Always in their garden
(Courtesy: Culture Center Kahnawake)
Story told by June Mayo
My grandmother had a garden. We couldn’t really walk straight in the backyard or the front yard because the rows made it bumpy.
We had a lot more variety back then, more than we have now. We had fruit trees – plum trees, pears, apples, peaches, cherries. People grew white apples, McIntosh.
At that time, they used to trade and barter. “You give me some of your apples, and I’ll give you some of mine.”
The old people used to come out with a stick and say, “Get off my apple tree!” And we’d say, “See how fast you can catch me.”
It was because they worked hard on their trees. It takes a long time to get an apple tree.
The older people would work, work, work, work.
The first thing you’d see in the morning, people would already be hoeing. People would always be in their garden.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tiótkon Kahéhtakon Thón:ne'skwe' Nón:kwe
Crab apple tree in bloom in Kahnawake. (Courtesy: Elaine Delaronde)
JUNE MAYO IAKOKÁ:RATON
Iakohehtaién:tahkwe' ne akhsótha'. Iah shos thaón:ton' iottakwaríhsion aiakwahtentión:ko' ohnà:ken tsi iakothén:taien' tóka' ni' ne ohén:ton ase'kénh sótsi iaonrahkwánion tsi niioié:ren thí:ken iothahonniánion.
Sénha nia'teiotitióhkwake ionkwaién:tahkwe' ne tho shitkahá:wi, sénha tsi ní:ioht nòn:wa tsi niionkwá:ien'. Wahianiióntha' ionkwatkwiró:tonhkwe'. Wíhson, kátshe' káhi, sewahió:wane', tekakenwhará:ron, é:ri. Wahiarà:ken sewahió:wane', macintosh shos enieiéntho' nón:kwe.
Ne tho shitkahá:wi, tenhontá:ton' tánon' tenhatinón:waienhte'. "Táshawh tohkára' niwà:iake ne sáhi sok enskón:ion’ tohkára niwà:iake nakwáhi."
Enthatiiá:ken'ne' ne thotí:ien's ratinakarenhá:wi tánon' enhonnì:ron', "Tóhsa satsté:rist ákkwire' wahianiióntha'!" Sok tentiakwèn:ron', "Ka' shí:ken tó: niiosnó:re' enhskwaié:na'."
Eh nenhatí:iere' ase'kénh kwah tokèn:'en wahotiió'ten' ne raotikwire'shòn:'a. Karì:wes tsi niió:re enwahianiión:ten' ne sá:kwire' sewahió:wane'. Tiótkon enhotiió'ten', enhotiió'ten', enhotiió'ten', enhotiió'ten' ne thotí:ien's.
Kwah nè:'e tiotierenhtáhkwen nahò:ten' enhsatkáhtho' nohrhon'kè:ne, ok nà:'a ronathehtáien' nón:kwe. Tiótkon kahéhtakon thón:ne'skwe' nón:kwe.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde