Power
Credit: Simona Rosenfield
Story told by Joe McGregor
I was so in a hurry to start getting power so that I could help people. I even prayed that I could bring a person back to life. It didn’t happen yet, but very close. Sometimes they’re dying and you could just help them, they’ll die in a good way.
I used to go across the road and I would sit there, and I’d talk to myself. I’d make a request to the Creator to give me some powers. And I found out that I’ve got to find where my power is. Your body’s gonna tell you, “You can go there.” Put your hand on the tree, and you hold it there, and it’s gonna give you a power. But you gotta choose the right tree.
If you go to the tree and you don’t feel movement, it’s because it’s your own body that will tell you that this is the tree. It’s not the looks. It’s what we’re made of and what we can do with the power that was given to us by the Creator.
I used to go over there and I would make a mark under the trees, and then I’d sit there and burn tobacco. Tobacco is a good thing, because when you make a fire, and it starts to rise, that fire goes to heaven. It goes to where the Creator is. And you talk to the Creator and you give him a message. You’ll really get the hang of yourself, what you want to do, how you can do it.
I’m so into it, to help the people. And I’m so sorry if I lose them, if they died.
Sometimes even the Creator’s not gonna save them because that’s the end of their life. When we’re gonna finish our jobs on Earth, we’re gonna go home.
My dream was to be able to bring somebody to life. It hasn’t happened yet, but you never can tell.
Ka’shatsténhsera’
Joe McGregor roká:raton
Tsi na’tewakhsteríhenskwe’ aonkwatia’tátkon’ne’ oh naiá:wen’ akheia’takehnháhseke’ onkwe’shòn:’a. Akwé:kon wa’katerén:naien’ aontónsheke’ ón:kwe aonsakheiónhnhete’. Iah ki’ tho teiawèn:’en, nek tsi seréka tho naiawèn:’en. Sewatié:rens ronnihé:ions nok nek wá:tons ahsheia’takéhnha’, skén:nen tsi ní:tsi enhontóhetste’.
Ísi’ na’oháhati shes ia’tekhahí:ia’ks. Nok tho enkátien’, tánon’ enkatatháhrhahse’. Enhiri’wanón:tonhse ne Shonkwaia’tíson ahake’shatsténhseron’ aonkwatia’tátkon’ne’. Tánon’ onktó:kenhse’ tsi ó:nen’k tsi enketshén:ri’ oh ní:tsi enwakatia’tátkon’ne’. Tseròn:ke ensahró:ri’, “Enwá:ton’ tho iénhse’.” Okwirà:ke sanihsnonhsà:ren, nok tasanihsnonhsà:rak, ensa’shatsténhseron’. Nek tsi ó:nen’k tsi tkakwiraié:ri enhserá:ko’.
Tóka’ okwirà:ke iénhse’ tánon’ iah thahsáttoke’ aontorià:neron’, tseròn:ke ensahró:ri’ tsi nikakwirò:ten’. Iah né: té:ken tsi niwatkahthohtsherò:ten’ ne ó:kwire. Nè:’e ne tsi nahò:ten’ iakwaia’tonnià:ton nok tsi nahò:ten’ eniakwakwé:ni naiakwá:iere’ tsi nika’shatstenhersò:ten’ shonkwá:wi Shonkwaia’tíson.
Tho shes iekéhtha’ okwirokónhshon nok entierón:nitste’, eh tho ne wa’kátien’ tánon’ wa’tien’kóntho’ oien’kwa’ón:we. Ioiánere ne oien’kwa’ón:we. Ase’kén nó:nen enhsattstenhón:ni’, tánon’ enkatsirakará:tate’, karonhià:ke nienhén:we’ thí:ken. Eh tho ién:we’ tsi nón: thotatenaktarakwén:ni Shonkwaia’tíson. Nok ienhtshtháhrhahse’. Akwáh enhsatatién:tere’ne’ ónhka ní:se, enhsién:tere’ne’ tsi nahò:ten’ íhsehre’ náhsiere’, nok ó:ni’ tsi ní:tsi enwá:ton’ tho nénhsiere’.
Tsi niwake’nikonhranentá:kon onkwe’shòn:’a akheia’takéhnha’. Tánon’ tsi nikehnhá:tens tóka’ eniontia’tón:ti’, tóka’ wahonníheie’.
Sewatié:rens ó:ni’ Shonkwaia’tíson iah thahshako’niá:kenhte’ ase’kén orihwákta nè:’e ahonhiákha’. Nó:nen eniakwarihwaié:rite’ tsi nahò:ten’ ionkwaterihón:ton ne kèn:tho tsi ionhontsá:te, entsakwahtén:ti’.
Né:ne kwah tkahská:nekskwe’ ónhka tiok aonsakheiónhnhete’. Áro’khe tho tetiawèn:’en, nek tsi iah nonwén:ton thahse’nikonhrató:ken’ne’ ki’.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette