Ohniare'kó:wa
Between the two bridges, is said to be the location of where the Ohniare’kó:wa dwell. Below the swamp lies the cave where the spirits, both good natured and mischievous varieties call home. (Illustrated by George Rahrhaienté:ri Ross)
Story told by Michael Rice
In the river between the two bridges is an underwater cave, and just above it was a large swamp covered with bull rushes and much wildlife. My old neighbour Gene Taylor told me the best place to fish for black bass in the spring was just under the car bridge. He said to cast into the swirling back eddies, and you’ll feel like your line is snagged on a rock. Just tip your line and then give a slight tug; either you will get a hit or feel the rock bottom.
After a few minutes, I started to get hits and had about 10 large bass in no time. Realizing I didn't have a rope long enough to transport them, I went to look in the woods for a pliable branch to make a fish rack. There, I saw what I thought were large tracks caused by a boom truck, but there were no tire tracks. I brushed it off and headed home.
That night I had a dream of an old man sitting on a rock, smoking a pipe. He asked if I went fishing near the cave of Ohniare’kó:wa. He told me Ohniare’kó:wa are real and are old spirits. The old man warns us not to play or cover up the cave as the Ohniare’kó:wa means no harm. They have always lived here in this section of the river.
He said to offer a feast of thanks for the waters, fish life and for Ohniare’kó:wa so they will not be offended. When they travel, they inadvertently shed their skin, and it looks like morning dew. When people walk about in the day, they may accidentally step into it and become sick. Then, I woke up, shaken by the dream.
Early the next morning I went to see my uncle, Mike Woodrow, and told him of my dream. He said not to be afraid and went to burn tobacco. When he was done, he told me something that few know in Kahnawà:ke. He said when our ancestors moved upriver from Kahná:wakon, where the Kahnawà:ke Survival School and Ville Sainte Catherine was, they asked an old medicine man to come burn tobacco and check out the land where we now live.
During the night he was visited by Ohniare’kó:wa. Ohniare’kó:wa told him our people may come and live in their territory but asked that people offer them a feast each spring and fall. This was so that they may not take any of our people’s lives when they swim, fish, and wash by the river. If we forget this, then sickness will come into our village and people will age and die prematurely.
The old medicine man said that after 10 to 15 years, our people should look for another site to make a new village. We have been in Kahnawà:ke since 1716, and my uncle said the warnings of the old man are coming true. He said look at how many people are sick nowadays in this place and so few are spiritual. People in town are sick with diabetes, bad hearts, high blood pressure and cancer, things that we never had before.
I asked my uncle if Ohniare’kó:wa are ótkon or bad spirits. They are much like us, made up of all kinds of personalities, just like onkwehshòn:'a. Some of these Ohniare’kó:wa are black, some are white. I asked him what their purpose was. He said that the white ones are helpful, good-natured serpents that protect us and our community. The black ones deal with the night, and they’re mischievous. They will not bother you if you remember to give thanks and you should stay healthy for a long time.
Whenever I see those long swaths in the bush and swamps that look like a skidder dragged logs and large trees, I remember about the Ohniare’kó:wa.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ohniare'kó:wa
A real life shot of the two bridges, between where the cave may rest. What was described in the story as once swamp is now lined with cobblestone. (Credit: Kahente Leborgne)
Michael Rice ROKÁ:RATON
Kaniatará:kon tsi na'tetiataskwátere' eh nón:we ká:ien' ne kanonwakón:ha iotstenhrakà:ronte', tánon' kheh è:neken nonkwá:ti kowá:nen kanawà:rahkwe' kwah onotóskon kénhne' tánon' é:so kario'tanákerehkwe'. Teiatianonhsanekèn:ne' Gene Taylor wahakhró:ri' tsi nón:we tioiánere' nakahrióhkawine' ne kahòn:tsi tsiskawí:ia'k ne kakwitè:ne kheh tho askó:kon nen' nè:'e nón:we. Wahèn:ron' neh nón:we iaonkhseriie'tón:ti' thí:ken ohna'kénhson kontihnekatasé'sne, tánon' énhsehre' onenià:ke iaotahrhè:'on ne sahserí:ie. Nek othé:nen sohá:ren sahseriie'tà:ke sok nek ne iá:ken tasatihéntho; othé:nen enká:rike' tóka' ni' enhsáttoke' tsi iaotahrhè:'on onenià:ke.
Tohkára shonthseriie'tóhetste', tontáhsawen' tsi kontiríkhons tánon' iosnore'kéha 10 nikón:ti tsiskawí:ia'k wa'kheié:na'. Tsi onktó:kenhse' tsi iah thiekaié:ri tsi niwakhseriiè:tes nakhè:nerenke', kahrhá:kon iahà:ke' wa'kesákha' io'nhahtahkarí:io né: ki' ne ietsahráhkhwa' akónnia'te'. Kwah tho, wa'katkáhtho' nahò:ten' wà:kehre' tekaianowá:nen's néne iohrónkwas kà:sere teioianón:ni, nek tsi iah káneka teioieronnítston nokahkwèn:ta'. Ísi' iahonkwá:ti' thí:ken tánon' tsi tkì:teron nionsá:ke'.
Tho tewahsontá:tehkwe' onkwatétshen' tsi shaià:ta thó:ien' onenià:ke réntskote', kanón:nawen rothsókwen. Waharihwanón:ton' tóka' wakahriohkawinehòn:ne' ákta ne Ohniare'kó:wa tsi ionanitstenhrakà:ronte'. Wahèn:ron' tsi tó:kenske' konnónhnhe' ne Ohniare'kó:wa tánon' kontonhnhehtsheraká:ion. Wahshonkwatokà:ten' thí:ken thó:ien' tóhsa aiakwatkahri'tsherón:ni' tóka' ni' aiakwa'rhó:roke' tsi ionanitstenhrakà:ronte' ne Ohniare'kó:wa ase'kén kwah iah othé:nen tekón:nehre' takon'nikonhrhá:ren'. Tiokontáhkwen kèn:tho shikontì:teron ne ken' nón:we iokwèn:rare' ne kaniataratátie'.
Wahèn:ron' ne aiethikhwahéhrhahse' ne tsi kahnekónion, kentson'shòn:'a, tánon' ne Ohniare'kó:wa né: ki' wáhi ne tóhsa aontaionatié:ra'se'. Nó:nen tenkontstikáhwha', iah thikonnéhtha' tsi kontia'taténie's, tánon' io'áweien testiatié:ren. Nó:nen ón:kwe enionhtén:ti' tsi niwenhníseres, iah thaion'nikonhrón:ni' aierá:ta'ne' thí:ken tánon' eniakononhwákten'. Thò:ne, sátie', tewake'nikónhrhare' thí:ken atetshénhsera'.
Ohrhon'kéhstsi shonsaióhrhen'ne' rakenonhahnéha iahà:ke', Mike Woodrow, tánon' wahihró:ri' nahò:ten' onkwatétshen'. Wahèn:ron' tóhsa aketshà:ni'ke' tánon' wahatien'kwáthsa'ahte'. Shaháhsa, wahakhró:ri' nahò:ten' néne ken' niiakón:ha ieienté:ri ne Kahnawà:ke. Wahèn:ron' onkwahsótshera' shahatihnawà:ra'ne' sha'thonná:tahkwe' ne Kahná:wakon, tsi nón:we ne Kahnawà:ke Survival School tánon' Ville Sainte Catherine tkanonhsó:tonhkwe', wahonwarihwanón:tonhse' thó:ien' ranonhkwa'tsheraienté:ri aontà:re' ahatien'kwáthsa'ahte' tánon' ahátken'se' nonhwentsà:ke tsi nón:we tewanákere' nòn:wa.
Ohniare'kó:wa wahotetshà:ten' tsi niwahsón:tes. Ohniare'kó:wa wahohró:ri' tsi wá:tons ahón:newe' ahóntien' ne aonatonhóntsakon nek tsi iotirhwáhere' nón:kwe akonwatikhwahéhrhahse' thia'tekakwitehtsherá:ke tánon' thia'tekanenna'kehtsherá:ke. Né: ki' wáhi ne tóhsa aontakontirá:ko' tsi ronnónhnhe' nó:nen rontá:wens, ronhriohkawí:nes, tánon' atsà:kta enhontia'tóhare'. Tóka' entsonkwa'nikónhrhen' kí:ken nahò:ten', thò:ne ki' enkahnhranákeren'ne' tsi tewanákere' tánon' enhontia'tísa' tánon' sótsi iosnó:re' enhonníheie' nón:kwe.
Thí:ken thó:ien' ranonhkwa'tsheraienté:ri wahèn:ron' tsi ohnà:ken 10 tsi niió:re' 15 niiohserá:ke, teiotonhontsóhon ó:ia' tsi nón:we aietewatshén:ri' aonsetewanatón:ni'. 1716 shiiohserahsé:ta's shitewèn:teron kèn:tho Kahnawà:ke, tánon' rakenonhà:'a wahèn:ron' tsi tó:kenske' taioton'onhátie' thí:ken kaienteríhsera' ne nahò:ten' thí:ken thó:ien' rothró:ri. Wahèn:ron' sheka'én:ion tsi niiá:kon iakononhwáktani òn:wa wenhniseraténion ne kèn:tho tánon' ken' niiakotiohkwà:'a atónhnhets konwarihwakweniénstha'. Kwah teionekwenhsatsikhè:tare', weriahsáksen's, sótsi ioteriahsahkwísron, tánon' takwa'áhson iakononhwakta'tén:ni nón:kwe nòn:wa.
Wahirihwanón:tonhse' rakenonhà:'a tóka' kontonhnhehtsheráksen's ne ohniare'kó:wa tánon' ótkon. É:so tsi tsonkhiié:ren, nia'tekonnónhnhake, kwah tsi ní:ioht ne onkwehshòn:'a. Ótia'ke' ne kí:ken ohniare'kó:wa kontihòn:tsi, ótia'ke' kontirà:ken. Wahirihwanón:tonhse' ne nahò:ten' ionateríhonte'. Wahèn:ron' tsi ionatasnié:non ne kontirà:ken, ka'nikonhrí:io nikontihniarò:ten's néne tionkhíhnhes tánon' konti'nikòn:rare' tsi tewanákere'. Ahsón:ta' nà:'a kontsterístha' ne kontihòn:tsi, tánon' iotíswa't. Iah tha'taiesa'nikonhrhá:ren' tóka' enhsehià:rake' tahsatenonhwerá:ton' tánon' karì:wes aiesata'karitéhake'.
Kátke nó:nen enkatkáhtho' thí:ken tó:k niiohahé:son's tekahontakwenhténston oskawakónhshon tánon' onawakónhshon néne teskontié:ren tóka' karontì:seres kà:sere io'seréhson orenia'shòn:'a tánon' karontowá:nen's, enkheiehià:ra'ne' thí:ken Ohniare'kó:wa.
Edited by: Jonathan Turenne - Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde