Those guns won’t stop me
Jimmy McComber shows off his latest catch from his boat. (Courtesy: Queenie McComber)
Story told by June Mayo
In 1990, we didn’t have any supplies in Kahnawà:ke because of the blockades. My husband Jimmy had a boat and my sister, Melissa, wanted to go shopping so Jimmy said, “Well okay Mel, get in my boat and I’ll take you.”
She got on at Johnson’s Beach, and when they were halfway to the store, they had to land where the old movie theatre was in Dorval.
The RCMP got there with their big boat, and they had huge guns out.
Jimmy told Melissa, “Stay still, don’t move around and don’t look at them.” She was the nervous type.
But Jimmy wasn’t afraid of the RCMP. He said, “What are you stopping me for? I’ve got all the rights to go back and forth. You and those guns can’t stop me.”
Melissa was listening and she had seen the gun and that was that. She got so nervous, Jimmy couldn’t calm her down.
She says, “They’re gonna shoot us, they’re gonna shoot us.”
He said, “Nobody’s gonna shoot us. I told them where we’re going. They can’t stop us. We have all the rights to be on this water.”
Another time, there was this lady who went to Dorval to buy a baby set, like a dresser, the crib, that kind of stuff.
I said, “Why the hell are you getting that? You need that?”
She says, “Well yeah.” Her daughter was having a baby months from then.
I said, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. We’re worried about getting bread, milk and food and you went to get a baby set.”
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Iah tha'taiónktahse' kí:ken kahonre'shòn:'a
JUNE MAYO IAKOKÁ:RATON
Tióhton iawén:re tewen'niáwe tióhton niwáhsen shiiohserá:te', iah ki' thé:nen teionkwaién:tahkwe' ase'kénh rotihahahnhó:ton. Tiakenì:teron Jimmy rohón:waien' ki' thí: tánon' khe'kèn:'a, Melissa, wà:'enhre' aiontkehrontakóha' ne káti' Jimmy wahèn:ron', "Háo' ki' Mel, akhón:wakon satíta tánon' ienkonia'ténhawe'."
Johnson's atsà:kta taiontíta', nok ahsén:nen niió:re ià:newe' tsi iontenhninòn:tha', ó:nen'k tsi ki' wahnihráhrho' tsi nón: nikanonhsó:tahkwe' ne kanonhsaká:ion teioia'áksne Dorval nón:we.
RCMP iahón:newe' rotihoniowá:nen's tánon' kahonrowá:nen's iehotihón:rate'.
Jimmy wahshkohró:ri' Melissa, "Tha'tesató:tat, tóhsa satoriahnerón:ko tánon' tóhsa ia'tesheiatkà:neren." Teiakohnhíhserons tsi niieia'tò:ten.
Nek tsi Jimmy iah tehshakotshà:nis ne RCMP. Wahèn:ron', "Oh nontié:ren tsi wa'tehskwá:tahste'? Watianerenhserá:ien' takaterahtánion'. Í:se' tánon' sewahonre'shòn:'a iah thaón:ton' tahskwá:tahste'."
Melissa iakotahónhsatehkwe' tánon' iakotkahthòn:ne' ne káhonre' tánon' eh tho káti' nen' né:. Tho ki' na'tiakohnhíhseron', iah tehokwénion ne Jimmy tha'taiontó:tate'.
Wa'ì:ron', "Ionkhiiaron'táthe', ionkhiiaron'táthe'."
Wahèn:ron', "Iah ki' ónhka teionkhiiaron'táthe'. Wa'khehró:ri' tsi ientsitiatahsónteren'. Iah thaón:ton' taionkhí:tahste'. Ionkeniianerenhserá:ien' ne ken' awèn:ke aietenè:sheke'."
Ó:ia' ionsaká:ienhte', kí:ken iakón:kwe Dorval ieiakawenónhne' iakohninonhrónhne' ne owirà:'a akowenhshòn:'a, tsi ní:ioht ne karón:to, owirà:'a ionrátstha', ne tho nikarihò:ten's.
Wa'kì:ron', "Oh ne ken nontié:ren tsi wahskóhe' neh nahò:ten'? Tesatonhontsó:ni ken?"
Wa'ì:ron', "Hen." Tohkára niwenhnì:take niió:re ontatièn:'a iakowiraientà:sere'.
Wa'kì:ron', "Né: aonhà:'a tetkarihwakwénhte' nahò:ten' wakatkáhthon. Teionkwa'nikonhrhá:rahkwe' nì:'i ne kanà:taro, onòn:ta' tánon' atennà:tshera' aionkwaién:ta'ne' sok í:se' owirà:'a akowenhshòn:'a sakohónhne'."
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette