36 Views Of Ononta'kahrhon: Birches. by Dianne Sefcik

Monday, March 6, 2017

Birches. by Dianne Sefcik

"Running The Ridge."
© Mark W. Ó Brien 2015

Birches

Cresting the ridge, a stand of birch wakes up memory of the teaching, “How to Choose a Place to Camp” , and other stories told in winter when snow is on the ground. For instance: How lightning avoids omaaî mitig, the birch tree, because spirit-boy blessed omaaî mitig forever, for shielding him as he fled the scorch of firebolts hurled by Thunderbird (and scarring omaaî mitig's white skin to this day). Thunderbird was righteously angry because spirit-boy stole fire for the people, or, some say, because spirit-boy clubbed the nestlings and stole feathers to make his bow strong so he could kill an evil fish.

How the Rough-Faced Girl, burned by her jealous sisters, dressed herself in birch bark to approach the invisible Holy One, and how she could see him, when others could not: saw his shoulder strap was a rainbow, his bowstring the Milky Way, and how, being tested, she became his beautiful wife.

The land has stories
Breathing through the winds of time

Whispering Grandchild

02.03.2017

"North Ridge Moss Covered Shadow Peoples."
© Mark W. Ó Brien 2015

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About this blog:

For years I have been taking pictures of the Mountain/Hill that dwarfs the little hamlet in which I live. To date I have taken hundreds of images.

From my limited knowledge of Mohawk I have created a new name for Bennett Hill. I have done so because after taking hundreds of photographs of it, living in its presence for years, I have a fondness for and a curtain reverence of it that the current name does not impart or embody for me.

Because this was once Mahican land that was lost to the Mohawks after their war in the 1600s local indigenous names for locations are few. What there are are descriptive names given by the Mohawks when transacting the locations sale on documents such as the Slingerlands Patent for the purpose of indicating boundaries.

At some point over the years the outline and shape began to resemble the Haudenosaunee invention of a craddleboard to me. So, following the formula indicated on the Slingerlands patent I have researched, found and created what I feel to be an expectable and useable Haudenosaunee compound word that I have begun to refer to it as.

From Ononta: meaning Hill and Kahrhon: meaning Craddleboard: I grammatically gathered the two as a compound Mohawk word creating: Ononta'kahrhon. Meaning: Craddleboard Hill.

Pronounced: Ononta-kahr-hon.

This idea was inspired by the work of Katsushika Hokusai's woodcut series "36 Views Of Mount Fiji." I would like at some point in the near future to collect 36 of the best captures in a short run hand bound Art quality book entitled: "36 views of Ononta'kahrhon." (Craddleboard Hill.)

The format will be 71/2 x 14 perfect bound with a photo on the right and a Haibun on the left facing page. I would like to have 36 of photos and 36 Haibuns by various poets to accompany these photos.

Mark~