Always something
Several Kanien’kehá:ka gather in Kanehsàta:ke to march in commemoration of the Seige of Kanehsatà:ke, on its 10th anniversary. July 11th 2000. (Courtesy: Martin Loft)
Story Told by Joe Deom
This one day we were all on a bus, heading to one of our many negotiations during the Siege of Kanehsatà:ke in 1990, when we were stopped by the army. They told us they were preventing us from leaving the barricades because there was a bomb scare.
I thought it was bullshit, we didn’t care if there was a bomb scare, we wanted to go to our meetings. But they wouldn’t allow us to, so we headed back to the treatment center.
When we got back, there were a bunch of reporters lined up waiting to talk. We made complaints and let the press know what was happening. We for once had some people in the press who were sympathetic to our position.
There was another time when it was a hot day, and our bus was taking us down St. Germain Road to the back of the monastery where we were supposed to be meeting government officials for another day of negotiations.
When we arrived, the SQ was there waiting for us. They demanded that everybody get out of the bus. So, we got out and sat in the shade behind the bus. We all just relaxed in a grassy ditch because we knew they were just playing games with us.
There was a big detachment of men lined up in the middle of the road. They were all holding shotguns or AKs trying to impress us.
They noticed that we were comfortably cooled down in the shade, while they were sweating in the sun. So the SQ demanded that we must stand in the middle of the road in the sun too, it was always something with them.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
↓
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tiótkon ki' nahò:ten'
Supporters from the Wahta Mohawk territory come together to make signs and stand in solidarity during the Siege of Kanehsatà:ke, 1990. (Courtesy: Karihwakeron Thompson)
Joe Deom ROKÁ:RATON
Sewenhnísera ki' thí:ken iakoia'takarénie's iakwaia'titáhkhe', sha'tewa'nikonhrhá:ren' ne Kanehsatà:ke ne tióhton iawén:re tewen'niáwe tióhton niwáhsen shiiohserá:te'. Ka'k ki' wa'ákwe' eniakwatsénhaien', sok ki' ratishotá:r wa'tionkhí:tahste'. Wa'onkhihró:ri' tsi ionkhiio'tá:ti aiakwahtén:ti' tsi wata'èn:rote' ase'kénh wahonnì:ron' ónhka'k iá:ken enionttatákwahte'.
Wà:kehre' tsi tekarihwakwénhte' nahò:ten' wa'onkhihró:ri', iah ki' thé:nen teionkwatsteríston tóka' wahonnì:ron' ónhka'k iá:ken enionttatákwahte', teionkwatonhontsoníhne' aiakwatkennisa'à:nha'. Nek tsi iah teionkhirihwá:wi ne tho naiakwá:iere', tsi teiontatsniè:tha' káti' ionsaiákwe'.
Shionsaiákwawe' tho, é:so rá:ti ratirihó'kwats rotinenhrahserón:ni rotihrhá:re' tahatihthá:ren'. Wa'akwarihwakà:tate' tánon' wa'akhihró:ri' tsi niiawen'hátie'. Kháre ó:nen sahotikè:tohte' ne wa'onkhí:tenre' ratirihó'kwats tsi niionkwaia'tawen'hátie'.
Ó:ia' ionsaká:ienhte' iawenhniseratarihénhne', tánon' onkwà:sere iakoia'takarénie's iakwaia'titáhkhe' St. Germain Iohá:te' ionkwathahitáhkhe' tsi niió:re ohnà:ken nonkwá:ti ne khrabísne tsi nón:we teiotonhontsóhon taiakwatátken' ne kakorahserá:kon ronaterihón:ton aonsaiakwatsénhaien' á:re.
Shia'ákwawe', SQ ionkhihrhá:rehkwe'. Wa'onkhiiate'niakátsten' akwé:kon aiakwatitáhko' ne iakoia'takarénie's. Wa'akwatitáhko' káti' tánon' tsi iorahkwawéhrhon wa'akwátien' ohnà:ken nonkwá:ti ne iakoia'takarénie's. Kwah nek kahentà:ke ohrón:wakon wa'akwaterà:karen' ase'kénh ionkwaterièn:tare' tsi nek thiionkhiié:ron.
Sha'teiohahí:hen kanenhrowá:nen ne ronnón:kwe rotinenhrahserón:ni. Akwé:kon shotgun tóka' ni' ne AK ratihonrénhawe' ronte'niéntha' aionkhiiatenaiéhsten'.
Wahónttoke' ki' tsi ionkwanaktí:io tánon' ionkwatewistóhton tsi ionkwaterahkwawehrhóhston, tsi nikarì:wes orahkonhtsherá:kon tehona'tarihenhseronkóhton. Wa'onkhiiate'niakátsten' ó:nen'k káti' tsi sha'teiohahí:hen orahkonhtsherá:kon ni' nì:'i teniakwá:ta'ne'. Tiótkon ki' thé:nen'k wáhi.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Aruqette