Three girls
Credit: Simona Rosenfield
Story told by Kevin Ka’nahsóhon Deer
I was at a meeting and decided to go out and stretch my legs. So I came around the corner of the house, and there was a sandbox there. This one particular family, they had all girls. They were about six, five and three. They were sitting in the sandbox, and as I came around and I heard the voices, I stopped, because it was beautiful music to my ears.
Those little girls were all fluent in Mohawk. And I’d never heard that before. All the other times in my life, all I’d ever heard was old people speaking our language.
Those little girls will grow up and teach their kids, I thought, and hopefully their kids will teach their kids, and the language will get transmitted. But I started to feel sad and sorry for myself. Because here I was calling myself an Onkwehón:we, and I couldn’t even speak my own language.
I was 22 years old and had a big long life ahead of me. The three-year-old gave me an inspiration: If I decide to put my mind to it, then in three years I could be speaking like that little girl.
It took a little longer than three years, but I can speak the language today.
Áhsen nikón:ti kontiksa’okòn:’a
Kevin Ka’nahsóhon Deer roká:raton
Wakatkennisa’à:nhon sok ia’tewakerihwaién:ta’se’ iatiá:ken’ne’ tánon’ takatirontahstáhstanion’ tekhsinà:ke. Tsi tekahióhsaien tsi tkanónhsote ia’kahkwatà:se’, tánon eh tka’neróhkwaien ne o’nehsarónhkwa o’neróhkwa. Né: kí:ken kahwatsirató:ken akwé:kon tsonathonwí:sen ne ronwatiien’okòn:’a. Ka’k nón: ákta ià:ia’k, wísk, nok áhsen na’teionohserià:khon. Tho tionatién:ton o’nehsaronhkwà:ke, tánon’ tsi ia’kahkwatà:se’ wa’khewenná:ronke’, tánon’ wa’tékkta’ne’, ase’kén wakahskatstén:ni tsi nonkwathón:te’ne’.
Akwé:kon konhrónkhahkwe’ thí: kontiksa’okòn:’a. Tánon’ iah nonwén:ton nè:’e tewakathontè:’on. Akwé:kon noiáhshon nikahá:wi tsi náhe shikónhnhe’, thotí:ien khók wakathontè:’on ne Kanien’kéha ahontá:ti’.
Wà:kehre’, thí: kontiksa’okòn:’a enhowatirihónnien’ ronwatiien’okòn:’a nó:nen enkontehià:ron’, tánon’ iohrhá:rats onónha ronwatiien’okòn:’a aonsahonwatirihónnien’, oh naiá:wen’ aiohétston ne onkwawén:na. Nek tsi tontáhsawen’ aonke’nikonhráksen’ tánon’ wa’katatí:tenre’.
Nè:’e tsi katatena’tónhkhwahkwe’ onkwehón:we, nok akwé: iah tewakkwénion akatá:ti’ akewén:na.
Òn:wa’k 22 na’tewakohseriià:kon tánon’ wakehrhá:re shé:kon é:so iohserá:ke nienhénske’.
Áhsen teiakaohseriià:kon taión:kon’ ne wanonhtonnionhtsherí:io, tóka’ ia’tenwakerihwaién:ta’se’ aontake’nikonhrátsha’ahte’, ne áhsen niiohserà:ke nikarì:wes akkweniésheke’ tho ní:tsi akatá:ti’ sha’té:ioht thí:ken eksà:’a.
Ostón:ha ísi’ nón:we áhsen niiohserà:ke onkwatiénawatste’, nek tsi ó:nen nòn:wa enkkwé:ni’ akatá:ti’.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette