Just a business
(Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by: Eva Johnson
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.
I was able to go into one of the sales offices pretty fast because I was trained so well and I could talk a little bit of French. So, I started learning how to take shorthand for the salesman.
I worked there for many years. Then I had my son.
I got two months off from Dominion Bridge every summer because they understood I had a young child who was out of school.
Kahnawa’kehró:non march together in protest against Bill 101, circa 1977. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Four years later, I got an opportunity to go live in Tennessee. A lot of people from Kahnawake were going to work in Tennessee, Kentucky, and somewhere in California.
So, we went, and I ended up working for a newspaper, Traders Post and Wheels and Deals, for two-and-a-half years.
But my father was sick, and my son was very attached to my father so I figured we better go home because if something happened to him while we’re in Tennessee, my son would feel so bad. So, we came back to Kahnawake.
When we got back that’s when they passed the language law, Bill 101. I went back to Dominion Bridge and nothing was the same.
Because of Bill 101, the head office moved to Toronto and most of the people that replaced them were French. It wasn’t the same atmosphere anymore. When I left it was like family and when I came back, it was just a business.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION 〰️
Nek nahò:ten' ionthwistonnià:tha' tsotòn:'on
(Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Eva Johnson IAKOKÁ:RATON
Chatelaine Business College wa'tkatóhetste' Ohiaríha 1964 nitiohserò:ten. 18 tewatién:tahkwe' tánon' takatáhsawen' óntio'ten' Seskéha tká:rahkwe' ne Dominion Bridge nonkwá:ti.
Iah teioianeréhne' tsi nahò:ten' watió'tehkwe' shontontié:renhte'. Tsi tetionthiatonhserarenia'táhkhwa' kénhne' sok tsi tetiehna'neta'áhstha' nek tsi skenen'shòn:'a wa'kathará:tate'.
Wa'kkwé:ni' óksa'k énska tsi nón:we tiontenhninòn:tha' tkanakténion iahà:ke' ase'kén kwah tokèn:'en wa'onkerihónnien' tánon' wakkweniòn:ne' ostón:ha o'seronni'kéha akatá:ti'. Thò:ne' ki' wa'keweientéhta'ne' ne iosnore'kéha ahihiá:tonhse' ne ratkè:rons.
É:so iohserá:ke ontió'ten' eh nón:we. Sok thò:ne' wahiiatéweton' ne riièn:'a.
Tewenhnì:take wa'onkwenhnì:ton' nakatonríshen' tsi watió'te' ne Dominion Bridge thia'tewakéhnhake ase'kén roti'nikonhraién:ta'skwe' se' tsi ken' nithoién:ha' wakewiraién:tahkwe' néne roterihwaienstáhkwen.
An unidentified war veteran protesting Bill 101, circa 1982. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Kaié:ri niiohserà:ke ohnà:ken, onkwate'shennaién:ta'ne' Tennessee iakátien'. É:so rá:ti Kahnawa'kehró:non eh nón:we wahotiio'ténhsera' Tennessee, Kentucky, tánon' ka'k nón:we' ne California nonkwá:ti.
Eh ki' ia'ákwe' tánon' ia'kheió'tenhse' énska tekonrénie's, Traders Post and Wheels and Deals, teiohserá:ke tánon sha'teiohserí:hen nikarì:wes.
Nek tsi rononhwaktaníhahkwe' rake'níha tánon' riièn:'a é:so tsi ronorónhkhwahkwe' ne rake'níha, thò:ne ki' wà:kehre' tsi sénha nè:'e ioiánere' aonsaiakwahtén:ti' ase'kén tóka' othé:nen nahoia'tawèn:'en tóka' shí:ken Tennessee aiontionhontsanentá:kon, kwah tokèn:'en aho'nikonhraksèn:'en ne riièn:'a. Kahnawà:ke káti' tontaiákwe'.
Òn:wa'k wahonnóhetste' ne owén:na kaianerénhsera' sha'tontaiákwe', Bill 101. Dominion Bridge sontio'ténhsera' tánon' kwah akwé:kon ó:ia' niiohtòn:ne'.
Tsi Bill 101 iorihón:ni, Aterónto iahóntien' ne ohén:ton rón:nete' tánon' thóha akwé:kon O'serón:ni nihatiia'tò:ten ne tsi nihá:ti tesehshakonatinaktahkwén:ni. Kwah iah né: sha'kanónhsa teskénhne'. Kwah tsi ní:ioht ne kahwá:tsire' kénhne' é:ren shà:kehte' tánon' nek orì:wa' són:ton' sha'tontá:ke'.
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde