On November 13th, 2024, the 平特五不中 community hosted a talk by Tahohthar谩tye Joe Brant, an advanced speaker of Onkwehonwehn茅ha (Mohawk language), a passionate language activist, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Tahohthar谩tye is from Tyendinaga Mohawk Nation Territory where he has worked as an elementary school teacher, principal, and researcher in Kanyen'k茅ha language documentation. In the presentation, he discussed the opportunities and challenges he has faced in pursuit of 鈥渘ya鈥檛ek谩:yen tsi yonhr贸nkha鈥� proficiency as an Onkwehonwehn茅ha language learner.
One of the key messages from his presentation slides states. " You are not learning a word; you're learning a world," said by Dr. Lorna Williams, a message that embodies the deep connection between language and identity. Tahohthar谩tye expanded on this concept, exploring how learning and teaching Onkwehonwehn茅ha is not just about acquiring vocabulary鈥攊t鈥檚 about accessing the vast collective knowledge and experiences of Kanyen鈥檏eh谩 civilization.
The talk also explored the proficiency framework for Onkwehonwehn茅ha, illustrated as a cone outlining levels of language fluency, ranging from novice-low to distinguished with one-third of the cone being filled, reflecting current progress in language proficiency. The current state of endangerment in Kanyen鈥檏eh谩:ka communities, calls for urgent action and the need for innovative approaches to increase learners' proficiency. Advancing through these levels requires guidance from elders, who are the first speakers and knowledge keepers of the language. Tahohthar谩tye鈥檚 slide includes the quote from Grounds, which states, "Each day, we are in a race against time to glean new treasure from the minds of our elders while we still can. Truly, our elders are more precious than gold."
Tahohthar谩tye emphasized the crucial role of Indigenous language work, sustained by individuals, families, nations, other Indigenous communities and the diaspora, highlighting how these interconnected networks can sustain and strengthen language revitalization efforts.
As he aptly quoted, "The Kanyen'keh谩 are capable of surpassing any goal which their citizens collaboratively develop and deliberately act upon鈥�. This collaborative strength is key in achieving meaningful progress in language revitalization and ensuring the language is spoken amongst future generations. Through collective action and unwavering commitment, meaningful progress in language revitalization becomes not just an aspiration, but an achievable reality.
