STORIES / Okara’shòn:’a
Learning about literature
When I was about five or so, dad would read a series of illustrated stories from the Montreal Star with me that told of a small community that lived within the shelter of a rose bush. The series was called The Teenie Weenies. Several months ago, I was telling my son how I had enjoyed those stories; he looked them up online, and found me, for this Christmas, an original Teenie Weenie book published in 1944.
Princess White Deer
Esther travelled the world with her uncles. There were three of them, three brothers: James, John, and George. James was her father and John was my grandfather. George didn’t have any kids. They also had a sister.
Powwow scene
I turned around, and it was Pierce Brosnan. I took a deep breath and said, 'Relax. He's just a person like everybody else.' I said, 'It looks pretty good. I thought you were going to be in that scene. How come you're out here?’
Protestant and catholic
My mother went to catholic school, but she did not want the nuns to teach us, so she sent us to protestant school. Protestant school was like today's public school. My cousin and I were the same age and lived in the same neighborhood, so we walked to school together. She was going to the catholic school and I was attending the protestant one. One time, she crossed the street and told me that she could not walk with me because I was protestant.
Given to me
there are some students from the school that will come, sit, listen and write down the words they need translated. Sometimes there's three or four of them sitting there and they’re writing down questions to ask and I help them as best as I can.
Big problem in Manhattan
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.
The baddest boy
Once when I was younger I was playing hockey every day after school and asked my father, “Baba, can you buy me new skates?” He said, “Just keep on doing what you’re doing, going to get the milk on the farm, going to get the water, and maybe one day you’ll get it.”
Fishing trip
My husband would go fishing all the time. I went with him once and told him, “Don’t ever ask me to go with you again.” Because it didn’t work out when we went, we got stuck.
Those guns won’t stop me
In 1990, we didn’t have any supplies in Kahnawà:ke because of the blockades. My husband Jimmy had a boat and my sister, Melissa, wanted to go shopping so Jimmy said, “Well okay Mel, get in my boat and I’ll take you.” She got on at Johnson’s Beach, and when they were halfway to the store, they had to land where the old movie theatre was in Dorval.
Could've died
When I was a kid, I remember seeing the older women, the grandmothers, swimming in the river. They were very modest and they wore handmade black dresses, even for swimming. I think they would jump into the river behind the church and float way out in the middle of the river. We could hear them laughing and laughing, floating down with their dresses that would make an air bubble around them.
Living that dream
I met Onkwehón:we who didn’t even speak English all the way from Manitoba, BC, and other Western provinces. Many came to me and said, “I got no education. I never went to school. But I worked in my community for many years. I know my culture, I know my traditions, I know my history, and I know the church.”
It keeps going on
As a kid, I was so confused with my mom. I never knew what she went through. I couldn’t say anything about it. If I had known the way she grew up, then I would’ve understood better. She didn’t tell us what she went through. All she would do is start crying when she mentioned the school.
Kids at the water
When I was a kid, we all used to go swimming at the Wharf. It was so nice. The best part of swimming there was when people would come and throw silver dollars in the water to see if you could catch it. I never caught a coin, never. I wasn’t fast enough. If I was fast enough, the other person trying to get it would take my hand and almost break my finger to get the money.
Childhood hijinks
I think the road from Kateri School to the hospital was the only road that was paved here in Kahnawake. There were a lot of dirt roads, a lot of hills. There were a lot of old houses. I remember a lot of the houses didn’t have good insulation, and in the wintertime there would be giant icicles on many houses - some right to the roof, right from the ground.
Music Is my medicine
I went to the back door of K103 radio station at 10 o’clock one night. I had a Hank Williams record with me and asked, “Could I pay you $10 to play two or three songs?” I knew it wouldn’t be allowed if I had asked at the main entrance. They would think I’m crazy. So I bribed them all - everyone except the manager.
Inclination to share
I wish everybody would think the way I do; embracing the idea of helping one another and not holding back their knowledge. It’s crucial because when we pass away, all that wisdom disappears with us. There are few of us left from my generation and we are dwindling, especially in recent times as we lose more friends one by one.
Otherworldly experience
When I was about six months pregnant with my daughter, I had a very surreal experience. It was late at night and I was watching the Academy Awards. My boys were asleep. I was sitting on the sofa all by myself.
My wife beat me up
Amelia wasn’t working at the time. Each morning, she’d be sleeping so I’d always give her a kiss and then go to work. This time, while she was sleeping, I went there to kiss her and she punched my face.
