Smell signals
Nick on set as he directs the filming of an atmospheric expanse. (Courtesy: Nick Huard)
Story told by Nick Huard
I say to the kids in youth protection, “Don’t quit. Never quit. The eagle’s got a 10 percent success rate. He’s gonna try on nine fish before he gets the one he’s gonna eat.”
So, that’s life. You’ve gotta try, try, try. Like the old Mi’kmaq saying, “If you don’t succeed at first, the hell with it!” No, it’s really quite the opposite.
If I would have given up on anything I tried the first time, that dreamcatcher would never exist. That knife that I made would never exist. Learning comes.
I learned this on a shoot: smoke signals. The real code was not just smoke. The smell. We were shooting in Arizona at Window Rock, and we wanted to do an interview. So, it was all organized with the daughter. We went to the daughter’s place, the mother lived up the hill.
“Tell mom to let us know when she’s ready.”
So, we’re there checking out the farm, the sheep.
“Mom’s ready.”
There’s no phone around the house. We had to drive up the hill and I said, “How did you know?”
She said, “Can you smell the Pinyon Pine?”
“Okay, got you.”
So, mom’s signal was to burn Pinyon Pine in the fire. You pick up the smell right away, and that’s the code.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Tsi niwenserò:ten Ate'nienténhtshera'
A dreamcatcher of Nick’s design takes a unique approach from the traditional hanging design, by being raised by a lovely, hand-crafted stand. (Courtesy: Nick Huard)
Nick Huard ROKÁ:RATON
Wa'khehró:ri' ne ken' nithoiièn:sa ne tsi shakotiia'tanonstátstha' ratiià:tare', "Tóhsa sewátka'wh. Tóhsa nonwén:ton sewátka'wh. 10 kwesén:t niiokwénion nothé:nen akaié:na' ne á:kweks. Enwate'nién:ten' tióhton nikéntsake akaié:na' ohén:ton tsi niió:re' enkakwé:ni' skéntsa akaié:na' néne wákhe'."
Tho ki' ní:ioht aiakónhnheke'. Ó:nen'k tsi enhsate'nién:ten', enhsate'nién:ten', enhsate'nién:ten'. Tsi ní:ioht ne Atsa'ktahró:non rón:ton, "Tóka' iah thahskwé:ni tsi entehsatié:renhte', iekanennerì:taien!" Iah, kwah tsi ní:ioht ne ákte' nonkwá:ti nenhsate'nién:ten'.
Tóka' aonkwatkà:wen othé:nen nahò:ten' néne tiotierénhton wakate'nién:ten, kwah iah thaiotón:nike' ne watetshenhseraié:nas. Kwah iah thaiotón:nike thí:ken à:share' wákhson'. Katke'shòn:'a orihwí:io ieweientéhta's.
Wa'keweientéhta'ne' ken' nahò:ten' tsi iekaronnià:tha' shítke's: Smoke Signals. Iah nek oièn:kwara' té:ken nate'nienténhtshera', tsi niwenserò:ten nà:'a ne kwah tokèn:'en. Window Rock, Arizona nonkwá:ti tionkwaió'tehkwe', tánon' wa'akwaská:neke' karihwanontónnion aiakwakétsko'. Konwaièn:'a nen' nè:'e wa'ekwatá:ko' norihwakwé:kon. Thò:ne ki' konwaienhnéha ia'ákwe', onontoharà:ke tiè:teron ne ontate'nisténha.
"Shehró:ri istá: aionkhihró:ri' nó:nen iakotateweiennentà:'on."
Eh ki' tiakwatkèn:se' tsi ieienthóhtha', ò:ni' ne teiotina'karontón:ha.
"Iakotateweiennentà:'on ne istá:."
Iah káneka teká:ien' teiehtharáhkhwa' ne kanónhskon. Ó:nen'k tsi onontoharà:ke ia'akwató:ri' tánon' wa'kì:ron', "Oh ní:tsi wesaterièn:tara'ne'?"
Taiè:ron', "Sáswens ken ne Pinyon Pine?""
Háo' ki', iahà:khewe'."
Thò:ne ki', istá: akote'nienténhtshera' kénhne' ne aiakwáthsa'ahte' Pinyon Pine tsi iotékha'. Óksa'k ensenseráswen', tánon' ne nà:'a nate'nienténhtshera'.
Editen by: Simona Rosenfield
Translation by: Karonhí:io Delaronde