Balance
Credit: Simona Rosenfield
Story told by Amelia McGregor
Because I’m an only child, I’d have arguments with me, myself, and I. We always used to argue about something. And then, when we were happy, me, myself, and I were always very happy.
Personality-wise, it goes up and down. I can be very melancholy or depressed, but I can also be very happy like a clown, always to the extreme of both sides. There was never anything balanced in-between. I had to figure that out on my own as I was growing up.
I grew up with the language. At home that’s what was spoken. When I started going to school, all of a sudden, they started talking in English to me because they didn’t want me to be behind. I never even questioned it. Why is it that they started speaking English to me when I started school? I was talking Mohawk at home, and they were talking Mohawk at home, but when I started school, it was English.
Part of my Mohawk language is more of a child as opposed to adult.
Sha’teiókste
Amelia McGregor iakoká:raton
Tsi iah tewakatate’kèn:shen, akonhà:’k tenkataterihwatirón:ten’ shes. Tió:konte nahò:ten’k tenkataterihwatirón:ten’ kí:. Sok ki’ nó:nen enkatshennón:ni’, enkatshennón:ni’ ki’.
Tsi nonkwá:ti tsi nikonhnhò:ten’, enwathará:tate’ nok entewà:sen’ne’. Enwá:ton’ entke’nikòn:ren’ne’ tóka’ ni’ enkonhnháksen’ne’, nek tsi enwá:ton’ ni’ é:so tsi enwakatshennonníhake’ tsi ní:ioht naié:ron, tió:konte tsi ia’teiotiá:note niió:re. Iah nonwén:ton sha’té:was tekénhne’. Ó:nen’k tsi akonhwa’tsíwa nè:’e iahà:khewe’ shontonkwatehiahróntie’.
Onkwehonwehnéha wakatehiahrónhkwen. Né: khók ionkwatatì:’on tsi tionkwanónhsote. Shontakatáhsawen’ akaterihwaienstà:na’, thontaiawénhstsi’ tahontáhsawen’ Tiohrhèn:sha aionkwatewennontáhkwen’ ase’kén iah tehoné:ron ohnà:ken akè:sheke’. Akwé:kon iah tewakeri’wanón:ton oh nontié:ren. Oh nontié:ren tahontáhsawen’ Tiohrhèn:sha aionkwatewennontáhkwen’ shontakatáhsawen akaterì:waienste’? Tsi tionkwanónhsote Kanien’kéha katatíhehkwe’, tánon’ rontatíhehkwe’ Kanien’kéha kanónhskon, nek tsi shontakatáhsawen’ akaterì:waienste’, Tiohrhèn:sha wahontewennón:tahkwe’.
Iah thiekewennaié:ri ase’kén é:so wa’tkewén:nahkwe’ shikeksà:’a né:ne iá:we’ tsi wakatehià:ron.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette