At the school, the kids are punished for wetting the bed, and if they repeatedly commit this offense, they are sent to the Iron Sister a small metal box that a child would be put in for a long time. Also, in the novel, two sisters, named Katherine and Rebecca Wolf, experience similar abuse to Saul and Lonnie. These quotes are all reflective on the environment of the residential school and the hardships the children faced. Jerome’s we work to remove the Indian from our children so that the blessings of the Lord may be evidenced upon them”.

The horrific scene was described as sounding like “she was beating a hide”. She grabbed a paddle and struck him repeatedly behind the knees and on the back of the thighs. Which leads to the Sister becoming angered at Lonnie because he is disrespectful towards her.

Your human father has nothing to offer you anymore.” Lonnie, a classmate of Saul, then says, “I don’t want no other father.” which the Sister replies with, “You have no choice.” to which Lonnie retaliates, “I’ll run”. Next, they were sent to the head office and were told by Sister Ignacia, a nun running the school, that, “Your father is the Heavenly Father. The kids were then bleached, to make their skin lighter. When they arrived, they were immediately told to strip and get bathed to get ready for class. One instance shows Saul getting abducted by a stranger who saw him on the side of the road, who forces him to the school. This was shown in many instances throughout the book. Jerome’s Residential School was a devastating event for Saul and his friends. This is based on the evidence of the tragic lives that aboriginals experienced in residential schools, the struggle and hardship that Saul had to face during his hockey career, and the regret that he had when he quit hockey which translated into his addiction to alcohol. The book Indian Horse reflects a great example of how Canada lives in a dystopian society because indigenous people faced consistent torment throughout the book. This proves that our society can be ill-minded and judgemental. Without knowing Saul and how he got to the star-caliber player that he is, people saw him for his color before his skills. He is raised from violence and deprivation of care throughout his life, but, despite this, he was able to fight through the pain inflicted on him and pursue his passion for his beloved sport hockey. In the novel Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese, the main character, Saul Indian Horse is faced with this situation.

Imagine being a normal human with a noticeable difference, in a world where that person would be judged heavily by society. This, however, would be an incorrect statement. One would imagine being the odd one out and finding success against all odds is satisfying.

The book indian horse