Burning wood
Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center
STORY TOLD by STEPHEN SILVERBEAR MCCOMBER
I remember in those years, when I was much younger, there were people still burning wood. There was a lot of wood burning. You would smell the smoke of wood stoves. During the holidays, and especially around new years, people used to go around to visit, so your relatives would come to your house, and that would last about a week.
I remember on New Year’s Eve they would shoot guns. The next day, you would go to your grandmother’s and have a big dinner. In the old days, you had to kneel down in front of your uncle and ask for forgiveness for all the bad things you did during the year. That’s an old custom. And that’s actually a custom that came from the Mohawk Valley. That has nothing to do with Christianity or being in church. It’s an old custom that they used to do; you ask your uncle for forgiveness. That was an old tradition.
The old people used to make homemade wine. Everybody that would come to their house, they would get one little serving of wine. That’s what I remember. I mean, I didn’t drink - I still don’t drink, but I didn’t drink in those days because I was a little kid. But I do remember seeing that. That’s the way it was. People used to go around for about a week. And that was actually an old tradition. It’s got nothing to do with Christianity.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
↓
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ratiientónthos
River road in 1912. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
STEPHEN SILVERBEAR MCCOMBER ROKÁ:RATON
Kè:iahre’ ne tho shiiohseratátie's, sénha é:so ken' shitewatién:ha, shé:kon ratiientónthoskwe’ nón:kwe. É:so ó:iente' watónthoskwe’. Ensaien’kwaráhswo’ ne ó:iente' watónthos karístatsi. Shiwentanó:ron’s, thiká:te' orihwákta ne ohserá:se', ón:kwe shes enienatahréhshon’. Né: ká:ti’ sewatátenonhkwe’ tsi tisanónhsote' eniesanatahren’sè:ra’, tánon’ tóka' tsahià:khsera tho neniohtónhake’.
Kè:iahre’ ne kwa’shontè:ke ne Ohserá:se' káhonre enhonrón:tate’. Tsi saióhrhen’ne’, sahsothnéha ienhénhse’ tánon’ kakhowá:nen tensewá:tonte’. Ne thó:ne, ó:nen’k tsi tenhsatentshó:ten’ raohén:ton ne ianonhà:’a tánon’ enhtsheri’wanón:tonhse’ aonsahiarónkwahse’ tsi ní:kon sarihwanéren' tsi niióhseres. Orihwaká:ion tsi tho nihatiiéhrhahkwe’. Tánon’ Kanièn:ke (Mohawk valley) nitioterihwí:non neh nahò:ten'. Iah káneka tha’tekenì:neren ne tehatiiahsóntha' tóka’ ni’ nononhsatokénhti. Orihwaká:ion tsi tho
nihatiiéhrhahkwe’; enhtsheri’wanón:tonhse’ ianonhà:’a aonsahiarónkwahse’. Orihwaká:ion nen' nè:'e.
Thotí:ien's shes otsì:tsa' wahonthnekón:ni'. Tsi nihá:ti enthotikè:tohte’ tsi thotinónhsote',
ostón:ha enhonwatihné:kanonte’ ne otsì:tsa'. Ne ki’ nì:'i kè:iahre’. Iah ki’ wáhi tekhnekíhrhahkwe’ – shé:kon iah tekhnekíhrha’, nek tsi ne thó:ne iah ki’ tekhnekíhrhahkwe’ ase’kénh keksà:’a se’ wáhi. Nek tsi kè:iahre’ ne tho wa’katkáhtho’. Tho shes niiohtòn:ne’. Ón:kwe shes tehotinatatá:se' tóka' tsahià:khsera tsi nikarì:wes. Tánon’ ne kwah orihwakaionhnéha tsi tho nihatiiéhrhahkwe’. Iah kanéka tha’tekení:neren ne tehatiiahsóntha'.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette