Farm abundance
Leonard's aunts and uncles from his father’s side of the family at the Bordeau farm. From left to right: Irene Bordeau, William Bordeau, Matthew Bordeau (Leonard's father), Mary Bordeau, Tom Bordeau and John Bordeau. (Courtesy: Leonard Atonnion Bordeau)
Story told by Leonard atonnion Bordeau
My father was laid back, a man of not many words. When I was younger, I asked him, “What did you do during the depression?" He looked at me kind of funny. He had a habit of kind of shrugging his shoulders.
Then he said in Kanien'kéha, “Iah othé:nen teionkwattó:ken” - “We didn’t notice anything.” Because on the farm, we had cows - we had fresh milk every day. We had chickens - we had eggs everyday. Every year, they would slaughter a pig - we would have meat for all winter. They used to jar strawberries, raspberries to make jams. And pickles, my father had his own recipe. We would keep them in a cellar, a crawlspace.
It was my job to go into the crawlspace when I was small. My father would look at me and say, “Wá:s skóha” - “Go get it.” I would go down there and bring up bags of potatoes, jars of jam, pickles. So, we had food.
We had rhubarb, peas, cucumbers, a raspberry patch and of course, we had tomatoes. There was an apple orchard close by, so we always had apples.
In the morning, after my dad would milk the cows, my job was to turn it in the milk separator. It separates the milk and the cream. Then I’d churn the cream and it comes out as butter. We’d put it into this box and it makes the shape of a pound of butter.
É:so shes nahò:ten’ iationhnhéhkwen ne kahehtà:ke
Leonard’s grandparents, Angus and Annie Bordeau, on their family homestead. Behind them stands their farm shed. (Courtesy: Leonard Atonnion Bordeau)
Leonard Atonnion Bordeau roká:raton
Skén:nen nihoriho’ténhne’ ne rake’nihkénha, iah é:so tehatá:ti. Ken’ shitewatién:ha, wahiri’wanón:tonhse’, “Oh nihsiéhrhahkwe’ shikahwistanó:ron?” Ó:ia’ ní:ioht tsi tahakwatkáhtho’, tánon’ tsi nihoren’nhà:’on tsi ní:ioht ostón:ha wahathnenhsá:wake’.
Sok Kanien’kéha wahatewennón:tahkwe’, wahèn:ron’, “Iah othé:nen teionkwattó:ken” Nè:’e tsi tiohnhónhskwaron ionkwanahskwaién:tahkwe’ ne kahehtà:ke – onòn:ta ionkwahnekì:ren thia’tewenhniserá:ke. Kítkit ó:ni’ ionkwanahskwaién:tahkwe’ tánon’ nia’tewenhniserá:ke ionkwa’nho nhsá:kon. Énska ne tsóhsera, kwéskwes enkonwania’tò:’ase’ – akohserakwé:kon enionkwa’wahraién:take’. Ne thó:ne wà:io enhonnónnia’te’ ne ken’ niiohontésha tánon’ skanekwenhtará:nen, katshè:takon enhonteweièn:ton’. Tánon’ ó:ni’ teionon’onserahiò:tsis, rakhwaweiénhnen shes ne rake’níha. Iah è:neken tetiótte onhontsó:kon eniakwateweièn:ton’.
Ken’ shikà:’a ì:’i wakaterihón:tahkwe’ nonhontsó:kon iá:ke’. Enthakwatkáhtho’ ne rake’níha tánon’ enhèn:ron’, “Wá:s skóha.” Sok tho ienkátsnenhte’ tánon’ ohnennà:ta’, wà:io, tóka’ ni’ teionon’onserahiò:tsis tentékhawe’. Né: ká:ti’, ionkwatenna’tsheraién:tahkwe’.
Ionkwaién:tahkwe’ ne teiohontahiò:tsis, onékwa, skanekwenhtará:nen kaiénthon tánon’ taméto ki’ wáhi. Sewahió:wane tsi ionhiakwáhtha’ ákta kénhne’, né: ká:ti tió:konte ionkwahiaién:tahkwe’ ne sewahió:wane.
Ohrhon’kè:ne nó:nen enhanon’tatáhko’ ne rake’níha, ne’s ki’ ní: wakateríhonte akón:ten’ ne tekanon’takháhsions. Nè:’e tenkakháhsi’ ne onòn:ta’ tánon’ ne kawistohserókwen. Thó:ner tenkawénrie’ ne kawistohserókwen tsi niió:re owistóhsera’ ienwá:ton’. O’neróhkwakon eniakwáta’ tsi niió:re enkaieron’tón:ni’ ne skakòn:tshera’ ne owistóhsera’.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette