Wolasweltəmoltine
Wolasweltəmoltine can be translated as “a prayer of giving thanks.” This project has seen many revisions, elaborations, and transformations. It was originally titled Nolasweltom, or “we give thanks.” The project was designed as a thanksgiving prayer based on the Mohawk text Giving Thanks. When I volunteered to provide the drawings to accompany the lines of the prayer I decided that the prayer needed to be located in the landscape familiar to members of Tobique First Nation. Many of the images are particular places in the Maliseet community. The Native Language Teacher was able to link the prayer to the Maliseet language and I was able to link the prayer to the Maliseet landscape. Members of the community saw some of the images and stated “I know exactly where you were standing when you drew this.” This project became the inspiration for Wolastokwi Cosmogenesis.
Titles-
a. Welasweltəmwakən
Prayer of Thanks
b. Wəlasweltəmohtine.
Let us give thanks.
c. Wəlasweltəmohtine ciw pəmawhsowakən.
Let us give thanks for life.
d. Wəliwən ciw samakwan matehc wen kətəwəhsmiw.
Thank you for the water so that no one will be thirsty.
e. Wəliwən ciw pskihkwol, ciw welimahaskil.
Thank you for the grasses and sweetgrass.
f. Wəliwən ciw micowakən, wellam wəli kisikohltowok knicanowək.
Thank you for the food so we can raise our children strong and healthy.
g. Wəliwən ciw kcihkw, ciw əpəsiyik, wikpiyik naka stahkwənək.
Thank you for the forest, the fir trees and the ash trees.
h. Wəliwən ciw weyəhsisək, pehkihtoniya nekəmaw kcihkw.
Thank you for the animals, they keep the forest clean.
i. Wəliwən ciw kisohs, ktlahtwenmakon spətew naka kwəlipəsokon.
Thank you for the sun, it gives us light and keeps us warm.
j. Wəliwən ciw pehsesmək, ciw elahtwehsolhtihtit.
Thank you for the stars, for their twinking.