New Kanien’kéha road signs add slice of culture to daily commute
[IMAGE: A number of road signs in Kanien’kéha have been erected throughout the community recently.]
Over the past few weeks Kahnawa’kehró:non may have noticed new road signs in Kanien’kéha appearing around town.
It’s an initiative by Callie Karihwiióstha Montour, a Kanien’keha Ratiwennahni:rats Adult Immersion Program alumna.
“I am always looking for ways to help the community learn Kanien’kéha,” said Montour. “Not everyone has the time or resources to attend a course, or hire a tutor, but there are other and smaller ways one can learn. One of those ways is by making our language more present and visible.”
She thought about how many words in French she’s learned, or at least recognized, simply from seeing them whenever outside of the community.
“Poussez, tirez, ouvrir, fermer, bienvenue, liquidation, hors de service, etc., are all words we’re used to seeing on doors, signs and at counters. I thought, why not do this with our language too?” she said.
“At the moment, I don’t have the means to create signs for all our businesses (but it is in the works) so I thought next of road signs. Road and safety signs would be easier because they usually accompany a pictogram, and we are already familiar with traffic pictograms. Even if someone can’t understand the words, they can look at the pictogram and put two and two together.”
Twenty signs were funded and made by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà :ke’s Public Works department to put up throughout the community. Montour picked the locations for the signs, designed them, and translated them with the help of Akwiratékha Martin.