Taking back control
(Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Leonard Atonnion Bordeau
We had students going to Billings high school in Chateauguay. After Bill 101 was passed in 1977, they were told that in order for the Billings school to accept our students, we’d have to present a piece of paper that says that our kids are allowed to get an education in English.
The kids were bused there in the morning, but the kids, parents, and teachers staged a walkout and marched back to Kahnawake in 1978. From that day forward, the Kahnawake Survival School started.
The people in town said that enough is enough. We are going to take over our education.
Prior to that, we had no one teaching us our culture, our language. It was all through Ottawa. They decided what we would learn. We used to have an Indian agent in Kahnawake who more or less ran the show.
The people in town said, “We’re going to have a politician sitting in an office in Ottawa who doesn’t know about Kahnawake decide what our kids are going to learn?” They decided we’re going to sever ties. Sure enough, Kahnawake took over.
It was a long process. Ottawa and Quebec, they weren’t exactly willing partners in all this. They like to keep control of us. But over time, we took over.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ì:'i saiakwaié:na'
(Courtesy: Google Maps)
Leonard Atonnion Bordeau ROKÁ:RATON
Ionkwaksa'taién:tahkwe' ronterihwaiénstha' néne Billings High School shos iehonnéhtha' ne Ohsahrhè:'on nonkwá:ti. Shahonnóhetste' ne Bill 101 ne 1977 nitiohserò:ten, wa'onkhihró:ri' ne eh naiá:wen' Billings tahshakotihnhohóntien'se' ne onkwaksa'ta'shòn:'a ahontià:taren', ó:nen'k tsi ieniakwá:tate' skara'wísta néne iothrorihátie' tsi ronwatirihwá:wi Tiohrhèn:sha kawennontáhkwen ahonterì:waienste' ne onkwaksa'ta'shòn:'a. Wahonwatiia'takaré:ni' eh iahonwatiia'titáhko' nohrhon'kè:ne nek tsi ne ratiksa'okòn:'a, tánon' shakotiièn:'a tánon' shakotirihonnién:ni ska'nikòn:ra wáhon'te' wahonthniarón:ni' tánon' Kahnawà:ke ehta'kéhshon nionsahón:ne' ne 1978 nitiohserò:ten. Né: tho shontakahá:wi', tontenonhsatáhsawen' ne Kahnawà:ke Survival School.
Tahatiwenníneken'ne' ne kanatakonhró:non wahonnì:ron' tsi kwah ia'thotiié:rihse'. Ì:'i entsakwaié:na' ne onkwaterihwaienstáhtshera'. Ohén:ton eh shitkahá:wi', iah énska teiontionkwe'taién:tahkwe' néne iakorihonnién:ni tsi niiakwaweiennò:ten, tsi niiakwawennò:ten. Kwah akwé:kon Kanà:tso thotirì:waien', ronónha shos ia'tenhotirihwaién:ta'se' tsi nahò:ten' eniakwaterì:waienste'. Shaià:ta rahétien shos iontionkwè:taien' ne Kahnawà:ke néne iá:ken thaniarotáhrhokskwe' orihwakwé:kon.
Wahonnì:ron' ne kanatakonhró:non, "Ionnitióhkwanonhne' ken eniontionkwe'taién:ta'ne' tsi iehiatónhkhwa' nonkwá:ti ne Kanà:tso néne iah othé:nen teionkhirihwaienté:ri Kahnawa'kehró:non néne ia'teniakorihwaién:ta'se' ne nahò:ten' onkwaksa'ta'shòn:'a enhonterì:waienste'?" Kwah tahotiwennò:ka'te', Kahnawà:ke sahatiié:na'.
Karì:wes tsi niió:re' tonsonterihotaríhsi'. Kanà:tso tánon' Tiaontarí:kon, iah kwah tho tehoti'nikonhro'ténhne' ska'nikòn:ra aiákwa'te' ne ken' nón:we aorihwà:ke. Ronon'wéskwani wáhi aionkhinaskón:ni'. Kháre' ó:nen tsi nontaiawénhseron', ì:'i saiakwaié:na'.
Edited by: Emma McLaughlin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translation by: Karonhí:io Delaronde