Terrorist attack
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↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓ 🔈
(Courtesy: Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Peter Tié:r Arquette
On September 11th, 2001, I was working with my cousin Jeffery David on the Triborough Bridge in New York City. If you’re on the bridge, you could see the Twin Towers.
My cousin climbs down underneath the bridge, getting ready to bolt up and says, “Hánio ionkeniió’ten,” meaning “Come on, let’s get to work.”
I said, “Get up here, no one is working. Everyone is standing around on the bridge. There’s a fire on the Trade Center, look at the smoke.”
He didn’t want to come up; he wanted to get the work done.
Finally, my boss comes running down the bridge saying, “Everyone put the tools away! Terrorist attack! A plane hit the Trade Center.”
So, we put all the tools away and got off the bridge. We were all nervous because we didn’t know what the hell was going on.
The workers were talking, we were all part of the American Bridge Company, and they decided to go help the ones in Manhattan.
The first thing the boss said was, “If you go there, you’re on your own, so if you get hurt there, you are on your own.” In other words, you’re not insured.
That kind of scared me because I already got a bad knee and if I get hurt there my career is finished.
I told my cousin and the other guys from town that were heading there, “I’m not going there. If you want to go, jump in your car and go. This is my car and I’m going home.”
I think I made the right decision not to go because a lot of those guys who went got sick, from all that smoke. Some got lung cancer, some are dead now.
I did want to help them, but how do you help them? We were just ironworkers.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ratinatakárias
(Courtesy: Peter Tié:r Arquette)
Peter Tié:r Arquette ROKÁ:RATON
Seskehkó:wa 11, 2001, Triborough Bridge tionkeniió'tehkwe ne ontiara'sè:'a Jeffery David ne Kanón:no nonkwá:ti. Tóka' askwà:ke enhséhseke, enwá:ton enhsatkáhtho ne Twin Towers ka'nikahtó:ton.
Ontiara'sè:'a wahátsnenhte askó:kon iahà:re, ratateweiennén:ta's ne aha'nistotónnion tánon rá:ton, "Hánio ionkeniió'ten!"
Wa'kì:ron, "Taseráthen, iah ónhka teiakoió'te. Akwé:kon askwaktóntie ronné:ton. Tiotékha ne Trade Center ka'nikahtà:ke, he tsi nitioièn:kwarote."
Kwah iah tehréhrhahkwe taontaharáthen, réhrhahkwe ki' iaháhsa ne kaio'ténhsera.
Kháre' ó:nen, akennékeri tahatákhe askwà:ke ratòn:ne, "Sewateweien'tónnion iontstha'shòn:'a! Ratinatakárias! Teká:tens wa'tiaón:ko trade center ka'nikahtà:ke."
Thò:ne ki' saiakwateweien'tónnion ne iontstha'shòn:'a tánon é:ren saiákwehte naskwà:ke. Akwé:kon tiakwaton'nékhonskwe nè:'e tsi iah teionkwaterièn:tarahkwe tsi niionennerì:tawens.
Tehotíhthare ki' ne rotiio'ténion, akwé:kon iakwaià:tarahkwe ne American Bridge Company tánon ia'thotirihwaién:ta'se ahshakotiié:nawa'se tsi niká:ien Manhattan thón:nes.
Tsi nahò:ten tiotierenhtáhkwen wahèn:ron ne ennékeri ne ki' ne, "Tóka' eh iénhse, ia'tehsià:ti, ne ki' wáhi tóka' tho nón:we iensakaré:wahte, kwah ia'tesehsià:ti." Ne nó:ia ní:tsi aiè:ron kí:ken, iah thé:nen tetsisá:ien ne kaia'takehnháhtshera.
Tonkwaton'nékten ki' ostón:ha kí:ken áse' kenh ok nà:'a shiiohetkèn:'en ne kkwitshà:ke tánon tóka' shí:ken tho ienwakkaré:wahte, kwah ietsothsa'áhton natio'ténhsera.
Wa'khehró:ri ki' ontiara'sè:'a tánon noià:shon Kahnawà:ke nithoné:non néne tho wahón:nene, "Iah tho thà:ke. Tóka' íhsehre eh iáhse, satíta sa'seréhtakon tánon tho iahà:se. Kí:ken ne akè:sere tánon sewakahtentionhátie."
Kwah í:kehre tkaié:ri tsi nahò:ten ia'tewakerihwaién:ta'se ne tóhsa eh iá:ke nè:'e tsi é:so rá:ti ne tsi niká:ien eh iehonenòn:ne wahotinonhwákten, akwé:kon thí:ken tioièn:kwarote iorihón:ni. Kenk nihá:ti takwa'áhson wahotiié:na ratitsinà:kwakon, ok ne ronátia'ke shonenhé:ion ó:nen.
Tó:kenske ki' wà:kehre akheié:nawa'se, nek tsi oh ní:tsi enhsheié:nawa'se? Nek karista'kehró:non niiakwaia'to'tèn:ne.
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde