No written history
While much of Kanien’kehá:ka history has been transmitted orally, there are written documents from the past, including this Almanach Iroquois by L.-S. Granger of 1915. (Courtesy: Lynn Beauvais)
Story told by Robert Diabo
I was living in Detroit for a while. In Michigan, there's so many different nations there. They’re scattered around, very small, different dialects, and are disappearing now.
There’s so many words missing now that were lost.
I was reading this article about this one guy who was the last of his tribe.
Everybody else had either moved on or passed away. When he died he was the only Indian speaker left from that tribe.
That’s how a lot of them lost their language. It’s a shame because that will never come back.
See, the trouble too is us Indians have no written history. Years back, it's word of mouth passed down from the elders.
When the Indians took care of their own education, that was a must. Because if you don’t use the language, you lose it.
Kanien'kéha version
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Kanien'kéha version ↓
Iah Othé:nen Tetewahiá:tonskwe’
Handwritten medicine book belonging to Louis Kenwenteson Beauvais (1864-1927). (Courtesy: Alex McComber)
Robert Diabo roká:raton
Kwah ken’ nikarì:wes Tiohsahrhóntion tki’terón:tahkwe’. Michihan nonkwá:ti, kwah é:so rá:ti tha’tehonnonkwehseraténion eh thatì:teron. Iokwenhrá:ron tsi nón:we thati’terón:ton, ken’ nihotitiohkwà:sa, tha’tehatiwennaténion, tánon' ó:nen í:wehre’ ahonatewennáhton’se’.
Iawe’towá:nen tsi nikawén:nake ó:nen ionkwahtón:ni tánon' kwah iah tha’tetkónhkets.
Kí:ken kahiatónhsera’ wakewennahnó:tahkwe’ néne shaià:tak shotatén:ron ne raonakeráhsera’ wathró:ri.
Akwé:kon nakohrèn:shon é:ren shonéhton tóka’ ni’ ronenhé:ion. Shahrénheie’, raonhà:’ak rahrónkhahkwe’ ne tsi nihá:ti raonakeráhsera’.
Tho ki’ ní:tsi é:so rá:ti wahonatewennáhton’se’. Iohnhá:tenht se’ eh nahò:ten' ase'kénh iah nonwén:ton tha’taontónhkete’.
Hé:, nè:’e’ ò:ni’ tiorì:wa’ tsi iah othé:nen tetewahiá:tonskwe’ ne wahón:nise’. Iohserá:ke tsi náhe’, tsi ratihsakahrón:ton wa’tkonterahtánion' ne onkwahsotshera’shòn:’a.
Nó:nen shahonte’nikòn:raren' ne Onkwehón:we ne raonaterihwaienstáhtshera’, wa’tewatonhóntsóhwe’ eh nahatí:iere’. Ase'kénh tóka’ iah tháhsatste’ nowén:na’, ensáhton’se’.
Translated by Karonhí:io Delaronde