Submitted by Jordan Ball, Seneca Language Teacher Support & Community Outreach
Twenty five years ago our community lost Myrtle Peterson (Gayanöse:’geö’). Her work is proving to be increasingly important to the highly successful language revitalization effort all these years later. With more and more new learners and speakers emerging from various learning environments, many of the older recordings and documents are themselves being revitalized to add breadth and complexity to a language base that is steadily growing.
Myrtle Peterson’s offerings on these recordings are a tapestry of her life. Interspersed with anecdotal wisdom and wit, listening to them is a fascinating biographical experience that highlights the interpersonal relationship we all have with the way we speak.
A robust language community involves input from all walks of life and Myrtle provides extensive vocabulary for farming, medicine, song, and storycraft. She also provides a rare melding of both Longhouse and Christian influences into her lessons, all of which provide essential components for a rich and informed language base.
In keeping with the season I will let Myrtle herself provide an introduction to her translation of White Christmas. “And we will go to some of our songs that we have. I have translated some of these songs. They are just little songs like for Christmas and special occasions. This is a Christmas song, “White Christmas.” I’ll sing it the best I can do. I’ll sing it and put it on here, just one verse anyway.” – Refer to QR code.
“White Christmas”
Agajanö’šö’öh ga:gë:n
Niyo’dë:nö’ neh Christmas
Osöä:’ deyosdä:te:’
Hadiksa’shö’öh
Ga:swë:’da:h hönötö:deh
Agajanö’šö’öh gagë:n
Niyo’dë:nö:’ neh Christmas
Eyawä:në’tgä:de’ Ni:wa’
Niyo’dëök neh Christmas-es gagë:n
Agajanö’šö’öh ga:gë:n
Niyo’dë:nö’ neh Christmas
Osoä’ deyo:sdä:te:’ hadiksa’shö’öh
Gaswë:’da:h hönötö:deh
Agajanö’šö’öh gagë:n
Niyo:në:nöh neh Christmas.
Ayawënetgä:de:k ne’hoh
Niyo:dëö:k näh Christmas-es gagë:n
