Lost their homes
A newspaper clipping reporting on the forced evictions carried out in Kahnawà:ke. (Courtesy: Eric Pouliot-Thisdale)
Story told by Gordie Oke
It’s always a sore point with Mohawks when talking about the Sulpicians, especially to the elders who remember their parents going through those hard times. The Sulpicians decided they wanted to remove the Mohawks from Kanesatà:ke.
My grandfather, Chief Peter Oke, was one of the ones who went up to Gibson by boat on the promise of the Sulpicians that it was a good place to live. The Sulpicians wanted us out of here and moved to Gibson. When they arrived, they found the grounds too rocky and not suitable for farming. Some of them ended up coming back.
One of the more interesting stories my father told me was that in the early days, when the priests first settled here, they used to give out flour and tea to the people. You had to go there and sign your name before receiving any supplies.
People got used to going there and signing their names, but not everyone did.
All of a sudden, the priests called in the police from Sainte-Scholastique and started knocking on the Mohawks’ doors claiming the Mohawks had signed over their land to the Sulpicians. Just like that, many of them lost their homes.
Court dates would be issued, but the Mohawks weren’t notified, so they had no way of attending the hearings. The police would appear in court and win their cases since we were unable to be present.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Wahonatenonhsáhton'se'
Gordie Oke ROKÁ:RATON
Tió:konte' iakona'kón:nis ne Kanien'kehá:ka nó:nen enkahtharáhkwen ne Roti'khá:res tsi nihotirihò:ten, sénha tsi nonkwá:ti ne thotí:ien's néne ronnè:iahre' tsi seronhkehnéha tehonatohétston ne ronwatiien'okòn:'a ne tho nahò:ten'. Wahonte'nikonhrísa ki' ne Roti'khá:res ne tahshakonanatáhkwa'te' Kanien'kehá:ka ne Kanehsatà:ke.
Rakhsótha', Roiá:ner Peter Oak, ratiia'tarátie' wáhi ne tsi niká:ien' Wáhta iehoné:non kahón:wakon tsi Roti'khá:res ronwatihrharatstén:ni tsi ioiánere' eh nón:we iahatinakeréhake'. Wahonská:neke' ne Roti'khá:res é:ren aiákwehte' kén:tho tánon' Wáhta iaonsaiakwátien'. Shiahón:newe' eh nón:we, tho ní:ioht tsi wahón:nehre' tsi sótsi tionenià:ke tánon' iah nè:'e teioteríhonte' nothé:nen aieiéntho'. Tohkára nihá:ti tethonáhkton.
Skaká:ra tewake'nikonhratihénthos néne tsi nikakarò:ten's rake'níha rakkaratón:ni né: ki' ne wahón:nise' tewenhniseraténion, shahóntien' kèn:tho ne ratitsihénhstatsi, othè:sera' tánon' onerahtákeri wahshakonawíhon' nón:kwe. Teiotonhontsohòn:ne' eh iénhse' tánon' enhsatathsén:naren' ohén:ton nothé:nen ahsié:na'.
Tho ní:ioht tsi wahatirèn:nha' nón:kwe tsi eh iehonnéhtha' tánon' rontathsennáhrha', nek tsi iah akwé:kon thieiakoren'nhà:'on.
Thontaiawénhstsi' ki', ratitsihénhstatsi wahshakotì:nonke' ne ratiríhton Sainte-Scholastique nithoné:non tánon' wahshakotihnhonhtíhson' ne Kanien'kehá:ka tsi ronatehnhokahrón:ton thihón:nehre' rón:ton tsi ronatathsén:nare' ne Kanien'kehá:ka ne Roti'khá:res ahshakotí:ion' tsi nón:we ratinákere'. Kwah tho, é:so rá:ti wahonatenonhsáhton'se'.
Thò:ne ki' ontenhniseronniánion' kátke tsi teiontatia'torehtáhkhwa' iahón:ne' nek tsi iah tehonwatihró:ri ne Kanien'kehá:ka, né: ki' tiorì:wa' tsi iah ónhka eh thieiakawé:non aiontewén:naren'. Wahotikè:tohte' se' wáhi ne ratiríhton ne tsi teiontatia'torehtáhkhwa' tánon' wahonterihwatkwé:ni' ne nahò:ten' rotirihwaién:ton ase'kén iah teiotòn:'on aionkwake'tóhton nì:'i.
Written by: Jonathan Turenne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde