Ohsia’á:ka
A depiction of the 43rd Regiment crossing the Lachine Rapids on the St. Lawrene River, 1843. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Billy Two-Rivers
Jacques Cartier started sailing down south of the Saint Lawrence River, but he wouldn’t come near the South Shore around Longueuil because it was surrounded by shallow mud banks. So naturally, their harbour led right to the shore near the old port of Montreal.
When they arrived at the shore, they realized there was already a population residing on the land. Jacques Cartier instructed his men that they must come in peace since they were outnumbered.
The only way that the Europeans knew how to represent peace was by a handshake. They would extend their sword hand to shake hands. Now you can’t draw your sword and neither can I - that was the significance of the handshake.
The Iroquois, confused as to why these people were extending their hands out to them, identified the French settlers as “Ohsia’á:ka,” or in English, “People of the palm.” For the few days after Jacques Cartier was there, the Iroquois kept mumbling ohsia’á:ka.
After exploring the land for a little while, Jacques Cartier realized that this wasn’t China and there wasn’t anything further to discover. He and his men had to pack up and start sailing back northeast towards Stadacona because winter was approaching..
As they began passing Lake St. Pierre, they wrote notes and described who were the people that they met. After repeatedly hearing ohsia’á:ka, Jacques Cartier understood that the people were referring to themselves as the Hochelaga, and therefore wrote that down as their name.
All of the historians and anthropologists, hang their hats on the fact that there was a tribe called Hochelaga. Except there was no such thing, it was the Indigenous referring to the French as ohsia’á:ka.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ohsia’á:ka
Theodore Roosevelt shakes hands with an Indigenous person while on horseback. Circa early 1900s. (Courtesy: WikiCommons)
Billy Two-Rivers ROKÁ:RATON
Jacques Cartier tahatáhsawen’ wahathsiró:ten’ entiè:ke nonkwá:ti ne Kaniatarowanèn:ne iahà:re, nek tsi iah tehokwénion entie’kéhkha' atsà:kta aontahawé:non ákta ne Longueuil ase'kénh kwah ken’ niionawa’tstahnotesónsha ionawa’tstatstohkó:ton neh nón:we. Né: tsi niiá:wens, atsa’ktsherákta onatakaiòn:ne Tiohtià:ke nón:we tsi ronthonwaientáhkhwa' wahonnón:ni'.
Shahón:newe' natsà:kta, wahotitó:kenhse’ tsi ok nà:’a shiionkwe’tanákere’ neh nón:we. Jacques Cartier wahshakohró:ri' raonkwe’ta’shòn:’a tsi teiotonhontsóhon skén:nen ahatihá:wake' tsi iá:we tehonwatinenhrakénnion.
Thok ní:ioht tsi ratiweientehtòn:ne’ ne Ratihnarà:ken ne skén:nen ahatihá:wake' né: ki’ ne ahshakotinéntsha'. Ia’tenhónhtsatate' tsi nonkwá:ti a’share’kó:wa ratiié:nas tsi enhshakotinéntsha'. Iah thahskwé:ni ó:nen ahsata’sharóhtshi' tánon' iah thakkwé:ni' ò:ni '– kwah nè:’e wate’nientenstáhkwen ne kanentshawà:kon.
Néne Rotinonhsión:ni, kwah tehonani’tonnién:ni ne nahò:ten' tiorì:wa' tsi ia’tehonwanahtsatá:ti ne ken’ niionkwe’tò:ten's, “Ohsia’á:ka” wahshakotinà:tonhkwe' ne O’serón:ni ronaná:taien'. Tohkára niwenhniserá:ke nohnà:ken Jacques Cartier shì:re's, tontahonthna’netárion' tsi wahonnì:ron’ ohsia’á:ka ne Rotinonhsión:ni.
Tsi waháhsa' tsi wa’thatawén:rie' ne tsi niwatonhóntses ken'k náhe', Jacques Cartier wahotó:kenhse' tsi iah Tehatikahresónsne tekénhne’ ne kèn:tho tánon’ iah othé:nen ísi’ nón:we tetsó:ien' ne ahontetshén:ri’. Sahonthwe’nonniánion' ki’ ne ráonha tánon raonkwe’ta’shòn:’a tánon' tahontáhsawen othorè:ke tsi tkarahkwíneken’s nonkwá:ti ionsahonthsiró:ten' Stadacona ionsahón:ne' ase'kénh taiohseráthe’.
Shihonatohetstonhátie’ ne Lake St. Pierre, é:so wahatihiatónnion' tánon' wahonthró:ri' tsi nihonnonkwe’tò:ten tehonatátken. Tsi iotkà:te' wahonathón:te’ne' ohsia’á:ka, Jacques Carties waho’nikonhraién:ta’ne’ tsi Hochelaga wahontatenà:tonhkwe’, thò:ne ki’ sahahiá:ton' tsi nè:’e ronwatí:iats.
Akwé:kon ne tsi niká:ien' ratikaraienté:ris tánon' ne ronnonkwe’taka’én:ions, kwah rón:nehre’ tsi skanakeráhsera kénhne’ néne Hochelaga ronwatí:iatskwe’. Kwah ki’ iah othé:nen tekénhne’ neh nahò:ten', kwah Onkwehón:we nen’ nè:’e ohsia’á:ka wahshakotinà:tonhkwe' ne O’serón:ni.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde
Interview conducted by Leslie McConnel