↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓
🔈
↓ listen to the story in KANIEN’KÉHA ↓ 🔈
(Credit: Simona Rosenfield)
Story told by Kevin Ka’nahsóhon Deer
Three things happened to me in the span of a year in 1978: the death of my matrilineal grandfather, the conception and birth of my daughter, and a teacher coming to Kahnawake. It was the spring of 1979 when somebody told me that this man from Akwesasne was coming to Kahnawake.
Tom Porter came to share some teachings I’d never heard before. I didn’t know who he was, what he was all about. The only thing they said was if you go listen to him, he’s going to talk about the old way. He talked about when your partner is pregnant the man is pregnant too, and my partner at the time was pregnant, so I was pregnant too.
I walk in the gym and they’re sitting in a circle. Who ever sat in a circle? We never did that. He said, “Before I start, I’m going to give you the key to understanding the universe.”
I said, “Well, if there’s a key, I want that key,” and the key was the Thanksgiving Address.
All of this stuff happened in just over a year. It caused my transformation. My parents, they changed too, because I talked about the spiritual development that I was going through. I impacted on them and they changed. We changed as a family.
My daughter, who was the grand chief, is 46 years old. I’ve been walking this road for 46 years because I said if I ever have children, they will never ever see me smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, do drugs, or be violent. I had to be the change I wanted to see in the world for a better tomorrow.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
↓
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tsóhsera: rakhsótha, kheièn:’a, shakorihonnién:ni:
(Credit: Simona Rosenfield)
Kevin Ka’nahsóhon Deer ROKÁ:RATON
Áhsen niiorì:wake nontià:tawen’ ne tsóhsera nikarì:wes, 1978 nen’ né: shiiohserò:ten’, tsi rakhsótha ake’nisténha nonkwá:ti wahrénheie’, tsi wa’enákerate’ kheièn:’a, nok tsi shakorihonnién:ni Kahnawà:ke tà:re’. 1979 shiiohserò:ten’ shikakwí:te ónhka’k sha’onkhró:ri’tsi kí:ken rón:kwe Ahkwesasró:non nen’ né: Kahnawà:ke tà:re’.
Tom Porter tà:rehte’ taharénia’te’ karihonnienníhtshera tsi iah nonwén:ton tewakathontè:’on nohén:ton. Iah tewakaterièn:tarahkwe’ ónhka ne ráonha, nok tsi nihorihò:ten’. Kwah nek wahonnì:ron’ tóka’ enhtshatahonhsatátha’, enhahthá:rahkwe’ ne orihwakaionhnéha.
Wahahthá:rahkwe’ nó:nen iené:ron ne sáhskare, tsi ki’ ní:ioht tsi í:se sahrhá:re ó:ni’, tánon’ ákhskare ieneròn:ne’ tho shikahá:wi, né: ká:ti’ ì:’i ó:ni’ wakehrhá:rehkwe’. Tsi iontia’tahkariiostáhkhwa’ ia’katáweia’te’ tánon’ tehotinenhrakwe’nón:ni tsi ratítskote.
Nonwén:ton ken ónhka iétskote tsi tekanenhrakwe’nón:ni? Iah nonwén:ton ní: tho teionkwaié:ren. Wahèn:ron’, “Ohén:ton nentkatáhsawen’, enkwahahónnien’ tsi ní:tsi sénha aiesewa’nikonhraién:ta’ne’ tsi niiorihò:ten’ ne tsi ionhontsá:te nok karonhià:ke.”
Wa’kì:ron’, tóka’ ioháhaien ahskerihónnien’, ì:kehre’ ahsekhahónnien’. Tánon’ Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen nen’ nè:’e. Akwé:kon ken’ na’awénhseron’ ostón:ha ísi’ nón:we ne tsóhsera. Ne takarihón:ni’ tsi wa’tkatté:ni’. Iontièn:’a ni’ ó:ni’ wa’thiatté:ni’ ase’kén wa’khthá:rahkwe’ tsi watón:ni nahò:ten’ tewakehtáhkwen. Wa’kheió:ra’ne’ tánon’ wa’thiatté:ni’. Kahwá:tsire tsi wa’tiakwatté:ni’. Kheièn:’a né:ne ohén:ton ítsente ne ratitsénhaiens, 46 na’teiakaohseriià:kon. 46 niiohserá:ke ken’ shiwakhahò:ten’ ase’kén wa’kì:ron’ tóka’ nonwén:ton enwakewiraién:ta’ne’, iah nonwén:ton thaiónkken’ oièn:kwa akatshó:ko’, onon’tákeri akhnekì:ra’, teiako’nikonhraténie’s á:katste’ tóka’ni’ akhekarewáhthake’. Kéhrhahkwe’ taontté:ni’ nonhontsà:ke, né:ne sénha aioianeréhake’ nenióhrhen’ne’, nek tsi nì:’i ó:nen’k tsi wa’tkatté:ni’ ne tho neniá:wen’ne.
Edited by: Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Sahawisó:ko' Arquette