If you don't use it, you can lose it
Susan was an active member of the old Language and Resource Centre, Kanehsatà:ke Tsi Ronterihwanónhnha' ne Kanien'kéha, in Kanehsatake and participated in the creation of Kanien’kéha books and manuals. Half of the Kanien’kéha in the 1999 book, “Onkwawén:na Kanien’kéha Shonkwaia’tíson Tehshonkwá:wi”, was transcribed by Susan. (Courtesy: Susan Simon)
Story told by Susan Simon
All that was spoken in our house was Mohawk. When we started going to school, our father would say, "Tóhsa satá:ti thí: Tiohrhèn:sha,” which means, “Don’t speak that English.” I am so happy he did that because we would have lost our language. You know, if you don’t use it, you can lose it.
I learnt my Mohawk in my home and at church. Our church was English but most of the songs we’d sing were in Mohawk so that’s how I learnt the wording. It’s broken down into syllables in there.
I was working in Montreal at the Royal Bank in the import and export department. Then I got transferred to work in the collections department. My department at the Royal Bank was moving to Toronto and I said I couldn’t go because my husband was a paramedic in Montreal. So then I went looking for a job in Kanehsatà:ke at the Language Center and I got hired right away.
I’ve helped write a lot of books. I helped with the typing but it would take so long because the language is not like English. There are only 11 letters in our language but there are so many accents. Language groups in several Mohawk communities have used those books we made.
A lot of people in Kanehsatà:ke are Longhouse so a lot of the stories they would write are about their culture. You learn a lot when you write their books.
The old language center, when I was working there, used to be a school for the French who would come there by buses. We would work out of one section of that building. The building was torn down because it had asbestos so now the new building is on Joseph Swan Road, near the health center.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Iakohronkhà:'on tánon' iakohiá:ton tsi nitewawennò:ten
Book published by Kanehsatà:ke Tsi Ronterihwanónhnha' ne Kanien'kéha in 1996 titled “Kanonhsésne Watèn:niote” meaning “Longhouse Wedding”. Susan transcribed the Kanien’kéha for this publication. (Courtesy: Susan Simon)
Susan Simon IAKOKÁ:RATON
Kanien'kéha khok iakwatatíhahkwe' tsi tionkwanónhsote'. Shontaiakwatáhsawen' wa'akwaterihwaienstà:na', shonkwa'nihkénha enhèn:ron', "Tóhsa satá:ti thí: Tiohrhèn:sha."
Niwakatshennón:ni tsi eh tho nihoié:ren nè:'e tsi aionkwatewennahtón:ni. Saterièn:tare', tóka' iah tháhsatste', enwá:ton' ensáhton'se'.
Tsi tewakenónhsote' tánon' ononhsatokenhtì:ke nitewakahronkhà:'on ne Kanien'kéha. Tiohrhèn:shahkwe' onkwanonhsatokénhti nek tsi thó:ha akwé:kon ne karenna'shòn:'a Kanien'kéha ki' teniakwarì:wahkwe'. Tho káti' ní:tsi wakeweientehtà:'on tsi ní:ioht tsi kakwatákwen nowenna'shòn:'a. Tekontiwennakahsiónkwen ne tho.
Montreal Royal Bank watió'tehkwe' tsi nón: tewataweià:tha' tánon' tsi nón:we ieiontenniéhtha'. Sok wa'tionkwanatáhkwa'te' tsi iekarotahsià:tha' nón:we óntio'ten'. Tsi niwakatkwèn:rare' ne Royal Bank nón:we tehonnatahkwà:ne' Aterónto nonkwá:ti sahón:ne'. Sok wa'kì:ron' iah ki' thaón:ton' eh iá:ke' ase'kénh ratsniehtsherasnó:re' ne tiakenì:teron Tiohtià:ke nonkwá:. Eh thó:ne Kanehsatà:ke Tsi Ronterihwanónhnha' ne Kanien'kéha wa'kehnhahtsherisákha' tánon' óksa'k ionkehnhà:'on.
Wakatahsnié:nen é:so kahiatonhserá:ke wa'akwahiá:ton'. Wa'katahsnié:nen' takeristohrarákhon' nek tsi karì:wes ki' thí:ken ase'kénh iah sha'tekawennò:ten tsi ní:ioht ne Tiohrhèn:sha. Énska iawén:re khok nikahiatónhkwake nonkwawén:na' nek tsi é:so ki' tewa'ehtarónnion. Tohkára Kanien'kehá:ka nikanakerahserá:ke ronátston ne thí:ken ionkwahiatonhserisa'ánion.
É:so rá:ti Kanehsata'kehró:non Rotinónhses, é:so káti' kaká:rake ratikararáhstha' wathró:ris tsi nihotirihò:ten. É:so enwá:ton' enhseweientéhta'ne' nó:nen enhshiá:ton' raotihiatonhsera'shòn:'a.
Kanonhsaká:ion ne Kanehstà:ke Tsi Ronterihwanónhnha' ne Kanien'kéha, ne tho shiwatió'tehkwe', thonterihwaienstáhkhwahkwe' ne O'serón:ni.
Iakoia'takarénie's enhontíta' enthón:ne'. Énska iokwèn:rare' ne tho kánonhskon ionkwaió'tehkwe'. Shotinonhsienénhton ase'kénh asbestos tkánakerehkwe'. Kanónhsase' ki' nòn:wa tkanónhsote' ne Joseph Swan tsi iohá:te', ákta tsi teiontatshniè:tha'.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette