Children in the garden
Lorraine’s great grandmother Marie Kanakoretha Marquis walks up the road from her home towards her husband, Michel Ositakete Jacobs who is milking the one cow they owned. This is the photo Lorraine speaks of in her story. (Courtesy: Kakwirakeron Ross Montour)
STORY TOLD BY LORRAINE MONTOUR
My great grandmother and grandfather always had a big garden. They had one cow. There’s an old picture where he’s milking the cow and my great grandmother is walking down the path from their house. They lived across from where Eileen’s Bakery is.
I used to go over to their house and help. My great grandmother would boil the milk and then she’d let it cool and strain it with a cheesecloth. She pasteurized the milk by boiling it. I’d help her make the butter, cream, and whip cream. If I could sneak a cup full of whip cream, I’d put brown sugar over it and eat it. Oh my god.
My recollections of growing up are of me helping my great grandfather on the porch. He would bring a big bag of beans up on the porch that he dried for a few days and say, “Háo’ kén: satién”, meaning “Come and sit.”
He had a little bench and he’d give me the whole pile to crack open. There were kidney beans and some type of white bean. But children have to do that. One conclusion that I came to is that it is important for children to be in the garden.
There were never easy times when I think of it now. We were just lucky that we had people who loved us, cared for us, and did all they could to support us during those times.
Kanien'kéha version
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Kanien'kéha version ↓
Ratiksa’okòn:’a kahéhtakon rón:ne’s
Painting of a barn in Kahnawake. Created in 1950 by unknown artist. (Courtesy: Phoenix Diabo)
Lorraine Montour IAKOKÁ:RATON
Teiohsotsherá:ne akhsótha’ tánon’ rakhsótha’ tiótkon shes rotihehtowá:nen. Skaià:ta tiohnhónhskwaron rotinahskwaién:tahkwe’. Iokaiòn:’on ratiià:tare’ ká:ien’ ranon’tatáhkwas ne tiohnhónhskwaron tánon’ tsi wa’ohatátie’ iakothahitáhkhe’ tsi thotinónhsote’ nitiothahí:non ne teiohsotsherá:ne akhsótha’. Ísi’ na’oháhati ne Eileen tsi iena’taronnià:tha’ thni’terón:tahkwe’ .
Tsi thotinónhsote’ shes ienhén:ke’ tánon’ enkheié:nawa’se’. Onòn:ta’ teniehnekóntiehte’ ne teiohsotsherá:ne akhsótha’ sok eniewístohte’ tánon’ enienón:wakentste’. Tsí:s aonia’tarà:’a én:iontste’. Wa’tiehnekóntiehte’ ne onòn:ta’ taienon’takháhsi’. Enkheié:nawa’se’ owistóhsera’ tánon’ kawistohserókwen aiakón:ni’ tánon’ tenionwénrie’ ne kawistohserókwen, ostón:ha ia’tenhstsikhè:tohwe’ taiotsikhè:tara’ne’ ne kawistohserókwen . Tóka’ enkkwé:ni’ akatenénhskwahte’ iénkhawe’ tetkaksáhere’ ne tewawénrie’ kawistohserókwen, ia’tenktsikhè:tohwe’ tánon’ ne ki’ én:keke’. Ótsta’ tsi niiawékon’.
Kè:iahre’ ki’ shontonkwatehiahróntie’ ahskwen’nà:ke riienawà:se’ ne teiohsotsherá:ne rakhsótha’. Kaiarowá:nen nosahè:ta’ entháhawe’ ahskwen’nà:ke né:ne tóhkara nón:ta rostathá:ton tánon’ enhèn:ron’, “Háo’ kén: sátien.”
Ken’ niwà:’a wanitskwahráhtsheres roién:tahkwe’ tánon’ tahaki’tón:ion’ ne osahè:ta’ taksahe’tané:kare’. Onekwénhtara’ nikasahe’tò:ten tánon’ tiok na’kasahe’tò:ten’ ne kasahe’tarà:ken. Ratiksa’okòn:’a ki’ wáhi teiotonhontsóhon tho nahatí:iere’. Tsi kanonhtónnion tsorì:wa wa’kerihwatshén:ri’, iorihowá:nen ki’ ne ratiksa’okòn:’a kahéhtakon ahonnè:sheke’.
Iah ki’ nonwén:ton tewatiesénhne’ nó:nen tentkanonhtonnión:ko’. Kwah nek ki’ ionkwatera’swiióhne’ tsi iontionkwè:taien’ ne ionkhinorónhkhwa’, teionkhiiahrhò:ton, tánon’ wa’tionkhirihwáhsnie’se’ tsi niió:re tsi wahatikwé:ni’ ne tho nón: shontakahá:wi.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette