Creating trade routes
Advertisement encouraging tourists to travel along the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River, 1868. (Courtesy: Office provincial de publicité de Quebec/Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec)
Story told by Gordie Oke
We used to trade with other nations and bring goods up to Quebec City to get lobster and salmon in return. There were talks at the Chiefs’ table at the Iroquois caucus about creating trade routes. They even discussed having a central location around Kahnawà:ke to import goods from the Maritimes.
We could be the three-sister triangle again between Kanesatà:ke, Kahnawà:ke, and Ahkwesáhsne. The Ottawa River was our highway of trade. We did everything along that river, traveling all the way down to Quebec, right past The Great Lakes. That was all our territory.
This wasn't the first time something like this was discussed. I remember being approached by businessmen when I was on the council back in the mid-2000s. We talked about growing and producing ginseng. They asked if we could produce it on our lands and that they were willing to buy it from us. They even offered to give us directions on how to do it. These are just some of the importing and exporting we could do that, I feel, would benefit the community.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ahatikwatá:ko' ne teiontatawístha' iohaténion
Map of the North American Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. (Courtesy: Wikki Commons)
Gordie Oke ROKÁ:RATON
Thihatinakerahseraténion shos teniakwatá:ton' tánon' Tiaontarí:kon ieniakwáhawe' sok otsi'eróhta' tánon' awéhkons entsonkhí:ion'. Kwah nè:'e wahatihthá:rahkwe' ne Chief tsi thonatekhwahrà:tsherote' ne Iroquois tsi rontonhontsarohrókstha ne ahatikwatá:ko' ne teiontatawístha iohaténion. Khò:ni' wahatihthá:rahkwe' ne Kahnawà:ke ki' ónhte' sha'tewahsén:nen nón:we enkénhake' ne tsi nón:we aontahatí:ion'te' nothenen'shòn:'a ne Kaniatara'kehkowáhne nitewéhtha'.
Ki' ónhte' áhsen nikontate'kèn:'a áhsen na'teiothióhsate' eniakwá:ton' tsi na'tekontenatátere' ne Kanehsatà:ke, Kahnawà:ke, tánon' Ahkwesásne. Kanà:tso Tsi Kaniataratátie' nen' nè:'e onkwá:wen teiontatawístha' iohá:te' kénhne'. Kwah wa'akwarihontakohá:ton' nakwé:kon ne eh nón:we tkaniataratátie', kwah shos ieniakwaniatarò:kten' tsi niió:re Tiaontarí:kon, tsi niió:re kheh ohnà:ken nonkwá:ti ne Tsi Kaniatarowá:nen's. Onkwatonhóntsa' kénhne' akwé:kon thí:ken.
Iah nè:'e tiotierénhton tehotihtharáhkwen nothé:nen ne ken' nikarihò:ten. Kè:iahre' orì:wa' ratiia'tontáhkwen wa'onkwáttate' shiktsénhaiens ahsennèn:shon 2000 shiiohserò:ten's. Wa'akwahthá:rahkwe' tsi ní:ioht aiakwehià:ron' tánon' aiatión:ni' tekaren'tó:ken. Wahatirihwanón:ton' tóka' enwá:ton' onkwatonhontsa'kéhshon eniakwaiéntho' tánon' tsi tho nihoti'nikonhrò:ten naionkhihní:non'. Khò:ni' wahonnì:ron' tsi enionkhina'tón:hahse' tsi neiakwá:iere'. Ken' ní:ioht enwá:ton' eniakwá:ion'te' tánon' ieniakwaténniehte' nothenen'shòn:'a néne í:kehre' enionkwaia'takéhnha' tsi iakwanákere'.
Written by: Jonathan Turenne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde