Sweetgrass

Start Time Passamaquoddy-Maliseet English
00:12 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
00:15 suwitokolasol. sweetgrass.
00:18 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
00:21 suwitokolasol. sweetgrass.
00:24 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
00:27 suwitokolasol. sweetgrass.
00:30 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
00:33 suwitokolasol. sweetgrass.
00:37 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
00:41 ehpicik. women.
00:44 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
00:48 ehpicik. women.
00:51 Woliwon, woliwon... Thank you, thank you...
00:54 Eci wihqaceyik mecimiw It used to be so much fun
00:57 api-suwitokolasket nuhkomoss when my grandmother went
01:00 naka nikuwoss. sweetgrass picking with my mother.
01:01 On-oc nit peciptuwek… nekomaw peciptuhtit suwitokolasol And they would bring the sweetgrass
01:06 nemaht, nikonon, to our house,
01:08 on-oc ’pehkihtuniya, ihil, suwitokolasol, they would clean the sweetgrass,
01:13 nakahc, yey, kekesk wihqonomoniya naka ’kolopituniya, and take a little and tie it up,
01:18 wiwonaqopituniya naka ’tekhutuniya ahpapik. wrap it up and hang it on a rope.
01:23 Psi-tehc psonekhutetul The sweetgrass would be
01:24 suwitokolasol lamikuwam. hanging everywhere in the house.
01:29 Elomi-wolossinultiyek, As we went to bed,
01:31 yut-te ktoli-ewepapotomon suwitokolasol. you’d just look up to see the sweetgrass.
01:35 Eci-wolimahtek. It smelled so nice.
01:37 Mecimi-te. All the time.
01:38 Eci-wolimahtek kikuwak. Your house smelled so nice.
01:41 Nit-tehna kil mecimiw, It used to be the same for you,
01:43 natokehkimkiyin. going to school.
01:44 Nit-tehc elimahsiyin, You would smell like sweetgrass,
01:46 ansa suwitokolas aluhsiyin walking around.
01:47 Qin-ote? Really?
01:49 Eci-wolimahsiyin. Yes you did! You smelled so sweet.
01:50 Iya, woliwon, tus. Really. Thank you, tus.
01:52 Cu, leyu nit. Yes, it is true.
01:54 ’Sami elinaqahk ehtahs Because there was always lots of
01:55 suwitokolasol kuhkomoss, sweetgrass your grandmother,
01:56 I mean kmamam, I mean your mother,
01:58 kisi, you know, pkonok. that she, you know, picked.
01:59 Naka elatokoniket. And what she braided.
02:01 Tepot eci-wolimahsiyin. That’s why you smelled so good.
02:03 Oh, gee. Nit-ona, wot… Oh, gee. That one too, this…
02:07 nmossis wikuwak kessahay, Diane. my older sister’s house as I walk in, Diane.
02:09 Nit-ona eci-wolimahtek suwitokolasol, here, too, it smelled so good
02:11 etolatokoniket. as she was braiding it.
02:16 lyyeksopon wikhikoneyal If we had had cameras at that time,
02:18 neket mec pemawsit while she was still alive...
02:20 naka and
02:22 ntuwikhanen we had taken pictures of her
02:24 naka and
02:26 ntopostomonen record....etolatokoniket naka iyey, record... listened to her braiding... iyey,
02:34 Tokki-te wotokiyak, Until it is flexible,
02:37 suwitokolasol, the sweetgrass,
02:39 weci-kisatokoniket wen. so someone can braid it.
02:40 On nit-tehc kisi, yey, And then when they've put it in
02:45 kisi-punok kespehtek ’samaqan, hot water,
02:47 nit-tehc ’tolahqekonomoniya then they wrap it up using
02:51 ewekhotihtit nihtol, ihil, ptoqapiyil, those burlap bags,
02:55 nakahc, yey, psonopituniya and they tie it all up
02:57 naka napicehtuniya ’toqtoputiwak, and hang it on their chair,
03:00 on-oc wen maciyatokoniket; pol-ote pesq wihqonomon, and then someone will start braiding; first you take one,
03:05 apc kotok, and then another
03:09 On-oc, iyey... And then...
03:11 Sakolonomun, weci-kisatokoniki. Hold this, so I can braid.
03:14 On-oc maciyatokonikaniya. And then they start braiding.
03:16 Ya, on-oc maciyatokonikhotiniya. Yes, and then they start braiding.
03:19 Maciyatokonikan nikuwoss, My mother would start braiding,
03:23 nuhkomossonuk. our grandmothers.
03:25 Mekonomuhtit ntolonapemonuk, What they picked, my relatives,
03:29 nuhkomossonuk, nikuwossonuk, our grandmothers, our mothers,
03:31 psi-te wen. everyone.
03:32 On-oc nipayiw nikuwoss etutatokoniket. And at night my mother would be braiding up a storm.
03:39 Nit-tehc lihputetul. They would go just like that.
03:40 Etucessik-oc ’pihtinol. Her hands would go so fast.
03:41 Naka yut etolatokonok yut suwitokolas, And this sweetgrass she was braiding,
03:45 cestehp metentuwewik it was as if
03:49 suwito... iyey, latokonikon. the sweet... the braid was singing.
03:52 Etuci-sikte-wolihtaqahk It sounded wonderful.
03:55 Tekon-ote tuhkiyay elomi-tpuhkiwik Even when I woke up
03:58 nutomon metiyatokoniket nikuwoss, in the middle of the night I would hear my mother
04:01 on ntamihkin, natsakiyan; braiding, and I’d get up to go see her;
04:02 ma-te nit ’topiwon. she wasn’t sitting there.
04:04 Ya, kenoq nutuwa metiyatokoniket. Yes, but I’d hear her braiding.
04:10 Ya. Yes.
04:11 Nil ehtahs nuhkomoss etolatokoniket, Every time my grandmother braided,
04:13 kotuwatokoniket... was going to braid...
04:15 On-oc nil ntamikotoqqin kuhutik, And I would jump up on the bed,
04:17 ’sami kocicihtun elahtek nekom elossit because you know how her room was…
04:20 Nit-oc epit naka ’totolatokonikan, She would sit there and braid
04:23 on-oc nil... and I would...
04:25 on-oc nil ntolossinon naka and I would lie down and
04:28 ntopostuwan. Nit-tehc etoloqsi. listen to her. I would go to sleep.
04:30 Nkuhuloq-ote etolatokoniket, ’sami… She would put me right to sleep,
04:31 …eci woltaqahk nit latokonikon. braiding, because……that braid sounded so nice.
04:34 Etutatonokiket. ya. Aha. Yup. She braided so fast.
04:45 Woliwon. Thank you.
04:47 Nkolopitunennul suwitokolasol We tied up the sweetgrass
04:51 tan ci kisi-pkonomeq nit kehsi… kehsok. when we picked that much.
04:55 Nit-tehc, yey, Then we
04:57 ntolaqopitunen tied it up
04:59 naka ntekhutunen nemaht, yey, and hung it at my home,
05:02 peciptuwoq. when we bring it.
05:03 Nikonuk. At my house.
05:05 Lamikuwam? Inside?
05:06 Nikonuk. At my house.
05:07 Nikononnuk. At our houses.
05:08 ... Psi-te kilun. ... All of us.
05:09 Nama, nikonuk. No, at my house.
05:13 Aha, kil tehpu: "kik." "Nikonuk." Yes, if it's just you, it's "kik," (your house).
05:15 Kenoq psi-te kilun "kikononnuk," But all of us, at our houses,
05:16 Richard. Ktiyul. is "kikononnuk," Richard. I tell you.
05:22 ’Kocicihtun. He knows it.
05:23 ’Kocicihtun Richard. Richard knows it.
05:25 Wihqaci not cikawoluhke. He likes to tease.
05:27 Nita, eci-wolinaqahk. Okay. It looks very good.
05:29 Komac. Very.
05:32 Wolimahte. It smells good.
05:34 Nil mecimiw nuhkomoss, My grandmother,
05:37 an ci kotuwehket suwitokolas naka when she was going to
05:39 ’kisi-tepi-punomon ’samaqanihkuk… use the sweetgrass, she put it in the water…
05:42 On-oc kistek, And when it was ready,
05:43 on ’kisahqekonomon naka she wrapped it up
05:44 ’kisi-punomon qotoputik… and put it on the chair…
05:47 On-oc nit ’samaqan And that water,
05:50 ’punomon, naka she would put it down and
05:51 ’totoli-kossiptinensin she would be
05:53 naka ’totoli-kossiqensin… washing her hands and face…
05:54 Nqecimulahpon, I asked her,
05:55 "Mehsi nit olluhkiyin, Gram?" "Why do you do that, Gram?"
05:56 Itom, "Eci-wolimahtek naka eci… She said, "It smells so nice and
05:59 Wolomomqot, it feels so good
06:00 wen kossiqensit." Itom… when you wash your face." She said…
06:02 Itom, "Kikuwosson nit ’piyehsumol." She said, "That’s our mother’s hair."
06:05 Itom, "’Pisun nit." Iya. She said, "That is medicine."
06:10 Itom, mecimi-te ’tuwehkan. She said she always uses it.
06:11 Ntolitahasin nit kal weci-woli, yey… And I thought that’s why she’s got such…
06:14 …wolasokiqat. …a soft, smooth face.
06:18 Itom, ’pisun nit, on ntolitahasin, She said it was medicine, and I thought,
06:20 ’pisun. Eluwehk-otehc ntoqetuwehkan npiyehsumok. "Medicine. I think I will try it on my hair."
06:24 Ipa, ntuwehki, eci-wolimahtek Look, I used it,
06:26 npiyehsumol, naka eci, iyey... and my hair smelled so nice,
06:28 ma-te nkikcokatpahaw. and it was very… My head didn’t itch.
06:30 Naka nutiyamu. And it fell out.
06:32 Naka nutiyamu... Keq nutiyamik? And it fell out... What fell out?
06:35 Kpiyehsumol. Your hair.
06:37 No, nama kahk. No, not that.
06:48 Onota, temonu-te macehpote. Okay, it’s going to be hot in a while.
06:51 Kis-al-ote. It already is.
07:12 Kil-lu tan, Barb? What about you, Barb?
07:13 Tan ktoli-wewitahatomon? What do you remember,
07:15 Tan ktuceyiness mace-luhkatomon suwitokolas? how old were you when you started working with sweetgrass?
07:19 Well, amsqahs... Well, at first...
07:22 ma-te nuskuweyutomuwon. Tehpu… well, I didn’t bother with it. I just…
07:24 Knomihtun? Did you see it?
07:26 Aha. Yey, Lisopot, Yes. Elizabeth,
07:28 mecimiw nmacephoq yet, she used to take me over there,
07:30 yet Carlow’s Island, over there to Carlow’s Island,
07:32 on-oc nekom ’totoli-pkonahsin. and she would be picking.
07:34 Apc-oc apaciyayek, When we got back,
07:37 ’totoli-wolehtun. she would be cleaning it.
07:39 Apc-oc nekom ’totolatokonikan nipayiw, Then she would braid it at night.
07:42 on-oc nil ntopin And I would sit on
07:44 pemsokhasik the floor
07:46 naka nekom ’totolatokonikan. and she’d be braiding,
07:48 On-oc nil nwihqehtun pesqonul and I’d take some
07:50 naka nahsehtun qotoputik and put them on
07:53 nakahc nil ntotolatokonikan. the chair and I would braid.
07:54 Kittis! A… How cute! Ah…
07:56 Qensakihwet Mam naka, ya, While my mother and
07:58 Mali Susehp, Josephine
07:59 on-oc nil npeci-kotuksinon, watched television,
08:02 on-oc wot Lisopot I would get sleepy and Elizabeth
08:03 nmacephukun wahsiw, ’kuhutik. would take me in the other room,
08:05 Eci-wolahtek not ’kuhut. to her bed. Her bed was so comfortable.
08:08 Naka yut, yey, And the room
08:10 psoni-ekhute suwitokolasol. would be full of sweetgrass hanging up.
08:16 Nit nil, iyey, wewitahatom. That’s what I remember.
08:19 Pesq pilsqehsis I was telling this one girl,
08:22 ntotoli-yahahpon eli, yey, wolikok yut, this is good,
08:25 weci wen, yey, woli… so someone [could have]...
08:28 Tan-op wen ’toli… How would one [say]…
08:29 Supaltoqat? Smooth hair?
08:31 Aha, supaltoqat. Yes, smooth hair.
08:33 On ehta nekom tehpu And so she just
08:34 qeni-pisiptinewit nit put her hand in
08:35 ’samaqanok naka the water and
08:37 ’totoli-punomon ’piyehsumok. started putting it in her hair.
08:38 A… alokottis! Oh, how sweet!
08:40 Nokosa-kulamsotakun. She believed you quick enough.
08:44 Nil mecimiw… I used to ….
08:46 Nit-tehna nwewitahatomon yalekhutaq I also remember my grandfather
08:47 nmuhsums nihtol suwitokolasol hanging up the sweetgrass
08:49 bedroomok, in the bedroom
08:51 naka nit living room… and in the living room…
08:53 Nit, ihik, ihtolopit nekom. There, where he used to sit.
08:55 Nit-ona ’kisiyal line, He also made a line
08:58 ’kisekhutunol. and hung them up.
08:59 Psi-te tama elapiyin, Everywhere you looked,
09:00 ekhutetul suwitokolasol. sweetgrass hanging up.
09:02 Lamikuwam? Inside?
09:03 Lamikuwam, iya. Yeah, inside.
09:04 Tan-ote tama kis… tan-ote tama, meskok, you know, Anywhere he could find,
09:07 space, tama ekhutek suwitokolas. space, for sweetgrass to hang.
09:11 And, apc mihqitahasi nahaht, And, I remembered again
09:13 mihqitahasi nahaht-te nuhkomoss, Township. a little while ago, I remember my grandmother at Township.
09:16 Motahkomikuk nekom wikuhpon. She used to live at Peter Dana Point.
09:18 Jenny Tumaw? Jenny Tomah?
09:19 Aha, Jenny Tomah. Yes, Jenny Tomah.
09:20 Nekom-ona… Yeah. She too...
09:22 mossihtuneponil suwitokolasol. had plenty of sweetgrass.
09:24 Kenoq ’punomonol, ihil, But she put it in
09:27 nit-olu what they, toke, what they
09:29 they call it crawlspace. now call a crawlspace.
09:31 Nomihtun nit kitchen, I can see that kitchen–
09:32 nit-te her stove. Nit-te nit crawlspace. there was her stove. That crawlspace was right there.
09:34 Lahkapok. In the cellar?
09:35 Lahkapok? Iya. In the cellar? Yeah.
09:36 Nit nekom ihtolewotahsit She used to put
09:38 suwitokolasol. the sweetgrass there.
09:39 Naka wikpiyik. And ash splints.
09:41 Pehki-te kis… kisopuwok. They were all ready to be worked on.
09:44 Eci-milikihtit. There were so many different kinds.
09:47 Naka elinaqahk suwitokolasol And a lot of sweetgrass
09:49 nit ehtek lamiw naka that was there inside
09:50 ma-te keqsey lessiwiyil. and nothing happened to it.
09:51 Ma-te suwahqiyewiyil, ma-te keq. It didn’t get moldy, nothing.
09:54 Nit-tehc tehpu She would just
09:55 wissahqekonomon polahkitsis… wrap it in a little blanket…
09:57 Nit-oc nihtol ehtek, That’s where it would be,
09:58 nit crawlspace. Lahkapok. in that crawlspace. In the cellar.
10:01 On tan ci nituwit, And when she needed it,
10:02 tehpu qeni-naciptaq nihtol. she would just go get it.
10:04 Nil-otehc tomk wettoqqi, I would be the first to jump up,
10:06 tomk etoli-wicuhkemuk. the first to help her.
10:10 Kenoq ma-te nwewitahatomuwon But I don’t remember
10:12 nekom ’tolatokonikan. her braiding.
10:14 Kenoq cu-al-lu. But she must have.
10:15 ’Sami nekom-ona mecimiw Because she used to make baskets,
10:17 posonutehkehpon naka yuhtol ’tuwehkan. and she would use it.
10:20 Cu-al-lu latokonikess. She must have braided.
10:21 Ma-te wisoki nwewitahatomuwon nit. I don’t really remember that.
10:23 Cu-al-lu, ’sami ma-te nekom She must have, because she
10:25 monuhmuwon nekom nihtol, wouldn’t have bought it,
10:27 kisatok…How do you say that? she would have…How do you say that?
10:29 Kisatokoniket. She would have braided.
10:30 Ya, kisatokoniket. Yeah, she braided.
10:31 Nekom al-ote, I think, kisihtaqs. She must have done it, I think.
10:35 Iya, ’sami mossihtuneponil nekom nit Yeah, because she had plenty of it in
10:36 lahkapok. that cellar.
10:37 Mam nihtol mecimiw, yey, My mother used to go
10:41 nekom-ona mecimiw with us when
10:42 nwiciyemkun tan ci oliyayek, we went to
10:43 Motahkomikuk. Peter Dana Point.
10:45 Natsakiyan ehtahs. We used to go see her all the time.
10:47 Ntahcuhyan ehtahs Nuwel Canku. We would always hire Newell Tomah.
10:49 ’Qotuhkayiw-ona. Alone, too.
10:51 Iya. ’Qotuhkayiw, iya. Yes. Alone, yes.
10:53 Kewitahama-na kil, elomiyat-op, iya… You remember, too, when she would go…
10:56 Tan ci kisi-nokolit, When she left me,
10:57 nit-te maciyalokotti... right off I would start...
10:58 nit-te ntiyaliluwahan tan ci nokolit. I would be angry if she left me.
11:02 Kil-ona ktiyalotemin? And you would be crying around?
11:03 Nil-ona ntiyalotemin. I would be crying around.
11:06 Ktiyal, ktiyali… sopiwoniqsuhkan. You would be going around being a crybaby.
11:10 Naka nil eci wihqaci-oliyay and I used to like going to
11:11 Motahkomikuk. Peter Dana Point.
11:12 Yut-te ntihin every Sunday, I would be here every Sunday,
11:14 ntoliyan every Sunday. I would go every Sunday.
11:16 Nit-ona niponiw. And in the summer,
11:18 Nit-ona nit, then too,
11:19 all that time all that time
11:20 ntiyali-tkahsomultinen. we’d go swimming.
11:21 Eci-millukhotiyek mecimiw. We used to do so many different things.
11:23 Kenoq mecimi-te nuhkomoss But my grandmother always made
11:24 posonutehke. baskets.
11:26 Nilun qeni-yali-wonatominhotiyek While we were doing
11:28 sitomok. all kinds of crazy things at the beach.
11:29 Tan ktuceyineps Rich, How old were you Rich,
11:31 kil mace, yey, when you
11:32 suwitokolaskiyin? started picking sweetgrass?
11:34 Cipotu-al-ote eight, Probably around eight,
11:35 eight years old al-ote. eight years old, around there.
11:37 Nkisokehkims. I taught myself.
11:38 Kil-ote kisokehkims. - Aha. You taught yourself.
11:40 Ktiyali-tpinuwak Did you watch others
11:41 kotokik yali-pkonahsihtit? going around picking?
11:43 Aha. Iya. Well, Kromp…. Yes. Well, Kromp….
11:48 Ntiyaliphoqala Kromp. I followed Kromp around.
11:49 Ktiyaliphoqala Kromp? You followed Kromp around?
11:50 On ’titomon, "Keq kil pewatomon, anyway?" He would say, "What do you want, anyway?"
11:54 Ntiya, "Kehkimin." I told him, "Teach me."
11:58 Mecimiw nkeskuhtehkuwa I used to always catch him at
12:00 railroad tracks… the railroad tracks…
12:02 Qihiw Carlow’s Island. Near Carlow’s Island.
12:08 Tehpu nmilan my grass. I’d just give him my grass.
12:13 Mecimiw nmamam nmilkun, My mother used to give me,
12:15 cipotu-al-ote nickel. maybe a nickel…
12:17 …peqahtu. …my earnings.
12:20 Keq kisonuhmon, bag of chips? What did you buy, a bag of chips?
12:23 Mecimiw kahk wihqaceyu. It used to be fun.
12:26 Uh, coqahk-al-ote Richard. Oh, I guess so, Richard.
12:29 Keq-al liwihtasuwol nihtol, What did those things used to be called?
12:30 mecimiw? Pea-shooters. Pea shooters.
12:35 Ksessonul nihtol. They hurt.
12:41 Tehpu naciptuwek neke, We just went that time,
12:43 tehpu pea shooters. just to get pea shooters.
12:46 Wisokiluwehe nmamam, My mother was mad,
12:47 eli-wihqonom peas. because I took the peas
12:51 Ktiyali-komutonatomuwan? You were stealing them from her?
13:00 Nilun, iya, Margaret and I…
13:03 ehta, Makolit… Nmossis Makolit my older sister Margaret,
13:06 naka Tiyena, and Deanna,
13:09 aluwehta they were going to
13:10 ’kotuwiyawaponil tape. make a tape.
13:16 Naka nuskuhutomonen And we were speaking about
13:19 suwitokolasol, naka nikuwoss. sweetgrass, and my mother.
13:22 Psiw nit. All that.
13:23 Psi-te wen etoli-suwitokolasket Everyone who was braiding sweetgrass…
13:27 On tahk But we
13:27 ma-te nkisi-psonomuwonewin tama-op couldn’t capture the sound of someone
13:31 etolihtaqahk braiding sweetgrass
13:33 etolatokoniket wen. anywhere.
13:36 Wolihtaqot. It sounds good.
13:37 Muste ma, ya, kmossisom? Not even from your older sister?
13:39 No, ma-te motehtaqotu nekom, yey… No, hers doesn’t make a sound…
13:42 Ma tepi… Not enough…
13:43 Ma tepi-kakawiyew. She doesn’t go fast enough.
13:44 Kil-lu tan? How about you?
13:45 Nmamam kenoq. But my mother does.
13:46 Kikuwoss? Your mother?
13:48 Eci woltaqahk nit. That sounds so nice.
13:49 Mec-ote latokonike? She still braids?
13:51 Aha. Yes.
13:54 Kil tehpu-oc etolatokonikiyin Would you be the only one
13:55 kikuwak kosona kuhkomoss… ona? braiding at your house, or your grandmother… too?
13:58 Nekom tehna. She would be, too.
14:00 - Nekom tehna. - She would be, too.
14:05 Eci-wolinaqahk yut posonut, This basket looks so nice,
14:07 cel kisi-wiwoni-punomon latokonikon. and you even put braid around it.
14:15 Etuci yut… This is so…
14:16 Elinaqahk luhkewakon. It’s a lot of work.
14:22 Latokonikon. The braid.
14:39 Keq-olu yut wen ’toluwehkan? What would one use this for?
14:43 Tan kal tehpu keq. Just about anything.
14:46 Rings... Rings...
14:47 Koti wen pisewotaq caqahk. Someone will, will put junk in it.
14:49 Caqahk. Junk.
14:54 U, eci wolinaqahk. Oh, it looks so good.
14:56 Kosona wen ’timiyakon. Or someone’s prayer beads.
14:57 Nitok. Aha. You’re right. Yes.
14:58 Kisi-tehp-ona nit oluwehkan, It could be used for that,
15:00 wen ’timiyakon. someone’s prayer beads.
15:02 Aha. Nit Sistoss ewehket, Yes. That’s what Sister uses,
15:04 Rocky kisihtaq, yey, apsokiqsossok. one that Rocky made, a little one.
15:06 U, qin-ote? Oh, really?
15:07 Hustiwinuwok. Communion wafers.
15:13 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
15:16 suwitokolasol. sweetgrass.
15:19 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
15:22 suwitokolasol. sweetgrass.
15:25 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
15:28 suwitokolasol. sweetgrass.
15:31 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
15:36 suwitokolasol. suwitokolasol. sweetgrass. sweetgrass.
15:39 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
15:42 skitapihik. men.
15:45 Woliwon, woliwon, Thank you, thank you,
15:49 skitapihik. men.
15:52 Woliwon, woliwon... Thank you, thank you...

Information

Capture Date 2011-07-15
Video Length 16:00
Topics Discussed