Big giant hole
Construction of the St Lawrence Seaway in 1957 in Kahnawake. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Niioie:ren Patton
I used to play in the Seaway while it was being dug.
My grandfather’s house, where I would stay in the summer, is just one street up from the river. They call it the Church road. From there, we used to just walk down to the river that used to be there. The riverside was where most of us would spend almost every summer day. It was within a football field’s distance.
When we were around 10-11, they took it away from us. They started to dig a big, giant hole.
I remember coming back one summer and there was this 60 foot deep hole right where we used to swim, there was no more shoreline. It was just a big, dry giant hole. I don’t know how they were able to do it that fast. My parents never knew that we used to climb down that hole and play down there.
My brother, who is two and a half years older than me, picked up dynamite caps. I guess they were all over in that hole. There wasn’t much security. Safety inspection didn’t appear to matter. So my brother was hiding all these caps in my grandfather’s barn. They could have blown up, and he could have killed himself or the neighbours. That’s how awful it was.
You would hear this horn that meant they were going to dynamite. So everybody was getting a short warning to watch out for flying rocks just to let you know ahead of time in case you get killed or a rock comes flying into your house.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Iohsoniowá:nen
Painting of Kahnawake from 1860 depicting life on the river. (Courtesy: Ross Montour)
Niioie:ren Patton IAKOKÁ:RATON
Tsi kana'tsherátie' shos ienkatkahri'tsherón:ni' shé:kon sha'tehonnóntia'ks.
Ne rakhsothnéha, tsi nón:we ienkátien' tsi niwakénhnhes, nek tsoháha é:ren niió:re natsà:kta tkanonhsó:tahkwe'. Tsi ionterennaientáhkhwa' tsi iohá:te' ratina'tónhkhwa'. Tho nón:we entiakwahtén:ti' tsi ieniákwe' tsi nón:we atsà:kta tkénhne'. Thóha tiótkon eh nón:we atsa'któntie' teniakwakenhnhí:ia'ke' thia'tewenhniserá:ke. Ká:ron skahén:ta wahthennò:tsheres tsi teionhthenno'ókstha' niió:re kénhne'.
Ákta 10 tóka' ni' 11 shitionkwá:ien', wa'onkhíhkhwa' eh nahò:ten'. Tahontáhsawen' wahonnó'kwate' iohsoniowá:nen. Kè:iahre' sewakénhnha sha'tontá:ke' tánon' kwah rotihsonión:ni' kí:ken 60 niwahsì:take na'teiaoserèn:'en tsi nón:we iakwatawenstáhkhwahkwe', iah káneka atsà:kta tésken. Nek iohsoniowá:nen iohsonwáthen ísken. Kwah iah tewakaterièn:tare' oh ní:tsi eh niiosnó:re' tsi nahatí:iere'. Iah nonwén:ton tehonaterièn:tarahkwe' ne ionkhiièn:'a tsi tho ohsón:wakon ieniatiátsnenhte' tánon' ieniatiatkahri'tsherón:ni'.
An American Navy vessel passes through the Seaway in the 1960s through Kahnawake. (Courtesy: Michel Tosini)
Ne rakhtsì:'a', teiohserá:ke tánon' sha'teiohserí:hen sénha thó:ien' tsi ní:ioht nì:'i, enhrohrón:ko' thí:ken wattatákwas katsirótha'. Khé:re káti' ken ohsonwakwé:kon nitkakehrón:tahkwe'. Iah kwah tehonatonkwe'tanákerehkwe' ne rati'nikòn:rare'. Á:ienhre' ki' tsi iah kwah teiorihowanénhne' nahóntken'se' tó: niioia'tanónhste'. Rakhsótha' raó:wen akohsaténshne nonkwá:ti ienháhsehte' akwé:kon thí:ken wattatákwas katsirótha'. Taiotera'nekarónkwen akwé:kon thí:ken, ahotaterióhton' ò:ni' tóka' ni' ne tehonnonhsanekhánion ahshakorióhton. Tho niiothteronhtòn:ne' thí:ken.
Ensathón:te'ne' kí:ken iehonrawátstha' teniohén:rehte' néne wathró:ris tsi ronttatakwahtà:ne'. Thò:ne' ki' tsi nihá:ti eh ákta thati'terón:ton ken' nikarihwésha enhonahronkà:ten' nahonte'nikòn:raren' tsi tenwatenenió:ko' tsik nón:we ne aiesaterièn:tarake' ohén:ton eh neniá:wen' á:re' shí:ken ensáriohte' tóka' ni' skanén:ia sanónhskon' ienwataweiástahkwe'.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde