Listening to Water

"Listening to Water Exhibition" documentation, photo by Teya Shrady.

Listening to Water follows the rivers and streams that flow from the Adirondack Mountains to their confluences with the Kania’tarowanen’hne, translated from the Kanien’keha (Mohawk) as the Great River, also known as the St. Lawrence River.

Traveling through and with these waters, a group of artists, researchers, and traditional knowledge holders have collaborated to share the voices of Rivers and their more-than-human guardians.

“Ensatahon’:satat ne Ohneka’:sona” konwa’:iats ki ensaht’kahtho’:tha. Tsi:iot’ ne what’nekahteh:kion ne kah’nekaro’:nion nah’ tewatah’sa:wen ne O’nontaharakeh’son non:we tsi non’:we  teiot’:nekah:khen ne Kania’tarowanen’hne, (Kawen’:natennion ne Kanien’keha) ki’ kanien’tara:here ionkwaterien’tare ne kon:wa’iats.

Tsi’ teionkwats’tikawhen ki o’neka’son:a  ionkwakia’ta:roren ne onkwe’:sonah roti:io’ton ne rotirah’:stah:nion tanon ronteweien’:sta tsi oh’neka’:sona rao’tiri:wa ta:non o’:ni, rati:ienteh’ri ne ori’waka:ion tsi a:ia’wens ne enion:kwakwen’ni enkwata’snieh:nen ne kah’nekaron’:nion ao’wen:na tanon tsi ronaterihonte ne ronti:iah’tah:nonna ne ohneka’:sona.

The exhibition explores the roles, rights, and responsibilities of the various communities that make up these Northeastern watersheds.

From the Freshwater Mussels that clean the currents, the American Eel that weaves together streams and oceans, the Trees that shape the weather, and the Butterflies that travel from Flower to Flower, these “guardians” do their part to keep the watershed flourishing.

To tell the guardians’ stories, the exhibition features collaborations between scientists and artists, different methodologies and disciplines converging into acts of ecocentric storytelling.

Rivers, their Watersheds, and all the life they sustain have the right to be listened to, and it is time that we, humans, fulfill our responsibilities towards the ecosystems to which we belong.

Together the storytellers are attempting to leave space for Water and their more-than-human guardians to speak.

Ki o’ia tsi satkah’:tos ken:to ionkwa’:tahra’ko tsi naho’:ton Sonkwaiati’:son shakonia’hesa:on ne enion’kwa:iohte, tsi naho’:ten’son enta’:wen tsi ak’:te ki kanata’kero’:nion ne eh’ne:ken nokwa’:ti tehwa’the:kions ne oh’neka:sonah.  

Tsi Ahonrah:sahson’ah Ne ioti:io’tens ne waheht’:kons enteioh’totahr:ho ki what’nekah:tehkions ta:non ki kioweron’ko ne teioht’nekah:kens ne Kah’neko:wanen ta:non ki Kanhion’ha:takies ta:non ki okwira’:sonha ne ioti:ioh’te ne tsi:ni wenni’sero:ten ne ahts’te ta:non ki Tsik’tsinon:nawe  tehonat’stikawhenha’:tie ne otsi’tsiason:ha ak’the:son ratikwah’:tos neh roti’iatanonna ne oh’nehka:sonah roti:io’te aia’:wens kiot’:kon toh ni’:iot ne aio:ia’neh:re ne wat’nekah:tekions.

Ki ken’:ton sahtka’:tos, neh tetsiar’hon ne rontirah’:stahnions ta:non ronateweien:sta’nion ne tsi ni:i kariho’ten ne oh’nehka:sonha, kwah o:ia ni kaio’tenseh’:roten tehonakie’ston tsi non’wa ne a’se wahon’non:ni ne oh’kara’:son:a  ne asatahon’:satat tsi Kah’neka:ronion ta:non tsi non’:we tewahtah’:sawens kwa akwe’:kon toh kohnonheh’:kwen,  rontisats’:tenseraien ne onh’kak enhatahon’sat:te o:nen enta’:wen onkwe’tah:sonah enionkwaioh’te tsi nahoten’:son ionkwa’ion kwa kariwano’:ren ohontsiah’ke tewah’:sta

Neh:ki aori’:wa ionkwakia’taro:ren ne aia’:wens ne Kah’neka:sona ta:non akwe’:kon ronateri’:honte  enhatikweh:ni enhati:tah’:ron.

~ Kanien’keha (Mohawk) translation by Kathleen Herne