Where I feel at home
The pines in Kanesatake (Courtesy: The Eastern Door)
Story told by Ellen Gabriel
My father, Archie Gabriel, had a horse ranch here in the Pines during the 60s and 70s. It was right where the Kanehsatà:ke elementary school is now. We used to bring the horses through the Pines from our home every morning and return them home at night. We had up to 35 horses at one time, some of them boarded at our barn but my father owned most of them.
The horses were smart and knew their way to the stables and back home, which made our work a little easier because they knew which trails to use to go home so they could rest and be fed.
Our family would sometimes get calls at two in the morning telling us, “Your horses are in my garden!” So, we’d have to get up and go get them. But they never went far. We had to be on the alert as they were always thinking of ways to break the fence and get out.
My siblings and I cleaned the stalls sometimes with my father or if he was busy, we would do it. We bailed hay in the summer’s sweltering heat, we would feed and water the horses - these were our chores of living on a ranch. As we got older, we helped more with the business. It was a lot of hard work because you are also working with the public. I am always grateful for how and where I grew up. It’s amazing to think about now - how amazing the horses were and how much they gave to us.
My father would work seven days a week. He never took a vacation. That’s how we made our living. He had four kids to feed and clothe plus he and my mother.
People didn’t make much money back in those days, so you needed to make your own things. My mother would cook and make jams, relishes, she would send us out to forage for wild berries, which would either end up on our supper table or as jams, and she taught us how to cultivate a garden.
There was welfare back then, but most people didn’t want to be on it because then you’d have the Indian agent watching your every move and people spying for him. People were very careful and wary back then.
My father helped a lot of people in the community because he had a business. People would always ask him for favours, and he would always say yeah, no matter what. He’d say, “Even if they don’t repay you, it’ll come back to you somehow.” He believed in karma, and he taught us about reincarnation which is part of our belief system. Even if people were Christian, they still kept many of the beliefs of our ancestors.
I literally grew up in the Pines and it’s where I feel at home, it’s where we’d ride horses without fear - in peace and tranquillity.
A lot of community events were held in the Pines during the summer months. There were picnics, barbecues, races for the kids and lacrosse games. The grass that’s there now used to be sand and I remember as a kid, that some men would go barefoot playing lacrosse, kicking up sand as they ran. It was a very different time when the community was a community of people helping each other out.
What many people don’t realize today, is that all the trails in the Pines that people are using today were made mostly by the horses. I’m not sure if the trails were already made, but I know some of the trails that the men used in 1990, those are from the horse trails that my father had made.
Today, it almost looks the same, except for the dead trees and the wider trails for the four wheelers and the shops on the 344.
The Pines or Onen’tó:kon, has always been a sacred place and one of refuge for the generations of my grandparents who sought peace in the Pines when the Sulpicians were harassing and brutalizing the people. They wanted us all to leave for Wáhta, but in the end, we have won because we are still here and we’re not going anywhere.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tho nón:we niwakanatonnihón:we
A glimpse at life in Kahnawà:ke as two gentlemen pose with a workhorse on the road. (Courtesy: Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Ellen Gabriel IAKOKÁ:RATON
Rake'níha, Archie Gabriel, akohsá:tens ienaskwaientáhkhwa roién:tahkwe' ken' nonkwá:ti onen'tó:kon tsi niiohseré:son's ne 60 tánon' 70 shiiohserò:ten's. Kheh ákta kaién:tahkwe' tsi nón:we nòn:wa kanónhsote' ne Kanehsatà:ke ken' nihonnà:sa tsi ronterihwaienstáhkhwa'. Onen'tó:kon shos eniakhiiahténtia'te' nakohsá:tens tsi tionkwanónhsote' nentiákwe' thia'teiohrhon'kehtsherá:ke tánon' entsákwawe' tentiakhiiahkta'te' thia'teio'karahtsherá:ke. Ákta 35 nikón:ti akohsá:tens ionkwanaskwaién:tahkwe' énska tsi náhe', tohkára nikón:ti teiakhísniehkwe' onkwarakerèn:sne nek tsi rake'níha raotshenen'ó:kon nen' nè:'e thóha kontikwé:kon.
Konttókhahkwe' nakohsá:tens tánon' kontiienteríhne' ki' ne aotinonhskónhshon tsi konwati'terontáhkhwa' ò:ni' tsi ní:ioht tsi enskonhtén:ti', kwah nè:'e ontié:senhste' tsi ní:ioht tsi wa'onkwaió'ten' ase'kén kontihahaienteríhne' ne tsonhtentiéhtha' iohaténion né: ki' naón:ton' akontoríhshen' tánon' akonwatí:nonte'.
Sewatié:rens ón:kwe entionkhiiatewennátahse' tékeni niiohwistà:'e nohrhon'kè:ne rón:ton "Sewatshenen'ó:kon akohsá:tens tsi ionkwathéhtaien' kón:ne's!" Ó:nen'k tsi ki' wa'akwatkétsko' tánon' saiakhihnónkhsa'. Nek tsi iah nonwén:ton í:non thieioné:non. Teiotonhontsohòn:ne' ki' taionkwatahonhtó:take ase'kén tió:konte' konnonhtonniónkwaskwe' tsi ní:ioht tsi tenkonta'enhrà:rihte' nakontiiá:ken'ne.
Iakwatate'ken'okòn:'a tánon' nì:'i wa'tiakwatohtáhrho' tsi kontientáhkhwa' sewatié:rens shonkwa'níha teniakwatohtáhrho' tóka' ni' tóka' tehoweienhnharà:'on, ì:'i wáhi eniakwarihontá:ko' ontionhà:'a. Wa'akwenthohkón:ni' nonekéri tsi niwenhni'té:son's nakenhnhà:ke tsi na'teken'tónhkware', eniakhí:nonte' tánon' eniakhihné:kanonte' nakohsá:tens – kwah nè:'e ne onkwaio'ténhsera' tsi tsi ienaskwaientáhkhwa' iakwen'terón:tahkwe'. Tsi wa'akwatehià:ron', sénha wa'akwatasnié:nen' tsi nonkwá:ti ne tsi ní:ioht tsi wathwistón:nis ne tsi ienaskwaientáhkhwa'. É:so tsi kaio'tenhserowanèn:ne' ase'kén ón:kwe wáhi sewaió'te'. Tió:konte' wakera'sè:se' tsi ní:ioht tsi tánon' tsi nón:we na'katehià:ron'. Ionehrákwaht wáhi naionnonhtonnión:ko' – tsi niió:re tsi iotiia'tanehrakwahtòn:ne' nakohsá:tens tánon' tsi ní:kon wa'onkhí:ion'.
Tsá:ta niwenhniserá:ke thia'teiahia'khserá:ke shos enhoió'ten' ne rake'níha. Iah nonwén:ton tehotia'tawatstà:non káneka. Tho ki' ní:ioht tsi wa'akwatonhnhí:sake'. Kaié:ri nihá:ti ratiksa'okòn:'a rowiraién:tahkwe' nahshakó:nonte' tánon' ahshakohserón:ni' eh karátie' ne raónha tánon' nake'nisténha.
Iah é:so tha'tehontèn:tsha'skwe' ne tho tewenhniseraténionhkwe', né: ki' teiotonhontsohòn:ne' ahsonniánion' nia'té:kon. Eniekhón:ni' nake'nisténha tánon' eniòn:io', iontekhwakon'onstáhkhwa' eniakón:ni', átste ienionkhiiató:ri' naiakwarò:roke' thikontatewenní:io kahi'shòn:'a néne ótia'ke atekhwahráhne enkà:rake' nó:nen o'karahsnéha teniakwatskà:hon' tóka' ni' wà:io enkón:ton', tánon' wa'onkhirihónnien' tsi ní:ioht tsi aiakwathehtahserón:ni'.
Kaién:tahkwe' wáhi ne karihwahsniéhtshera' ne thò:ne, nek tsi é:so iá:kon nón:kwe iah nè:'e tha'teiakotonhontsoníhne' ase'kén thò:ne raié:nas tenhiakahrénhawe' tánon' enhshakóhnha'ne' nón:kwe ahatikahranénsko' ne raorihwà:ke. É:so tsi rati'nikòn:rarahkwe' nón:kwe' ne thò:ne.
É:so iá:kon nón:kwe wahshakosnié:nen' ne kaná:takon ne rake'níha ase'kén wathwistón:nis rorihwaién:tahkwe'. Tió:konte' wahonwaniahesánion' tánon' tió:konte' wahathón:tate', aronhátien nothé:nen naiá:wen'. Enhèn:ron', "Aronhátien tóka' iah thaonsaiesakária'khse', ok ní:ioht tsi téntewe' ne sarihwà:ke." Threhtáhkhwahkwe' ki' ne tsakohnhóntera's tánon' wahshonkwarihónnien' ó:ia' tsontónhnhets tsi niiorihò:ten, né: ki' nè:'e karátie' ne otokèn:'en tsi niionkwarihò:ten. Aronhátien wáhi tóka' ón:kwe Teieiahsónhtha', shé:kon é:so wahontháwa' ne nahò:ten' onkwahsóhtshera' thonnehtáhkhwahkwe'.
Kwah tokèn:'on Onen'tó:kon nonkwá:ti takatehià:ron' tánon' kwah tho nón:we niwakanatonnihón:we, tho nón:we shos enionkwahsá:ten' akohsá:tens kwah iah othé:nen tekatshahnihtsherarátie' - kwah skén:nen kénhne'.
É:so kanatakonhnéha orihwa'shòn:'a onterihwahtén:ti' eh nón:we Onen'tó:kon tsi niwenhni'té:son's ne akenhnha'kéhkha'. Iahontenna'tsherénhawe', átste' wahatikhón:ni', wa'thonré:ron' tánon' wa'thonttsihkwà:'eke'. O'nehsarónhkwa' kénhne' néne nòn:wa iohón:tote' tánon' kè:iahre' shikeksà:'a, tohkára nihá:ti ronnón:kwe tenhontaskawe'tón:ten' shos tsi tenhonttsihkwà:'eke' kwah o'nehsarónhkwa' è:neken ienhoná:ti' tsi tehonrahtáthon.
Kwah ó:ia' nitiohtòn:ne' tsi náhe' tehontatshnié:nens kaná:takon.
Né: nahò:ten' iah teieién:tere's nòn:wa wenhniserá:te', néne tsi niiohahò:ten's ne Onen'tó:kon tiohaténion néne ón:kwe ióntstha' nòn:wa kwah thóha akwé:kon thí:ken akohsá:tens nen' nè:'e ionathahón:ni. Iah orihwí:io tewakaterièn:tare' tóka' ó:nen shikahahón:ni, nek tsi wakaterièn:tare' tsi tohkára niioháhake néne tsi niká:ien' ronnón:kwe wáhontste' 1990 shiiohserò:ten, kwah nè:'e ne akohsá:tens ionathahón:ni néne rake'níha rotenhnha'òn:ne'.
Nòn:wa, thóha ne shà:ka ne tsi nikaia'tò:ten, nek iah ne iorontakenheiónhseron tánon' ne tekahahakahronhstánion né: ki' ne kaié:ri niiokahkwèn:tonte' aoná:wen tánon' ne tsi iontenhninonniónhkhwa' ne 344 iohatátie aoná:wen.
Tió:konte' shiwatenatanó:ron ne Onen'tó:kon tánon' tió:konte' ionte'kwahshentáhkhwa' shí:ken ne tewatere'sera'serónnion akhsótshera' raotirihwà:ke néne tsi niká:ien' skén:nen wahonné:sake' onen'tokónhshon ne Roti'khá:res shahshakonatkón:ten' tánon' wahshakotinonhwenhserário' nón:kwe. Akwé:kon wahonská:neke' é:ren aiákwehte' Wáhta ionsaiákwe', nek tsi tsi wa'tewaterihwakwe'nón:ni', ionkwatkwénion' ki' ase'kén shé:kon kèn:tho iákwe's tánon' iah káneka é:ren tha'akwehtà:ne'.
Edited by: Emma McLaughlin and Simona Rosenfield, Local Journalism Initiative Reporters
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde