Paris, France
Katsitsano:ron wearing the same dress that she wore for her Paris-side film opportunity. She is seen here in the Chisasabi powwow at Fort George, dated Saturday, August 7, 1993. (courtesy Amelia McGregor)
Story told by Amelia McGregor
When my daughter Katsitsano:ron was nine years old, she was in a traditional singing and dance group with the Cultural Center.
There was a picture taken of her and Lanho Goodleaf. That was the Cultural Center’s advertising for the singing and dance group.
One day, the phone rang. A woman was scouting for two children to be in a movie, and she liked the picture of Katsitsanoron that was at the Cultural Center.
She said, “We’re going to be doing a movie in Paris, and we’d like to use your daughter in the movie.”
I said, “No problem! But I’m going with her, she’s not going by herself.”
She said, “You’re definitely going to have to go with her, either you or your husband. We have to get you passports.”
I said, “Why do we need passports, it’s only the next province?”
I thought we were going to Paris, Ontario.
She said, “No, it’s in Paris, in France.”
I said, ‘I looked at her calendar and fortunately, you caught her at a good time. She’s available right now. What do we have to do now?’ I wanted to make her seem like she was an actress in high demand.
She said, “We’ll fix everything. We’ll take care of your passports.”
Sure enough, she and I got on a plane and we went to Paris. We were there with Flint Eagle and Sandy Benson, a powwow dancer from Ontario. Cheyenne Two-Axe was the boy that they got for the film, and Vicky Two-Axe is his mother.
Everywhere we went, people were following us because we were all dressed up in traditional clothing.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Paris, O'seronni'onwè:ke
A family photo of Amelia and Joe McGregor with their daughters. (courtesy Amelia McGregor)
Amelia McGregor IAKOKÁ:RATON
Tióhton shitiakó:ien' ne kheièn:'a Katsi'tsanó:ron, orihwakaionhnéha ionterennótha' tánon' teienonniáhkhwa' kanèn:ra' ieià:tarahkwe' ne Ken' Nithotiièn:sa Raotitióhkwa'.
Énska niià:tare' ne akaónha tánon' ne Lanho Goodleaf. Kwah nè:'e wáhontste' tsi wa'thatirénhsaron' ne Ken' Nithotiièn:sa Raotitióhkwa' ne thí:ken ionterennótha' tánon' teienonniáhkhwa' kanèn:ra' aorihwà:ke.
Sewenhnísera thí:ken, wa'ohwistá:kahre' iontewennata'ástha'. Kí:ken iakón:kwe tekaksà:take iakonkwe'tí:saks ne teióia'ks ahiatià:taren' tánon' wa'enòn:we'ne' thí:ken Katsi'tsanó:ron ieià:tare' ne Ken' Nithotiièn:sa Raotitióhkwa' nonkwá:ti.
Wa'è:ron', "Paris nonkwá:ti wa'akwakaronnià:ne' teióia'ks tánon' iákwehre' aiakhíhnha'ne' sheièn:'a teióia'ks aiontià:taren'.
Wa'kì:ron', "Iah othé:nen tekarì:wa'! Nek tsi ó:nen'k tsi eniákene', iah se' akaonhà:'a eh thiá:ien."
Tontaiè:ron', "Orihwí:io akaónha énsene', í:se' tóka' ni' tshekstén:ha. Ó:nen'k tsi eniakwakwatá:ko' ne teieristiià:kstha' kahiatónhsera' aieseniié:na'."
Wa'kì:ron', "Oh nontié:ren teiontiatonhontsó:ni thí:ken teieristiià:kstha', tetiatonhontsané:ken thí:ken wáhi?"
Wà:kehre' Paris, Ontario wa'ákene'.
Wa'è:ron', "Iáhten, Paris nonkwá:ti, O'seronni'onwè:ke."
Wa'kì:ron', "Wa'kka'én:ion' akó:wen iakenhni'tahsetà:tha' tánon' wesatera'swí:ioste', kwah néhstsi tsi nikahá:wi' wa'etshihá:ra'se'. Kwah ó:nen'k iakonáktote'. Oh nitsatiatierà:ne' ó:nen?" Wà:kehre' takerihwaierónnion' tsi ní:ioht tóka' tó:k niiehsén:na' teiontierónnions akénhake' ne akaónha.
Wa'è:ron', "Kwah akwé:kon eniakwakwatá:ko'. Ì:'i eniakwaterihwatsté:riste' senihiatónhsera' teieristiià:kstha'."
Orihwí:io tho na'á:wen', akaónha tánon' nì:'i tekaténsne wa'atiatíta' sok Paris ia'ákene'. Eh tiákwe'skwe' Flint Eagle tánon' ne Sandy Benson, iontha'towanahtha'kéha' teienonniáhkhwa' néne Ontario nitiakawé:non. Cheyenne Two-Axe wahonwatíhnha'ne' ne raksà:'a tahatierónnion' ne teióia'ks aorihwà:ke, tánon' Vicky Two-Axe nen' nè:'e ne ro'nisténha.
Kwah ákte'k nón:we ietsonkwenónhseron, ón:kwe wa'onkhihnhonterátiehte' ase'kén kwah akwé:kon orihwakaionhnéha ionkwatia'tahserón:ni.
Edited by: Melissa Stacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translation by: Karonhí:io Delaronde