Like glue
↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓
🔈
↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓ 🔈
(Courtesy: Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Gloria Cross
When my older brother Steve was young, he was always sort of my bodyguard. Even just walking and talking with my brother, on the way to school, I admired him; He had so much strength back then. I said, “I never, ever, ever want to be the oldest of the family.”
“Never.”
We were very close, so like glue, I really thought. We always talked about the five under us, because we were so afraid of them going to residential school. As teens, we were hearing and we were talking about that.
My uncle Sonny was only seven years old when they took him to residential school. The priest came to my grandmother and said, “We’ll take good care of him.”
Then they took aunt Florence as well.
That was two of the seven children that were taken from my grandmother.
We were really afraid about losing the small ones that we were so close to, afraid they might take the five under us.
So, that’s why whatever we did, we worked. I was out working, earning money for food and to help the family.
We worked at the Indian Village where I was babysitting for Maria, the one that I was working for. Watsenni:ne “'Nine” McComber, that’s who I was minding; her, her sister, and brother.
Her mother, Maria, said, “Gloria, since you’re working a lot, if you want, I’ll take half of your money and go put it at the bank for you, when you’re older.”
I’d keep a quarter, a buck, for myself.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
↓
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tsi ní:ioht ne teiekhástha
(Courtesy: Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Gloria Cross IAKOKÁ:RATON
Ken' shithoién:ha ne rakhtsì:'a, Steve, kwah tsi ní:ioht ne tiótkon wahatia'tanónstate. Khó:ni nó:nen nek ehta'kéhson eniákene tánon teniakenihthá:ren ne rakhtsì:'a, tsi eniatiaterihwaienstà:na, rinehrákwas shos ; É:so tsi ro'shatstenhseraién:tahkwe eh shitkahá:wi. Wa'kì:ron, "Iah nonwén:ton, iah nonwén:ton, iah nonwén:ton thá:kehre ne tiekowá:nen aká:ton."
"Iah nonwén:ton."
Kwah tokèn:'en tsi teiakenihnerèn:ne, kwah tsi ní:ioht ne teiekhástha, tó:kenske nè:'e wà:kehre. Tiótkon wa'akhihthá:rahkwe néne wísk nihá:ti ken' niiehonná:sas, áse' kenh é:so tsi iakenitshà:niskwe tóka' shí:ken onkwehón:we ratiksa'okòn:'a tsi ronwatirihonniennì:tha nonkwá:ti iahón:ne. Ken' shitionkwaién:ha, ionkwathontétie tánon ionkwahtharahkwenhátie thí:ken.
Ne Rakenonhà:'a Sonny nek tsá:ta nithoién:tahkwe shiahonwaia'ténhawe ne onkwehón:we ratiksa'okòn:'a tsi ronwatirihonniennì:tha nonkwá:ti. Rakontátie ne ratsihénstatsi akhsótha tsi ní:iens tánon wahèn:ron, "Kwah tokèn:'en tsi enhshakwate'nikòn:raren."
Ionsahshakotiia'ténhawe ó:ni ne Istá Florence.
Thí:ken ne tehniiáhse ne tsá:ta nihá:ti ratiksa'okòn:'a ne tsi niiakowí:raien ne akhsótha néne é:ren ronwatiia'tenhawíhton.
É:so tsi iakenitshà:niskwe tsi enionkhiia'tón:ti ne ken' niiehonná:sas néne kwah tokèn:'en tsi teiakwahnerèn:ne, iakenitshà:niskwe tsi ienhshakotiia'ténhawe ne wísk nihá:ti ken' niiehonná:sas.
Ne ki' tiorì:wa tsi thikawenní:io thé:nen tsi na'atiátiere, wa'onkeniió'ten. Kak nón:we tewatió'tehkwe, ohwísta wa'tkatèn:tsha ne ki' naón:ton kákhwa aionkwaién:take tánon ne takherihwásnie'se ne kahwá:tsire.
Indian Village nonkwá:ti wa'onkeniió'ten ne ki' tsi nón:we wa'khenòn:na ne Maria ronwatiien'okòn:'a, tsi niká:ien kheio'ten'séhahkwe. Wathsenní:ne "Ní:ne" McComber nen' nè:'e khe'nikòn:rarahkwe ; akaónha, tiatate'kèn:'a, tánon iatate'kèn:'a.
Ontate'nisténha, Maria, wa'è:ron, "Gloria, tsi iotkà:te saió'te, tóka' íhsehre, iénkhawe ahsén:nen ne sáhwista tánon tsi iehwistaientáhkhwa ienkonién:ha'se, nó:nen sénha entisaién:take."
Teréntsho, skahwísta shos kataterakwén:nis.
Edited by: George Rahrhaienté:ri Ross, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated: Karonhí:io Delaronde