Little paper
Front side of the Reserve Pass assigned by Indian agent Francois Brisebois in 1936 to Só:se’s mother, Louise Lazare, that allows her to leave Kahnawake. (Courtesy: Só:se Raientonnis)
Story told by Só:se Raientonnis
The Indian agent in Canada was like a monarch. He was the justice of the peace, he could hold court, pass judgment and so on. Everything had to go through him.
Any kind of resolution the band council passed in Kahnawà:ke used to have to go to the Indian Agent’s office for approval. If he approved it, he would sign it and send it to Ottawa. If he disapproved it, it didn’t pass. They had a lot of say in the reserve.
I think there were three agents altogether. The first Indian agent was in 1821, then he was replaced by some man named LeTourneau. After LeTourneau left, Brisebois came in in 1935.
The US also had something similar to this - the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They also had Indian agents over there.
My mother and my father got divorced in 1936. In order to leave Kahnawà:ke, my mother had to get permission from the Indian agent. Without his written permission, she had to stay here.
Back side of the Reserve Pass assigned to Só:se’s mother, Louise Lazare. (Courtesy: Só:se Raientonnis)
My mother’s name wasn’t even used on the little paper that allowed her to leave. The name that they gave her on there was Mrs. Angus Canadian. At least they could have used her real name, Louise, eh?
If my mother had just left the reserve without notifying the Indian agent, if she didn’t have that little paper the agent gave her, she could have been arrested and brought back here.
The Indian agency was also still active here when the Seaway went through.
Signing of contract for the St. Lawrence Seaway on November 30, 1954 between H. G. Murphy, C. W. West, Charles Gavsie, Louis Lapointe, Adrien Miron, Mr. Chevrier and Gerard. Miron. (Courtesy: Library and Archives Canada/The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority fonds)
The people in Kahnawà:ke wanted to resist the Seaway but the agency made it clear that it would have to go through. There was nothing we could do to stop it. Canada had signed a treaty with the United States to build this canal. So half of it is owned by the US and Canada owns the other half.
There was nothing really that the people could have done but if the Indian Agent was really for us, he could have made a complaint about the fact that nobody got one cent out of it, except the ones whose properties were taken. It’s terrible, the way it was.
Kanien'kéha version
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Kanien'kéha version ↓
Ken' nikahiatonhserà:'a
Invoice issued by Indian agent Francois Brisebois to the Department of Mines and Resources on December 17th, 1948 for the tuition fees of Só:se Raientonnis whose English name is Joseph Canadian, as seen on the document. (Courtesy: Library and Archives Canada/Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds)
Só:se Raientonnis roká:raton
Rotenontiióhston ne étien Koráhne nonkwá:ti. Raianerenhserakwaríhsions ne skén:nen akénhake’, enhakwé:ni’ tahshakoia'tó:rehte', nok ò:ni’ aharì:wenhte’, nia’té:kon ki’ wáhi ne tho nikaio’tenhserò:ten. Akwé:kon ó:nen'k tsi raónha waharihwaka'én:ion'.
Tsi nahò:ten’ ne thatitsénhaiens ne Kahnawà:ke ia’thotirihwaién:ta’se’ ahatiianerenhseróhetste’ ó:nen’k tsi shes etiénhne ién:we’ naharihwanòn:we’ne’. Tóka’ waharihwanòn:we’ne’, enhatatshén:naren’ sok Kanà:tso ienhaterihwániehte’. Tóka’ iah tehorihwanonhwè:’on, iah ki’ teioianerenhserohétston. É:so shes enthanónhton' tsi kanonhstá:ton.
Kwah í:kehre’ áhsen nihatíhne’ nakwé:kon. 1821 shiiohserá:te’ tahokè:tohte ne thotierénhton étien, sok ki’ thihaià:tate’ LeTourneau ronwá:iats raonaktà:ke wahoió’ten’. Tsi ó:nen rohténtion ne LeTourneau, Brisebois 1935 shiiohserá:te’ tahokè:tohte’.
Section of the 1912 Annual Report for the Dominion of Canada from Indian agent Lorenzo Letourneau in order to inform the government of the status of the Indigenous population of Kahnawake. (Courtesy: Library and Archives Canada/Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds)
Wahstonhronòn:ke ò:ni’ rotiién:tahkwe' ok nahò:ten’ ne shà:ka – Bureau of Indian Affairs. Rononkwè:taien’ ni’ nè:’e ne étien tho nonkwá:ti.
Ake’nisténha tánon’ rake’níha 1936 shiiohserá:te’ wa’thiatekháhsi’. Tóka’ teiakotonhontsó:ni aionhtén:ti’ ne Kahnawà:ke, ó:nen’k tsi étien enhshakoríhon’ ne ake’nisténha. Tóka’ iah thahshakoríhon’, ó:nen’k tsi kèn:'en eniakè:sheke’.
Iah káneka teiehsén:nare’ ne ken’ nikahiatonhserà:’a nake’nisténha aiakoianerénhseron’ aionhtén:ti’. Mrs. Angus Canadian wahatihiá:ton’. Aráne ki’ akohsén:na’ ahonátston, Louise, wáhi?
Tóka’ aiakohténtion tsi kanonhstá:ton tánon’ iah tehonwahronka’tén:ni, tóka’ iah teiehiatonhserenhá:wi thí:ken ken’ nikahiatonhserà:’a ne étien shakohiatonhserá:wi, aiotòn:’on aiontatié:na’ tánon’ kèn:’en na’taontahshakotiia’ténha.
Shé:kon kén: ì:re’s shontóhetste’ tsi kana’tsheratátie’.
Kahnawa’kehró:non wa’thonatonhóntsohse’ tahonráhsaren’ tsi kana’tsheratátie’ nek tsi wahrè:nehste’ ne étien tsi ó:nen’k tsi enwatóhetste’. Iah thé:nen teiotòn:’on taiakwá:tahste’.
Koráhne tánon’ Wahstonhronòn:ke wahonterihwahserón:ni’ ne kí:ken ahatina’tsherón:ni’. Ahsén:nen ká:ti’ Wahstonhronòn:ke raoná:wen tánon’ ahsén:nen Koráhne.
Iah teiotòn:’on thé:nen naiakoié:ren ne onkwehshòn:’a nek tsi tóka’ akwah aontahshonkwahswanéten’ ne étien, aiotòn:’on ahorihwaka’tèn:’en tsi iah ónhka énska sén:t teiakohwistaientà:’on. Kwah nek tsi nihá:ti ronwanonhontsáhkwen.
Teiotenonhianíhton, tsi nitiohtòn:ne’.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette