STORIES / Okara’shòn:’a
I believe in genetic memory
I don’t think the language was ever really lost here in Kenhtè:ke. But there were changes to education on the reserve that did have an impact. Here, there were day schools, which most of our students in the community attended.
You have my freckles
I got a phone call two weeks later from Ms. Whitacomb, and she told me that she had found my file, and that she didn’t have the heart to put it at the bottom of the stack because she knew that she could facilitate and reunite this family.
Very adventurous
She would work as a cook at the hospital, and she was part of the catholic church. They used to have busloads of people coming to the church and feed them at Kateri Hall, so she would go there and be a volunteer cook too.
Always feeding people
Even to this day, there’s a man in town who always makes it known to us that he was so thankful. When he was a young boy, he didn’t have much to eat and would ask my grandfather for a little bit of work and he would tell him to go and eat first.
Ruling the roost
When we moved from Yellow Island to the village of Ahkwesáhsne, my dad started attending the council meetings that happened about once a month. My parents only spoke Indian. After a while, I could understand some things in English, more than my dad. So one day he said, “Come to the meeting with me and let me know what’s going on.” So we went.
Hunting in Brasher
I hunted in Brasher, New York, since 1982. A friend told me about it, because he used to go up there. Before that we would go all the way to Lake Placid to hunt deer, because there were not many deer here.
Where the river curves
I didn’t have a boat back then, so I had to borrow one and I had to bring it back at a certain time. This one man, old man Buckshot, that man had nets in the water. I brought the boat back the next day, and he was kind of mad; we went out on his boat and checked his net.
The Ladies Eight
They always had a good group. People get together to help each other out. If somebody loses a family member, there’s somebody who can help out to make lunch. When the service is finished, they would all go to the church hall and food would be ready for them to eat.
Faith, love and support
I was at Maria’s Gas Bar with a friend when I received a call. They told me that my dad was helping my brother pass but was in distress and that my brother needed someone to talk to our dad in our language, to provide support during this difficult time.
A Child’s Mind
I believe I was given a ring for my communion. It was a nice ring, I liked it. One day, when I was wearing it, I showed it to my mom. I told her, “Mom, the ring is hurting me.”
Life in Coney Island
My older brother, Steve, was really my guardian; I was not allowed to go no place, no place, no place, unless he was with me.
Giving thanks
When I was growing up, my parents always made me go to kindergarten and church. My mother was a teacher, and she would take me with her.
Keeping warm
My grandfather was born during the civil war, 1862 I think. He was born before Wounded Knee. He did a lot of travelling around the country. In those days there was no welfare, they couldn’t get money to eat. So, they had to work.
Just a business
I graduated from Chatelaine Business College in June of 1964. I was 18 and I started working in August for Dominion Bridge. I didn’t have a good job at first. It was the mail room then the print shop, but I made my way up eventually.
A comforting feeling
Church was just something you did. It was part of your week, and we always felt good about it. I remember our family had our pew where we always sat.
Made it work
We made it work and would come back from Detroit for Christmas and summertime. But it got to a point that there were a lot of guys from town who would come back every weekend, right from work.
Union local 25
My father was in the business here in Montreal and he knew the ironwork business agents and people in the industry. So, I asked him to get me in instead.