STORIES / Okara’shòn:’a
White Lightning
The Lafleurs lived on my mother’s street. The father had a market in the village where the Court of Kahnawake is now, Lafleur’s Market. His name was Dave Lafleur.
The two sisters
My grandmother’s sister stayed just up the road from us. We stayed here on this corner lot with our grandparents, about four houses away.
How to run a powwow
We had a big problem here in Kahnawake and Kanesatake way back in 1990. After everything was over and the dust settled, we tried to reconcile with the neighbours and surrounding communities. We sent out an olive branch, figuratively.
Don’t fish in my net
Stuart Myiow’s father lived on the other side of the tunnel. His name was also Stuart. He had a gas station and a teepee that he put up.
Don’t forget your language
On this whole street, the language was all that was spoken. So in the house, we only spoke the language. That was until we started Kateri Indian Day School.
Why we have so many dogs in Kahnawake
At that time, dogs were loose. They ran all over town and got into all kinds of trouble. The people in the community got tired of these dogs barking all night and doing all this mischief.
Rhubarb fields
I grew up on a farm, the Bordeau farm, which was in the family since the 1800s. My late grandfather, he passed in 1948, somehow had secured a contract with Nathan Steinberg of the Steinberg chain of grocery stores.
Stone foundation
When I was a kid, we used to go walking under the bridge along the train bridge towards the farms in 9C area. They used to cut the hay in this neighbourhood, and when I bought this property here, I found a bull horn in the grass.
Cows, fruits, vegetables, and farms
In the area, people were growing rhubarbs, apple trees, and any kind of currents, berries, and everyone had gardens. We’d go all the way out, past the golf club, over the tracks. There were other farms there.
Running water
When I was a little kid growing up, we had electricity, but we didn’t have running water. It was emptying the shit pail, having to carry water, having to do chores, all of those kinds of things.
TV and radio
When I came into the world in 1957, Kahnawake had already gone through a lot of changes compared to my mom’s time. Back then, everybody spoke Mohawk.
Before the seaway
The swimming area for young people was what they called ‘the wharf’. It was in front of the hospital, about where the water filtration plant is today.
Growing up in Kahnawake
When I was growing up in the village of Kahnawake, the area was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
D’ailleboust general store
There was a general store adjacent to the church. It was called Louis D'ailleboust store, and this store had everything and anything.
Where I grew up
It’s a joy to see my grandchildren where I grew up. I never thought I’d have grandchildren. All of a sudden, you’re raising your own family, then the grandchildren come along.
Kahnawake before 1955
There’s a little house on the map named Tom Jacobs. Right behind that, by the river, there was a Manhattan beach, they called it. It was my brother’s place, William Cross The River.