Religion divided us
A look at the Lachine canal and the Montreal suburbs, circa 1825. (Courtesy: Wikki Commons)
Story told by Eva Johnson
I started going to high school in Lachine in 1959. In those days Chateauguay practically didn’t exist. We all shopped in Lachine, went to school in Lachine. We hung out over there and knew all the places.
We used to take those fancy coach buses with the high seats because we didn’t have school buses from Kahnawake yet. We felt so high class.
The catholic boys would go to Bishop Whalen and the catholic girls would go to Resurrection High School.
We were protestant so we went to John Grant.
They didn’t even let us all on the same bus sometimes. Religion divided us.
But we would still all meet up at the park for lunch, all the kids from town.
It was different going to school out there than the schools in Kahnawà:ke.
They got teachers that don’t have white hair, young teachers. Our French teacher was from Paris, and our English teacher was nice. I can’t really say I had a hard time with anyone other than the principal.
His name was Mr. Davidson and he was very hard on us Mohawks, I couldn’t stand it. All of our teachers were nice, but I guess he had a school to run, and he ran it like a Nazi camp.
I told my father how hard he was on us at school. My father just said. “Well, don’t let him be. Just tell him off. Nobody’s got any business doing that to you.”
That’s how we all learned how to be tough because my father always told us to handle our own business. And I did.
I told him off then he tells me, “You are going to get the strap. Go to the office.”
I said, “You ain’t going to give me the strap ever in my life.”
Every time he tried to give me the strap I would move and on the third time he grabbed my hands, so I yelled, “No, don’t touch me! I’m going home.”
When I got home my father asked, “What are you doing home so early?”
I told him that the principal was going to give me the strap. He said, “What?!”
But then I showed him that every time he went to hit me, I kept moving. We both just laughed and laughed.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Karihwiiostónhtshera' wa'tionkwakháhsi'
Eva Johnson IAKOKÁ:RATON
1959 shiiohserá:te' takatáhsawen' tiotenónhsate' wa'katerihwaienstà:na'. Né: tho tewenhniseraténion kwah shí:ken iah káneka tekanataién:tahkwe' ne Shahrhè:'on. Akwé:kon Skaniatará:ti iakwatkehrontakóhe'skwe', eh Skaniatará:ti iakwaterihwaienstà:ne'skwe'. Eh nón:we ia'akwaterakén:rie' tánon' akwé:kon ka' nonwè:shon iakwaienteríhne'.
Iakwatíta's shos thí:ken iote'serehtatkwéniens iakoia'takarénie's néne tiotanitskwahra'tsheraténion ase'kén áre'kho teionkwaién:tahkwe' ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' iakoia'takarénie's ne Kahnawà:ke nonkwá:ti. Kwah se' wa'ákwehre' tó:k niionkwatkwéniens.
Bishop Whalen shos ienhonterihwaienstà:na' néne tehatiiahsóntha' ratiksa'okòn:'a tánon' Resurrection tiotenónhsate' enkonterihwaienstà:na néne kontiksa'okòn:'a.
Iah tha'teiakwahsónthahkwe' né: ki' tiorì:wa' John Grant ieiakwaterihwaienstà:ne'skwe'.
Kwah ò:ni' iah teionkhirihwá:wi sha'ka'seréhta aiakwatíta' sewatié:rens. Karihwiiohstónhtshera' wa'tionkwakháhsi'.
Nek tsi sénhak wa'tiakwátera'ne' tsi iontkahri'tsheronnià:tha' ne éntie ní:kare', akwé:kon ne kaná:takon nithonenónhseron.
Kwah ó:ia' niiohtòn:ne' tsi eh nón:we ia'katerì:waienste' tsi ní:ioht ne tsi ionterihwaienstaniónhkhwa' ne Kahnawà:ke.
Rononkwè:taien' ki' eh nón:we ne shakotirihonnién:ni néne iah tehotinonhkware'tarà:ken, ken' nithotiièn:sa shakotirihonnién:ni. Paris nonkwá:ti nitiakawé:non néne O'seronni'kéha ionkhirihonnién:ni, tánon' tiakorihwaieríhne' néne Tiohrhèn:sha ionkhirihonnién:ni. Iah thakì:ron' kwah wa'tionkeni'táksen'ne' ken nónhka, kwah ki' nek ne ne ohén:ton ì:rate'.
Rawénhsion Davidson ronwá:iatskwe' tánon' kwah tokèn:'en wahshonkwate'niakátstatshe' nì:'i iakwanien'kehá:ka, kwah se' ónkhsen'se'. Thotirihwaieríhne' ki' nakwé:kon shakotirihonnién:ni nek tsi ioterihwison'òn:ne' ki' nà:'a ahahténtia'te' ne ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' tánon' tó:kenske wahahténtia'te' nen' nè:'e tsi ní:ioht ne Nátsi tsi thotinaktón:ni.
Wahihró:ri' rake'níha tsi nahshonkwate'niakátstatshe' ne tsi tiakwaterihwaiénstha' nonkwá:ti. Wahèn:ron' ráke'niha, "Tóhsa sathón:tat eh nahá:iere'. Nek tha'tshattéhten. Iah ónhka teiakorì:waien' neh naiesaié:ra'se'."
Tho ní:ioht tsi wa'akwaweientéhta'ne' ne oh ní:ioht aionkwahnirónhake' ase'kén rake'níha tió:konte' wahshonkwahró:ri' ken' niaiakwá:iere' nonkwarihwa'shòn:'a. Tánon' tó:kenske eh nà:tiere'.
Nek thahiiattéhten' sok wahakhró:ri', "Wa'ts ashá:ra' eniesá:ienhte'. Tsi iehiatónhkhwa' iahà:se."
Tontakì:ron', "Iah nonwén:ton tsi nenkónhnheke' ashá:ra' tháhstienhte'."
Tsi ní:kon wahate'nién:ten' ashá:ra' ahátienhte' kwah ienkáthkwi'te' tánon' thí:ken ahsénhaton shahate'nién:ten' kwah tahakehsnónhsa' sok wa'tewakhén:rehte', "Iah, takwátka'wh! Skahtentiónhe'."
Shionsá:kewe tsi tkì:teron rake'níha wahakerihwanón:tonhse', "Nahò:ten' tiorì:wa' iosnó:re' tsí:so?"
Wahihró:ri' tsi ohén:ton ì:rate' ashá:ra' ratienhtà:nene'. Wahèn:ron', "Nahò:ten'?!"
Nek tsi wahina'tón:hahse' ki' ne tsi ní:kon wahate'nién:ten' ahátienhte' kwah ia'kathkwi'tánion'. Tetsá:ron nek wa'onkeniieshonhá:ton'.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde