Cows, fruits, vegetables, and farms
Elaine Delaronde pictured harvesting rhubarb at her home in Kahnawake. (Credit: Simona Rosenfield)
Story told by Elaine Delaronde
In the area, people were growing rhubarbs, apple trees, and any kind of currents, berries, and everyone had gardens. We’d go all the way out, past the golf club, over the tracks. There were other farms there. Everywhere we went, there were either cows or fruits or vegetables or farms.
We went over the train bridge, those days, kids just went everywhere. All over the place. We were picking berries. You could see that there were old foundations where homes used to be, and their old raspberry and strawberry gardens just spread wild.
Today, there’s still raspberries that spread and spread. There were some apples and crab apple trees I saw, but they got overcrowded with other trees.
In those days, there weren’t many cars. Seems like everybody was walking or riding a bike.
We had so much fun in the sun.
Tiohnhónhskwaron, kahi’shòn:’a, ase’shòn:’a, tánon’ tsi ieiénthotha’
Courtesy: Elaine Delaronde
Elaine Delaronde iakoká:raton
Kenh nón:we akwé:kon nonkwehshòn:’a rotihehtaién:tahkwe’, ratiiénthoskwe’ ne teiohontahiò:tsis, sewahió:wane na’kakwirò:ten’s, tánon’ nia’tewà:iake. Ieniakwatkón:tahkwe’ ieniakwatohétstahkwe’ ne tsi teionhthenno’óktha’, tánon’ ne tsi karistatátie’. Ó:ia kaién:tonhkwe’ ne tsi ieienthótha’ ne tho nón:we. Tsik nón:we ieniákwe’, eniakhí:ken’ ne tiohnhónhskwaron, tóka’ ni’ eniakwatkáhtho’ ne kahi’shòn:’a, tánon’ ase’shòn:’a, tóka’ ni’ tsi ieienthótha’.
Ohthiio’kéha tsi karistatátie’ ia’tiakwahskwí:ia’ke’. Tho shontakahá:wi tsik iehonnéhtha’ ne ratiksa’okòn:’a. Kwah tsik nón:we. Iakwahiákwaskwe’. Aón:ton’ ahsatkáhtho’ tsi ionatatén:ron kanonhsaken’serahkwánion tsi nón: nikanonhsó:tonhkwe’. Tánon’ wa’tewaré:ni’ tsi rotiiénthon ne skanekwenhtará:nen tánon’ ken’ niiohontésha.
Shé:kon nòn:wa tewarénie’s ne skanekwenhtará:nen. Wa’katkáhtho’ tohkára niiokwiró:tonhkwe’ ne sewahió:wane tánon’ sewahiowane’ón:we, nek tsi sótsi é:so takontì:nio’ ne tha’tekakwiraténion.
Ne tho shontakahá:wi, iah teiote’serehtakà:te. Á:ienhre’k tsik ónhka iakothahitáhkhe’ tóka’ ni’ tékeni teiokahkwèn:tonte’ iakohonwì:sere’.
Tsi na’akwaten’nikonhró:ri’ norahkonhtsherà:ke.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette
Elaine Delaronde poses in front of crab apple and sumac trees while searching for edible plants and medicines on Tekakwitha Island. Taken in 2011. (Courtesy: Elaine Delaronde)