The Waltz of Wind
Carolyn and Lionel spent their time together in Nashville at the turn of the second millennium. (courtesy Carolyn Deer)
Story told by Carolyn and Lionel Deer
Lionel: How we met goes way, way, way back, we used to pass right by the church to go to school, where the old cemetery was.
Carolyn: Where the Mohawk Council is now.
Lionel: There used to be a trail I would pass, and Carolyn’s house was right next door, we used to play softball there all the time. So, I got to know her brothers and that’s where we started hanging out, and she was a little brat.
One time we were at the rink where the Youth Center is now, we used to skate there at night. She was there skating with her hair up in a ponytail, and my brother comes up to me and says, “See that girl over there, she’s picking on me.” So, I say, “Hey! You better stop picking on my brother.”
Carolyn: He wouldn’t leave me alone, every fricking guy I went out with, he interfered.
Lionel: That was later, that was in our teens. I had a friend, and he was going to school. So, he comes up to me and goes, “Look, I’m going away I want you to take care of her, make sure she’s okay.” And I was going out with somebody else too, but she would go away for the winter and come back in the summer, so that’s when it really started. So, he was gone away and I would walk her home every night, and after a while we were bear hugging each other.
Carolyn: Actually, it was behind the church, the old fort. I came from that neighborhood, and everyone hung out behind the church. So, we were behind there, and we were “making up a storm” as you would say when you’re that age, and all of a sudden, my boyfriend pops up, he came back early from where he was supposed to be.
Lionel: So, that night I sang to her, I sang “The Waltz of the Wind” by Hank Williams, and if you listen to it, it’s about meeting a girl and all that, and she’s gonna be yours forever. We even went to Belmont Park and Lionel recorded it.
Carolyn: We used to be able to pay a dollar or a quarter, and you’d go into a recording booth and record. So, he sang the song to me while we were in there and I still have it.
Lionel: I played it a couple months ago just to see if it was still good.
Carolyn: We’ve been together since, we got married in ’66 but we’ve been together since ’63, so it’s gonna be 59 years that we’ve been married.
Lionel: What I like to say about when her boyfriend first asked me to watch after her, I say, “Christ I’m still taking care of her, 50 years later and I’m still looking after her.”
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION 〰️
The Waltz of Wind
Earlier back, in 1991, the couple would jam out in Jamaica to celebrate their 25th anniversary. (courtesy Carolyn Deer)
Carolyn and Lionel Deer Rotiká:raton
Lionel: Í:non, í:non, í:non wahón:nise' tsi náhe' tetiontiatatientehrhà:'on, kheh ákta tsi ionterennaientáhkhwa' shos eniatiatóhetste' tsi wa'atiaterihwaienstà:ne', tsi nón:we tioká:ion ieia'tatárion tkénhne'.
Carolyn: Tsi nón:we ne Kanien'kehá:ka Tsi Ratitsenhaientáhkhwa' tetkanónhsote' nòn:wa.
Lionel: Iohá:tehkwe' néne én:katste' tsi enkatóhetste', tánon' kheh ákta tiakononhsó:tahkwe' ne Carolyn, tió:konte' eh nón:we wa'akwahthénno'ke' iohthenno'tshera'nhétska. Thò:ne ki', wa'kheientéhrha'ne' ne rontate'ken'okòn:'a tánon' tho nón:we tiotáhsawe' tsi teiakeniia'serátie's, tánon' tó:kenske iotonkwe'tontahkwèn:ne' nakaónha.
Kí:ken énska ia'ká:ienhte' eh ieiákwe'skwe' tsi teionto'tsinehtsherontáhkhwa' tsi nón:we ne Ken' Nithotiién:sa Raotitióhkwa' tetkanónhsote' nòn:wa, ahsonthèn:ne shos teniakwato'tsinehtsherón:ten' ne tho. Teiakoto'tsinehtsherontátie' eh nón:we iakoteniátsteren, tánon' iatiatate'kèn:'a ákta tà:rehte' rá:ton, "Hé: thí:ken tsakothonwí:sen eh ítien's, ionkwátkonte'." Thò:ne wa'kì:ron, "Hé:! Né: ki' ioiánere' tóka' tóhsa aonsahtshatkón:ten' iatiatate'kèn:'a."
Carolyn: Kwah iah teshotkà:wen tsi rakwátkonte', akwé:kon tsi nihá:ti ionkwaterihwíson', wahatia'tò:roke'.
Lionel: Sénha ohnà:ken eh niiawèn:'en, ken' shitionkeniién:ha. Shaià:ta iontiatén:rohkwe', tánon' wahaterihwaienstà:nene'. Ákta tà:rehte' ki' tánon' wahèn:ron', "Hé:, é:ren wa'kehtà:ne' tánon' í:kehre' í:se' ahsheiate'nikòn:raren', orihwí:io són:ni tsi skén:nen niiakonhnhò:ten." Tánon' ónhka'k akò:ren ò:ni' iatiaterihwísa'skwe', nek tsi é:ren én:ienhte' tsi niwakóhseres tánon' téntien' tsi niwakénhnhes, thò:ne kwah tokèn:'en tontáhsawen'. É:ren rawéhton ki' thí:ken tánon' thia'tewahsón:take ehta'kéhshon ionsaiákene' tsi sakhe'terónhnha', tánon' ka'k tsi ní:ions tontáhsawen' wa'tiatiatatia'kwahrhié:na'.
Carolyn: Né: norihwiiohón:we, kahsòn:ne ne tsi ionterennaiéntahkhwa' eh nitiawèn:'en, tsi waten'enhrá:kaion nonkwá:ti. Eh nón:we tsi tetionnonhsakhánion nitewaké:non, tánon' akwé:kon eh kahsòn:ne ne tsi ionterennaientáhkhwa' wa'akwaterakén:rie'. Eh kahsòn:ne ieiákene's ki', tánon' tó:kenske wa'atiate'nikonhró:ri' ne ki' tsi ní:ioht tsi niiontiéhrha' ne tho naontaiakoién:take', tánon' thontaiawénhstsi', ákskare' wahokè:tohte', iosnó:re' íshro eh na'tethawenónhton tsi nón:we teiotonhontsóhon ahrè:sheke'.
Lionel: Wa'kheiaterennóthahse' ki' ne tho tewahsontá:te', wa'katerennó:ten' "The Waltz of the Wind" ne Hank Williams rorenníson', tánon' tóka' enhsatahónhsatate', nè:'e iothrorià:ton tsi tsakothonwí:sen tetsatátken tánon' akwé:kon thí:ken, tánon' ieiotkontáhkwen sonkwè:ta' enkénhake' nakaónha. Tho Belmont Park ieionkenenónhne' tánon' Lionel waharén:naraste'.
Carolyn: Kwah skahwísta tóka' ni' énska teréntsho shos enwá:ton' enhskária'ke', tánon' tsi ierennahseronnià:tha' iénhse' tánon' enhserén:naraste'. Wahakwaterennóthahse' ki' thí:ken tsi nikarì:wes eh ieiákene'skwe' tánon' shé:kon nòn:wa wátien'.
Lionel: Tohkára niwenhnì:take tsi náhe' wa'kerennà:ren' thí:ken nakátken'se' tóka' shé:kon ioiánere'.
Carolyn: Tho náhe' sha'teiakeniia'serátie's, 66 nitiohserò:ten tionkeniniá:kon nek tsi 63 nitiohserò:ten sha'teiakeniia'serátie's, wà:ts 59 niiohserá:ke nikarì:wes enionkeniniá:kon.
Lionel: Wakon'wéskwani wáhi akì:ron' kí:ken nó:nen enkathrória'te' tsi ní:tsi akóskare' shontontié:renhte' wahakerihwanón:tonhse' akheiate'nikòn:raren', enkì:ron', "Ótkon shé:kon khe'nikòn:rare', 50 niiohserà:ke ontóhetste' tánon' shé:kon khe'nikòn:rare'."
Edited by: Kahen:te Leborgne
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde