A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Teddy Thompson is our chosen elder for this week at Indian Time. What a wonderful teacher and a man with a wealth of information. Teddy was born in Cornwall on July 12, 1931 and was raised by his grandmother Bella Seymour after his parents separated. Teddy’s family grew up on St. Regis Island where, at that time, many other families lived as well by farming off the land. Teddy proudly mentioned that it was his grandmother that taught him how to wash and cook white corn at the age of 8. W...
Our latest visit was with Norman and Nancy King, as they will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on August 5, 1961. The wedding took place at the St. Regis Catholic Church with Father Arsenault presiding over their wedding mass. Norman’s best man was his brother, the late Abe King and Nancy’s maid of honor was Clara King. Remembering that day wasn’t that long ago it seems, because time has passed so quickly. Their wedding took place on a very hot day in Kanatakon and continued on th...
During the early mornings or sun-setting evening walks, you can pass by the beautiful and inviting home of one of Ahkwesahsne’s gentlest ladies on McDonald Road. If you have ever met Isabel Mcdonald, you would feel as if you knew her for a lifetime. Her calm, friendly and generous way would put you at ease immediately. Our elders have such a wealth of information to share, which allows our readers to learn about elders’ lives to compare and realize the changes that have evolved over the yea...
Ninety-one years ago, September 26, 1920, a little girl was born at Christie’s Island on the St. Lawrence River within the territory of Ahkwesahsne. This little girl was named Margaret Tekawennake Lazore. She joined a family of two sisters, Louise and Hatti, along with three brothers Jake, Abe and Bazil Lazore. Many people would probably remember the brothers, as they were well-known fishermen, who were best known for their night line-fishing skills to catch sturgeon. These men would cut up t...
“A man without a country, let’s put it that way”, said Barney Rourke during a very interesting visit with him and his wife Viola at their homestead on St. Regis Road near the “S” curve. This is a question he always wondered about and still wishes he had asked his mom: “Where was I born?” Ostonnonke or Korahneha, he never knew. Barney was born on September 4, 1924 and joined a family of two brothers, Joe and Andrew. During his earlier years, Barney began to work at lumber camps as many men from Ahkwesahsne did in those days. He gained lumber...
Words from the Wise...
Fifty years ago on the very hot day of July 1, 1961 a sacred unity occurred between Elizabeth Jackson and Mitchell Sunday. This couple is one of Ahkwesashsne’s most fun loving and dear people for sure. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to meet this couple knows that their bond is made up of friendship and respect over the course of many years. Father White oversaw Mitch and Liz’s blessed union in a wedding ceremony at the St. Regis Catholic Church. The wedding party included Shirley Jac...
Taking care of others was a theme of the previous weeks’ Elder Highlight, a theme that will be carried into the selection of Cecelia Lafrance as an elder to highlight. Cecelia has always been a lightening rod for strange happenings. This began at an early age when she first rode the bus to school in Massena and the bus tire fell off, causing all the children to be late for their first day of school. Little did she know then, this mishap would be one of many that she would encounter, especially in her chosen profession in the medical field as a...
There are many different ways Akwesasronon impact the community, helping to make it a better place. The acts of our people do not have to be monumental; it is the little things that truly pull a community together. This weeks’ elder that Indian Time had the privilege of visiting was surprised when we turned up on her doorstep. Last week we highlighted an elder who had dinner with President Obama, this weeks’ elder prepares dinner every night for her grandchildren who she has taken into her hom...
This past Friday the Saint Regis Mohawk Office for the Aging honored the winner of the 2nd Annual My Favorite Elder Contest, Mae Tarbell of Akwesasne. The award winner was selected as someone who met the criteria of being an elder who plays an important role in connecting our community through intergenerational relationships, and is an inspiration to others to follow their lead. In front of a crowd of over 100 friends and family, Tota Mae was honored with a reading of the nomination essay, which...
I’ve had a computer for quite a few years and there are some great things about it if I can figure them out. I have to have patience when I’m using it. A few years ago when I had a part time job, my boss was in Ottawa and Judy and I were in Akwesasne. He got us on the Skype program so we could each be at home and have a meeting with him while he was in Ottawa. I followed all the directions and it wouldn’t work. I went step by step and by the end of the second or third go-round I started swearing. “Why do I have to use this blankety-blank progra...
What a week! I started out this week mourning our losses in Akwesasne. Then I was invited to go to a conference on Aging with the St. Regis Mohawk Senior Citizens. The main speaker at the conference was Dr. Susan Wehry from Vermont and the topic was Alzheimer’s and other brain problems of the elders. What a speaker! She started off by listing the myths about the brain such as “The brain can’t make new cells.” Wrong! Then she talked about the experiments with mice, birds, animals and also humans who donate their brains to science. They are fin...
Everybody who goes to bingo has their favorite things they have to take to every game. My friend brings a colorful insulated mug and fills it with ice water to sip during the game. One day her daughter took her mug and filled it for her. Halfway through Bingo, when the ice melted and the water was almost gone she noticed something in the bottom of the mug. It was the six miniature candy bars she had stored in the mug to hide from everybody else. When we stopped laughing, we all enjoyed the treat. When the Akwesasne Senior Games are on it...
I saw a relative I hadn’t seen for a while and she asked me if I like to cook yet. I used to tell some horror stories about my cooking when I worked two or three jobs at a time and didn’t have much time for preparing meals. I remember one time when we were watching television and saw some poor family saying sometimes they only had cereal for supper. I said to my kids at least we never had to eat cereal for supper. One them piped up and said “Sure we did.” Of course I was outraged and said “We never did! When?!” He said, “You know, ma, whe...
The Akwesasne Senior Center will be the host of a Wii bowling tournament and I signed up for it when I saw how much fun everybody was having when I looked in. With the Wii game it was a lot of movement but without the heaviness of the bowling ball. It will be three Thursdays and Amanda Adams will have it all set up. I was at the Senior Center to attend a meeting with Tina Tarbell about the Senior Games in May. This is the tenth year and as always we listen to the comments of the participants and change a little each year. This year...
I had a dilemma when I had a cut on the top of my thumb. It just wouldn’t heal and really hurt. I finally came up with the bright idea of using crazy glue on it. That would hold it together and still cover it until it healed. Crazy glue comes in a round container containing four one-use only tubes. I punched a hole in one of the aluminum vials and used that to cover my thumb and put the small white plastic cover back on. Then later in the day I thought I’d give myself another protective coat. I got out the vial I used earlier and held...
There have been quite a few events for elders in the past week. We started out the annual Winter Carnival with the Dinner for our Elders. It is quite an event with a delicious meal and we are waited on by all these young people in uniforms. It really was a special event starting a fun filled Winter Carnival. The following week MCA’s Traditional Medicine Program held their fourth annual Healing Conference and the theme for this year was Tasera’kwiniot, “Let the light come in”. Della Adams and her team are to be congratulated for the excelle...
She is eighty-eight years old and still drives her own car. She writes: Dear Grand-daughter, The other day I went up to our local Christian book store and saw a Honk if you love Jesus bumper sticker. I was feeling particularly sassy that day because I had just come from a thrilling choir performance, followed by a thunderous prayer meeting. So, I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper. Boy, am I glad I did, what an uplifting experience that followed. I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, just lost in thought about the Lord...
