Christmas in Kahnawà:ke
Watsenni:ne McComber and her grandchildren gather for both the Christmas holiday and her birthday.
Story told by Watsenni:ne McComber
Christmas in Kahnawà:ke used to be a really big thing back in the 60s. It always started off with all the ladies cleaning their house from top to bottom.
All their cupboards were cleaned out, stairs, walls, ceilings, you name it.
And then all the fruit cakes and pie making.
My mother would make a lot of fruit cakes, she had a big white porcelain baby bath that she used as a mixing bowl. Just for fruit cakes, no babies would get into that.
From time to time after the cakes were made, they were wrapped in cheesecloth and soaked in brandy.
My father used to go with his uncle and his friend up to Saint Lucie before Christmas to cut down trees and bring them back for his uncle, my grandfather and a few others in the family.
It was an all-day process so they would only get back late at night.
My father would put it in a pail of water to let it defrost until we were ready to put it up and decorate it.
I must have been about 11 years old. It was Christmas time and we had our tree set up.
My parents weren’t home at the time and all the kids were rambunctious with all the festivities going on and to see the ornaments and decorations.
My brother John was about seven years old. He and his friend Lincoln were playing hide and seek in the house.
Everything was going good until Lincoln had the idea to go and hide behind the Christmas tree.
I knew where he was and kept motioning to him, “Get outta there, get outta there.” I had a premonition that something bad would happen because it wasn’t tied off.
Sure enough. Crash!
The tree fell over because Lincoln got too close to it.
The box that the tree was sitting on was fine but so many of the vintage ornaments were broken.
Just then I looked up and saw my parents coming into the driveway.
They came in, saw the tree, and Lincoln got sent home.
I’m the oldest, so I got in trouble for not watching them while the whole time I was trying to get them out of there.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Rotón:ni nikahá:wi Kahnawà:ke
Watsenni:ne McComber IAKOKÁ:RATON
É:so shes iorihowá:nen ne Ratonnià:ne' Kahnawà:ke ne ià:ia'k niwáhsen's shiiohseratátie's. Tiótkon tontáhsawen' tsi konnón:kwe kwah kanonhsakwekónhshon tenkontohtáhrho'.
Akwé:kon teionatohtáhrhon ne ieksata'áhstha', iotinóhare' tsi kanekó:tote', tsi tewahsonhtotónnion tánon' tsi kentskaráhere', senà:ton, tho na'kontí:iere'.
Sok akwé:kon tewahiaiéhston teiona'taratsikhè:tare' tánon' tekahswá:ne enkontena'tarón:ni'.
Istèn:'a é:so kana'tará:ke tewahiaiéhston teiona'taratsikhè:tare' eniontena'tarón:ni'. Ka'nahkowá:nen owirà:'a iontawenhstáhkhwa' iakoién:tahkwe' néne iontstáhkhwa' tsi ní:ioht ne teiewenriè:tha' akè:ra'. Kwah nek tewahiaiéhston teiona'taratsikhè:tare' aó:wen, iah ki' owirà:'a thaiontíta' ne ka'náhkwakon.
Ken' na'tekónteron tsi ó:nen sha'kana'tará:ri' ne teiona'taratsikhè:tare', tsí:s aonia'tarà:'a tenkontihwawèn:'eke' sok brandy ienkontinà:tarohwe'.
Rake'níha tánon' rononhà:'a tánon' ronatén:ro shes Saint Lucie iehonnéhtha' ohén:ton Ratonnià:ne'. Enhontkwirià:khon' sok tentehshakotinen'tenhawíhten' ne rononhà:'a, rakhsothkénha, tánon' ronátia'ke kahwitsí:rakon.
Kontátie' ki' thí:ken enhotiió'teke' sok tó:k nitio'karà:'on tsi énshnewe'.
Kanà:tsakon kahné:kare' ienhanèn:tohwe' rake'níha, enhanennio'kwaná:wenhte' tsi niió:re wa'akwatateweiennén:ta'ne' aiakwatenen'tó:ten' tánon' aiakwatenen'tahserón:ni'.
11 ónhte na'tewakohseriià:kon ne thó:ne. Rotón:ni shikahá:wi tánon' ionkwatenèn:tote'.
Iah tehni'terón:tahkwe' iontièn:'a ne sho shikahá:wi tánon' akwé:kon ratiksa'okòn:'a ronatenonhwaroríston tsi nia'té:kon ioterihwahténtion nok ahontkáhtho' akwé:kon ne iontenen'tahseronnià:tha' tánon' ne iontenonhsahseronnià:tha'.
Rikèn:'a John tsá:ta na'tehaohseriia'kòn:ne' tóka'. Raónha tánon' ronatén:ro Lincoln ronatkahri'tsherón:ni tehiatatahton'tén:ni ne kanónhskon.
Akwé:kon ioianerátiene' tsi niió:re Lincoln wahaterien'tatshén:ri' nohnà:ken tsi kanèn:tote' ahatahsehtà:na'. Wakaterièn:tarahkwe' wáhi tsi nón: nihotahséhton, sok ia'thiiatenentshateníhon'se' tahì:nonke', "Tasatahsehtá:ko tho, tasatahsehtá:ko ne tho."
Wa'káttoke' tsi thé:nen'k tenka'niohskèn:'en ase'kén iah tekahwáneren ne kanèn:tote'.
Orihwí:io wáhi. Tiá'ks!
Wa'kanen'tié:nen'ne' nè:'e tsi só:tsi ákta wà:rehte' ne Lincoln.
Iah ki' thé:nen teiawèn:'en ne o'neróhkwa' è:neken kanen'tà:rahkwe' nek tsi é:so wa'tkà:ri'ne' ne iokaiòn:'on iontenen'tahseronnià:tha'.
Kwah thó:ne wa'katahrakétsko' tánon' wa'khé:ken' iontièn:'a tsi ionte'serehtaientáhkhwa' tà:ne'.
Tahiatáweia'te' wahiatkáhtho' tsi kanen'tienèn:'en, sok tsi thonónhsote' sahonwató:ri' Lincoln.
Ì:'i tekkowá:nen, né: ká:ti' akwé:kon tonkwáterahse' tsi iah tekheiaterohròn:ne' nek tsi
Translated by Sahawisó:ko' Arquette