A gift
Kaia’titáhkhe Jacobs, taking a class photo with a group of her students, a few of whom are dressed in ribbon shirts and dresses. (courtesy Kaia’titáhkhe Jacobs)
Story told by Kaia’titáhkhe Jacobs
My gift was that I had a grandmother that was very strict about my speaking Kanien’kéha properly and my parents spoke Kanien’kéha in our home in my formative years. I was fortunate to grow up knowing our language and some of our traditional values. This held me in good stead in my years of teaching.
My Tóta had a saying that she used whenever she taught me a value:
“Tho ne’ niionkwarihò:ten. That is our way.” I used it many times.
Prior to the 1970s, our school system was federally-run, and the mandate was to produce well-behaved English-speaking children. I was a good student, not realizing that the message I was receiving was that our own language and culture was unimportant and not needed.
It was never said in words, but we got the idea. As a result, regretfully, many of us did not speak Kanien’kéha to our children. This was also true for my family.
It was as an adult when I was enrolled in the “Teacher Training Program” that I began learning about our ways, our stories, and traditions. I was in awe. It was a course titled “Oral and Recorded History” taught by two very learned professors.
That is where I met Tom Porter. He was a wonderful speaker with a great sense of humour. He was able to suggest some bits of humour in his delivery of a serious issue.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Kanó:ron
A group photo of the teachers and faculty of Karonhianónhnha Tsi Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa School. Kaia’titáhkhe can be found in the front row, third from left. (courtesy Kaia’titáhkhe Jacobs)
Kaia’titáhkhe Jacobs IAKOKÁ:RATON
Kwah nè:'e ne akenó:ron tsi wakhsotshén:tahkwe' néne kwah tokèn:'en ionkwate'niakatstá:ti ne Kanien'kéha kwah ioiánere' akatá:ti' tánon' Kanien'kéha wahiá:tati' onkwanónhskon ne iontièn:'a ohén:ton kwah tokèn:'en shonke'nikòn:rohte'. Wakatera'swiióston tsi onkwawén:na' wakatehiahrónhkwen tánon' tohkára niiorì:wake ne tsi niionkwarihò:ten. Ioiánere' tsi niió:re' tsi ónkhawe' thí:ken shikherihonnién:ni.
Akhsótha' shos eniè:ron' nahò:ten' thikawenní:io kátke' orì:wa' enionkerihónnien':
"Tho ne' niionkwarihò:ten." Iotkà:te ne' wà:katste'.
Ohén:ton ne tsá:ta niwáhsen nitiohserò:ten's, kakoráhsera' ronahtentia'tòn:ne' ne ionkwanonhsó:ton ionterihwaienstáhkhwa', tánon' rotirihwénhton ne ratiksa'tí:io Tiohrhèn:sha ronhrónkha' ahshakonón:ni'. Katerihwaienstahtsheriióhne' nì:'i, iah tewakattokenhátie' tsi onkerihó:ta'se' tsi iah teiorihowá:nen tánon' iah tha'teiotonhwentsóhon ne tsi niiakwawennò:ten tánon' tsi niionkwarihò:ten. Iah nonwén:ton énska tehotiwennake'tóhton thí:ken nahò:ten', nek tsi tó:kenske' ia'akwáhewe'. Tsi na'á:wen', iohnhá:tenht, é:so niiátion iah Kanien'kéha teiakhiiatewennontahkwén:ni ne iakhiien'okòn:'a. Tó:kenske' wa'ontiónnien' ne onkwahwá:tsire'.
Ó:nen shiwakatehià:ron sha'katià:taren' ne "Teacher Training Program" thò:ne tontáhsawen' wa'keweientéhta'ne' tsi niiakwawennò:ten, tsi niionkwakarò:ten's, tánon' tsi niionkwarihò:ten. Kwah onkerihwanehrá:ko'. Ionteweienstáhkhwa' thí:ken néne "Oral and Recorded History" konwá:iatskwe'" tehniiáhse shakotirihonniennihkó:wa wahnóhetste'.
Tho nón:we wahiientéhrha'ne' Tom Porter. É:so tsi rahronkhahtsherí:io tánon' é:so tsi ranonwáhrha'. Wahakwé:ni ostón:ha wahà:kerahkwe' tohkára niiorì:wake iosté:ris tsi wahróhetste' ne teka'nikónhrhare' orì:wa'.
Edited by: Simona Rosenfield, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translation by: Karonhí:io Delaronde