Old Forge
A group of women making handmade arts and crafts at Moss Lake 1970s. (Courtesy: New York heritage digital collection)
Story told by Lorraine Montour
We were in Moss Lake way out in Old Forge and it was winter. It had to be in 1972.
We had a cookhouse and I used to do breakfast and lunch. Every time you go in there to cook in the morning, everything was frozen. The water was frozen. Even the dishrag from the night before was frozen.
There was no fire going and you’re supposed to make a big pot of oatmeal to feed 200 people. You’re thinking, “This breakfast is never gonna get done.”
Then you had to get some dry pieces of wood and start the wood stove. Oh Lord. You can stand there and cry, but it doesn’t help to cry. I would just say, “Okay, let me get on with this.”
When you’re making breakfast, you start doing your lunch too so that it’s ready at 12:30. I would cook all kinds of soup. You’d have to soak your beans the night before. I’d do the carrots, onions, and celery. You always had somebody with you to do the chopping. You had to know how to cook for a lot of people.
If you think of it, you had to be out of your brain to do that and tolerate that.
We had a lot of support for what we were doing. Natives from all over came from across the country to support us. It was a lot of fun, but it was a lot of hard work.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Old Forge
Lorraine Montour at her home today. (Credit: Melissa Stacey)
Lorraine Montour IAKOKÁ:RATON
Moss Lake ieiákwe'skwe' ne Old Forge nonkwá:ti tánon' akohserà:ke kénhne'. Ki' ónhte' 1972 niiohsero'ténhne'.
Tsi iekhonnià:tha' ionkwanónhsó:tahkwe' tánon' kekhón:nis shos ne ohrhon'kè:ne tánon' éntie' ní:kare'. Tió:konte' nó:nen ienhsatáweia'te' ahsekhonnià:na' nohrhon'kè:ne, kwah akwé:kon ionennio'kwanóhston. Ionennio'kwanóhston nohné:kanos. Ok ò:ni' ionennio'kwanóhston thí:ken otkaróhkwa' ne kwahsontè:ke tewátston.
Iah othé:nen teiotékhahkwe' tánon' teiotonhontsóhon ki' kana'tsowá:nen arawéhn othè:sera ahseshè:rho' né: ki' ne 200 nihá:ti ahshé:nonte'. Sanonhtónnion, "Iah nonwén:ton thakaweiennentà:'on kí:ken ohrhon'kehnéhkha' í:ienks."
Sok ki' teiotonhontsóhon ioientáthen ahsientakóha' tánon' ahsaté:ka'te' ne ó:iente' watónthos karístatsi. Thia'karihwakénnia'te'. Wá:tons se' eh táhsta'ne' tánon' tahsahséntho' nek tsi kwah iah othé:nen thaiesaia'takéhnha' ne tahsahséntho'. Nek shos enkì:ron', "Háo' ki', ieskatahsónteren níha kí:ken."
Nó:nen sakhón:ni nohrhon'kè:ne, tehsatahsáhwhas ó:ni' ne éntie' ní:kare' áo:wen né: ki' akaweiennentà:'on ne 12:30 niiohwistà:'e. Nia'tekanontará:ke shos enkenontarón:ni'. Teiotonhontsóhon sewahsón:ta nohén:ton entethsahè:to'. Tenkhrihtánion' shos ne rakarót, o'niónkseri, tánon' kastawinákeras. Tió:konte' ónhka'k senikwekonhátie' ne tahshrihtánion'. Teiotonhontsóhon ahseweientéhta'ne' tsi ní:ioht tsi ahsekhón:ni' ne é:so rá:ti raotirihwà:ke.
Tóka' enhsanonhtonnión:ko', ó:nen'k tsi ki' wáhi tóhsa ensa'nikonhrá:take' neh náhsiere' tánon' ne aiesa'nikonhriióhake'.
É:so rá:ti wa'onkhiia'takéhnha' ne nahò:ten' ionkwaio'tátiene'. Kwah tsik nón:we tsi niionhóntses tahón:ne' ne aionkhiia'takéhnha'. É:so tsi ion'wesénhne' nek tsi kwah tokèn:'en ioio'tenhserahniròn:ne'.
Translation by Karonhí:io Delaronde