Canadian
Family portrait of the Canadian family. Big John Canadian is in the bottom row, at the centre. (Courtesy: Só:se Raientonnis)
Story told by Só:se Raientonnis
I sometimes get tired of my name “Canadian.” Everytime I go to the border, I have to give a recital about how I got a name like that because the border agents want to know. So I go through a long spiel.
My great grandfather, John Canadian, was the only one who spoke French on the reserve. He used to interpret for the people here to the salesmen who would come here to sell their products. They’d call him to translate, “Oh call Kanaién:.” Kanaién: is the way they’d pronounce Canadian in those days. That was the way they spoke then.
Eventually, his name became Canadian. Kanaién: in Mohawk also means French. He’s Kanaién: - that means he’s a Frenchman. He never bothered to correct it even though that wasn’t his real name.
His name was Raientón:nis. It means carpenter. That was his last name. It should have evolved to Carpenter but it didn’t. They stuck with the name Canadian and his sons never changed it.
Kanaién:
Só:se Raientonnis ROKÁ:RATON
Sewatié:rens enwakaterihonkóhten’ tsi nahò:ten’ tewakhsennà:sere’ “Canadian”. Thia’teká:konte’ nó:nen ia’tenkeristí:ia’ke’ , ó:nen’k tsi enkká:raton’ tsi ní:tsi watientà:’on ne tho nikahsennò:ten ase’kénh tsi karistì:seron ohén:ton rón:nete’ tehonatonhontsó:ni ahonaterièn:tarake’. Ne káti kaká:res enkká:raton’ ki’.
Teiohsotsherá:ne rakhsótha’ raonhà:’ak shos rahrónkha ne O’seronni’kéha tsi kanonhstá:ton. Shakotewennakaratá:tiskwe ne kèn:’en ratinákere nó:nen rontenhní:nons enthón:ne’ aontahontkehròn:na’. Raónha ienhonwatewennátahse’ ahatewennakará:tate’, “Ó: Kanaién: iatshatewennátahs”. Tho shos ne ní:tsi enhonatewennónnien’ Candian ne tho shontakaháwi. Tho ki’ ní:tsi rontá:ti ne thó:ne.
Kháre ki’ ó:nen, Canadian ón:ton’ ne raohsén:na’. O’serón:ni ni’ nè:’e kén:ton ne Kanaién: ne Onkwehonwehnéha. Kanaién: nahaia’tò:ten’, nè:’e kén:ton tsi Ra’serón:ni. Iah tánon’ nowén:ton tehorihwakwarihsià:ton arenhátien tsi iah kwah ne tehohsén:na’.
Raientón:nis ronwá:iatskwe. Nè:’e kén:ton tsi rahson’karaké:tas. Nè:’e ki’ ronwá:iatskwe’. Taonsaiotténion’ ne kahsén:na’ tsi niió:re Carpenter nek tsi iah tho teiawèn:’en. Iahatikón:tahkwe’ ne kahsén:na’ Canadian tánon’ shakoien’okòn:’a iah nowén:ton tha’tehotiténion.
Translation by Katsenhaién:ton Lazare