Putting in the Seaway
River road, circa 1912. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by John Stacey
When they were digging the Seaway out, they would use dynamite to blast the rocks away. You would hear the whistle and the horns blow right before the explosion. Then you would actually see the rocks come flying. One person’s house in town, I think it was Wayne Rice’s mother, she was lucky. They were dynamiting close to her house, and a rock came down right through her roof, right into the crib, just missing their baby.
A lot of things happened. My mother’s well and the well of all the people who lived in that area dried up, they went dry. No more water because of the digging and dynamiting of the Seaway.
I remember being a teenager at the old Kateri Hall when they were holding a meeting with the Seaway Authority and the mayor at the time, Matty Lazare. The Seaway Authority comes in and says, “We promise you we’re going to put water and sewers through here. No one’s ever going to pay anything.” They knew that they damaged the wells and water supply.
Those kinds of things happened from the Seaway, it wasn’t just the loss of our land. I remember them moving my auntie’s house along with at least 15 other houses.
There was one guy whose house was right where the outside rink is along the water, he refused to sell. The Seaway was already there but they wanted the land that his house was on. One day they were doing work on the road close by his house, and next thing you know a container of kerosene with a rag and a flame gets mysteriously thrown through his window one weekend while they were away. Everything was burnt down.
There was one house along the riverside that they wanted to purchase. The owner of the house was a drinker, and they took advantage of him. They caught him at a bad time, or good time depending on who you ask. But I heard they got him to sign his house and land away for $99.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Shahatina'tsherón:ni'
An aerial view of River road, post Seaway. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
John Stacey ROKÁ:RATON
Shihonnó'kwatskwe' ahatina'tsherón:ni', ionttatakwáhtha' énhontste' ahonttatákwahte' ne otstenhra'shòn:'a. Ensathón:te'ne' enwenná:kahre' tánon' ne tenhatihenrehtánion' ohén:ton tsi niió:re' enwattatá:ko'. Eh thó:ne ki' enhsatkáhtho' entkaneniontiéhshon'. Tseià:ta tsi tiakonónhsote' kaná:takon, kwah í:kehre' Wayne Rice ro'nisténha nen' nè:'e, wa'akotera'swí:iohste' ki' thí:ken. Wahonttatákwahte' ákta' tsi tiakonónhsote' sok skanén:ia tontaión:kohte' tsi kanonhsó:ron, kwah owirà:'a ionrátstha' nontakaién:ta'ne', seron'kè:ne'k wa'tiakoia'tawískwahte' ne shakotiièn:'a.
Nia'té:kon tsi niiawénhseron. Ake'nisténha tánon' ne tehonnonhsanekháhon akwé:kon wa'kahnaweráthen' tsi ronathnáwerote'. Iah ki' thé:nen teskahneká:rahkwe' ase'kén wahonnó'kwate' tánon' wahonttatákwahte' ne ahatina'tsherón:ni'.
Kè:iahre' iawén:re shitewátien' ononhsakaiòn:ne Katerí: Tsi iontia'tarohrókstha' ié:ke'skwe'. Ronatkennison'òn:ne' ne Tsi kana'tsheratátie' Ronteríhonte' tánon' ne ranatakwe'ní:io ne tho shontakahá:wi', Matty Lazare. Tsi kana'tsheratátie' Ronateríhonte' tahontáweia'te' tánon' wahonnì:ron', "Kwahrharatstén:ni entiakwahnekínion'te' tánon' eniakwahonro'tatárion' ken' nonkwá:ti. Iah ki' nonwén:ton ónhka thé:nen teiekarià:khe'." Ronaterièn:tarahkwe' ki' wáhi tsi wahontéron'onhte' tsi iohnaweró:ton tánon' tsi nón:we nitiothnekí:non.
Né: tho na'awénhseron' nè:'e tsi wahatina'tsherón:ni', iah nek té:ken tsi iontionhontsóntion. Kè:iahre' wa'thatinatáhkwa'te' aktén:t tsi tiakonónhsote' tánon' aráne 15 nikanónhsake shé:kon.
Shaià:ta rón:kwe rononhsó:tahkwe' tsi nón: niká:ien' ne átste' teionttsihkwa'ékstahkhwa' atsà:kta', iah ki' tehothontá:ton ahatenhní:non'. Ok nà:'a shikana'tsheríson' nek tsi tehonatonhontsoníhne' tsi niionhontsò:ten rononhsó:tahkwe'. Sewenhnísera ohahà:ke rotiió'tehkwe' ákta' ne tsi thonónhsote', ok thontaiawénhstsi' tsi tekatsiserá:ton ónhka'k ia'akó:ti' skawerò:kwa ne ionthahseróhkhwa' tánon' iotkarohkwatékha' tsi nikarì:wes ronahtentiòn:ne' ne ahia'khserakèn:iate'. Akwé:kon wa'onòn:kwateke'.
Skanónhsa ki' ne atsà:kta kanonhsó:tahkwe' tehonatonhontsoníhne' ahatihní:non'. Rahnekíhrhahkwe' iá:ken kí:ken ronónhsote', tánon' wahonwa'nikonhrhà:ten'. Í:se' ki' enhsánonhton' tóka' tkaié:ri tóka' ni' iáhten tsi nikahá:wi' iahonwáttate'. Wakerihwà:ronke' tsi wahonwahretsá:ron' ahatatshén:naren' wahatenhní:non' raonónhsa' tánon' raonhóntsa', 99 nikahwístake khok wahonwakária'khse'.
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Sahawisó:ko' Arquette