Sound like my ancestors
Peter and his mother pose for a photo, while on one of his visits back home from ironwork. (Courtesy: Peter Tié:r Arquette)
Story told by Peter Tié:r Arquette
When I was in school in Hogansburg it was English only until I was in grade four. Once I got to grade four, they started teaching Mohawks our language again. But before that, my teacher wrote a letter to my mother. I guess I could read back then because I remember what it said before I gave it to her.
It said, “Your son is having a hard time in school because he speaks Mohawk at home.”
My father told me, “Never quit speaking Mohawk.”
After fourth grade they made a new school called Salmon River school.
All of a sudden we’re going to school there now. We didn’t know that white kids were going to be there, we never went to school with white kids before.
A bunch of us were still speaking Mohawk and the teacher said, “You can’t speak that here. You are talking about me.”
We said, “We’re not talking about you, we’re just talking. Why would we talk about you?”
I told my parents what happened and my father told me again, “Never quit speaking Mohawk.”
Still to this day, I don’t speak English too good but it never bothered me anyway. I want to sound like my grandparents. I want to sound like my ancestors.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Eh tho nakewenno'ténhake' tsi ní:ioht ionkhihsothokon'kénha
A fourth-grade class photo taken in May of 1970 at Salmon River school in Ahkwesáhsne. Among them sits Peter Tié:r Arquette (middle row, third from left). (Courtesy: Peter Tié:r Arquette)
Peter Tié:r Arquette ROKÁ:RATON
Akwé:kon Tiohrhèn:shahkwe' Tekahson'karó:rens nonkwá: shiwakaterihwaiensta'nónhne'. Tsik niió:re kaié:ri nikahiá:ton wa'katatià:thewe'. Tsi ó:nen ne kaié:ri nikahiá:ton wa'katatià:thewe' tahontáhsawen' saionkhirihónnien' Kanien'kehá:ka tsi niiakwawennò:ten. Nek tsi ohén:ton ne thó:ne, wakerihonnién:ni ieiakothiatón:ni ake'nisténha. Khé:re ki' nà:'a kkwénie's akewennahnó:ten' thó:ne ase'kénh kè:iahre' nahò:ten' kahiá:ton ohén:ton shontakhé:ion'.
Kahiá:ton, "Tshièn:'a rawentorà:se' tsi rateweiénstha' ase'kénh Kanien'kéha thatá:ti tsi thèn:teron."
Rake'níha rakhró:ri, "Tóhsa nonwén:ton sátka'wh tsi Kanien'kéha satá:ti."
Tsi ó:nen wa'tkatóhetste' kaié:ri nikahiá:ton, kanonhsasé'stsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' wahontenonhsón:ni', Salmon River tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' konwá:iats.
Kháre ki' ó:nen tho tsakwateweiénstha'. Iah teionkwaterièn:tarahkwe' tsi ratihnarà:ken ratiksa'okòn:'a tho enhonnè:sheke'. Iah nonwén:ton teionkwaterihwaienstà:non ne ratihnarà:ken nohén:ton.
Ken' niiátion shé:kon Kanien'kéha ionkwáhthare' tánon' shakorihonnién:ni wahèn:ron', "Iah thaón:ton' nè:'e aiesewatá:ti' kèn:'en. Takwathrorià:ton ki'."
Wa'akwèn:ron', "Iah ki' tekwathrorià:ton, kwah nek teionkwáhthare'. Oh káti' nontié:ren enkwathrória'te'?"
Iontièn:'a wa'khehró:ri' tsi na'á:wen' tánon' sahakhró:ri' ne rake'níha, "Tóhsa nonwén:ton sátka'wh tsi Kanien'kéha satá:ti."
Shé:kon ki' nòn:wa wenhniserá:te', iah kwah thiekewennaié:ri Tiohrhèn:sha. Nek tsi iah ki' nè:'e nonwén:ton tha'tewaka'nikonhrharà:'on. Í:kehre' ki' eh tho nakewenno'ténhake' tsi ní:ioht ionkhsothokòn:'a. Í:kehre' eh tho nakewenno'ténhake' tsi ní:ioht ionkhihsothokon'kénha.
Translated by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette