Big problem in Manhattan
Leonard Bordeau (right) and his son Lenny (left) working together in New Jersey in late September, 2001. (Courtesy: Leonard Bordeau)
Story told by Leonard Atonnion Bordeau
It was a Tuesday, September 11th, and I was on a job in Jersey City. The building we were working on was about eight floors up. I remember it was a nice, clear, warm sunny day.
My son Lenny and I were partners, and we had the job of cleaning up and replacing the defective bolts.
We were working and all of a sudden I heard something like a muffled sound. I looked over the river into lower Manhattan and I saw what looked like all these things falling like confetti.
I knew something was going on. I looked at Lenny and said, “Oh my god. Lenny come here, they got a big problem in Manhattan.”
We came out of where we were working and you could see the building had thick black smoke coming out of it already.
One big guy came to stand next to us to check it out and he had a walkie-talkie with him. He says, “I just heard that a plane ran into the north tower.”
As we stood there, I looked to the south towards the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and noticed another plane.
We were all like deer in the headlights at first, it didn’t dawn on me what was happening. At first, I thought, “Why is that plane flying so low and coming in so fast?”
The next thing I knew, the plane was coming and it tipped its wings, then boom, the plane hits the building.
Once it hit, maybe a second or two later we heard the explosion.
Then they told us, “The job is closed, everyone just go home. Let the dust settle.” Everybody had to evacuate the job site just in case we became a target.
Even if we wanted to go into the city, it was closed. No one was allowed into the city, and no one was allowed out.
So, we first went back to our apartment, grabbed our stuff and we headed home back to Kahnawà:ke.
All the way home that’s all that you heard on the radio was what happened in New York.
There was one point on the New York Thruway when we were heading north back home where we saw a lineup of ambulances heading towards the city.
I said, “Look, the army is on the move.”
Eventually, we stopped in Glen’s Falls at a McDonald’s to get something to eat. I made a call back home to my parents. Surprisingly, I was able to get through. We had tried before when we were in the city but all the phone lines were busy.
Ironworkers pose on top of beam while working in New York City, 1998. (Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
I remember my dad telling me, “I don’t know if you will be able to get through the border. All of them are closed.”
We found out that the grand chief at the time, the late Joe Norton, was speaking to the border and explaining that he was expecting some guys from Kahnawà:ke who would be coming home because their jobs were closed for a few days.
When we got to the border, the guard was expecting us and he could tell who we were right away and asked, “You guys are coming from New Jersey right? Going to Kahnawake?”
We said yeah and he let us go through.
My son and I had a talk on the way home that day about the sand running out of your hourglass. That event really drove home that you should never take life for granted because you just never know what can happen.
We were home the rest of the week, and I think it was Friday when we got a message on the computer saying our job was open again, asking if we were interested in coming back on Monday.
I spoke to my son and he said, “Sure, let’s go back.”
So, the following week, when we got back to the job site you could see almost like blue smoke that was coming up from across the river, and there was a smell still coming from the city. I guess from everything that burnt, all the computers, jet fuel, human remains. The smell was terrible.
Not all of the workers came back. In addition to working 10-hour days, the job was also open on Saturdays now to pick up the slack and still get the job done in time. We would work all week including Saturday, drive home Saturday after work and drive back to the job Sunday late.
As time went on, we noticed as we came out of Jersey City that there were always these same cars parked on the Garden State Parkway, where there was a park-and-ride, starting to collect dust and leaves and what not.
We found out it was the cars belonging to the deceased that never made it home from September 11th.
But in time they were all gone, and we slowly returned back to normal. We would look over the river and see where the twin towers once were, but you can’t dwell on it too long.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Kowá:nen wa'thoti'nikonhrhá:ren' ne Kanón:no
A fellow ironworker looks over lower Manhattan, late September, 2001. (Courtesy: Leonard Bordeau)
Leonard Atonnion Bordeau ROKÁ:RATON
Tekeníhaton niwenhniserò:ten kénhne', 11 shískare' Seskehkó:wa, ok nahò:ten' watió'tehkwe' Jersey City nonkwá:ti. Thóha sha'té:kon na'teionáktane' nen' nè:'e tsi nikanonhsò:ten ionkwaió'tehkwe'. Kè:iahre' ki' tsi wenhniseriióhne', ioronhiokewèn:ne', iorahkwatarihénhne'. Riièn:'a' Lenny tánon nì:'i' teiakeniié:naskwe' tánon nè:'e iontiaterihón:tahkwe' taiakenohtóhrho' tánon' ó:ia' aonsaiakenihnió:ten' no'nista'shòn:'a.
Ionkeniió'te' sok ok tha'katierénhstsi' ok ní:ioht iowennahstò:'on wa'tio'tónhahre' onkwathón:te'ne'. Ísi' na'kaniatará:ti wa'katkáhtho' nà:kon nonkwá:ti ne Kanón:no tánon' wa'katkáhtho' ok nahò:ten' tsi ní:ioht ne tekahiatonhserahríhton tsik nón:we iotténion. Wakaterien'tarahtsihòn:ne' tsi ok niiá:wenskwe'. Lenny iahiiatkáhtho' tánon' wa'kì:ron', "Thia'karihwakénnia'te'. Ken' nontá:se Lenny, kowá:nen wa'thoti'nikonhrhá:ren' ne Kanón:no."
Tontaiakeniiá:ken'ne' tsi nón:we ionkeniió'tehkwe' tánon' kwah wè:ne' tsi ok nà:'a shiiotien'kwarón:ni kahòn:tsi ioièn:kwarote' kanónhskon nitioienhtáhkwen.
Shaià:ta rakowá:nen tia'tákta wa'thá:ta'ne' nahátken'se tánon' wakitáki rahá:wine'. Rá:ton, "Òn:wa'k wa'kerihwà:ronke' teká:tens iononhsa'kará:te' taiò:ka'te' ne tsi niká:ien' Othorè:ke Nonkwá:ti nikanónhsote'."
Ok shiiákenete', entiè:ke nonkwá:ti tsi nón:we ne Iontatewenní:io Tieia'tonníhserote' tánon' ne Verrazzano-Narrows Waskóhon ia'katkáhtho' tánon' ó:ia' teká:tens onktó:kenhse'.
Kwah akwé:kon kwah tokèn:'en wa'tiakwakahríneken'ne', iah thiewaka'nikonhrénhton oh kwah niiawénhserene'. Óksa'k wà:kehre', "Oh nontié:ren tho niió:re ehtà:ke' kátie' thí:ken teká:tens tánon' tho niió:re taio'shatstátie'?"
Ok tha'katierénhstsi', tá:we' ne thí:ken teká:tens tánon' ská:ti nonkwá:ti wa'tewatewé:ienhte', sok wa'tio'tónhahre', thí:ken teká:tens takanonhsò:ka'te'.
Shontakanonhsò:ka'te', skahì:kara tóka' ni' tekahi'kará:ke ontóhetste' sok wa'ontiathón:te'ne' tsi onttatá:ko'.
Wa'onkhihró:ri', "Wa'akwaio'tenhserahnhó:ton', sasewahtentión:ko. Ia'tewa'kenhraién:ta'n." Ó:nen'k tsi akwé:kon é:ren sahón:nehte' ne kaio'tenhserà:ke á:re' shí:ken entionkwatia'tón:ti'.
Nok ò:ni' tóka' kaná:takon ieniákwe', kanatahnhó:ton. Iah ónhka teiakoianerenhsaién:tahkwe' iaiontáweia'te' tánon' aontaieiá:ken'ne' ne kaná:takon.
Taiatiatié:renhte' ionkhinonhsanihásne ionsaiákene', saiatiathrie'nón:ni' ontiawenhshòn:'a tánon' Kahnawà:ke nonsaiakeniié:ra'te'.
Shonsaiontiahtentionhátie' nek thí:ken wa'ontiathón:te'ne' ne waterennótha' ne ki' ne tsi nitiawèn:'en Kanón:no.
Énska iokwèn:rare' ne Kanón:no Watonhontsá:te' Iohahowanèn:ne othorè:ke shonsaionkeniiera'tonhátie' wa'atiatkáhtho' tó:k na'tekanèn:res tewátsnie' kà:sere kaná:takon wa'kón:ne'.
Wa'kì:ron, "Hé:, kwah wa'thotinenhratátie' ne ronterí:ios."
Kháre' ó:nen, Glen's Falls ia'tiakení:ta'ne' McDonald's nonkwá:ti wa'ákeneke' nahò:ten'. Iontièn:'a ionsakheiatewennátahse'. Onkenehrá:ko', wa'kkwé:ni' ia'katewennáta'. Wa'atiate'nién:ten' ohén:ton shé:kon kaná:takon shiiákene's nek tsi akwé:kon teiotiweienhnhara'òn:ne' ne teiehtharonniónhkhwa'.
Kè:iahre' rake'níha wahakhró:ri', "Iah tewakaterièn:tare' tóka' enhskwé:ni tahseristí:ia'ke'. Kwah akwé:kon karistahnhotónnion."
Wa'onkenitó:kenhse' tsi ranatakwe'niióhne', Joe Norton'kénha, ronteristanónhnha' tehotihthá:rahkwe' tánon' wahshako'nikonhraientáhsten' tsi rohrhá:re' tohkára nihá:ti Kahnawa'kehró:non aonsahón:newe' ase'kénh wahonatio'tenhserahnhó:ton'se' tohkára nón:ta'.
Two ironworkers overlook the Huson River, in 2001. (Courtesy: Leonard Bordeau)
Shia'ákenewe' tsi karistatátie', shonkenihrharátie ki' ne rateristanónhnaha' tánon' wahoterien'taráhstsi' ónhka nì:'i tánon' wahari'wanón:ton', "New Jersey wáhi nontesenenonhátie'? Kahnawà:ke wáhi wésene'?" Wa'tiatiateniahkáro'ke' wa'akenì:ron' hen tánon' wahshonkeniríhon' wa'tiakeniristí:ia'ke'.
Shonsaiontiahtentionhátie' neh shiwenhniserá:te' riièn:'a wa'akenihthá:rahkwe' tsi iote'nehsaronhko'ktátie' ne tka'nehsarónhkwen's kawí:sakon. Thí:ken teka'nikónhrhare' kwah tokèn:'en wa'ká:ienhte' ne tóhsa ahsatonhnhatié:sahte' ase'kénh iah nonwén:ton tesaterièn:tare' oh kwah neniá:wen'.
Kheh onkeninónhskon tiakeni'terón:tahkwe' ne iotiahia'khseratíhen tánon' kwah í:kehre' wiskhatòn:ke onkhiatonhseró:ta'se' kawennarahsthà:ke wá:ton tsi saiontiatio'tenhserahnhotónkwahse, ionkhiri'wanontón:ni tóka' iákenehre' iaonsáiakene' Tiotierenhtòn:ke.
Riièn:'a wa'tiakenihthá:ren' tánon' wahèn:ron', "Orihwí:io, háo' ietsítene."
Shontiahia'khseróhetste' káti', tsi ionkeniio'ténhstha shionsaiákene' kwah ió:ken oròn:ia' nikaien'kwarò:ten tioièn:kwarote' kaniatarà:ke, tánon' ok niwenserò:ten kaná:takon nitioienhtáhkwen. Khé:re' káti' ken nè:'e tiorì:wa' tsi akwé:kon óntsha', akwé:kon ne kawennaráhstha', teiò:ka teká:tens kén:ie', onkwe'kénha skáhere'. Kwah tionè:wara't tsi niwensero'ténhne'.
Iah akwé:kon tha'tethoné:non ne ratihnháhtshera'. Iowénhte' ki' naiesaió'ten ne oié:ri-nikahwistà:'eks niwenhniseré:son's, thò:ne ki' sahatihnhotón:ko' Iahia'khatòn:shon naionkwaió'ten' ne wáhi ne iaonsaiakwáhsa' nahò:ten' shé:kon skaio'tenhserá:ien' tánon' ne shé:kon akáhson' tsi nikahá:wi nikanà:ton. Ahia'khserakwé:kon shos enionkeniió'ten' eh karátie' ne Iahia'khatòn:shon, entsatiahtén:ti' entsatiató:ri ne Iahià:khaton nó:nen eniakeníhsa' tsi ionkeniió'te' ok entsatiahtén:ti' tsi ionkeniio'ténhstha' ientsákene' iotenhniseratíhen Tsatáhkhaton. Shontenhniserohetstánion', wa'atiáttoke' New Jersey City sha'tiatiatenatótka'we' tsi tiótkon né: shà:ka ka'serehtaién:tonhkwe' ne Garden State Parkway nonkwá:ti, tsi ionte'serehtatenià:tha' ká:ien', tontáhsawen' wa'o'kèn:rara'ne' wa'oneráhtara'ne' tánon' noià:shon.
Wa'onkenitó:kenhse' ki' tsi né: nen' nè:'e ne ronenhé:ion raoti'serehshon'kénha néne tsi niká:ien' iah nonwén:ton teshonahténtion tiorì:wa' Seskehkó:wa 11 Shískare'.
Ken'k nitsó:re' ohnà:ken akwé:kon iah káneka teska'serehtakè:ron, tánon' skenen'shòn:'a ia'tonsakaién:ta'ne' nonkenirihwà:ke. Ísi' na'kaniatará:ti shos eniatiatkáhtho' tánon' eniakenika'én:ion' tsi nón:we kené:tahkwe' ne tekeníkhen iononhsa'karaténion, nek tsi iah thaón:ton' karì:wes ahsanonhtonnión:ko' neh nahò:ten'.
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde