Adopted during the Sixties Scoop
Some of the storefronts at Frontier Town, a western-themed amusement park which operated from 1952-1998 in North Hudson, New York. (Courtesy: Wikki Commons)
Story told by Tealey Ka’senni:saks Normandin
My name is Tealey Ka’senni:saks Normandin, and I am from Kahnawà:ke I am a part of the bear clan, and I was adopted during the Sixtues Scoop.
I have vivid memories of being a toddler in foster care. I was originally adopted by a family, but then was sent back to foster care until my adoptive mother, Pauline adopted me. My mom was a single, non-Indigenous women, yet she had Ojibwe ancestry from Walpole Island through her grandmother.
I was delivered to my adoptive home by a social worker on December 24th, 1969, at 3:15 p.m. in Lasalle Quebec. It was okay to say Indian back then, so I was known as the little Indian girl.
My mother and I would always cross the bridge, and when we did, she would show me Caughnawaga. She would say, “Maybe your family is here. Maybe this is where you’re from.”
She tried to do her research on my background, but she had no tools, information or resources to teach me what it meant to be First Nations, she didn’t even know if I was necessarily Mohawk. She would sometimes bring me to this place in New York called Frontier Town and show me their Indian village, or she would put on TV shows and movies based on Natives, but that was all hogwash.
My mother was always extremely supportive from day one, she was always open about what adoption was. She would always tell me, “You always love your birth mother, she carried you for nine months, and you respect her because you don’t know her story.” So that was always instilled in me from a young age.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Wa'onkkón:hen' tsi nikarì:wes 60 shiiohserò:ten's shihshakotiia'totsenhtonhátie'
Tealey’s adopted Mother Pauline Normandin at age 35. (Courtesy: Tealey Ka’senni:saks Normandin)
Tealey Ka’senni:saks Normandin IAKOKÁ:RATON
Tealy Ka'shenní:saks Normandin ióntiats, tánon' Kahnawà:ke nitewaké:non. Wakhskeré:wake nì:'i, tánon' wa'onkkón:hen' tsi nikarì:wes 60 shiiohserò:ten's shihshakotiia'totsenhtonhátie'.
Iawehiahrahtsherá:te' kè:iahre' ken' shikà:'a ne tsi shakonehiahrónhkhwa' nonkwá:ti. Skahwatsí:ra tahontié:renhte' wa'onkkón:hen', nek tsi tsi shakonehiahrónhkhwa' ionsaionkwaténniehte' tsi niió:re ne ionkkón:hen, Pauline wa'onkkón:hen'. Iontathá:wi', iah teiakonkwehón:we ne ake'nisténha, Ionthsakáhnha ki' ne Walpole Island nitiakothwatsirí:non tsi nonkwá:ti ne ontathsótha'.
Teiakonkwe'táhsnie' wa'onki'terónhna' ki' tsi nón:we ionkkón:hen thatinákere' Tsothóhrha 24 shískare', 1969, 3:15 shiiohwistà:'e iotohétston éntie ne Nonmóhne Quebec. Kakwénie'skwe' wáhi ne thò:ne naia'ì:ron' ne Indian, tho ki' ní:ioht tsi ia'tewakathsennatkóntha'se', little Indian girl.
Tió:konte' teniatiahskwí:ia'ke' nake'nisténha tánon' nì:i, tánon' nó:nen eniakeníhsa', Kahnawà:ke shos enionkena'tonnì:ra'. Enia'ì:ron', "Ki' ónhte kèn:'en rón:ne's ne sahwá:tsire'. Ki' ónhte ken' nitisé:non."
Wa'onte'nién:ten' aierihwatshén:ri' othé:nen ne ohén:ton tsi nitewatia'tawénhseron, nek tsi iah othé:nen iontstha'shòn:'a, orihwa'shòn:'a tóka' ni' kaia'takehnháhtshera' teiakoién:tahkwe' ne aionkerihónnien' ne tsi nahò:ten' kén:ton's ne Onkwehón:we akénhake', iah ò:ni' teiakoterièn:tarahkwe' tóka' tó:kenske Kenien'kehá:ka. Sewatié:rens ki' ieniontia'ténhawe' ne ken' nón:we Frontier Town ne New York nonkwá:ti tánon' enionkena'tón:hahse' raoná:wen Onkwehón:we Ronatenatón:ni, tóka' ni' tkaráhstha' eniakón:ten' tewatierónnion tóka' ni' okara'shòn:'a enionhténtia'te néne Onkwehón:we tsi niiokarò:ten, nek tsi kwah iotenonhwénhserote' eh nahò:ten.
Tió:konte' kwah tokèn:'en wa'tierihwáhsnie'ne' ne ake'nisténha tsi náhe' ne shitiotenhniseratierénhton, tió:konte' wa'tierihwá:karahwe' ne tsi niiorihò:ten ne kakón:hen. Tió:konte' enionkhró:ri', "Tió:konte' shenorónhkhwa' ne sa'nistenhahón:we, tióhton niwenhnì:take wa'esáhawe', tánon' sherihwakweniénhstha' ase'kén iah othé:nen tehsienté:ri ne tsi niiakokarò:ten." Né: ki' wa'onke'nikonhráta' tsi náhe' ken' shikà:'a.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde