guelph Civic Museum hosted a launch for the opening of Into the Light: Eugenics and Education in Southern Ontario, an exhibition co-curated by Mona Stonefish, Peter Park, Dolleen Tisawii’ashii Manning, Evadne Kelly, Seika Boye, and Sky Stonefish. At this event, Mona Stonefish publicly shared her story.
Mona Stonefish has chosen to share her story in this module. Her story is presented in four portions. Each portion of her story begins an Activity. The following video shows the beginning of her story. She shares the rest of her story at the start of each module Activity. To view Mona Stonefish’s full story, click here.
ᓄᑯᑦ ᓂᑭᐃᐧᑕᒪᑯᐸᐣ, ᑭᑭᑫᑕᐣ ᓇᐦ ᐃᑫᐧᓭᐢ, ᐱᑯ ᐊᓂᐣ ᑫᑐᑕᐃᐧᑲᐧ, ᐱᑯ ᐊᓂᐣ ᑫᐃᓯᓭᐊᐧᓀᐣ, ᑲᓄᑫᐣ ᐅᐁᐧ - ᑲᐱᒥᐃᐧᒋᐃᐧᐣ, ᐯᔑᑲᐧᐣ ᐃᐁᐧ ᒥᐢᑯ ᑲᐱᒥᒋᐊᐧᐠ ᓂᒥᐢᑭᐧᔭᐱᐠ ᑲᐱᒥᒋᐊᐧᑭᐣ ᑭᒥᐢᑭᐧᔭᐱᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑕᐱᒥᐊᓂᑫ ᐱᒥᒋᐊᐧᓄᐣ ᑭᑕᐊᐧᔑᔑᒪᐠ ᑯᓯᓴᐠ ᒥᓇ ᐅᓯᓯᐊᐧᐣ ᐅᒥᐢᑭᐧᔭᐱᐊᐧᐠ ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᑲᐡᑭᑐᔭᐣ. ᑭᐡᐱᐣ ᐁᑲ ᑭᑲᐡᑭᑐᔭᐣ, ᑭᑕᒐᐠ ᑕᐃᐧᒥᓄᐊᓀᐧᔑᐣ, ᐁᑲ ᔕᑯᐨ ᒋᓂᐸᐨ ᔕᑯᐨ ᒋᐊᓀᐧᔑᐨ ᒪᐡᑲᐃᐧᓯᐃᐧᓂᐠ. ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐃᐧᑲ ᐳᓂᑐᐣ ᑫᑯᐣ ᑲᒥᑲᑕᒪᐣ. ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᑕᐡ ᐃᐧᑲ ᒋᐸᑭᒋᔭᐣ. And my grandmother told me, ‘You know my girl, whatever they do to you, whatever happens to you, know this – that I am with you, that the same blood that runs in my veins runs in your veins and will continue running in your children your grandchildren and their grandchildren’s veins if you make it. And if you don’t, may your spirit rest, not sleep but rest in power. Don’t ever give up your fight my girl.’ And I never did. ~ Mona Stonefish
