C olin Samson University of Essex, UK Sexual Abuse and Assimilation: O blates, Teachers and the Innu of Labrador The last time I saw Louis was at a house party. Many of his friends were gathered around the kitchen table drinking Labatt’s Blue . It was not a celebration. Louis moved into the living room and started playing guitar and singing, while Marcel, his ten-year-old son, joined in on Casio keyboard for a few numbers. In a pall of cigarette smoke, Ann, Louis’ wife, stayed sitting in the kitchen with another group of people. It was the evening after Louis had been to court to confront Father Len Paredee, the Roman Catholic priest who had sexually abused him as a child. It had taken all of Louis’ courage to face this man again. He had been apprehensive about having to rehearse degrading episodes in front of strangers, as well as his neighbours in the village. Most of all, he had not wanted to see the priest again, but when the Father appeared in court, he was now white-haired and frail, and Louis wondered how he could have ever been afraid of such a man. In his living room, Louis belted out country and western songs. We heard Dwight Yoakum and Johnny Cash, as well as his own compositions. One of Louis’ favourites was about the bumpy old spruce-lined Highway from Sheshatshiu to Goose Bay, alive with the cars and trucks of people travelling in search of drink, clubs, bingo and other diversions. He sang of his buddy Matthew Pone, one of many suicide victims in the community, of being in the Goose Bay lock-up, of his heartaches and troubles. Between songs, Louis reached out for another can and threw me cigarettes. Performing was a release from his harrowing day in court. We laughed a lot and I was happy to see my friend. Louis also sang songs in his native language, Innu-aimun . These songs were subtle, speaking of the pride of being Innu and of the deep wounds inflicted by the separation of the people from the land. Forum: The Catholic Church, Paedophiles and C hild Sexual Abuse Sexualities Copyright © 2003 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand O aks, C A and N ew D elhi) Vol 6(1): 46–53[1363-4607(200302)6:1; 46–53; 030521] at University of Essex on January 3, 2016 sex.sagepub.com Downloaded from