For Ada
Joe’s great aunt, Warisose Marquis, is resting on the cradleboard made for her while her sister, Joe’s grandmother, Konwanen’tá:wi Marquis, stands to her left. Their parents, Pierre Kanatase Marquis (left) and Anne Konwarakwenni Williams (right), pose next to them. (Courtesy: Joe Jacobs)
Story told by Joe Jacobs
The cradleboard that I made for my granddaughter Ada was my first one. I didn’t make it fancy because I tried to make it more of a traditional style.
I was inspired to make this cradleboard seeing that my grandmother and great aunt had also used one.
It’s made of pine and the handle is hickory. I made the template for the cushion and moss bag and brought it to a friend for sewing.
A moss bag is used to wrap babies in their cradleboards to keep them dry. There’s a type of moss that babies wouldn’t get a rash from because of the medicine in it.
Julia Brown did the painting. I told her that I wanted bears, strawberries, and blueberries. Onawa is of the bear clan, so on the board is a mother bear and her two cubs, Max and Ada.
The bird life painted on the cradleboard reflects some of the bird life that come to visit and feed at Onawa’s because she’s always feeding them.
There was an eagle that passed over our house so maybe something was guiding Julia when she did the painting.
My daughter Onawa will have a story for Ada later on that her Baba made this for her when she was a baby.
Kanien'kéha version
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Kanien'kéha version ↓
Ada akó:wen
Joe displays the cradleboard he crafted for his granddaughter. (Credit: Emma McLaughlin)
Káhrhon wa’kheiónnien’ ne kheiaterè:’a Ada, nè:’e tontié:renhte’ tsi wákhson’. Iah teiotkwéniens tsi ní:ioht tsi wà:khsa’ ase’kénh wa’kate’nién:ten’ sénha orihwakaionhnéha akón:ni’.
Onke’nikonhrahní:rate’ akón:ni’ kí:ken káhrhon’ tsi wa’khé:ken’ akhsótha’ tánon’ teiohsotsherá:ne aktén:t ò:ni’ nè:’e ionátston.
Tionerahtase’kó:wa na’kaientò:ten’ ionnià:ton ok onennóhkera’ na’kaientò:ten’ ionnià:ton ne onekerenhétsha’. Tionte’nienténhstha’ wa’kón:ni’ né:ne otkòn:sera’ tánon’ owirà:’a iontia’tita’áhstha’ ká:iare’ aó:wen sok ontiátshi ia’khehawíhten’ wa’e’níkhon’.
Owirà:’a iontia’tita’áhstha’ ká:iare’ ne ióntstha’ taiontathwawèn:’eke’ ne owirà:’a nó:nen kahrhonhtsherà:ke iakoia’tanentá:kon tánon’ ne tóhsa aiakoia’taná:wenhste’. Ká:ien’ tiok nikawerahsò:ten ne iah thaiakota’keráhkwen’ ne owirà:’a né: tsi onónhkwa’ tho ítewa’.
Julia Brown iakokontsheráhrhon. Wa’khehró:ri’ tsi tewakatonhontsó:ni ohkwá:ri, ken’ niiohontésha tánon’ kahrhata’kéha akaráhstonke’. Iakohskaré:wake ne Oná:wa’, né: káti’ kahrhonhtsherà:ke kontiià:tare’ nohkwá:ri konwati’nisténha tánon’ ne tekeniiáhse’ ohkwá:ri owí:ra’, Max tánon’ Ada ne tewate’nienténhston.
Tsi nikón:ti otsi’ten’okòn:’a kontiia’tarónnion ne káhrhon ne tewate’nienténhston tsi nikón:ti otsi’tèn:’a tkontinatà:re’s takontskà:hon’ ne Onawà:ke ase’kénh tiakokontáhkwen konwatinón:tens.
Á:kweks ontóhetste’ è:neken tsi tionkwanónhsote’ tóka’ nòn:wa tiok nahò:ten’ Julia wa’akorihorénhten’ sha’ekontsheráhrho’.
Eniakokaraién:take’ ne kheièn:’a Oná:wa’ ne Ada akorihwà:ke tsi ronwahsótha nè:’e wahshakaónnien’ kí:ken shiie.
Translated by Katsenhaién:ton Lazare
Back of the cradleboard painted by artist Julie Brown. (Credit: Emma McLaughlin)