Ice Storm
A glimpse of a winter day in old Kahnawá:ke (Courtey: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Arthur Diabo
The catholic church bell would ring every night at 6 o’clock. It was a signal for you to get your butt home for supper. You went home to eat, do homework, and if you were fortunate enough to have a TV, you watched the available English channels or listened to hockey on the radio.
In 1961, the community experienced a severe ice storm. Ice accumulated everywhere and downed the Shawinigan power lines for weeks. The ice on the catholic church bell was so thick it made a dull clunk sound when it was rung. It was an odd sound to hear and not everyone could hear it so it may have screwed up many family routines and functions for people living in the immediate vicinity.
A group of men pose for a photo with their horses in the snow, 1910. (courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
During winter months, some community members would haul goods by horse and sleigh down the main street (or the front street as we knew it back then). There were thick ice ruts in the street, and it became extremely hazardous for horses, more so for people trying to walk on the thick ice.
There was no electricity for a weeks after the storm. Most families back then had wood burning stoves, so lack of power didn’t affect us, as long as we had an ample supply of wood, coal, food and water.
Water was difficult to haul in the winter, but we adapted. My brother and I put a wash tub on the sleigh in the winter, and on a wagon in summer, and went to the public pump, filled the tub with water, and hauled it home so our mother could wash clothes. It was hard work, but it was just a normal day for us growing up in the 1950s and 60s.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tekawisóntha'
Mother nature's effect on the trees during an ice storm. (Courtesy: Wikki Commons)
Arthur Diabo ROKÁ:RATON
Thia'tewahsón:take ià:ia'k niiohwistà:'e shos enkahwistà:'eke' ne tehatiiahsóntha' raotihwísta'. Kwah nè:'e ensahró:ri' ne iaonsahsatkón:tahkwe' ne tahsatskà:hon' o'karahsnéha. Tsi tisanónhsote' shos ienséhse' ne tahsatskà:hon', aiesaió'ten' ne kanónhskon kaio'ténhsera', tánon' tóka' ieká:ien' tsi nisatera'swí:io naiesaién:take' ne tká:ra's, enhsaterò:roke' ki' tsi ní:kon Tiohrhèn:sha tká:ra's ká:ien' tóka' ni' waterennótha' enhsatahónhsatate' tsi tehonttsihkwà:'eks.
1961 shiiohserò:ten, kwah tokèn:'en wa'thotiwisón:ten' ne kanakeráhsera'. Kwah tsik nón:we wa'kawisáhrho' tánon' tòn:senhte' ne Shawinigan karonwarahrónnion é:so iahia'kserá:ke nikarì:wes. Tó:k nikawí:satens iowí:sare' ne tehatiiahsóntha' raotihwistà:ke kwah ken' nitiotewennatè:'a tsáks wa'orá:kahre' shahatihwistà:'eke'. Kwah ó:ia' nikawennò:ten naiakothón:te'ne' tánon' iah akwé:kon teiakothón:te', né: ki' ónhte' wáhi wa'thonani'tonnià:ten' é:so kahwatsí:rake tsi ní:ioht tsi nihontieránions tánon' tsi nahò:ten' ronterihwahtentià:tha' néne tsi nihá:ti aktóntie' rati'terón:ton.
Ice storm in Quebec, 1998. (Courtesy: Wikki Commons)
Tsi niwenhni'té:son's nakohserà:ke, ótia'ke ne ratinákere' akohsá:tens shos enkonwatiia'taniión:ten' entkontihéntho' tsi nihotitstóhkwake tánon' tenhonthón:wenhte' tsi enhatihahò:kten' (tóka' ni' ne ohén:ton iohá:te' shos iakwana'tónhkhwa' ne thò:ne). Kwah ken' nikawisatén:son's tekahronionniánion nohaha'kéhshon, tánon' kwah tokèn:'en wa'tewatenòn:ianihte' wa'othterónhta'ne' ne akohsá:tens aotirihwà:ke, sénha ki' ne nón:kwe akorihwà:ke tsi ionte'niéntha' è:neken owisa'kéhshon aionhtentión:ko'.
Iah káneka tekaronwarà:rahkwe' tohkára niiahia'khserá:ke nikarì:wes ohnà:ken sha'tkawisón:ten'. Thóha akwé:kon tsi nikahwatsí:rake ne tho shitkahá:wi' ó:iente' watónthos ronateristó:tonhkwe', sok ki' iah othé:nen kwah tha'teionkwahkwà:ton tsi onteronwarò:kten', kawenní:iok ki' ia'tionkwaié:rihse' tsi ní:kon ionkwaién:tahkwe' nó:iente', o'swèn:ta', kákhwa' tánon' ohné:kanos.
Seronhkehnéha nen' nè:'e ne aiehnekakaré:ni' ne akohserà:ke, nek tsi wa'akwarèn:nha' ki' wáhi. Iatiatate'kèn:'a tánon' ì:'i kahonwà:ke wa'akenéta' ne iontawenstáhkhwa' ka'náhkon nakohserà:ke, tánon' ne wenniseréshne nakenhnhà:ke, tánon' kentiohkwa'kéha tsi iehnekatahkwáhtha' ia'ákene', wa'atiate'náhkwike' ohné:kanos wa'akenéta', sok tsi tionkwanónhsote' ionsaiakeníhawe' ne ki' naón:ton' onkeni'nisténha aienoharénion' nathserónnia. É:so tsi ioio'tenhseratehtòn:ne', nek tsi nek thikénhne' ne tsi niwenhniserò:ten ionkeniren'nha'òn:ne' shiiontiatehiahróntie' ne 1950 tánon 60 shiiohserò:tens.
Translation by Karonhí:io Delaronde