My shoes came off and moccasins went on
Pre-1890, Mary Ioriwiioston Beavais looks downstream in this still of an Edison film. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Geraldine Standup
My family was traditional before they were catholic because even though they went to church on Sundays, we practiced our ways and our ceremonies. My grandfather was a very spiritual person and wasn’t necessarily religious, we didn’t go to the longhouse, but we practiced at home.
An Ojibwe student from York University wrote to me and wanted to know how I managed to stay Mohawk when I went to Indian day school. Well, I don’t know how much I’ve remained Mohawk, but it was simple; Mohawk is my mother-tongue.
I didn’t learn to speak English until I started school, because we only spoke Mohawk in our home, I had nobody to speak English to in the house. My grandmother didn’t even speak English so, my grandmother and I conversed every day and I never lost my language.
When I’d leave to go to school, I would put on my hard shoes and speak English, but when I came home, my shoes came off, and my moccasins went on, and I switched to my language. Your culture is in your language, that’s how I retained who I am as a Mohawk woman because Mohawk is my mother tongue. That’s the way I was raised.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION 〰️
Tenskarahtáhsi' tánon akwahtahkwahón:we énskatste'
1928 marked the year that these students would be gathered for a class portrait. (Courtesy: Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
IAKOKÁ:RATON Geraldine Standup
Orihwaká:ion tsi niiorihò:ten ratíhsereskwe nakhwá:tsire ohén:ton sha'thatiiahsón:ten' áse' kenh iaweronhátien tsi enhonterennaiénhna' ne Awentatokenhtì:ke, wa'akwatéweienste' ki' tsi niionkwarihò:ten tánon ne onkwanonhweratónhtshera. É:so tsi ra;nikonhraién:tahkwe ne rakhsótha tánon iah kwah tehorihwiiostòn:ne, iah kanonhsésne thieiakwéhthahkwe, nek tsi wa'akwatéweienste' kanónhses tsi niiorihò:ten ne tsi tionkwanónhsote.
Tseià:ta Atewa'káhnha ionterihwaiénstha ne York University nonkwá:ti taionkhiá:ton'se' tánon iakéhrhakwe aiakotó:ken'se tsi ní:tsi wa'kkwé:ni' Kanien'kehá:ka na'katia'tò:tenste' shikaterihwaienstà:nes tsi nonkwá:ti ne Onkwehonwehnéha entie'kehnéha tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa. Iah kwah tewakaterièn:tare to niió:re wa'kkwé:ni' Kanien'kehá:ka na'katia'tò:tenste', nek tsi waterihwatiesèn:ne ; Kanien'kéha nen' nè:'e ne akewennahón:we.
Iah tewakeweientehtà:'on akà:ronke' ne Tiohrhèn:sha tsi niió:re takatáhsawen' tsi katerihwaiénstha, áse' kenh nek Kanien'kéha wa'akwatá:ti' tsi tionkwanónhsote, iah ónhka tewatién:tahkwe ne Tiohrhèn:sha aiatiatá:ti' ne kanónhskon. Kwah iah ó:ni Tiohrhèn:sha teionhrónkhahkwe ne akhsótha, ne ki' akhsótha tánon nì:'i thia'tewenhniserá:ke wa'tiakenihthá:ren' tánon iah nonwén:ton tewakatewennahtón:ni.
Nó:nen enkahtén:ti' ne akaterihwaienstà:na', én:katste' nakwáhta iohtahkwahní:ron tánon Tiohrhèn:sha enkatá:ti' nek tsi nó:nen iénskewe' tsi tewakenónhsote, tenskarahtáhsi', tánon akwahtahkwahón:we énskatste', tánon tenkatewennaté:ni' akewén:na énskatste'. Sawén:na nà:'a ne tsi nisarihò:ten, tho ní:tsi wa'katháwa' ónhka nì:'i tsi Kanien'kehá:ka sewakathonwí:sen áse' kenh akewennahón:we nen' nè:'e ne Kanien'kéha. Tho ní:tsi ionkwehià:ron.
Edited by: Melissa Stacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translation by: Karonhí:io Delaronde