Kids at the water
A regular day on the water in front of Johnson's Beach in the late 1940s. (Courtesy: Jeannine Beauvais)
Story told by June Mayo
When I was a kid, we all used to go swimming at the Wharf. It was so nice.
The best part of swimming there was when people would come and throw silver dollars in the water to see if you could catch it.
I never caught a coin, never. I wasn’t fast enough. If I was fast enough, the other person trying to get it would take my hand and almost break my finger to get the money.
But I said to myself, “Well, I’ve got one up on you, buddy.” Because when I would come up out of the water, whoever’s throwing the money always said, “Did you get any money?”
I’d say, “No.”
And they’d say, “That’s okay, we’ll give you some anyway.” I didn’t even have to dive for it.
Then when my kids were still small, we used to go to Hook’s Point. We’d hurry up and look for a big rock that was flat, and we made our own fire pit there.
My husband Jimmy would go fishing and clean them good in a pail of water.
We had a grill made out of a tire rim and put it right on a flat stone, kind of like shale. Once it was fit, Jimmy would fill it up with stone and then he would put charcoal on it.
He made us a barbecue before the barbecue came along here. We made our own.
The kids would play there for hours.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ratiksa'okòn:'a' Atsà:kta Thón:ne's
Onlookers watch as a river boat passes by near flat rocks. (Courtesy: Culture Center Kahnawake)
June Mayo IAKOKÁ:RATON
Ken' shikà:'a, Tsi Iehrahrhóhstha' shos nón:we ieniakwatá:wen'. É:so tsi ion'wesénhne'.
Kwah é:so wa'onkwerien'tí:iohste' tsi eh ia'akwatá:wen' tsi ón:kwe éntien' tánon' awèn:ke ieniakohwistón:ti' ka' shí:ken entiakwaié:na'.
Iah nonwén:ton énska' tetewatié:nen, iah nonwén:ton. Iah thia'tekaieríhne' tsi nitia'tasnó:re'. Tóka' thia'tenkaié:ri'ne tsi nitia'tasnó:re', ne thiieià:tate' ionte'niéntha' aontaieié:na' kwah entiontihéntho' kahtsa'nà:ke' tánon thó:ha tenionkehsnónhsia'ke' naón:ton' iaiéhawe' nohwísta'.
Sakatathró:ri' ki', "Sénha iaonnià:ton' nì:'i tsi ní:ioht ní:se tiaténro." Ase'kénh nó:nen enskató:ko', tiótkon enia'ì:ron' tsi niká:ien' tiakohwistóntie's, "Othé:nen ken tahsié:na' nohwísta'?"
Enkì:ron', "Iah."
Sok tenthonnì:ron', "Thikawenní:io, enkwahwíston' ne shà:ka." Kwah iah tha'teiotonhontsohòn:ne' aonkwathonróhon ne iatié:na'.
Ken' shihonnà:sa ne kheien'okòn:'a', Hook's Point shos ieniákwe'. Tenionkwasteríhen' tánon' kaneniowá:nen tekaneniakwénhte' eniakwé:sake' sok eh nón:we eniakwattsenhón:ni'.
Enhahriohkawinéhsera' ne rikstén:ha Sá:k tánon' kwah ioianerehón:we enhentsahserón:ni' kanà:tsakon.
Akenhnha'kéhkha' iekhonnià:tha' ionkwaién:tahkwe' ne kà:sere' okahkwèn:ta' ionnià:ton' tánon' kheh tekaneniakwenhtè:ke entiakwá:ien', ioteneniakwè:taron tsi ní:ioht. Nó:nen ioweiénston tsi ní:ioht, tho tenthanenià:rahte' ne Sá:k sok tho è:neken entho'swen'tón:ti'.
Akenhnha'kéhkha' iekhonnià:tha' wahshontiónnien' ohén:ton' sha'orì:wase'ne' ne akenhnha'kéhkha' iekhonnià:tha'. Wa'atión:ni' ì:'i onkwá:wen.
É:so enkahwistà:'eke' eh ienhontkahri'tsherón:ni' ne iakhiien'okòn:'a.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde