Before the seaway
Kaia’titáhkhe’s husband Kenneth Jacobs painted a scene of the St. Lawrence River before the seaway came through, cutting the Kahnawake’s access to the river. The painting hangs in Kaia’titáhkhe’s home today. (Credit: Simona Rosenfield)
Story told by Kaia’titákhe Jacobs
The swimming area for young people was what they called ‘the wharf’. It was in front of the hospital, about where the water filtration plant is today.
Apparently, before my time, there used to be some kind of a major ferry that used to come across. And there was a railroad right from the wharf going towards, I guess, the States.
And the hospital was at that time an old building that was once a hotel. But I don’t remember that, it’s before my time.
In my time, ships and boats weren’t coming in all the time. It was a swimming area with pillars from the original wharf. Being so close to the river, everyone was a pretty good swimmer. I remember jumping off the pillars into the St. Lawrence River. I learned how to swim well. One summer we had a girl that I think came from the Canadian Red Cross, and she taught us some of the different styles of swimming. That was a fun summer.
A social hub, the waterfront was a place of congregation in Kahnawake until 1955 when the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway began. Pictured left to right are Claire, Patrick, and Brian Lynch with their grandmother playing at the waterfront known as the Manhattan Beach. (Courtesy: Winston Standup)
Ohén:ton shiká:ien tsi kana’tsheratátie’
Kahnawa’kehró:non Warienen Helen Ioronhiaa Skye Shipp, now 93 years old, bathes at Manhattan Beach in 1951. (Courtesy: Ramona Woods)
Kaia’titákhe Jacobs iakoká:raton
Tsi nón: niiontawenstáhkhwahkwe’ ne ken’ nitiakoiièn:sa ratina’tónhkhwahkwe’ “the wharf”. Ohén:ton tsi tehshakotitsèn:tha’ nen’ nè:’e, ka’k nón: ákta tsi nón: nòn:wa nikanónhsote tsi kahnekahseronnià:tha’.
Ohén:ton sha’kenákerate’ iá:ken tsi kahoniowá:nen watén:nioskwe tetkaiá:ia’kskwe’.
Tánon’ karistatátiene’ ohthiio’kéha tsi iehrahrhóhstha’ tiohténtion tsi niió:re Wahstonhronòn:ke ki’ nà:’a.
Ok tsi tehshakotitsèn:tha’ ne thó: shikahá:wi kanonhsaká:ion tsi iontewaia’táhkhwahkwe’. Nek tsi iah ne teskè:iahre’, ohén:ton sha’kenákerate’ nen’ nè:’e.
Ne thó: shontakahá:wi, iah tió:konte tekontohétsthahkwe’ ne kahonweia’shòn:’a. Tsi nón: rontawenstáhkhwahkwe’ kanawa’ahtó:tonhkwe’ ne tsi iehrhahóhsthahkwe’. Tsi niió:re tsi kaniatarákta iákwe’skwe’, akwé:kon iakwaweién:te aiakwatá:wen’. Kè:iahre’ kanawa’ahta’kéhshon ia’tekani’tsonhkwáhkhwa’ tsi niió:re Kaniatarowanèn:ne. Takateweièn:ton’ tsi wa’keweientéhta’ne’ akatá:wen’. Sewakénhnha tseià:ta Canadian Red Cross nitiakawé:non, tánon’ wa’onkhirihónnien’ tóhkara’ nitiotierà:ton tsi ní:ioht tsi aiontá:wen’. Iokenhnhon’wesénhne’ thí:ken.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette
Eugene Taylor and Beatrice Mayo Taylor lounging on the pier at the wharf before the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1955. (Courtesy: Peggy Mayo Standup)