He Only Spoke Mohawk to Me
A group photo of young students in uniform, with girls sitting in the front row, a second row of girls standing behind them, and a row of boys standing in the back. Circa 1928. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by: Kawennanóron Sherry Procunier
Growing up, I really didn’t hear much Kanien’kéha at all. My grandmother and my grandfather could both speak. Sometimes, company would come to their house, and they would speak in the kitchen. My father and his three siblings never spoke it. Not to my knowledge.
My father passed this April, almost at the age of 82. Interestingly, when he was 80, he randomly said to me that when he was a small child, his grandfather lived with him in his family’s home.
His grandfather lived with them for five or so years because he had cancer and his wife was gone. So, he moved back into his son's house. My dad was the youngest of four siblings. He shared a bedroom with his grandfather.
My dad says to me, “My grandfather only spoke Mohawk to me. I understood everything and I spoke back to him.”
I say, “Dad, you've never told me in your 80 years, in my 60 years, that you ever, ever spoke Mohawk.”
He replies, “Oh, you never asked me.”
“But dad,” I say. “I've never even heard you speak Mohawk.”
“Well, I don't know,” he says. “After grandpa passed, I guess I just didn't speak it again.”
I'm thinking, what a shame. Here he is with his grandpa, speaking Kanien’kéha as a little child and sharing a bedroom, probably telling stories to each other.
I can’t understand it. He tells me this just a few years before he passes.
My paternal grandfather’s three sisters went to residential school at the Mush Hole in Ohswè:ken. But my grandpa didn't. He was the oldest.
He said, “I don't want to go. I'll go work.”
I think he was 14. He went to work, and his three younger siblings went to residential school. They weren't stolen. My great grandpa took them there because his wife had passed early, he had four children, and he had to work.
Everybody said, “Oh, take them to the Mush Hole. They'll be well taken care of, and they'll learn a trade.”
So, he took them there voluntarily.
I was speaking with a friend about the Mush Hole. I wondered how people kept their language after being there.
My friend said, “Well, there were a lot of Mohawk speakers in Six Nations. The kids would just find a place on the playground or someplace away from the nuns, and they would speak to each other without being caught. They always had someone to speak to.”
At the Mush Hole, I think it was more local people and people from Tyendinaga. There weren’t too many kids from way up north. There would have been a group of Mohawk-language-speaking people. So, somehow, they were able to maintain some of their language. When they came home, they didn't really speak it to their children. But, I’m assuming, if my great-grandpa spoke to my dad just in Kanien’kéha, that he must have spoken to his son in Kanien’kéha as well.
My grandfather passed when I was young. My grandmother didn’t pass until I was in Grade 9. I wish now that I could ask them these questions. I know my grandmother was raised by her grandmother and Mohawk was her first language too.
So here you have two Mohawk speaking people, married, and raising four children. Why didn't they want to speak to them? Why? People keep saying, trauma. I'm sick of hearing that answer.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Nek Kanien'kéha Wahakwatewennontáhkwen'
The building of the Caughnawaga boy and girls club, adorned with a Canadian and American Flag, as well as a “MOHAWKS” banner in the center. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Kawennanóron Sherry Procunier IAKOKÁ:RATON
Shiwakatehiahróntie', iah kwah é:so tewakathontè:'on ne Kanien'kéha. Iatá:tiskwe' tetsá:ron rakhsótha' tánon' akhsótha'. Sewatieren'shòn:'a, tóhka nihá:ti enthontáweia'te' raotinónhskon tánon' tsi iekhonnià:tha' nonkwá:ti tenhatihthá:ren'. Iah nonwén:ton tehonatá:ti ne rake'níha tánon' ne áhsen nihá:ti rontate'ken'okòn:'a. Iah othé:nen tewakaterièn:tarahkwe'.
Onerahtóhkha' shí:kare' wahatóhetste' ne rake'níha, saréka 82 ahraohseraierí:ton. Ionehrákwaht, 80 shithó:ien', thontaha'nhiókwahte' wahakhró:ri' tsi ken' shihrà:'a, raohwá:tsire' raotinónhskon tehatiiahsè:ne' ne rohsótha'.
Aktóntie' wísk niiohserá:ke tehatiiahsè:ne' ne rohsótha' ase'kén takwa'áhson wahotién:hahse' tánon' ó:nen shiiakawenhé:ion ne ró:ne'. Thò:ne, tonsahontiáhsete' roièn:'a tsi thonónhsote'. Ken' niiehrà:'a ne kaié:ri nihá:ti rontate'ken'okòn:'a rake'níha. Tsi ionnonhwétstha' shà:thiatste' ne rohsótha'.
Rake'níha wahakhró:ri', "Nek Kanien'kéha wahakwatewennontáhkwen' ne rakhsótha'. Kwah akwé:kon iahonke'nikonhraién:ta'ne' tánon' ionsahiwén:nara'ne'."
Takì:ron', "Rákeni, iah nonwén:ton tehsekhró:ri tsi sha'té:kon niiohseráhsen sohserakónhson, tánon nì:'i tsi ià:ia'k niiohseráhsen akohserakónhson, tsi tó:kenske', tó:kenske' Kanien'kéha sahrónkha'."
Tontahèn:ron', "Ó:, iah nonwén:ton tehskerihwanontón:ni."
"Ok rákeni," Wa'kì:ron'. "Kwah iah ò:ni' nonwén:ton tewakathontè:'on ne Kanien'kéha ahsatá:ti'."
"Níken, tó:ka," wahèn:ron'. "Shahatóhetste' rákhso, khé:re káti' ken iah tesewakatá:ti."
Iotéha't, kanonhtónnion. Ken' ì:ne's skátne rákhso, Kanien'kéha iatá:ti ken' shihrà:'a tánon' tsi ionnonhwétstha' sha'tehiátstha', ki' ónhte' tehiatatkaratonnión:ni ken.
Kwah iah thaón:ton' aonke'nikonhraién:ta'ne'. Wahakhró:ri' kí:ken tohkára niiohserá:ke ohén:ton shahatóhetste'.
Tehonwatikhahsiónkwen Tsi Ronterihwaienstáhkhwa' Mush Hole nón:we konterihwaiénsthahkwe' ne rake'níha nonkwá:ti rakhsótha' áhsen nikón:ti rontate'ken'okòn:'a. Iah tehoterihwaienstà:non ne rakhsótha'. Thakowanèn:ne' ne raónha.
Wahèn:ron', "Iah tekaská:neks eh iá:ke'. Enwatio'ténhsera'."
Kwah í:kehre' 14 shithó:ien'. Wahoio'ténhsera' tánon' tehonwatikhahsiónkwen tsi ronterihwaienstáhkhwa' nia'kón:ne' ne áhsen nikón:ti rontate'ken'okòn:'a. Iah é:ren tehshakotiia'tenhawíhton. Rakhsótha' eh iahshakotiia'ténhawe' ase'kén iosnó:re' ronahkwakenheià:se', kaié:ri nihoksa'taién:tahkwe', tánon' ó:nen'k tsi wahoio'ténhsera'.
Akwé:kon wahonnì:ron', "Ó:, Mush Hole ia'sheia'ténhawh. Enhshakonate'nikòn:raren' tánon' skaio'ténhsera enkontiweientéhta'ne'."
Thiahatatewenní:ioste' ki' eh iahshakoia'ténhawe'.
Mush Hole wa'akenihthá:rahkwe' nontiátshi. Onkerihwaióha' tsi ní:ioht tsi ón:kwe aionhrónkhake' nó:nen é:ren éntsenhte' neh nón:we.
Ontiátshi wa'è:ron', "É:so ki' ratì:ne' ne Kanien'kéha ronhrónkha' ne Ohswé:ken nón:we. Ka'k nón:we tsi iontkahri'tsheronnià:tha' nonkwá:ti enhatitshén:ri' tóka' ni' ka'k nón:we é:ren nonkwá:ti ne tsi nón:we iotiia'tatokénhti kón:ne's, tánon' tenhontaththáhrhahse' iah thahonwatihá:ra'se'. Tió:konte' kaién:tahkwe' ónhka tahatihthá:ren'."
Né: Mush Hole nón:we, kwah í:kehre' sénha ne aktóntie' rati'terón:ton tánon' ne Kenhte'kehró:non eh thón:ne's. Iah é:so tehatì:ne' ne Othorè:ke nonkwá:ti thati'terón:ton ratiksa'okòn:'a. Ahotitiohkwaién:take' Kanien'kéha ronhrónkha' eh nón:we. Ok ní:ioht tsi wa'kakwé:ni' wahatíhawe' ostón:ha ne raotiwén:na'. Shonsahón:newe', iah kwah tehshakonatewennontahkwén:ni ne shakotiien'okòn:'a. Nek tsi, ok thí:kehre', tóka' teiohsotsherá:ne' rakhsótha' Kanien'kéha ahohthará:ni rake'níha, Kanien'kéha ò:ni' ahohthará:ni ki' ne roièn:'a.
Ken' shitewatién:ha wahatóhetste' ne rakhsótha'. Iah teiakotohétston ne akhsótha' tsi niió:re' tióhton nikahiá:ton shà:khawe'. Skaská:neks ó:nen ne akherihwanontón:ni kí:ken ierihwanontáhkhwa'. Wakaterièn:tare' tsi ontathsótha' iontatehià:ron ne akhsótha' tánon' Kanien'kéha ne tiotierénhton iakohronkhà:'on ò:ni'.
Ken' ká:ien' tehniiáhse Kanien'kéha iatá:tis, rotiniá:kon, tánon' shakonehiahróntie' kaié:ri nihá:ti ratiksa'okòn:'a. Oh nontié:ren iah tehonaskanékon ahshakotihtháhrhahse'? Oh nontié:ren? Ok wató:ken rón:ton nón:kwe, atonhnhatáhkwen. Kwah onkwaterihonkóhten' naonkwathón:te'ne' thí:ken tekarihwa'serákwen.
Edited by: Teyohá:te Brant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated: Karonhí:io Delaronde