I don’t get the choice
(Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Nick Huard
I’ve done two prisoner exchanges at Checkpoint Charlie, between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. We were exchanging Russian spies against American spies.
There we were with our camera, and we had Marine Corps behind us with M16s ready to shoot, and we got the KGB across with AK47s, ready to shoot.
And we’re filming the prisoner exchange. That was my job.
Being Indian, I don’t get the choice. When it came to Vietnam, I heard a conversation where I worked. They said, “send the savage.” So that’s how I ended up in Vietnam. I was a photo correspondent for the Canadian Press there.
When it came time to do shit like Checkpoint Charlie, same thing. They’d say, “I don’t want to get killed. Send the Indian. He’s used to that.”
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Iah tewátien' tatiehstahsión:ko’
A seven-year-old George Hemlock, father of Hazel Norton, Edna Standup, and John Hemlock, fitted in uniform for Carlisle Military Indian Residential school. Circa 1898-1899 (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Nick Huard ROKÁ:RATON
Tékeni ia’tká:ienhte tia’tarátie’skwe' tsi teionkwatatonkwe’tawíhon ne ratihnhó:ton ne Checkpoint Charlie nón:we, tsi na’tetiatenatátere' ne Nà:kon nonkwá:ti tánon’ È:neken nonkwá:ti Berlin shihonateriiohá:ton ne Cold War tsi waterí:io. Tehonatatonkwe’tawíhon ne Russian nahatiia’tò:ten’ atahsehtòn:ke ronterihwató:rats tánon’ Wahstonhró:non atahsehtòn:ke ronterihwató:rats.
Tho ki’ nón: tiákwe’skwe' iakwahá:wi ne iontia’taráhkhwa’ tánon’ iakwahsòn:ne ionkhiia’tèn:ton ne Marine Corps ratihonrenhá:wi ne M16 nikahonrò:ten tánon’ ronatateweiennenta’òn:ne’ ahonrón:tate’ tánon’ KGB ísi’ nón:we thón:ne’skwe' AK47 ratihonrenhá:wi, ronatateweiennenta’òn:ne ni’ nen’ nè:’e ahonrón:tate’.
Tánon’ iakhiia’taráhstha’ ne teionkwatatonkwe’tawíhon ne ratihnhó:ton. Né: ki’ nì:’i wakaterihón:tahkwe.
Tsi konkwehón:we, iah tewátien' tatiehstahsión:ko’. Shontonterihwatáhsawen' ne Vietnam, onkwahonhsón:kohte’ tsi tehotíhthare' tsi tewatió’tehkwe'. “Ia’tshaténnieht thí:ken savage” wahonnì:ron’. Tho ki’ ní:ioht iahonkenehrá:ko’ ne Vietnam. Canadian Press tetiakwatathiatón:niskwe’ iekheiatenniehtén:ni ne karahstánion né:ne eh tho.
Nó:nen ienkáhewe’ ne Checkpoint Charlie iaiakwè:sheke’, né: shà:ka. Enhonnì:ron’, “Iah té:kehre’ aionkwáhsehte’. Ia’tshaténnieht ne ronkwehón:we. Nè:’e ki’ roren’nhà:’on.”
Written by: Emma McLaughlin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translation by: Karonhí:io Delaronde