Head Veteran
Ray Deer’s original kahstó:wa. (Courtesy: Ray Deer)
Story told by Ray Deer
The first time I was a Head Veteran was in Germany; it was not long after the Berlin Wall came down. The organizers invited people that resided in all neighbouring towns, many of their people have interest in learning about Indigenous cultures. Thousands of people attended the powwow; it felt as if it was a professional sporting event.
An Apache sergeant invited me to be Head Veteran. I had been doing presentations with them for quite some time, but this was the first time I had a key role. I was extremely excited and agreed to take the responsibility. As the Head Veteran, one of the responsibilities is to carry the eagle staff into grand entry at powwow. We are the first person to enter the dancing arena and the first one to lead all our dancers out.
I was excited, they started singing and I began to lead grand entry. I was hearing from the side some of the drummers were yelling, “Deer! You are going the wrong way!” Naturally, I entered the Iroquois way which is backwards to most Indigenous nations. We dance following Mother Earth's rotation while the rest follow the sun’s rotation. I could not stop and go the other way, so I continued grand entry in the same direction.
I am proud to be a Mohawk Veteran; I take the responsibility with much pride and bring the knowledge I carry from my 21 years of service into the powwow circle for the benefit of our people.
When I became the Head Veteran for Kahnawà:ke’s powwow, I chose to enter counterclockwise. I also decided that our Iroquois smoke dancers would enter first. Paying respects to our original ways and peoples. Today, we continue to follow those protocols on our land for the powwow.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ohén:ton Ì:rate' Roteriiohsónhne'
Ray Deer and his family stand together dressed in their regalia, ready to celebrate Kahnawake Echoes of a Proud Nation Powwow 2022. (Courtesy: Ray Deer)
Ray Deer ROKÁ:RATON
Eh nón:we Germany nonkwá:ti tontié:renhte' Ohén:ton Ì:rate' Roteriiohsónhne' wa'ká:ton'; iah sótsi ohnà:ken shahati'rhié:nenhte' ne Berlin Wall. Néne ratinenhrón:ni wahshakotihón:karon' akwé:kon náktontie' kanataién:ton thatinakerénion, é:so rá:ti ne raononkwe'ta'shòn:'a thoti'nikonhratihénthos ahontéweienste' ne Onkwehón:we tsi nihatiweiennò:ten's. Kwah iotiohkwatshà:ni eh wahotikè:tohte' ne tsi iontha'towanahtáhkhwa', kwah tho ní:tsi wa'káttoke' tsi ní:ioht tóka' ken kwah tokèn:'en tewatkénnion kénhne'.
Shaià:ta Sargeant, Apache nahronkwehonwehserò:ten' wahakhón:karon' ne Ohén:ton Ì:rate' Roteriiohsónhne' aká:ton'. Kwah ken' nikarì:wes skátne shiionkwaió'te' tsi iakhina'tón:ni nothé:nen, nek tsi òn:wa tontié:renhte' othé:nen iorihowá:nen wa'katerihón:ten'. É:so tsi wa'tewakonhnharíhen' tánon' wa'kerihwanòn:we'ne' akaterihón:ten' eh nahò:ten'. Tsi Ohén:ton Ì:rate' Roteriiohsónhne' wa'katsté:riste', tsorì:wa ne tsi ní:kon wakaterihón:tonhkwe', ó:nen'k tsi enkhá:wake' ne á:kweks atèn:nits tsi kenenhrí:ne' ne tsi nihontaweià:tha' ne tsi iontha'towanahtáhkhwa' nonkwá:ti. Ì:'i wáhi iakwahén:te' ne tsi teienonniahkwà:tha' ieiakwéhtha' tánon' tsakwahén:te' tsi átste tsakhiia'tinekénhtha' ne tehatinonniáhkhwa'.
Kwah tokèn:'en tewakonhnharihen'èn:ne', tahontáhsawen' wahonterennó:ten' tánon' ì:'i takatáhsawen' tsi khén:te' tsi ronataweia'tonhátie'. Aktóntie' nonkwá:ti tewakathón:te' tohkára nihá:ti rati'nahkwáia'ks tethotihenréhtha', "Deer! Iah tetiohahaié:ri' wáhse'!" Shontié:ra wáhi tsi Kanonhsionni'kéha tsi ní:tsi wa'katáweia'te', né: ki' ohnà:ken wahtentià:ton ronatòn:se' thóha akwé:kon ne Onkwehón:we tsi nihononhwentsá:ke. Teiakwanonniáhkhwa' tsi iakwáhsere' tsi nón:we wa'tiakohkwatasehátie' ne Iethi'nisténha Onhóntsa' tánon' ne ronátia'ke' ratíhsere' tsi nón:we wa'tiohkwatasehátie' ne Entie'kehnéhkha' Karáhkwa'. Iah tewá:tonskwe tákta'ne' tánon' ákte' nonkwá:ti iaonsá:ke', thò:ne ki' ionsakatahsónteren' tsi khén:te' tsi ronataweia'tonhátie' ne shà:ka tsi nontiera'tonhátie'.
É:so tsi tewakattsina'tontá:ni tsi Kanien'kehá:ka Iakoteriiohsónhne' nitia'tò:ten; é:so tsi tewakattsina'tontá:ni tsi wakateríhonte' tánon' tsi 21 niiohserá:ke wakathsotaronníhahkwe' aoterien'taráhtshera' tékhas okahkwèn:takon ne tsi iontha'towanahtáhkhwa né: ki' ne ontionkwè:ta' raotirihwà:ke.
Ohén:ton Ì:rate' Roteriiohsónhne' sha'ká:ton' ne Kahnawà:ke Tsi Iontha'towanahtáhkhwa' nonkwá:ti, wa'kerá:ko' akatáweia'te' ákte' nonkwá:ti tsi wa'ohatátie' ne tsi nikahwistà:'eks, né: ò:ni' ia'tewakerihwaién:ta'se' ne ontionkwè:ta' Rotinonhsión:ni oièn:kwara' tehatinonniáhkhwa' ahatíhente'. Wa'kerihwakwénienste' tsi nitewaweiennò:ten kwah tokèn:'en tánon' ò:ni' ne ontionkwe'ta'shòn:'a. Ok nòn:wa wenhniserá:te', shé:kon iakwáhsere' ne tho nikaianerenhserò:ten's tsi iakwanákere' ne tsi iontha'towanahtáhkhwa' aorihwà:ke.
Edited by: Owen Mayo
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde