STORIES / Okara’shòn:’a
The Waltz of Wind
So that night I sang to her, I sang “The Waltz of the Wind” by Hank Williams, and if you listen to it, it’s about meeting a girl and all that, and she’s gonna be yours forever.We even went to Belmont Park and Lionel recorded it.
Marriage in Eagle Bay
I remember the crowd—so many came to celebrate with us. Ruth and the women lovingly sewed our wedding clothes by hand, each stitch a testament to care and tradition. Friends and family traveled from Kahnawà:ke to Eagle Bay, bringing joy and laughter.
Darts and Darks
Lionel:
I started wearing black, so I don’t have to worry about what to choose; if everything’s black, I can grab anything in there. Then what I’ll do is buy three pairs of pants, the same black pants, right away so I don't have to worry about it. I got into that style, and I stayed with it.
All the way up
The swamp was surrounded by fields, no houses at all. No trees either, you’d only see one apple tree and some torn bushes. Besides that, it was all cut. Cows and horses used to go free around here, and they used to clean the fields up, eat all the grass.
Way off-Broadway
In those days, nobody knew about Natives. No one gave a shit about us. Some Natives would go and watch, if they knew about it. They would put ads in the paper under current events for their plays.
A story with a lesson
Fishing alone, the man would reel in his net and catch more than he needed. Not being mindful, the man would choose all his favourite fish for himself and his family and chuck the rest ashore.
Yellow flower
Do you have a sense of peacefulness behind these trees? Yes, there’s a feeling of peacefulness behind these cedar trees.
Horse ranch surprise
For Lionel’s 80th birthday we went to a horse ranch; It was called Ridin-Hy. He figured that it was only supposed to be him and I, with our daughter, Natalie, and her husband, Tim.
Wood burning stove and candies
As kids, we’re all sitting around the stove and then he’d tell us stories. Grandpa’s stories. That was such real fun. Then, remember? There were days at the end of the week that daddy paid us each five cents and we’d go to the village and go to Chene store.
Bootlegging
You know, when I was about 18, my uncle had a modern day Ford. We went all the way down near the border in that car to go buy beer because there, they would sell it to the Indians. You weren’t supposed to sell to the Indians back then.
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.
I stepped on the major
We danced and it was quite a crowded dance floor. There were all these people in uniforms and medals and whatnot all. Anyway, I remember, we made a turn out on this crowded dance floor, and I heard a cry of pain behind me.
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.
The other incident
On our way home in the car, I was daydreaming, it wasn’t even me that was driving. I was just on autopilot.