I believe in genetic memory
Herbert and Maggie Brant, Callie’s maternal grandparents. (courtesy. Callie Hill)
Story told by Callie Hill
I don’t think the language was ever really lost here in Kenhtè:ke. But there were changes to education on the reserve that did have an impact. Here, there were day schools, which most of our students in the community attended. My oldest sister recalls that our maternal grandparents spoke. She remembers speaking with grandpa, but she also remembers that they wouldn’t talk Mohawk when she was there. Mohawk was very much an adult language. If you don’t want the kids to understand what you’re saying, then you talk Mohawk.
It got to the point where she started to understand what they were saying, our grandparents caught on to that. So then, they just quit. They quit speaking.
Nevertheless, the language is there, especially if you grew up hearing it in your home. I think genetic memory plays a part because it’s still in there somewhere. My oldest sister, she’ll remember words. She’ll say, “what does this mean?”
She was here at Tsi Tsyónheht Onkwawén:na one day. The language teacher was also here. My sister says to the teacher, “I keep thinking about this one word. Is it even a word?” She said it and then the teacher said, “Yeah, that’s a word!” She’s in her 70s now and she’s still remembering these kinds of things.
The only thing my dad used to say was “hánio,” or “hánio óksa'k.” I always knew what I had to do. I knew I had to hurry. But I didn’t really understand that it was a Mohawk word.
My paternal grandfather was Tóta. I knew we called him Tóta. That was just his name. Again, I didn’t know that it was a Mohawk word.
When I was in grade 3, my teacher taught us the social dances. She would bring in tapes and we would learn to dance. I guess that was my first real time hearing language, more than just “hánio óksa'k,” or “Tóta.” I think I was in grade seven before we started having any kind of language classes. But my sister had Leslie Claus as a teacher. She remembers him quietly closing the door and then saying, “Okay, now we’re gonna learn some Mohawk.”
She remembers that and she remembers him getting into trouble from the principal. He got into trouble more than once. I think there were other teachers trying to teach Mohawk as well, but they were very much forbidden from teaching Mohawk.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Teiohwatsiriià:kon ehiahráhtshera' tkehtáhkhwa'
Robert and Clara Annie (Loft) Hill, Callie’s paternal grandparents. (courtesy. Callie Hill)
Callie Hill IAKOKÁ:RATON
Iah kwah í:kehre' kwah tokèn:'en tehonatewennahtón:ni ne kèn:tho Kenhtè:ke. Ok wa'thatité:ni' ki' ne karihonnienníhtshera ne kanonstatòn:ke né: ki' ne kwah wa'tionkwáhkwa'te. Kèn:tho, entie'kehnéhkha' ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' kanonhsó:tonhkwe', thóha akwé:kon tsi nihá:ti ronterihwaiénstha' eh iehonnéhthahkwe'. Né: tiekowá:nen akhtsì:'a iakè:iahre' tsi iahrónhkha' shos ne iethihsótha' onkeni'nisténha nonkwá:ti. Iakè:iahre' tsi shonkenihsótha wa'thnihthá:ren', ok tsi iakè:iahre' ò:ni' iah Kanien'kéha thahiatewennón:tahkwe' tsi nikarì:wes eh ié:ien's. Nek iakotehià:ron akowén:na' ne Kanien'kéha. Tóka' iah téhsehre' ne ratiksa'okòn:'a ahoti'nikonhraién:ta'ne' nahò:ten' sá:ton, thò:ne ki' Kanien'kéha enhsatá:ti'.
Eh niaháhe' tsi nón:we aiako'nikonhraién:ta'ne' nahò:ten' iatá:ti, wahiáttoke' ki' thí:ken ne iethihsótha'. Kheh sahiátkahwe'. Sahiátkahwe' tsi iatá:tis.
Tho sá'ne, eh tkawén:naien', sénha tóka' sanónhskon sathontétie' tsi satehiahróntie'. Kwah í:kehre' tsi teiohwatsiriià:kon ehiahráhtshera' ok nahò:ten' kaiéstha' ase'kén shé:kon ka'k nón:we eh karátie'. Akhtsì:'a, eniakehià:ra'ne' kí:ken owén:na'. Eniè:ron, "Nahò:ten' kén:ton kí:ken?"
Ken' í:ien'skwe' Tsi Tiónhnheht Onkwawén:na' énska tewenhniserá:tehkwe'. Thí:ken owén:na' shakorihonnién:ni ken' ì:re'skwe' ò:ni'. Akhtsì:'a wahonwahró:ri' ne shakorihonnién:ni, "Kwah tiokontáhkwen kanonhtónnion kí:ken skawén:na. Owén:na ken í:ken?" Wa'è:ron' nowén:na' sok tahèn:ron' ne shakorihonnién:ni, "Orihwí:io, owén:na' thí:ken!" Ó:nen iotawenhrá:ton tsá:ta niwáhsen iakoierí:ton tánon' shé:kon iakehià:ra's ne ken' nikarihò:ten's.
Nek shos enhèn:ron' ne rake'níha ne "hánio" tóka' ni' "hánio óksak." Tió:konte' wakaterièn:tarahkwe' tsi nahò:ten entà:'on nenkátiere'. Wakaterièn:tarahkwe' tsi entà:'on tenwaksteríhen'. Nek tsi iah kwah tewake'nikonhraién:ta'skwe' tsi Kanien'kéha owén:na' kénhne'.
Tóta ronwá:iatskwe' ne rakhsótha' tsi nonkwá:ti ne rake'níha. Wakaterièn:tarahkwe' tsi Tóta wahshakwanà:tonhkwe'. Nek raohsén:na' thí:ken. Sok á:re, iah tewakaterièn:tarahkwe' tsi Kanien'kéha na'kawennò:ten' ne thikénhne'.
Áhsen tsi kahiá:ton shikhá:wi', kentiohkwa'kéha kanónnia' wa'onkhirihónnien' ne ionkerihonnién:ni. Entié:ion'te' shos teka'nheksotáhrhon tánon' eniakwatenonniáweienste'. Ki' ónhte nè:'e tontié:renhte' wa'kà:ronke' nowén:na', sénha ne nek "hánio óksa'k," tóka' ni' "Tóta." Kwah í:kehre' tsá:ta tsi kahiá:ton shikhá:wi' tontáhsawen' othé:nen owén:na' aorihwà:ke aiakwatéweienste'. Nek tsi akhtsì:'a iakaonkwè:taien' Leslie Claus néne shakorihonnién:ni. Iakè:iahre' shahk thenwá:ton' enhahnhó:ton' tsi kahnhokà:ronte' sok enhèn:ron', "Háo' ki' nio, ó:nen Kanien'kéha entewatéweienste."
Iakè:iahre' thí:ken tánon' iakè:iahre' tsi ohén:ton ì:rate' wahori'tstónnien' ne raónha. Ísi' nón:we nénska nahari'tstón:ni'. Kwah í:kehre' ó:ia' shakotirihonnién:ni' rón:ne'skwe' wahonte'nién:ten' Kanien'kéha ahshakotirihónnien' ò:ni' nek tsi kwah tokèn:'en wáhi ronwatihnhè:se' othé:nen Kanien'kéha ahshakotirihónnien'.
Edited by: Teyohá:te Brant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde