Taking a walk down Memory Lane
With her parents behind her and her elder brother by her side, little Iris stands for a family photo at the steps of their Brooklyn home. (courtesy: Iris Diabo Rice)
Story told by: Iris Diabo Rice
Picture this! It was in the 1950s; I was a kid living at 375 State Street, Brooklyn, New York, a 20-family apartment building with my father, mother, brother, aunties, uncles, cousins, and other friends from Kahnawake. I used to joke and say, “we didn’t live in a long house, we lived in a tall house!”
It was a great life; School time in New York and summers in beautiful Kahnawake.
I was very close with my dad, John Satekaienton Diabo. He was a member of Ironworker’s Local 361 and the best man I ever knew. Every Sunday, he and I would go to church, the bakery for Sunday deserts, and finally the bodega for the newspaper. Everyone had a favourite section: my dad liked the sports, my mom the sales, and my older brother and I would fight for the cartoon section.
After lunch, my dad would change from his good clothes, wash his pride-and-joy Chevrolet, and he would take me, my cousins and friends riding as we would pile into the car (no seatbelts in those days.)
Sometimes we went to Coney Island for hot dogs at Nathan’s and to hop on a few rides. Other times, we would go on the Staten Island Ferry, or my dad would drive around the city and show us the buildings and bridges he worked on.
When we got home, he would throw all his leftover change from his pockets onto the hood of the car for the homeless to pick up.
One of the best highlights of my teenage years was when my dad took me and my best friend, Noella Standup, to Kennedy Airport to welcome the Beatles. They made their first trip to the USA to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show.
A few years ago, I went to the old neighborhood and, like the lyrics of the late-and-great Loretta Lynn:
“No one lives there anymore. Just the memories of an ironworker’s daughter.”
Love and miss you, Dad.
Melody
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Wehiahrà:'on Tsi Iothá:te Sewakathahitáhkhe
The 375 State Street apartment complex, that 20-family building which held Iris along with family and friends from Kahnawake, remains easily recognizable, as seen in the year 2025. (Source: Google Maps)
Iris Diabo Rice IAKOKÁ:RATON
Táserast kí:ken! 1950 niiohserò:tens ; Keksà:'a kèn:ne 375 State Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. tki'terón:tahkwe, tewáhsen nikahwatsí:rake raoná:wen tsi iontientáhkhwa kanónhsote skátne rákeni, istá, rakhtsì:'a, khe'nistenhokòn:'a, khenonha'okòn:'a, onkwara'se'okòn:'a, tánon ó:ia onkwatenro'shòn:'a ne Kahnawà:ke nithoné:non. Enkátswa'te' wáhi tánon enkì:ron', "iah kanónhses tsi nón:we teiakwen'terón:tahkwe, tiotenónhsate tsi nón:we tiakwen'terón:tahkwe!"
É:so tsi ioiánere tsi ní:tsi kónhnhekwe ; Wa'katerì:waienste' Kanón:no nonkwá:ti tánon wa'tekkenhnhí:ia'ke' tsi nonkwá:ti ne kanatí:io Kahnawà:ke.
É:so tsi teiatiáthnerenhkwe ne rake'níha, John Sha'tekaién:ton Diabo. Tho raià:tarahkwe Ironworker's Local 361 tánon ne naonhà:'a thorihwaié:rihkwe rón:kwe ne nonwén:ton riientehrhà:'on. Tió:konte ne Awentatokenhtì:ke, eniatiaterennaiénhna', tsi iehse'rhonnià:tha ieniákene' ne ki' ne Awentatokenhti'kéha ieiekho'thiiátstha aorihwà:ke, sok botekáhne ientsákene' ne ki' ne tekonrénies aorihwà:ke. Akwé:kon ionkwaién:tahkwe teioterihwahsonterákwen néne kwah tokèn:'en iakwanòn:we'skwe : rake'níha ranòn:we'skwe ne atkahri'tsherónnia, ake'nisténha ienòn:we'skwe ne watkè:ron, sok rakhtsì:'a tánon ì:'i eniatiaskéhnha' ne iosté:ris kaia'tarónnion teioterihwahsonterákwen.
Iotohétston éntie, rake'níha enhatia'taté:ni' raó:wen watahkwenní:ios, enhanóhare' raó:wen kwah ranonhwe'skó:wa Chevrolet, tánon enhshonkwahonwi'seréhson' nì:'i, onkwara'se'okòn:'a tánon onkwatenro'shòn:'a tsi tentiakwà:ra'ne' ka'seréhtakon (iah teiakwatia'táhnhakskwe ne tho shikahá:wi.) Sewatié:rens Coney Island ieniákwe' ne wenhetshò:ron aorihwà:ke ne Nathan's nonkwá:ti tánon tohkára neniakwatitárion' ionte'nikonhrorià:tha. Nó:ia shikahá:wis, eh tho Staten Island Ferry eniakwatíta', tóka'ni rake'níha enhohonwi'seréhson' tsi nikaná:tes tánon enhshonkwana'tonnión:ha'se' tsi niká:ien kanonhsotónnion tánon waskwahrónnion roio'tèn:'en. Nó:nen ientsákwawe', raó:wen teiohwistahrì:'on néne raohna'tahtsherá:kon nitiawé:non tho è:neken nonkwá:ti ne kà:sere ka'nionkwaristà:ke ienionkwá:ti' ne ki' naón:ton ne iah tehotinónhsote ahatí:ko'.
Énska ne naonhà:'a tioiánere wate'nienténston iawén:re shitewátien ne ki' ne rake'níha Kennedy Airport shiahshakeniia'ténhawe' nì:'i tánon ontiatshihkó:wa, Noella Standup, ne ki' ne taiakhinonhwerá:ton' ne Beatles. Nè:'e ne tontié:renhte' Wastonhronòn:ke wahón:newe' ne ki' ne Ed Sullivan Show aontahatiià:tara'ne'.
Tohkára niiohserá:ke tsi náhe, eh tho nionsá:ke' aká:ion tsi teionnonhsakhánion nonkwá:ti tánon, tsi ní:ioht ne tsi nikawennò:tens ionterennótha ne Loretta Lynnhkowahkénha,
"Iah ónhka eh tho tetsè:teron nòn:wa. Nek ská:ien ne Rarista'kehró:non Shakoièn:'a awehiahráhtshera."
Konnorónhkhwa tánon konia'tí:saks Rákeni thia'tewenhniserá:ke,
Melody
Story written and told by: Iris Diabo Rice
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde