↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓
🔈
↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓ 🔈
House built by Mitch’s grandfather, John Deer, on the border in Akwesasne. With him is his brother, Jame’s Deer. (Courtesy: Mitch Deer)
Story told by Mitch Deer
My grandfather built a house with the money he made from traveling around the world. He built it right on the border. He did that to F with the United States government and Canadian government. If you’re standing on one side, you’re in Canada. If you’re standing on the other side, you’re in the States. He did that purposely.
That house was so big, and he had built big rooms. They made it into a hotel after he passed away. They called it the International Hotel because it was on the border.
There was a lady who used to have a candy store inside the building, her name is Katie Thompson. I met Katie in 1974 in Akwesasne.
As I’m talking to her, I’m finding out where she was working and I couldn’t put two and two together right away until later, I was still thinking about it. I said, “Where was this?”
“It’s right on the border,” she said.
“Well, my grandfather had a house right on the border,” and that’s when we found out that that’s my grandfather’s house.
“That’s my grandfather’s house!” I said. She couldn’t believe it.
After a while they abandoned the house, and these guys who would go there and drink burned it down.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
↓
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
International Hotel
(Courtesy: Amelia McGregor)
Mitch Deer ROKÁ:RATON
Rakhsótha wahanonhsón:ni skátne nohwísta tehotèn:tshon tsi wa'thatstikáhwha tsi niionhóntses. Kheh tho tsi tkaristì:seron wahanonhsón:ni. Eh nahá:iere ne ki' ne ahshakonenneri'tana'kón:ni ne Wastonhnéha kakoráhsera tánon Korahnéha kakoráhsera. Tóka' ská:ti nonkwá:ti iéhsete, Koráhne iéhses. Tóka' ákte' nonkwá:ti iéhsete, Wastonhronòn:ke iéhses. Thà:rehte eh nahò:ten.
Tó:k niken'tanónhsa kèn:ne ne thí:ken tánon kowá:nens tsi kanakténion wahrón:ni. Wa'thatité:ni tsi ionnonhwétstha sahonnón:ni ohnà:ken shahatóhetste. International Hotel wa'konwahsén:non áse' kenh tho tsi tkaristì:seron tkanonhsó:tahkwe.
Tsi ietsikhe'tahninòn:tha shos iakoién:tahkwe ne iakón:kwe ne tho kanónhskon, Katie Thompson iontátiats. Wa'kheientéhrha'ne Katie 1974 nitiohserahsé:tas ne Ahkwesásne nonkwá:ti.
Tsi teionkeníhthare, waktoken'sehátie tsi nón:we tiakoió'tehkwe tánon iah tewakkwénion óksak tetsá:ron takékha tsi niió:re sénha ohnà:ken nikahá:wi shé:kon shiskanonhtonniónkwas. Wa'kì:ron, "Ka' ne kí:ken?" Kheh tho tsi tkaristì:seron tkanónhsote," wa'è:ron.
"Níkents, rakhsótha rononhsó:tahkwe kheh tho tsi tkaristì:seron," tánon thò:ne wa'onkenitó:ken'se tsi rakhsótha raonónhsa nen' nè:'e.
"Rakhsótha raonónhsa thí:ken!" wa'kì:ron. Kwah iah teiotòn:'on aontaiakawehtáhkwen.
Ken' nikarì:wes shontóhetste kheh tahóntkahwe ne kanónhsa, tánon kí:ken tsi niká:ien eh iehonnéhtha tánon iehatihnekíhrha wahatinon'kwaté:ka'te.
Editten by: Melissa Stacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde