The only thing Indian was the students
Top Row L-R: Ronald Cross, Merrick Goodleaf, Robert Snow, John B. Cross, Sidney Snow, Freddy Stalk
Middle Row L-R: Charles Beauvais, Alan Jacobs, Russell McComber, Joe Regis, Marvin Delormier, John Deer
Bottom Row L-R: Jimmy Martin, Robert McComber, Louie Jacobs, Jean Paul Foivreau, Walter Jacobs, Alan Diabo (Courtesy: Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Joe Jacobs
In Kahnawà:ke, there were some children that never returned from residential school. I’m still trying to find out if my mom was ever in a residential school but it’s pretty hard to find. No records. I have a picture, that’s it. There are 50 girls in the photo, and I don’t know if it was taken at a residential school or not.
My grandparents raised all six of us. I was six months old when my father passed away. I was told that the Indian Agency came into the house here and tried to take my brothers away. My grandparents told them to leave. If they would have succeeded, maybe today I wouldn’t have any nieces or nephews around. Who knows what would’ve happened.
My mother never talked to us about it. The only thing I remember her saying is that she was never allowed to speak the language.
I lost a lot of my language through Indian day school. I went to Kateri school in Kahnawà:ke when I turned seven years old. In Indian day School you didn’t learn anything about your culture. They only tried to break you of your language. The only thing that was Indian in there were the students. It was all nuns and priests there. You had some of the same problems as residential schools, but it was somewhat better. You still got slapped in the head or hit on your hands.
I remember being caught trying to speak the language in the yard and I got punished for it. The nuns were always walking around, listening to us, watching us. I felt like we were never free. That’s why I dropped out when I could because I thought, “Is this what education is about? Being slapped in the head, being punished, pinching your ear, or slapping your hands with a ruler. Is this how we are supposed to learn?”
Back then, you were able to quit at 16, so I quit as soon as I was old enough. That was that.
A look at the old legion baseball team, 1958-1959. (Courtesy: Carol Boyer Jacobs)
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Nek ne ronterihwaiénstha' tehonatonkwehonwehserón:tahkwe' neh nón:we
The Boys East School, demolished in 1958. (Courtesy: Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
JOE JACOBS ROKÁ:RATON
Né: Kahnawà:ke nonkwá:ti, tohkára nihá:ti ratiksa'okòn:'a iah nonwén:ton tehonwatikhahsiónkwen tsi ronterihwaienstáhkhwa' tha'tethoné:non. Shé:kon nì:'i kate'niéntha' akerihwatshén:ri' tóka' nonwén:ton tehonwatikhahsiónkwen tsi ronterihwaienstáhkhwa' iakoterihwaiensta'nónhne' ne ake'nisténha nek tsi wentó:re' wáhi naierihwatshén:ri' eh nahò:ten'. Iah káneka tekarihwaráhston. Nek kontiià:tare' wátien', thok ní:kon. 50 nikón:ti kontiksa'okòn:'a kontiià:taron tánon' iah tewakaterièn:tare' tóka' tehonwatikhahsiónkwen tsi ronterihwaienstáhkhwa' eh tehshakotiia'taráhston tóka' ni' iah.
Akwé:kon ià:ia'k niiátion wa'onkhiiehià:ron' ne ionkhsothokòn:'a. Ià:ia'k niwenhnì:take shitewátien' shahatóhetste' ne rake'níha. Ionkhró:ri tsi ratiié:nas thonataweià:ton kanónhskon kén:tho tánon' wahonte'nién:ten' é:ren ahshakotiia'tenhá:wihte' ne iakwatate'ken'okòn:'a. Ionkhsothokòn:'a wahonwatihró:ri' shontoriáhtiht. Tóka' ahotikwénion, tóka' nòn:wa òn:wa wenhniserá:te' kwah iah othé:nen thaonkonhwaten'shén:take'. Iorihwaiè:waht wáhi oh kwah naiawèn:'en.
Iah nonwén:ton othé:nen teionkhró:ri neh nahò:ten' ne ionkhi'nisténha. Nek kè:iahre' ión:ton tsi iah nonwén:ton tehonathontá:ton naiontá:ti' nakowén:na'.
É:so tsi onkwatewennáhton'se' tsi wa'tkatóhetste' ne Onkwehonwehnéha Entie'kehnéhkha Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa'. Katerí tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' wa'tkatóhetste' ne Kahnawà:ke nonkwá:ti tsá:ta sha'tié:rite'. Kwah iah othé:nen thahsatéweienste' ne tsi nihseweiennò:ten neh nón:we Onkwehonwehnéha Entie'kehnéhkha Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa'. Nek thahonte'nién:ten' tahatí:ia'ke' tsi nihsia'tò:ten' tánon' tsi nihsewennò:ten. Nek ne ronterihwaiénstha' tehonatonkwehonwehserón:tahkwe' neh nón:we. Akwé:kon nek iotiia'tatokénhti tánon' ratitsihénhstatsi rón:ne'skwe'. Né: sha'karì:wa's kaién:tahkwe' tsi ní:ioht ne tehonwatikhahsiónkwen tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' nonkwá:ti nek tsi nek ne iá:ken ká:ron niwahétken. Shé:kon wa'tiesanonhwáre'ke' tóka' ni' wa'tiesahsnónhse'ke'.
Kè:iahre' wa'onkhá:ra'se' tsi wa'kate'nién:ten' akatá:ti' nakewén:na' aten'èn:rakon tánon' wa'onkhré:wahte'. Tió:konte' aktóntie' kón:ne'skwe', ionkhiiatahónhsatate', teionkhikahrenhá:wis iotiia'tatokénhti. Kwah tho na'konhnhò:ten'ne' tsi ní:ioht tóka' iah nonwén:ton tekatatewenniióhne'. Nè:'e tiorì:wa' tsi sakerihwará:ko' shonkwá:ton'se' ase'kén wà:kehre', "Né: ken nè:'e ioteríhonte' ne aterihwaienstáhtshera'? Né: taiontatenonhwáre'ke', aiontathré:wahte', taiontatahonhtò:rarake', tóka' ni' ne taiontatihsnónhse'ke' skátne ionte'nientenstáhkhwa' kaná:kare'. Teiotonhontsóhon ken ken' ní:ioht aieweientéhta'ne' nothé:nen?"
Né: tho shontakahá:wi', wá:tonskwe' ià:ia'k iawén:re aiakoieritónhake' naióntka'we', né: ki' tiorì:wa' iosnó:re' wa'kátka'we' sha'kohseraié:rite'. Thok niiohtòn:ne'.
Edited by: Aaron McComber and Melissa Stacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporters
Translated Karonhí:io Delaronde