My toys turned to wood
↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓
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↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓ 🔈
The apartments of 415 Pacific Street: the spot where Só:se’s aunt would become the super and provide rent free shelter for him and his family. As seen in November of 2024. (Courtesy: Google Maps)
Story told by Só:se Raientonnis
I grew up in Brooklyn during the Depression. My father went because his sister was already there with her family.
When my aunt first got there with her husband in 1934, they went on Warren street - 534 Warren street, yes I remember.
We got there later, in ‘37. We then moved to Nevins Street. We weren’t there long either. Finally, my aunt found a spot at 415 Pacific Street and became the super of the building. And as a super, it was rent free for us. So we lived all those years there rent free.
My aunt went to Brooklyn for the same reason as everybody around here. Everybody was fleeing because of the Depression.
It was awful from what I remember of it as a child. All of a sudden, my toys turned to wood. The metal was used in war production.
You had to turn in your toothpaste if you wanted more because the toothpaste was made of zinc, which is metal. This was before they had pliable plastic.
I remember the bread lines, the soup lines on Smith Street. We used to go there and my grandfather would bring a pale with him.
Once he was nearly arrested at that line. He wanted more soup because he had me along.
I was about five or six years old. He kept demanding more soup. He pointed to me and says, “For the boy.” So he got into a big argument there and they called the police. I thought he was going to be arrested.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ó:iente Wa'kón:ton Ne Katkahrì:tha
(Courtesy: Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Só:se Raientonnis ROKÁ:RATON
Brooklyn nonkwá:ti tewakatehià:ron Kahwistanó:ron shiwatátie. Rake'níha eh nón:we iehawé:non áse' kenh ó:nen eh shitiè:teron ne iatate'kèn:'a skátne nakohwá:tsire.
Eh shiahà:newe ne ionkenonhà:'a skátne ró:ne ne 1934 niiohserò:ten, Warren iohá:te iahiátien. 534 niiothiá:ton Warren iohá:te, orihwí:io kè:iahre.
Sénha ohnà:ken ia'ákwawe, 37 shiiohserò:ten. Thò:ne ki' Nevins iohá:te ia'akwátien. Iah karì:wes tho tetiakwen'terón:tahkwe ó:ni. Kháre' ó:nen, ionkenonhà:'a wa'etshén:ri énska iokwèn:rare 415 Pacific iohá:te tánon ienonhsakwe'ní:io wa'ón:ton. Tánon tsi ienonhsakwe'ní:io, iah thé:nen teiokaraién:tahkwe nonkwarihwà:ke. Akwé:kon tho niiohserá:ke iah thé:nen teiokaraién:tahkwe tsi tho tiakwen'terón:tahkwe.
Brooklyn ieiakawé:non ne ionkenonhà:'a ne ki' sha'karì:wa tsi nontié:ren eh iehoné:non nakwé:kon tho nón:we rón:nes. Akwé:kon ákte' nón:we iehonatè:kwen áse' kenh tsi niioié:ren ne Kahwistanó:ron.
É:so tsi wahetkèn:ne tsi nahò:ten kè:iahre shikeksà:'a. Ok thontaiawénhstsi, akwé:kon ó:iente wa'kón:ton ne katkahrì:tha. Ateriiohserá:kon wáhontste ne karístatsi tsi nia'té:kon wahonnón:ni.
Ó:nenk tsi ienséhshawe ne sá:wen iontenawiroharè:tha ohsè:rha tóka' ísi' nón:we tensatonhóntso'se áse' kenh zinc ionnià:ton ne nohsè:rha tánon karístatsi í:ken. Ohén:ton shiká:ien ne iona'karahkarí:io ne ken' shikahá:wi.
Kè:iahre tsi nikanenhré:sons ne kanà:taro ronnékhe, néne onón:tara ronthsorià:ne ne Smith iohá:te nonkwá:ti. Tho shos ieniákwe tánon rakhsótha ienhana'tsénhawe.
Saréka énska tahonwanéntsteren shahanenhrahserón:ni ne tho. Wahaská:neke sénha é:so onón:tara áse' kenh karì:wes rakenónhnha'ahkwe. Ákta 5 tóka'ni 6 shitewátien. Kwah tahatathá:wihte tsi ro'né:ken nonón:tara. Wahakwahtsá:ton tánon wahèn:ron, "Raksà:'a raó:wen." Thò:ne ki' kowá:nen wa'tharihotáhrhoke eh nón:we tánon karíhton iahshakonatewennáta'a'se. Wà:kehre tsi tehonwanentsterénkhe.
Edited by: Emma McLaughlin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde