Last week, on a flight from Toronto to Montreal, a Kanienâkehá:ka (Mohawk) flight attendant taught Rihanna how to express gratitude in Kanien’kéha, her native language. Lily Kahnerahtiio Dailleboust, hailing from Kahnawà :ke, a Kanienâkehá:ka community located south of Montreal, presented Rihanna with a beaded lanyard. Following this, Rihanna requested to capture a video together.
In a post on social media by Dailleboust, the renowned pop star expressed her appreciation for the gift and inquired about Dailleboust’s background as well as how to say thank you in Kanien’kéha. Rihanna remarked in the video, “This sweet lady gifted me with something very special that I would never forget and never lose. Thank you so much.”
Dailleboust, an employee of Air Canada, mentioned that Rihanna promptly attached the beaded lanyard to her purse and conveyed her deep respect for Indigenous communities. Dailleboust shared, “Niá:wen, I explained to her, is a word in my language and she was like, ‘Oh, I want to do a video about it’ and it was pretty cool. I taught her how to say niá:wen.”
According to Dailleboust, Rihanna mentioned that she had never previously met a Kanienâkehá:ka individual, and Dailleboust praised Rihanna for her accurate pronunciation in Kanien’kéha. Rihanna also offered to take photos and sign autographs during their conversation.
Dailleboust noted that the flight from the downtown Toronto Islands airport to Montreal, operated on a Dash 8 Q400 aircraft, did not have a business class section. However, Dailleboust informed that they were informed in advance about Rihanna being a VIP passenger on the flight.
Since sharing the video on social media, Dailleboust has received numerous positive comments from individuals in Kahnawà :ke and neighboring Haudenosaunee territories, expressing their appreciation for how she represented them well.
Tekaronhiahkhwa Standup, the proprietor of Traditions, an art shop and studio where the beaded lanyard was obtained, also expressed delight over the attention the video received. She praised Rihanna for her openness to learning a simple phrase in Kanien’kéha and respecting the situation, which ultimately went viral, bringing joy to the community.