Don’t consider it scary
(Courtesy: Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Niioie:ren Patton
I grew up in Michigan and would come back to Kahnawake in the summer and stay with my grandparents. I used to sleep with my aunt, who was a teenager at the time.
Sometimes she would try to scare me, she liked to tease me. She would come in with her coat over her head late at night. I knew it was her but would scream anyways.
One night, I woke up in the middle of the night and I saw a shadow sitting at the end of my bed. Right at the end where I was sleeping. I called my aunt’s name, but the shadow didn’t move. I called her name a few times and still, the shadow didn’t move. I don’t know how I got out of that room, I think I flew.
I went to get my grandparents and my grandfather went back with a flashlight, but there was nobody there. After that, I slept with my grandmother.
Usually, when we talk about ghosts or anything spiritual, we don’t consider it scary. I raised my kids that way.
My boys were teasing me once and I said, “You know, when I die, I’m not gonna leave.”
They said, “Haunt all you want, you taught us not to be afraid of the dead.”
It’s a different way of thinking about the dead or what people call ghosts. It took years, but we learned from elders about respect and care for our ancestors. On television, we see how fearful others always are of their ancestors. A ghost story for them is normally very scary and life-threatening.
Not long ago at Halloween time, my husband, Otsi’tsaken:ra, and I got a request to tell scary stories about the dead, but we told them, “No, that’s not our way - to encourage fear of the dead.”
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tóhsa aiakéhrhake tsi ióthteron
(Courtesy: Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Niioie:ren Patton IAKOKÁ:RATON
Michigan nonkwá:ti takatehià:ron tánon Kahnawà:ke shos téntke tsi niwakenhnhé:sons tánon khehsothokòn:'a enkheiatién:ha'se. Ionkenonhà:'a skátne eniatiá:rate tánon nek iawén:re shitiakó:ien eh shitkahá:wi.
Sewatieren'shòn:'a enionte'nién:ten aionkhterónhkwen, iakaon'weskwaníhahkwe naionkena'kón:ni. Entiontáweia'te atià:tawi iakote'rhoronhátie shiiotahsontatíhen. Onkwaterien'taráhstsi tsi akáonha kèn:ne nek tsi sénhak ki' tenwakhén:rehte.
Sewahsón:ta ki', wà:tie tsi niwahsón:tes tánon atahsá:ta wa'katkáhtho tsi wakatenáktate tkéntskote. Kheh tho nón:we tsi ieiótte tsi nón:we wakí:ta's. Ia'khenà:ton ne ionkenonhà:'a nek tsi iah teiotorià:neron natahsá:ta. Sénha tóhka nionsakhenà:ton tánon shé:kon, iah thietsotorià:neron natahsá:ta. Iah tewakaterièn:tare tsi ní:tsi é:ren wà:kehte ne tho tká:nakte, kwah í:kehre wa'tékten.
Khehsothokòn:'a tsi ianonhwétstha iahà:ke tánon rakhsótha eh nionsà:re rahahserenhá:wi nek tsi iah ónhka tho tétienskwe. Ohnà:ken ki', akhsótha saiatiá:rate.
Iotkà:te, nó:nen atónhnhets tóka'ni othé:nen o'nikòn:ra tsi niiorihò:ten eniakwahthá:rahkwe, iah teiákwehre tsi ióthteron. Tho ní:ioht tsi wa'khehià:ron ne kheien'okòn:'a.
Énska shiionkena'kón:ni ne kheien'okòn:'a tánon wa'kì:ron, "Hánio, nó:nen enkíheie, iah é:ren thá:kehte." Tahonnì:ron, "Ok tha'sataterihwahserónnien takwahterónhkwen, takwarihonnién:ni ki' wáhi ne tóhsa aiakhitshà:nike ne ronenhé:ion."
Ó:ia niwanonhtonnionhtsherò:ten wáhi tsi nonkwá:ti ne kenhé:ion tóka'ni tsi nahò:ten ón:kwe konwana'tónhkhwa ne atónhnhets. É:so iohserá:ke ia'ká:ko, nek tsi thotí:iens wa'onkhirihónnien nahò:ten ne aiakhirihwakwénienste tánon aiakhiiate'nikòn:raren ne onkwahsótshera. Ne tkarasthà:ke, iakwatkáhthos tsi niió:re tsi akohrénhson shakotitshà:nis ne raotihsótshera. Iotkà:te kwah tokèn:'en ióthteron tánon teiaonhnhà:riht nothé:nen iakotianeronstáhkhwa oká:ra ne raotirihwà:ke.
Iah karì:wes tsi náhe ne tsi niiontkonwaró:roks shikahá:wi, rikstén:ha, Otsi'tsakén:ra, tánon ì:'i wa'onkhirihwanón:ton'se naiakeniká:raton iotkaráthteron néne kenhé:ion karihontáhkwen nek tsi wa'akhihró:ri, "Iáhten, iah tho teionkwarihò:ten – ne ki' ne iaietewà:reke kahterónhtshera tsi nonkwá:ti ne kenhé:ion."
Edited by: Emma McLaughlin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde