You have my freckles
Tealey from when she was a child, around the age of 5 years. (courtesy: Tealey Ka'senni:saks Normandin)
Story told by Tealey Ka'senni:saks Normandin
When trying to find my family I had gone to the catholic community services to ask for information. I remember the social worker’s name was Ms. Whitacomb, and she told me she would do a search for my birth family, but that the process could take up to two years.
I got a phone call two weeks later from Ms. Whitacomb, and she told me that she had found my file, and that she didn’t have the heart to put it at the bottom of the stack because she knew that she could facilitate and reunite this family.
So, for a couple of months, my birth mother and I would write letters and send photos back and forth, until one day the social workers called and asked, “Are you ready to meet your mother, can I pass your phone number?”
I remember that morning, my birth mother had called, I gave her my address, and we made arrangements for her to come over. I was living in Verdun at the time, and my adoptive mother was a schoolteacher in Ville Emard. I called her at the school and told her that she had to rush home, my mother was going to meet us for lunch.
So, my birth mother, brother, and late sister all came over. When I opened the door my mother stood in front of me, and the first thing she said was, “You have my freckles.” I started touching my face and thinking, I’ve never noticed my freckles before, but she noticed them right away
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Sehsekkennaié:ren
Tealey with her birth mother, Mavis. Circa 2015 (courtesy: Tealey Ka'senni:saks Normandin)
Tealey Ka'senni:saks Normandin IAKOKÁ:RATON
Shikheia'tí:saks nakhwá:tsire', Tehatiiahsóntha' raotitióhkwa' tsi tetehshakotirihwasniè:se' iewakenónhne' othé:nen nakerihwanón:ton'. Kè:iahre' Ms. Whitacomb iontátiats ne thí:ken teiakonkwe'tásnie', tánon' wa'onkhró:ri' tsi enionkerihwí:sakse' ónhka ne akhwá:tsire' ionkwatéwe'ton, nek tsi tóka' nòn:wa teiohserá:ke ken tsi niió:re' othé:nen enietshén:ri'.
Teiahia'kserá:ke ohnà:ken Ms. Whitcomb taionkwatewennátahse', tánon' wa'onkhró:ri' tsi wa'etshén:ri' akwá:wen iehiatonhserohrókstha', tánon' wa'onkí:tenhre' iah tsi ieio'toniotà:'on tetsakaò:ron ase'kén iakoterien'tarátie' tsi enwá:ton' eniontié:senste' tsi tenshontékha' kí:ken kahwá:tsire'.
Thò:ne, tewenhnì:take nikarì:wes, néne ionkwatéwe'ton ake'nisténha tánon' nì:'i tontaiatiatathiá:ton'se' tonsaiatiatatawíhon' kaia'tarónnion, tsi niió:re' sewenhnísera thí:ken taiontewennáta' ne teiakonkwe'tásnie' wa'erihwanón:ton', "Satateweiennentà:'on ken taietsatátken' ne iesatéwe'ton sa'nisténha, enwá:ton' ken enkheiohétsten' tsi nisathiá:ton?"
Kè:iahre' thí:ken tiohrhon'kehtsherá:te', ionkwatéwe'ton ake'nisténha taiontewennáta', wa'khé:ion' tsi niiothiá:ton tsi tkì:teron tánon' wa'atiaterihwahserón:ni' aontá:ien'. Verdun tki'terón:tahkwe' thò:ne tánon' Ville Emard nonkwá:ti ronwatirihonnienníhahkwe' ne ionkkón:hen ake'nisténha. Tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa' ia'kheiatewennátahse' tánon' wa'khehró:ri' ó:nen'k tsi teniakohsteríhen' entsonhtén:ti', ake'nisténha teionkhiiaterahtà:nene' skátne taiakwatskà:hon'.
Kwah ionkwatéwe'ton ake'nisténha, rakhtsì:'a, tánon' khe'ken'kénha akwé:kon tahón:ne'. Kwah akhén:ton iaké:tahkwe' nake'nisténha sha'kehnhotón:ko', tánon' "Sehsekkennaié:ren" ne tiotierenhtáhkwen wa'onkhró:ri'. Tontáhsawen' ken' nia'tieránion' kkonhsa'kéhshon tánon' kanonhtónnion, iah nonwén:ton tewakattó:ken nohén:ton tsi tó:kenske' wakkennarónnion, nek tsi wa'onttokáhstsi' nakaónha.
Edited by: Kassidy Jacobs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde