Playing sports
A team photo from Club Caughnawaga, 1939-40(Courtesy: Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Gordie Oke
I played all kinds of sports growing up and excelled in most of them, especially softball and football. Eventually, I began coaching men's and women's softball here in The Pines. In the 70s and 80s, we played a lot of softball games against different communities, like Kahnawà:ke.
We used to hold tournaments here at the baseball field. Sometimes, we played in Ottawa against the various Native people there. Some of us even went up to Maniwaki to play.
On Sundays, the baseball fields would be packed with hundreds of fans watching these games. Other communities would bring their supporters who would line up along the third base line. It was so much fun being a part of that.
When we needed Lacross players, we had players from Kahnawà:ke come and help us out when we were on the road. It was great because you really got a sense of what a healthy community felt like.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Atkénnie' aióntswa'te'
A flyer promoting an upcoming lacrosse match, circa 1922. (Credit: Eric P. Thisdale)
Gordie Oke ROKÁ:RATON
Nia'tewatkenniehtsherá:ke wa'kátswa'te' shontonkwatehiahróntie' tánon' thóha akwé:kon kwah tokèn:'en wa'keweientehtà:seron', sénha ne iohthenno'tshera'nhétska' tánon' wahthennò:tsheres. Tsi nontaiawénhseron', wa'kherihónnien' ronnón:kwe tánon' konnón:kwe iohthenno'tshera'nhétska' rontswà:tha' kèn:tho Onen'tó:kon. Né: 70 tánon' 80 nitiohserò:ten's, é:so wa'akwátswa'te' iohthenno'tshera'nhétska' wa'tiakwatáhko' thihatinakerahseraténion, tsi ní:ioht ne Kahnawà:ke.
Iotkà:'te wa'akwaron'onkwaskéhnha' kèn:tho tsi teiontatshensestáhkhwa' kahén:taien'. Sewatié:ren, Kanà:tso nonkwá:ti ia'akwátswa'te' wa'tiakwatáhko' thihonnonkwehonwehseraténion neh thón:ne's. Ótia'ke tsi niiátion kwah Maniwaki nonkwá:ti ia'akwátswa'te' ò:ni'.
Shiiawentatokenhtánion, kwah tha'tethatì:rahkwe' tewen'niawe'ékhon nihá:ti ronaterò:ron tsi rontswa'tánions kí:ken ne tsi teiontatshensestáhkhwa' kahén:taien' nonkwá:ti.
Thikanakerahseraténion enthonwatiia'ténhawe' ne ronwatirihwawà:se' tánon' enhatinenhrahserón:ni' áktontie' ne ahsénhaton tetietáhstha' kaieronnítston. É:so tsi ion'wesénhne' ne tho iakwaia'tohronhátie'.
Sha'tionkwatonhóntsohse' Tehonttsihkwà:'eks, Kahnawa'kehró:non rontswà:tha' taiakhiia'tatihéntho' wa'onkhiié:nawa'se' sha'teionkwatstikahwhenhátie'. É:so tsi ion'wesénhne' ase'kén kwah tokèn:'en wahsáttoke' tsi nahò:ten' í:ken ne ionata'karí:te'.
Written by: Jonathan Turenne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde