This course is open to everyone – Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults who wish to learn to uplift language revitalization. If you are a non-Indigenous language learner, we invite you to review these reflections on what it means to be a non-Indigenous learner in an Indigenous language learning course.

In this course we will introduce a little vocabulary and a lot of the grammatical structure of Kanyen’kéha (the “Mohawk” language). It begins with the sound system and alphabet and ends with students being able to introduce themselves, make complex statements, ask and answer questions. This course will be taught using the Ohswekén:’a, the Grand River dialect. The colonial names of the geographic regions that this course would be most applicable for are Ontario, Quebec and New York.

The material is learned and taught by Tahnee Bennett, a graduate student of Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa, an adult immersion program on the Six Nations Grand River Territory in southern Ontario. Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa was established in 1999 by Owennatekha (Brian Maracle) and Onekiyohstha (Audrey Maracle). The program has enabled dozens of people to become advanced-level speakers.

Dates and Times:

• Tuesday afternoons, 4:30pm-6:00pm Eastern Time: July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 / August 5, 12, 19 (we know that July 1 is Canada Day, but we thought this would be a pretty great day to launch this course)

• Recorded and made available to registrants after for those who can’t attend live (available for 3 months after the session)

All registrants will receive:

• 8 live (virtual) 90 min language learning sessions

• a link to the recordings (available for up to 3 months following the workshops)

• a Certificate of Completion

Your contribution:

Your course fee goes towards supporting our charity in covering the course costs, including ensuring that we compensate the course instructors adequately, and that we can continue to offer learning opportunities like these.

• FREE for Indigenous Participants

• Indigenous Participants: Option to contribute a smaller amount (75% off regular) to support this course

• Non-Indigenous Participants: Early Bird Registration until May 30: $160 ($20/session)

• Group Discounts: 10% off for groups of 5 or more more using this discount code at checkout: T38US3T6

Optional Additional Resource: One Thousand Useful Mohawk Words

Your Language Instructor:

Tahnee Bennett, Mohawk, Turtle Clan from Six Nations. Tahnee is a 3 year Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Mohawk Immersion graduate. Upon graduation she was employed teaching Kanyen’keha as a second language in the public schools. She endeavored to do this because she never got the opportunity to learn her language or any Indigenous language when she attended public school.

As well as teaching Kanyen’keha, Tahnee has taught Haudenosaunee cultural classes, and been a First Nations singer & speaker for the Niagara Parks Commission, to honor Indigenous fallen soldiers in the Niagara South, Ontario. In 2022 Tahnee graduated from York University with her Bachelors of Education and continues to teach Kanyen’keha in the public schools. Tahnee currently teaches Mohawk Language Certificate Program for the First Nations University of Canada/University of Regina.

The Importance of this Learning:

Indigenous languages carry connections to lands, ancestors, traditions, and contain ecological knowledge crucial for sustainable living, medicinal practices, and traditional storytelling, enriching our collective wisdom. By supporting Indigenous language revitalization efforts, we not only preserve linguistic diversity but also uphold Indigenous Peoples’ fundamental rights to their languages and cultures.

Our intention being not to offer a second language program where participants achieve fluency, but rather to provide a spark—an introduction that inspires and encourages further engagement with the language and broader revitalization efforts. We aim to create a welcoming space where learners can begin their journey, build connections, and develop a foundation for future learning opportunities.

Non-Indigenous participants can take steps towards reconciliation by participating in language courses like these as a way to uplift language revitalization and deepen their own understanding of local place. We just ask that you review these reflections on what it means to be a non-Indigenous learner in an Indigenous language learning course.

We offer this language learning opportunity as a partnership between our charitable social enterprise and Natural Curiosity.

2:00pm - 3:00pp

Dance with the Native American Traveling College

The Dance Travel Troupe from Akwesasne will showcase native indigenous songs and dances. Families are invited to join and learn their cultural duck, snake, and stomp dance!

Hosted by Native North American Traveling College, the Children’s Pow Wow is a day-long event with food and craft vendors, drum groups, and lots of little dancers. The cultural event features children 13 and under.