Atonnion
Leonard’s Michigan driver’s licence, as received in 1967. Unfortunately, the name Atón:nion is not printed with the rest of his name. (Courtesy: Leonard Bordeau)
Story told by Leonard Bordeau
My Mohawk name is Atonnion. It was my late grandfather Angus McComber’s Mohawk name. I was the first grandson in the family and my grandfather said, “We’re going to call him Atonnion.”
At Survival School, I got to talking about that with Tewenhnhi’tó:ken, another Mohawk teacher. He’s more of a linguist. I said, “Tewenhni’tó:ken, enhskwé:ni' ken ahsekhró:ri' oh nahò:ten' kén:ton ne Atón:nion?”
Which means, “Can you tell me what Atón:nion means?”
The only thing he could come up with is something about iotón:ni. Iotón:ni is like a plant or a weed. It grew out of the ground. But I said, “It’s Atón:nion.”
He said, “Atónnion not Atón:nion. Maybe there should be an up stress on the o and maybe there is a double dot after the n.”
But we couldn’t come up with a real translation. Going back to sometime in the 70s, I used to go and visit my grandfather on the farm. I asked him about that one time. He said, “Iah thakkwé:ni’ ne akonhró:ri’ nahò:ten’ kén:ton.”
What that means is, “I can’t tell you what it means,” because maybe that name was given to him from his grandfather. The name goes back to the 1800s, I guess.
There are a lot of names that we just don’t know the meaning of because they’ve been handed down through the family and somewhere along the line, the spelling gets a little bit changed and the sound comes out a little bit different.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Atón:nion
Leonard’s father’s side of the family, standing together in for a family photo by their farm. Left to right (by relation to Leonard) is Angus Bordeau (grandfather), John and Tom Bordeau (uncles), Annie Bordeau (Leonard’s grandmother) holding a baby Leonard, William and Susan Bordeau (uncle and aunt), Matthew Bordeau (father), Mary Bordeau (aunt), another of Leonard’s uncles, and Irene Bordeau (aunt) below with two of Leonard’s cousins. (Courtesy: Leonard Bordeau)
Leonard Bordeau ROKÁ:RATON
Atón:nion niwakhsennò:ten ne Kanien'kéha. Eh nihohsenno'ténhne ne rakhsotkénha Angus McComber. Ì:'i ne tekkowá:nen naterè:sera ne kahwatsí:rakon tánon rakhsótha wahèn:ron', "Atón:nion shakwana'tonhkwà:ne."
Survival School nonkwá:ti, nè:'e wa'akenihthá:rahkwe' ne Tewenhni'tó:ken, ne ki' nó:ia Kanien'kéha owén:na shakorihonnién:ni. Sénha iewennaweién:te nihaia'tò:ten, wa'kì:ron', "Tewenhni'tó:ken, enhskwé:ni' ken ahsekhró:ri' oh nahò:ten' kén:ton ne Atón:nion?"
Nek tahoterihónnien' tsi nahò:ten'k iotón:ni kén:ton. Tsi ní:ioht ne óhonte' tóka' ni' kahontáksen. Wa'tewatonhontsótka'we' tsi ontehià:ron'. Nek tsi wa'kì:ron', "Atón:nion nen' nè:'e."
Wahèn:ron', "Atónnion iah Atón:nion. Ki' ónhte' teiotonhontsóhon kawennakará:tats akà:rake' è:neken nonkwá:ti ne o tánon ki' ónhte' tekatsistóhkwake aká:rake' ohnà:ken ne n."
Nek iah teionkenikwénion aiakenitshén:ri' ne nahò:ten otokèn:'en tekawennanetáhkwen. Sakehià:ra'ne' kátke'k ne 70 nitiohserò:ten's, enhinatahren'sè:ra' shos ne rakhsótha tsi ieienthóhtha nonkwá:ti. Wahirihwanón:tonhse' ne thí:ken énska tsi náhe'. Wahèn:ron', "Iah thakkwé:ni' ne akonhró:ri' nahò:ten kén:ton."
Né: tsi ki' ónhte' raónha rohsótha shohsenná:wi thí:ken. Eh 1800 nitiohserò:ten's nitiothsenní:non, ki' nà:'a.
É:so kahsennaién:ton néne iah teionkwaterièn:tare' nahò:ten' kontí:ton ase'kén kahwatsirà:ke sehshakonohetstén:ni tánon' ka'k tsi ní:iens ostón:ha tetkaténion tsi ní:ioht tsi tekawennakhánion tánon' ostón:ha ó:ia ní:ioht tsi iorá:kahre tsi tentkaiá:ken'ne.
Edited by: Melissa Stacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translation by: Karonhí:io Delaronde