Kanyen’keha (Mohawk) Introductory Language Course
8 x 90 minute online classes: January 6 – February 24
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.
We offer this language learning opportunity as a partnership between our charitable social enterprise and Natural Curiosity. It is also made possible by the TD Friends of the Environmental Foundation and the RCMP, which are both working to support Indigenous language revitalization.
Dates and Times:
- Tuesday afternoons, 4:30pm-6:00pm Eastern Time: January 6, 13, 20, 27 / February 3, 10, 17, 24
- 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
- Access to the recordings (available for up to 3 months following the workshops)
- A Certificate of Completion for the lessons attended (live or recorded)
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.
- Early Bird Registration: $160 ($20/session) until December 14 / $200 ($25/session) after December 14
- Indigenous Participants: FREE or option to contribute a smaller amount (75% off regular) to support this course
- 25% Group Discount: For groups of 5 or more using this code at checkout: N945QEAF
- For groups of 10 or more, we can offer larger group discounts. Please check out the group rates here, and email programs@outdoorlearning.com for more info and to register.
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 for her 10th year.
