Becoming an ironworker
(from left to right) Angus Mitchell, Joseph J. Jocks, John Alexander Fisher take a break while working on United Nations building. Circa 1949. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Sny Horn
When I was about eight years old, I went to Kanawaki Golf Club to get my number to become a caddy. They had different classes - if you were in class A, you would caddy for the older guys. I got class C, but they always had good reports on me because I was good to the golfers and I was there all the time. Over time they promoted me to Class B caddy, so I had more responsibilities.
In the winter months I worked at a grocery store. I would take the bus to Lachine, get off at 6th avenue and walk a few blocks to 9th avenue where there was a grocery store. I worked there Friday nights and weekends, packing the grocery bags and taking them to the car for people. I wasn’t getting paid a lot, maybe 90 cents an hour or something like that but I was getting tips. Sometimes you would get a quarter or fifty cents. Then in the summer I would go back to doing caddy.
As I got older, I started working in the trees. We would climb up and cut off the branches with a saw, pile them up and throw them into the woodchipper. I remember I was scared at first because the chipper took the logs in so fast, I thought it was going to take my whole arm.
A week before I turned 18 my father said, “I’m going to take you to work with me.” We got a ride down to New York and stayed at his apartment that was on the street next to Spar Bar in Brooklyn.
The first job I had was working at JFK airport. I didn’t know anything when I started and found out there are two types of bolts, soft and high strength. I was in charge of measuring the bolts and getting them to the guys who were tying the steel together.
Eventually, I started going to work by myself and as I got older I started taking on other jobs. I guess I became an ironworker then.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Rarista'kehró:non rotòn:'on
A group of ironworkers being presented with plaques and receiving honors. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Sny Horn ROKÁ:RATON
Ákta sha'té:kon sha'tewakohseriià:kon, Kanawaki Golf Club iahà:ke' iahà:kko' tsi niwakathiá:ton ne ki' ne ie'nhiatáhkwas aká:ton'. Ó:ia' na'tekanenhrò:ten's rotinenhraién:tahkwe' - tóka' A kanèn:rakon tsà:tare', thotí:ien's enhshe'nhiatáhkwa'se'. C kanèn:ra' wa'tié:na' nì:'i, nek tsi tiótkon karihwí:io's wa'onkwathrória'te' ase'kénh takherihwaié:ritshe ki' ne tehatihsonwatokénhtha' tánon' tiótkon eh ítke'skwe'. Kháre' ó:nen wa'onkhará:tate' B kanèn:ra' ionsá:ke', sénha é:so ki' wáhi onkwaterihwaién:hahse'.
Tsi iontenna'tsherahninòn:tha' shos ontió'ten' ne tsi nikóhseres. Iakoia'takarénie's enkatíta' Skaniatará:ti ién:ke', iahià:khaton tsi iohá:te' ienkatitáhko' tánon' ehta'kéhshon én:ke' tohkára na'tekanató:ken tsi niió:re tiohtónhaton tsi iohá:te' tsi nón:we nikanónhsote' ne tsi iontenna'tsherahninòn:tha'. Wískhaton o'karáhsha tánon' iotiahia'khsero'ktà:'on enwatió'ten', kwah kaiarakónhshon enketárion' tánon' ón:kwe tsi iakote'seréhtaien' ienkhehawíhten'. Iah é:so teionkkaria'kíhahkwe', ká:ron 90 sén:ts. Sok nakenhnhà:ke eh nenskátiere' enkhe'nhiatáhkwa'se'.
Shontontienta'onhátie', takatáhsawen' okwirakónhshon ontió'ten'. Eniakwaráthen' shos tánon' teiehswen'karià:kstha' eniákwatste' tsi eniakwa'nhahtià:khon', eniakwen'tonió:ten' thí:ken sok wahkaronnì:ke ienionkwatiéhseron'. Kè:iahre' tsi ketshà:nis shontontié:renhte' ase'kénh tó:k niiosnó:re' tkarontatihénthoskwe' ne thí:ken wahkarón:ni, wà:kehre' tsi kenentshakwé:kon entewatihéntho'.
Tsahià:khsera ohén:ton 18 sha'tié:rite' rake'níha wahakhró:ri', "Éntene' tsi tewatio'ténhstha'." Wa'onkhiia'títa' ki' Kanón:no nia'ákene' tánon' eh wa'kátien' tsi nón:we ronwanonhsaníhen néne Spar Bar tetianonhsané:ken ne Brooklyn nonkwá:ti.
Nè:'e tontié:renhte' nothé:nen ontió'ten' né: ki' ne JFK tsi tekonta'senhtáhkhwa' nonkwá:ti. Kwah iah othé:nen tekerihwaienteríhne' shontakatáhsawen' tánon' onktó:kenhse' tsi nek teka'nístake ó:ia' na'té:ioht ká:ien', io'nhétska tánon' tiótte' ka'shátste'. Ì:'i katsterísthahkwe' nakate'nién:tenhste' ne o'nista'shòn:'a tánon' ne iakhehawíhten' tsi nihá:ti ratihwánerenks ne karístatsi.
Kháre' ó:nen, takatáhsawen' akonhahstsíhon ontio'ténhsera' tánon' ki' sénha shontontién:ta'ne' takatáhsawen' ki' ó:ia' nikaio'tenhserò:ten's wa'tié:na'. Khé:re' káti' ken rarista'kehró:non wa'ká:ton'.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde