Atsiaktonkie: Passing on teachings, in the tradition
Atsiaktonkie is head of Standing Rock Boxing Club in Massena.
(Photo contributed)  Boxing has more than its share of heroes
with troubled histories, folks drawn to the roped-in space like
a ship in the night seeks starlight. For them boxing is a
metaphor for life in this world. It says fear, pain, and self-
doubt needn't have the last word. If you can walk with them, you
can win, inside the ring and out of it. I knew this before
talking to Atsiaktonkie, but the spirit in him is so strong it
was like encountering it anew.  Atsiaktonkie (ah-jak-doon-gay)
is head of Standing Rock Boxing Club in Massena. He goes by
"Doogie," a variation of the last two syllables of the Mohawk
name. If you've been to local amateur shows you've seen him
working the corner for his skilled boxers, shouting commands in
Mohawk to kids who, under his guidance, are finding that boxing
lessons are life lessons. Most of the youth at Standing Rock are
from the St. Regis Reservation, and t