Kwítaro
Left to right: Phillip Arquette (Peter’s brother), Mitch Arquette (Peter’s uncle), and Peter Tié:r Arquette on the St. Lawrence in October 1970. (Courtesy: Peter Tié:r Arquette)
Story told by Peter Tié:r Arquette
Halfway through eleventh grade I walked out of the school I was going to in Massena.
I left because in social studies class, we were learning things about Indians that were all lies.
I had had enough of it. I told the social studies teacher, “Do you know where that book belongs? It belongs right there in that garbage can because it’s full of garbage.”
So, I took my book and threw it right out in the garbage can.
She told me, “Grab your book Mr. Arquette and go to the principal’s office.”
I didn’t know I was quitting school until I was walking down the hall. The teacher was watching me, then said, “You better turn left Mr. Arquette.” That’s where the principal’s office was.
So instead, I put my hand up to wave goodbye and I said, “Adios, see ya later.” I continued straight out the front door, went back home, and told my father, “I quit school today, Baba.”
He just said, “Good, what are you going to do now?”
I told him, “I'm going to go to work.”
After I left high school, I didn’t go to work right away. I was 16 and ended up on Cornwall Island taking care of my grandfather because he had had a stroke.
My grandmother called me up and said, “Come here and if you help me with your grandpa, I’ll buy you cigarettes”.
I told her, “Tóta, you don’t have to pay me anything. I’m on my way right now.”
I was there for maybe five or six months. My grandfather was a retired ironworker and became a farmer. He used to call me “Kwítaro” which doesn’t have a meaning, it’s a made-up word but I liked it. My friends and family started calling me that too.
I took care of everything on the farm - I’d get water from the river, take care of the garden, split wood, bring wood into the house and I’d work in the fields with the tractor.
Finally, the day came for me to go away for work. All my grandfather’s ironwork tools were all rotten and rusted out. There was hardly anything left.
In time, the day came when I finally left the island and someone else from the family came to take care of my grandfather.
I had just turned 17 but told everyone I was 18 because I was still too young for ironwork.
I left and went away to Syracuse and ended up staying there working, doing labor for a big job.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Kwítaro
Young Peter poses for a photo. Taken in the 1970s. (Courtesy: Peter Tié:r Arquette)
Peter Tié:r Arquette ROKÁ:RATON
Sha'teiohserí:hen ne énska iawén:re tsi kahiá:ton shikateweiénstha' ia'tiá:ken'ne' tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' Kentsà:ke nón:we. Wa'kahtén:ti' nè:'e tsi social studies shiiakwateweiénstha', onowénhskon nahò:ten' ionkwaweientehta'onhátie' ne onkwehón:we akorihwà:ke. Ia'tewatié:rihse'. Wa'khró:ri' ne iakorihonnién:ni, "Saterièn:tare' ken ka' nón: tió:wen thí:ken kahiatónhsera'? Kwah tho ienonhwenhskeraráhkhwa' kanà:tsakon tió:wen nè:'e tsi tetkanonhwenhkseráhere'."
Wa'khrá:ko' nakhiatónhsera' tánon' kwah tho kanà:tsakon iahonkwá:ti'.
Onkhró:ri', "Skóha sahiatónhsera' Rawénhsion Arquette tánon' ohén:ton í:rate' tsi thahiatónhkhwa' iahà:se."
Iah tewakaterièn:tarahkwe' tóka' ken enkatoríshen' tsi katerihwaiénstha' tsi niió:re o'whá:rakon wà:ke'. Wakaterohròn:ne' ne iakorihonnién:ni, sok wa'kèn:ron', "Iánere' skanekwá:ti ahskarenhrá:ko' Rawénhsion Arquette." Tho nón:we ohén:ton í:rate' tsi thahiatónhkhwahkwe'.
Khé:ken wa'kanentshakará:tate', ia'tkanentshateníhon' tonsakenòn:weron' tánon' wa'kì:ron', "Adios, ó:nen ki' wáhi." Ionsakatahsónteren' ohén:ton tsi kahnhokà:ronte' ia'tiá:ken'ne', sakahtén:ti' tánon' wahihró:ri' rake'níha, "Baba wa'katoríshen' tsi katerihwaiénstha'."
Kwah nek wahèn:ron', "Iánere', oh káti' nisehsatierà:ne'?"
Sahihró:ri', "Ontio'ténhsere'."
Aerial view of Cornwall Island (left) during the construction of the Cornwall Island bridge in the early 1960s. (Courtesy: St. Lawrence Piks)
Tsi ó:nen wa'katerihwaienstá:ko', iah óksa'k tewatio'ténhseron. Ià:ia'k iawén:re shitewatién:tahkwe' nok Kawehnò:ke iahonkhwà:'ehste' rakhsotkénha wa'thíhsnie'ne' ase'kénh wahaia'takénheie'.
Akhsotkénha taionkwatewennátahse' wa'ì:ron', "Ken' nontà:se, tóka' enhsekhsnié:nen' tsi tehíhsnie' iahsótha', enkonien'kwahní:non'se'."
Wa'khehró:ri', "Tóta, iah tha'teiotonhontsóhon othé:nen ahsekkária'khse'. Ó:nen'k tho wà:ke'."
Wísk tóka' ni' ià:ia'k niwenhnì:take tho ítke'skwe'. Karistà:ke roió'tehkwe' ne rakhsotkénha sok wahaiéntho'. Rakena'tónhkhwahkwe', "Kwítaro" iah kwah thé:nen tekén:ton, ok thikawenníson' nek tsi wa'khsennanòn:we'ne'. Onkwatenro'shòn:'a tánon' akhwá:tsire' tahontáhsawen' ni' nen' nè:'e wa'onkenà:tonhkwe'.
Akwé:kon ní: wa'katerihwatsté:riste' tsi ieienthóhtha' - Kaniatarà:ke enkhnekotsénha', kahéhtakon enwatió'ten', tentientohwíha', kanónhskon ientientínion'te' tánon' kahéhtakon enki'tarakahrhátho' tractorhkó:wa enkató:ri'.
Kháre' ó:nen ontenhniseríhewe' aontio'ténhsera'. Akwé:kon iotkèn:'en tánon' ioskèn:rhare' rakhsotkénha karistà:ke roio'ténhstha'. Iekèn:'ak ieská:ien'.
Kwató:ken nikarì:wes, sok ontenhniseríhewe' tánon' wa'kahtén:ti' Kawehnò:ke tánon' akò:ren akhwatsí:rakon tá:ien' tahonwáhsnie'ne' rakhsotkénha.
Òn:wa'k tsá:ta iawén:re tewakohseriia'kòn:ne' nek tsi akwé:kon wa'khehró:ri' sha'té:kon iawén:re nitewátien' ase'kénh shé:kon só:tsi ken' nitewatién:ha ne karistà:ke aontió'ten'.
Wa'kahtén:ti' sok Tsi kahio'tsísto iahà:ke', tho ia'kátien' kaia'tenhserowá:nen ontió'ten'.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko' Arquette