Speech by Francine Lemay at the book launch
Kanehsatà:ke, July 11, 2010
Dear Friends and Guests,
It is an honour and a joy to be here among you for the book launch of À l’orée des bois, the French version of At the Woods’Edge, an anthology of the history of the people of Kanehsatà:ke written some years ago by two Mohawk authors whom you had the privilege of hearing a few moments ago.
This story of the people of Kanehsatà:ke before and after the arrival of the Europeans in America and up to the Oka crisis, about which I read for the first time six years ago, overwhelmed me, but also informed me about realities hitherto unknown to me. It is not their point of view versus that of non-Natives, but the fruit of four years of laborious research during which the authors consulted numerous archives and compiled documents pertaining to their history. Their research brought forth stunning and troubling revelations. It is this story that I volonteered to translate for the benefit of all.
Lack of knowledge often causes us to judge or generalize about a people group. We are not born with prejudices. Myths are built up slowly. They are transmitted, transformed, and perpetuated until they become anchored in the psyche of a society. They become barricades that separate peoples, nations, and even neighbours. These barricades are then extremely difficult to break down.
A series of events that I qualify as divine appointments and not merely as "happy coincidences" led me down the road to personal healing and reconciliation with the Mohawks of Kanehsatake. Only after reading the book Window of Hope…and Reconciliation by Donald Gingras—which tells about his own reconciliation with Anglo-Canadians—did the idea of translating At the Woods’Edge come to me. Filled with a deep conviction to make this information available to the francophone community, I followed the dictates of my heart and started translation in March 2009 with the approval of the people concerned.
My first purpose in translating this book is to inform. But I also hope it will help bring down the barricades of misunderstanding, of mistrust and of resentment, so that Whites and Natives can look at each other and live side by side without preconceived ideas or grudges. This does not come about on its own, but it is possible since I, who have felt the pain of losing my brother in this crisis which affected the whole of Quebec, have gained through the grace of God an understanding of the pain of the Mohawks of Kanehsatake and considered their loss through the centuries. My reconciliation with them has since allowed me to establish deep and honest bonds of friendship with many members of the community.
When I look at a person, what I see first is a human being who has the same desires and needs as me: that is, to love and to be loved. And when I know a bit about a person’s background and history, I can then more easily enter into his or her world and into a relationship with that person and better understand their present situation. This reflects what I experienced in reading and translating At the Woods’Edge.
My greatest desire is that, after having read this book, you may consider the source of your own misconceptions, question them and take the road to reconciliation, if this has not already been done. It is up to each individual to dismantle the barricades erected in their hearts and soul. I sincerely believe that the blood of my brother that was spilled near here, in the pines, will serve a greater purpose than anyone can imagine. Even if his death is unacceptable, unjustifiable and irreplaceable, it will not be in vain.
Our license plate reads “Je me souviens”, I remember. But how can we remember something we are not even aware of? And did we forget that negotiation rather than confrontation is the more excellent way? Do we learn from our errors so we can avoid repeating them and do better? I firmly believe that the assault that took place here 20 years ago was a mistake and a failure. A simple work of mediation could have spared us the Oka crisis, the death of a man who was a peace officer who loved life and his family, and save many millions of dollars.
It is my firm conviction that we can all be agents of justice, ministers of reconciliation, ambassadors of good will and peacemakers. No one can force us to do this: the choice is ours. We can all make a difference. The words forgiveness, faith, hope and sharing are not outdated, but contemporary and life-transforming.
To learn more about my journey to reconciliation with the Mohawk people, I invite you to consult my website at www.francinelemay.com.
Thank you
Niawenhkó:wa
Dear Friends and Guests,
It is an honour and a joy to be here among you for the book launch of À l’orée des bois, the French version of At the Woods’Edge, an anthology of the history of the people of Kanehsatà:ke written some years ago by two Mohawk authors whom you had the privilege of hearing a few moments ago.
This story of the people of Kanehsatà:ke before and after the arrival of the Europeans in America and up to the Oka crisis, about which I read for the first time six years ago, overwhelmed me, but also informed me about realities hitherto unknown to me. It is not their point of view versus that of non-Natives, but the fruit of four years of laborious research during which the authors consulted numerous archives and compiled documents pertaining to their history. Their research brought forth stunning and troubling revelations. It is this story that I volonteered to translate for the benefit of all.
Lack of knowledge often causes us to judge or generalize about a people group. We are not born with prejudices. Myths are built up slowly. They are transmitted, transformed, and perpetuated until they become anchored in the psyche of a society. They become barricades that separate peoples, nations, and even neighbours. These barricades are then extremely difficult to break down.
A series of events that I qualify as divine appointments and not merely as "happy coincidences" led me down the road to personal healing and reconciliation with the Mohawks of Kanehsatake. Only after reading the book Window of Hope…and Reconciliation by Donald Gingras—which tells about his own reconciliation with Anglo-Canadians—did the idea of translating At the Woods’Edge come to me. Filled with a deep conviction to make this information available to the francophone community, I followed the dictates of my heart and started translation in March 2009 with the approval of the people concerned.
My first purpose in translating this book is to inform. But I also hope it will help bring down the barricades of misunderstanding, of mistrust and of resentment, so that Whites and Natives can look at each other and live side by side without preconceived ideas or grudges. This does not come about on its own, but it is possible since I, who have felt the pain of losing my brother in this crisis which affected the whole of Quebec, have gained through the grace of God an understanding of the pain of the Mohawks of Kanehsatake and considered their loss through the centuries. My reconciliation with them has since allowed me to establish deep and honest bonds of friendship with many members of the community.
When I look at a person, what I see first is a human being who has the same desires and needs as me: that is, to love and to be loved. And when I know a bit about a person’s background and history, I can then more easily enter into his or her world and into a relationship with that person and better understand their present situation. This reflects what I experienced in reading and translating At the Woods’Edge.
My greatest desire is that, after having read this book, you may consider the source of your own misconceptions, question them and take the road to reconciliation, if this has not already been done. It is up to each individual to dismantle the barricades erected in their hearts and soul. I sincerely believe that the blood of my brother that was spilled near here, in the pines, will serve a greater purpose than anyone can imagine. Even if his death is unacceptable, unjustifiable and irreplaceable, it will not be in vain.
Our license plate reads “Je me souviens”, I remember. But how can we remember something we are not even aware of? And did we forget that negotiation rather than confrontation is the more excellent way? Do we learn from our errors so we can avoid repeating them and do better? I firmly believe that the assault that took place here 20 years ago was a mistake and a failure. A simple work of mediation could have spared us the Oka crisis, the death of a man who was a peace officer who loved life and his family, and save many millions of dollars.
It is my firm conviction that we can all be agents of justice, ministers of reconciliation, ambassadors of good will and peacemakers. No one can force us to do this: the choice is ours. We can all make a difference. The words forgiveness, faith, hope and sharing are not outdated, but contemporary and life-transforming.
To learn more about my journey to reconciliation with the Mohawk people, I invite you to consult my website at www.francinelemay.com.
Thank you
Niawenhkó:wa
