Echoes of a proud nation
Amos Key in full regalia, during Kahnawà:ke’s first powwow in1991. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Lori Beauchamp
After the summer of 1990, the Siege of Kanehsatà:ke, the cultural center was on K1037 Radio, speaking about future initiatives to help the community come together. They spoke of powwows and gave information on what it is. During that time, few people had much knowledge of powwows.
I thought that it was a good idea because of everything our people went through the previous year. We needed something to help uplift our spirits. I attended the first meeting they held which had about 25 people in attendance. Our committee began with 18 members.
Amos Key and Donna Phillips from Six Nations came down to host a powwow workshop and shared information to the new committee. It wasn’t long before we knew this is what we wanted and needed for our community - a drug and alcohol-free event that brings communities and nations together for healing.
We decided we would choose the second weekend in July to commemorate what had happened that weekend in 1990. We also chose to host the powwow in the same area that the army had tried to invade in Kahnawà:ke, honouring the resilience of our community.
Initially, some questioned why we were hosting a powwow because technically at that time it was not part of our culture, but after a few years those people began to support us. Many of them realized our intentions in why we were doing it - to bring our nations together to heal and to bring in money for our community members who sold beadwork, sewing, artwork and food.
The committee was excited to volunteer and do something positive for Kahnawà:ke. We had a lot of fundraising to do so we hosted the first radio bingo with bingo dabbers. Before then, we had used chips on a printed sheet, and you would play every game on the same card. We had to host various raffles and games that were held in the cultural center yard and in various other locations.
A group from Hawaii came to Kahnawà:ke and wanted to help with our first powwow. They held a presentation outside of the cultural center and roasted a hog on the grounds. Everyone enjoyed the food, so they agreed to come and do it again for our powwow. This is how we fed the singers, dancers, and head staff for the powwow.
We decided to host a competition at the powwow to help attract dancers and singers in the area. We did not have many dancers from here at that time, but our powwow made many people from the community want to start dancing. We invited dancers here to Kahnawake to host dancing workshops. This is where many of our people began dancing.
We had quite the number of dancers coming to our first powwow. I remember it being bigger than we thought. The help from Amos and Donna truly made the outcome bigger than our expectations. We had members of our head staff from various regions, and I can recall one coming from as far as Arizona.
The following year, the Mi’kmaq people presented us our first Eagle Staff. The Staff that is the first to enter the powwow circle, held by the head veteran, and posted throughout the weekend. We still use the same one each year.
Our community also began learning to bead and sew, making their own regalia to dance and later many began their own businesses and became powwow vendors.
Kahnawà:ke was not connected to other communities out of the Confederacy. The powwow helped change our relationships with many nations throughout Turtle Island.
Around 1996, Stephen McComber started as our coordinator for the powwow. He was the one who originally mentioned that we should start doing Smoke Dance. Smoke Dance originates from our people and the committee agreed. This began the rise in our dancers. Before then, it was only the original styles of powwow that were being presented.
Over time, we branched out as a non-profit organization. We started as 18 members and now we are only six members who work year-round to make sure the powwow is a success.
Echoes of a Proud Nation Powwow has grown to be the largest powwow in our area. Each year we have record breaking attendance. In 2023, we had over 16,000 people pass through the gates to attend the powwow. Today, our goal is to maintain that level of success. We hope our community continues to come and volunteer as the powwow would not be possible without them.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Kawennotátie' rotira'sè:se' raotinakeráhsera'
Young Haudenosaunee smoke dancers at the Kahnawake powwow circa 2000. (Courtesy: Martin Loft)
Lori Beauchamp IAKOKÁ:RATON
Shontkenhnhò:kten' ne tióhton iawén:re tewen'niáwe tióhton niwáhsen shiiohserá:te', Kanehsatà:ke sha'thonwatinatáhnhake'. Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na' Raotitióhkwa' K.103.7, rotihtharahkwèn:ne' nahò:ten' ronaterien'tahtshénrion ahontia'tarò:roke' ne kèn:'en ratinákere'. Powwows wahatihthá:rahkwe' tánon' wahati'nikonhraién:tahste' oh nahò:ten' nen' nè:'e. Ne tho shontakahá:wi ken' niionkwe'takè:'a ierihwaienteríhne' ne powwow.
Wà:kehre' tsi waterien'tatsherí:io nè:'e tsi akwé:kon tsi nahò:ten' ontionkwe'ta'shòn:'a tehonatohohétston ken' ióhsere'. Teionkwatonhontsoníhahkwe' othé:nen aionkwaia'takéhnha' aiakwatonhnhà:ren'. Tho tia'tarátie'skwe' shontontié:renhte' wahontkennísa'. Tóka' tewáhsen wísk nihá:ti rotike'tóhton. Onkwentióhkwa' tontáhsawen' sha'té:kon iawén:re niiátion iakwaià:tare'.
Ohswekenhró:non Amos Key tánon' Donna Phillips thonenónhne' wahiaterihwahténtia'te' powwow wahnihthá:rahkwe' tánon' wahonwati'nikòn:ron' ne kentióhkwase'. Iah tekarì:wes sok wa'onkwató:kenhse tsi teionkwatonhontsó:ni kí:ken onkwanakeráhsera' aorihwà:ke – iah thé:nen teiako'nikonhraténie's thakaién:take' tánon' iah thé:nen iakononhwarahtòn:tha' thakaién:take' tsi enwaterihwahtén:ti' kanakerahsera'shòn:'a ahontia'tarò:roke' naonsahontkwatá:ko'.
Ia'teionkwarihwaientà:se' eniakwará:ko' ne tekeniháton enwatiahia'khserò:kten' ne Ohiarihkó:wa aonsaiakwatatehiahrahkwenníheke' tsi nitiawèn:'en ne tho shiiotiahia'khsero'ktà:'on ne tióhton iawén:re tewen'niáwe tióhton niwáhsen shiiohserá:te'. Nok ò:ni' ionkwarákwen ne shà:ka tsi nón:we aiakwaterihwahténtia'te' ne powwow tsi nón:we ratishotá:r ronate'nientòn:ne' aionkhinenhrénhten' ne Kahnawà:ke.
Tsi tiotahsawáhkwen, ótia'ke wahatiri'wanón:ton' oh nontié:ren powwow eniakwaterihwahténtia'te' nè:'e tsi ne tho shontakahá:wine' iah tekarátie' tsi niionkwarihò:ten. Nek tsi tóhka niiohserá:ke ohnà:ken sok tahontáhsawen' taionkhihswanéta' thí:ken onkwehshòn:'a. É:so rá:ti wahotitó:kenhse' tsi niionkwa'nikonhrò:ten tsi eh tho niiakwaierà:ne' - aiakwatia'tarò:roke' onkwanakerahsera'shòn:'a aonsaiakwatkwatá:ko' tánon' aontakahwistínion'te' ne kèn:'en ratinákere' raotirihwà:ke tsi niká:ien' rontenhní:nons ne tekatsi'nehtará:ron, ka'nikhónnion, nahò:ten' ronón:ni, tánon' ne atennà:tshera'.
Thia'tehronnonhnhà:rahkwe' ne kentióhkwa' ahonthonkária'ke' tánon' ahatiia'takéhnha' Kahnawà:ke. Ó:nen'k tsi wáhi é:so eniakwahwistarò:roke', ne káti' wa'akwaterihwahténtia'te' ne tiotierénhton owerà:ke ienenhstahéhrha' tánon' ionhsohkwahrhóhstha' wa'ákwatste'. Ohén:ton ne thó:ne, ó:nen'k tsi otsihkwa'shòn:'a wa'ákwatste' tánon' tekahna'netáhkwen kahiatónhsera', tánon' tsi ní:kon ténhsien' sha'kahiatónhsera' énhsatste'. Ó:nen'k tsi nia'té:kon raffles tánon' teieientáhkhwa' wa'akwaterihwahténtia'te' Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na' Raotióhkwa' raonaten'èn:rakon tánon' aktè:shon nón:we nontonterihwahtentión:ko'.
Skentióhkwa' ne Hawaiihró:non Kahnawà:ke thonenónhne' tánon' wahón:nehre' ahontahsnié:nen' ne tiotierénhton powwow eniakwaterihwahténtia'te'. Átste nonkwá:ti ne Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na' Raotitióhkwa' wahonterihwahténtia'te' wa'thatinónniahkwe' tánon' kwéskwes wahonte'skón:ten' aten'èn:rakon. Akwé:kon wa'onkwatenna'tsherá:ka'we', wahatirihwanòn:we'ne' káti' aontahón:ne' tánon' aonsahonterihwahténtia'te' thí:ken nó:nen onkwá:wen powwow eniakwaterihwahténtia'te'. Ken' ní:tsi wa'akhí:nonte' ne ronterennótha', ne tehatinonniáhkhwa', tánon' nohén:ton rón:nete' ne powwow.
Ia'teionkwarihwaientà:se' eniakwaterihwahténtia'te' tahontkén:ni' powwow nón:we néne aontahoti'nikonhratihéntho' ne aktóntie' ratinákere' tehatinonniáhkhwa' tánon' ne ronterennótha'. Iah é:so teiontionkwe'taién:tahkwe' ne tehatinonniáhkhwa' ne kèn:'en ne thó:ne, nek tsi onkwá:wen powwow tahoti'nikonhratihéntho' ón:kwe ne kèn:'en ratinákere' aontahontáhsawen' tahatinónniahkwe'. Kèn:tho iakhikonkarawíhne' tehatinonniáhkhwa' aontahón:nehte' ahonterihwahténtia'te' ahshakotirihónnien' tahatinónniahkwe'. Kèn:tho ki' nón:tawe' tsi é:so rá:ti ontionkwe'ta'shòn:'a tahontáhsawen' wa'thatinónniahkwe'.
Kwah ken' nihá:ti tehatinonniáhkhwa' thonenónhne' ne tiotierénhton powwow wa'akwaterihwahténtia'te'. Kè:iahre' sénha wa'kowáhnha' tsi ní:ioht tsi wa'ákwehre'. Amos tánon' Donna tó:kenske tsi ísi' nón: niionkhiia'takéhnhen tsi ní:ioht tsi ionkwahrhá:rehkwe'. Aktè:shon nón: nithonenónhseron ne ohén:ton rón:nete' rotiió'te', kè:iahre' tseià:ta Arizona niió:re nitiakawé:non.
Shonsaióhserate', Mi'kmaqhró:non wa'onkhí:ion' ne tiotierénhton Á:kweks Atén:nits. Né: entewatié:renhte' ienwatáweia'te' ne powwow teiothwe'nón:ni. Thaia'takwe'ní:io Roteriiohsónhne' ienháhawe' sok enkahnió:take' tsi nikarì:wes nenwatiahia'khserò:kten'. Shé:kon ne shà:ka iakwátstha' thia'teiohserá:ke.
Tahontáhsawen' ò:ni' onkwanakeráhsera' wahatiweientéhta'ne' oh ní:tsi tahatitsi'nehtará:ron' tánon' ahati'níkhon', ahontatahkwennónnien' tahatinónniahkwe'. Sok ohnà:ken tahontáhsawen' wahonterihwahténtia'te' wahontkè:ron' tánon' powwow thontkehrontáhkhwa'.
Kahnawà:ke iah tha'teionkwatiéhston ne thikanakerahseraténion ne iah tehotinonhsión:ni. Wa'onkwaia'takéhnha' ne powwow taiakwaté:ni' tsi ní:ioht tsi na'teiákwe' ne thikanakerahseraténion O'nowara'kéhshon nón:we.
Ákta ne tióhton iawén:re tewen'niáwe tióhton niwáhsen ià:ia'k shiiohserá:te', Stephen McComber tahatáhsawen' tahaniarotáhrhoke' tsi iakwaterihwahserón:nis ne powwow. Raónha ki' wahahthá:rahkwe' aontaiakwatáhsawen' ne Iontien'kwarón:nis na'kanonniò:ten'. Ontionkwe'tà:ke niotenonní:non ne Iontien'kwarón:nis taienónniahkwe' tánon' wahatirihwanòn:we'ne' ne kentióhkwa'. Né: kí:ken takarihón:ni' tsi wahatihsennowáhnha' nontionkwe'ta'shòn:'a tehatinonniáhkhwa'. Ohén:ton ne thó:ne, kwah nek ne kanonnia'onwe'shòn:'a ne powwow tekanonniahkwèn:ne'.
Ken' nikarì:wes, sok iah tehonthwistón:nis wa'akwá:ton' tsi iakwaterihwahtentià:tha'. Sha'té:kon iawén:re niiatiòn:ne' iakwaià:tare' shontaiakwatáhsawen', ok nòn:wa ià:ia'k khok nitsátion ohserakwé:kon ionkwaio'tátie' ne orihwí:io aiatión:ni' tsi akwé:kon entkaié:ri'ne' ne powwow.
Kawennotátie' Rotira'sè:se' Raotinakeráhsera' Powwow iotehiahròn:'on ne aonhà:'a tkowá:nen powwow ne kèn:tho tsi ní:wa'. Thia'teiohserá:ke ísi' nón: nihá:ti enthontáweia'te' tsi ní:ioht ne ken' ióhsere' thonataweià:ton. Tewáhsen tewen'niáwe tewáhsen áhsen shiiohserá:te', ísi' nón:we ne ià:ia'k iawén:re niiohsénhserote' niionkwè:take ronatohétston tsi ioten'enhrakà:ronte' niahontáweia'te' ne powwow. Nòn:wa, ne ki' teionkwatonhontsó:ni ne sha'taioianeréhake'. Ionkwahrharatsherá:ien' tsi kèn:'en ratinákere' ienshontahsónteren' enthón:ne' tánon' enhonthonkária'ke' ase'kénh iah thaón:ton' aonterihwahtén:ti' ne powwow tóka' iah thonnè:sheke'.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette