Jack of all trades
Winston Standup looks through his collection of archival photos and files in his home in Kahnawake. (Credit: Simona Rosenfield)
Story told by Winston Standup
Monette’s bus used to run through town here. There were about five brothers that lived in Delson and they opened a bus service.
I went to trade school way out in the east end of Montreal and I used to take the bus from here. If I’m not mistaken, that’s where the Olympic Stadium was built.
I used to take the bus and get off on Berri Street. I went for woodworking. They had all kinds of things: woodwork, masonry, carpentry. There were a few guys from town. There were a lot that went into carpentry.
I changed and went into painting. I didn’t know how to read or write or how to take measurements. I went to the paint shop and we used to paint inside the school. They even gave us a chart on how to mix paints.
I did some carpenter work too. Mike White asked me if I’d be interested in working with him. There were three of us and we built three houses. I’m a jack of all trades, but a master of none.
Akwé:kon raweién:te’ nahò:ten’ ahoió’ten’
Winston Standup roká:raton
Monette bus kèn:’en kaná:takon rontohétsthahkwe’. 5 nihontate’kèn:’a Delson thatinákerehkwe’ tánon’ wahonterihwahténtia’te’ ne onkwe’shòn:’a ahshakotiia’takaré:ni’.
Wa’katerihwaienstà:na’ akeweientéhta’ne’ aontió’ten ne a’é:ren nà:kon nonkwá:ti ne Tiohtià:ke tánon’ iakoia’takarénie’s katíta’skwe. Kahnawà:ke tsi niió:re Tiohtià:ke. Tóka’ iah tha’tewakaterien’tawenriè:’on, tho ki’ nón: nihotinonhsón:ni ne Olympic Stadium.
Iakoia’takarénie’s enkatíta’ tsi niió:re Berri tsi iohá:te’ nón:we iekatitáhkwas. Tho nón:we iakatéweienste’ akahkaratáhko’. Nia’té:kon rotiién:tahkwe’ aiontéweienste’: aionhkaratáhko’, taietstenhró:ten’, tánon’ aiehson’kará:kete’. Tohkára nihá:ti ronón:kwe kaná:takon nihonahténtion. É:so rá:ti wahatihson’kará:kete’.
Wa’tekté:ni’ tánon’ khé:ken wa’kerá:ko’ akatéweienste’ ne akkontsheráhrho’. Iah tekeweientehtòn:ne’ akewennahnó:ton’, tóka’ ni akhiá:ton’ tóka’ ni akate’nién:ten’ thé:nen. Tho nón:we niahà:ke’ tsi nón: nithatikonhtsheráhrhos tánon’ kanónhskon shens tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’ aiakwakontsheráhrho’. Taionkhihiatónhseron’ aiákwatste’ oh ní:tsi taiakwá:iehste’ nokóntshera’.
Wa’khson’kará:kete’ ò:ni’. Mike White wahakeri’wanón:tonhse’ tóka’ ken aontonke’nikonhratihéntho’ ne skátne aionkeniió’ten’. Áhsen niiatiòn:ne’ tánon’ áhsen nikanónhsake wa’akwanonhsón:ni’. Thikawenní:io nahò:ten’ enkkwé:ni’ aontió’ten’ nek tsi iah káneka ohén:ton té:kete’
Translation by Katsenhaién:ton Lazare