That's my home
Left to right & top to bottom: Matty Montour, Angus Leclaire, Norman White, George Boyer, Roy Delaronde, Frank White, Julian Decaire, Frank Nolan Bill Meloche, Joe Canadian, John Rice. Circa 1948. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Earl Gilbert
During the 1990 Crisis, Dominion Bridge had a big job in Valleyfield. There was a big gang of us working there from Kahnawà:ke. When it all started, my boss showed up in the company car saying, “Hey you guys, the roads are all blocked in Kahnawà:ke. I don’t know how you’re getting back.” I said, “I’ll get back, that’s my home.”
I had my car out there, and we came down the Old Chateauguay Road, and it was all blocked. Chateauguay police and SQ were all there. I pulled up and I had four guys with me in my 84 Buick. They said, “You can't go in.” So, I got out of the car and started walking. “Stop or we’ll shoot,” I heard.
I told them, “Shoot. You got my whole back as a target. If you can’t hit me, then there’s something wrong and you shouldn’t be a cop.” I walked right through. I left my car out there because you couldn't get gas anyways. In town, gas was only for ambulance, fire trucks, things like that.
At the time it was John Ciaccia who was the politician, and he let us park in Dorval so we could take a boat over. We had a lot of guys here in Kahnawà:ke who had boats and would charge five bucks or something to get across.
Finally, the company that we were working for said, “Look, you guys are having a hard time getting back and forth. We’ll give you a layoff.”
This way, it was like we didn’t quit and we were able to come back. I stayed there the whole way through. My girls were only young at the time, so it was really rough; everybody had it rough.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Eh nitewaké:non
(Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Earl Gilbert ROKÁ:RATON
Tsi nikarì:wes thí:ken 1990 sha'teka'nikónhrhare' kaio'tenhserowá:nen rotiio'tenhseraién:tahkwe' ne Dominion Bridge ne Tsi Kahiatonhserón:ni nonkwá:ti. Ionkwentiohkowá:nen Kahnawa'kehró:non eh tionkwaió'tehkwe'. Shontontáhsawen' thí:ken, akennékeri wahokè:tohte' thí:ken iontenhninon'tha'kéha kà:sere ratorihátie' rá:ton, "Hátskwi sewakwé:kon, akwé:kon iothahakwékhon tsi niiohaténion ne Kahnawà:ke ieioné:non. Iah tewakaterièn:tare oh ní:tsi ientsísewawe'." Wa'kì:ron', "Tó:kenske eh iénske', eh nitewaké:non."
Tho tewake'serehtaién:tahkwe' tánon' thí:ken Old Chateauguay Road ohahà:ke nontaionkwenonhátie', tánon' akwé:kon iothahakwékhon. Akwé:kon ne Chateauguay ratiríhton tánon' SQ eh thón:ne's. Ákta ia'ke'seréhtaien' tánon' kaié:ri niwakonkwe'taientátie' ake'seréhtakon ne ki' thí:ken 84 Buick wáhi. Wahonnì:ron', "Iah thaón:ton' iaiesewatáweia'te'." Thò:ne ki' wa'katitáhko' tánon' takatáhsawen' tsi í:ke'. "Tésta'n tóka' ni' eniakwaròn:tate'," onkwathón:te'ne'.
Wa'khehró:ri', "Hánio sewaròn:tat. Kwah sewate'shén:naien' tsi na'tewatakà:ron ne khsòn:ne. Tóka' iah thaiesewakwé:ni' tahskwáhkwa'te', né: ki' ok ní:ioht wahétken niiá:wens tánon' iah tha'teiotonhontsóhon karíhton naiesewaia'to'ténhake'." Eh ia'tkatáwe'este'. Kheh takátka'we' nakè:sere ase'kén sénhak ki' iah thaón:ton' kén:ie ahshní:non'. Né: kaná:takon, nek ne tewátsnie' kà:sere, wa'swáhtha' kà:sere, tánon' ne tho na'keserehtò:ten's aoná:wen.
Eh shitkahá:wi', John Ciaccia nen' nè:'e ne ranitióhkwanonhne', tánon' wahshonkwaríhon' aiakwate'seréhtaien' ne Dorval nonkwá:ti né: ki' aón:ton' kahón:wakon aiakwatíta' tsi teniakwaniatarí:ia'ke'. É:so iontionkwe'taién:tahkwe' ne kèn:tho Kahnawà:ke néne rotihón:waien' tánon' wísk nikahwístake tóka' ni' nahò:ten'k nenhatinà:ton' ne taiakwaniatarí:ia'ke'.
Kháre' ó:nen, thí:ken tsi iontenhninòn:tha iakhiio'tèn:se wahonnì:ron', "Hé:, serenhkehnéha tsi tesewaterahtánions. Enskwátka'we'."
Né: ken' ní:ioht, kwah tsi ní:ioht ne iah nì:'i teionkwatkà:wen tánon' wá:tons eh iaonsaionkwaió'ten'. Kheh tewatió'tehkwe' tsi nikarì:wes. Ken' nitiotiién:tahkwe' ne kheien'okòn:'a ne thò:ne tánon' é:so tsi karihwanó:ronhkwe, kwah akwé:kon wa'akoterihwanorónsten'.
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde