S2E6: Tahohtharátye -Joe Brant

Tahohtharátye’ (Joe Brant) sits with the Bear Clan, from Tyendinaga Mohawk Nation Territory. He is an advanced proficiency second-language learner of Kanyen’kéha and has been an elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educator in his community. Tahohtharátye has dedicated much of his adult life to Kanyen’kéha learning and revitalization in his family and community. As L2 speakers, he and his partner Tewahséhtha have created and maintain a Kanyen’kéha speaking home since 2007. They have raised two children as first-language Kanyen’kéha speakers – the first in their community in several generations. In 2024, Tahohtharátye’ completed his Ph.D. in Indigenous Language Revitalization from the University of Victoria in a culminating dissertation titled: Tó: nya’teká:yen tsi entewà:ronke’ - Onkwehonwehnéha documentation for advanced adult Kanyen’kéha learning. In this work, he demonstrates a collaborative practitioner documentation approach to planning, implementing, analyzing, and disseminating first-language documentation designed for proficiency development in andragogy. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_08 0:00

What we're doing, because this is really hard stuff, but to me, it's nothing compared to the work that our people have had to do over the last 400 years. You know, and we wouldn't be able to talk, we wouldn't be able to have this conversation if it wasn't for language warriors that have come, that have come before us. And what we get to do is we get to uh we get to be those language warriors today, so that in generations to come they'll be like, holy, you know, we have it easy compared to what they had. You know, that that's what I that's what I dream of.

SPEAKER_05 1:00

Welcome to Enweighing, our sound podcast. This is a grassroots podcast intended for those raising or helping to raise children in an indigenous language.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

A special shout out to the Indigenous Screen Office for making season two of En Weighing possible. Get Jimmy Gwej.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Hey Sal. Yeah, Makwa and Dodam Gogan Shgodayog Vindagos, no swing jab.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Um the bajum na gnoswin.

SPEAKER_07 2:31

You know, dash can see bing the pendagosh can see.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Oh, I forget. It's not the right. I'm like, I learned the word for season, but that's not actually like um it's a literal term. It's not the term for like season two. Um I can't cook noon win. I think no cookie noon win, something like that. Um yeah, we're on season two, episode episode six or something. Um we the baj mut.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Um should we go up to go and sorry to listen to him?

SPEAKER_07 3:42

Yeah, should we go mommy quandam daquas? I'm always tired.

SPEAKER_06 3:51

I'm well overall, can't really complain.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Janagi, Maji, canomagi, yen just start a new cohort, eh?

SPEAKER_06 4:00

Yeah, started.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

Teaching again.

SPEAKER_06 4:04

Teach in uh our college program. Oh started. Yeah, the new cohort just started. Getting uh settled, getting settled with the class, getting to know everyone, just establishing establishing the language and the mommy quen mock is a jajagi tawad the last two years.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Um they did some good work and go me quenmin gay.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

Um that was a really strong group of students that came out, and yeah, we're into the new year now, and we're recording a new episode. And uh yeah, we can start it off here. Uh, he'll be showing up in a short minute here. And yeah, really excited to bring you this episode today and to to learn from him, like I said earlier, Shnambaung and the language. I I haven't met this gentleman yet. Um but Monty spoke so highly, and I know that other friends of ours um know them through through other means and and whatnot. And so yeah, just very excited to get to know this individual and and hear what they have to say.

SPEAKER_06 5:32

Yeah. So he's his name is Joe Bryant, and I I don't want to butcher his Ganya Geha, his Mohawk name. So he's Mohawk from Tandinega, he'll introduce himself too. But um, yeah, I kind of you know he's a role model for me and an inspiration how he has raised his kids in the in Mohawk and his education um accomplishments, and I believe he did his defense of his dissertation all in Mohawk. So that was holy.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Holy sorry, and make a pause here because like what from the art from articles I've seen.

SPEAKER_06 6:22

Um just articles I've read about him, and um there's some uh video on CBC about him and his family, but yeah, just reading, you know, that I think I don't know if it was the first time, but first especially from the University of Victoria, it was the first time a dissertation was defended in in an indigenous language and no English. So that's pretty inspiring something that I would wish to aspire to for an Isna Baim win, but I'm still a beginner level speaker. And one day I'll get to hopefully be an advanced level proficient speaker. Yeah, I've been yeah, I've been looking forward to this, like just another like awesome individual person role model, just inspiring story.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

Yeah, I was a little bit nervous to do a season two in general, just to be on here again. But we did agree that if we came back on, we'd be having guests on. But so far, I'm like, I don't know. Like so far, every time we have a guest on, I'm just like blown away. And like, I I just can't explain the feeling again after we're done interviewing them. I'm like, whoa, like I always forget every time like coming in how moved, motivated, inspired, changed I am after speaking to each individual. I always, I don't know why I don't anticipate it beforehand, but yeah, then I'm just like holy. I'm just honored to share the space of the person. So yeah, really looking forward to this. And I think it's gonna be a great episode. So tune in and uh here we go. Much ta da da.

SPEAKER_06 8:13

Thank you, much for uh coming on.

SPEAKER_08 8:17

Yeah, no, I appreciate the invitation. Um it's always good to share. I I just appreciate you know, celebrating and supporting uh other people doing important language work, and especially when it comes to work in the home and work with uh children, you know, if there's anything I can help with and offer, you know, I I appreciate the opportunity to do that.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Yeah, thank you so much. Uh I don't know if you and I have I don't know if like yeah, if you and Monty have been acquainted or not, but uh I'm Emiline, so nice to meet you.

SPEAKER_08 8:52

Yeah, Emiline. I don't think so. And yeah. Monty, you were saying that we we met in uh AI AI at uh at a meeting.

SPEAKER_06 9:02

Yeah, there's like a a conference or something, and you I think we both presented, but I think that's when I first met you in person.

SPEAKER_08 9:11

Okay, yeah, yeah. I do recall that. I went to I think maybe two uh uh meetings of that of that nature. I was trying to figure out which one and how long ago it was, but uh yeah, it's it's good to see you again and I trust all is all is well.

SPEAKER_06 9:26

Yeah, so how's uh how's things with you going?

SPEAKER_08 9:29

It's good. It's good uh you know I'm able to to uh to keep going on in my language learning journey right now, and my my professional uh work is going really well, and my family is good and healthy, and it's fun to watch every day, watch the girls grow up. Uh really good spot in the world.

SPEAKER_06 9:49

Nice. It's awesome. Yeah, so like I've seen some of your kind of uh your stories and stuff online, like some news articles and big CBC did a video on you and your family. Yeah. So I guess for us, if you wanna introduce yourself or people out there, and I guess for Mline who hasn't met you yet, but yeah.

SPEAKER_08 10:13

Yeah, for sure. Well, um if you don't mind, use a little bit of Ganyageha and uh some uh yeah. Oh the hotaraji, give me young gats and uh diskarewage, and I'm gonna go to the ne uh uh gylunji tie in the naggartunjo, not jaw near, a dezalunjo, tokeni kota, tokeni kotege. Uhara suyuji go to do canakure. Uh my name is Doho Taraja Joe Brandt, I'm from Tynanaga, Mohawk territory, and I sit with the Bear Clan in the longhouse. Um they've given me my name. And uh just real lucky to to be with you today and uh as I said uh just a bit earlier, sell celebrating you know some important uh language work. And uh I just wanna uh celebrate as well all of the people that are doing language work in the world right now. Some people think, eh, that language work is about speaking to each other. And uh I don't see it like that. I see language work as a way to to celebrate um the relationship that we have with all of the people that have come before us, all the people that we're with now, and then all the people that that are still to come. It's uh one of the ways that I look at language is it's an expression of all of the knowledge and experiences of people for millennia. And right now, as we sit in this time and this space, we're we are a vessel of of that knowledge, of sharing that knowledge and celebrating it, but also like developing it as well. One of my favorite quotes about language was from Dr. Candace Gala, and she she presented at um a conference called ICLDC in Hawaii, and she was uh opening plenary and she talked about what language is to her, and she celebrated what she called uh life ways. Some people might call it culture, but she celebrated the fact that language is this encapsulates all of these things of the past, all of these contemporary pieces, but also what she called those imagined futures. You know, and it just uh that hits hard for me. I I really appreciate that that uh some of the work that we do every day is it's not only for our imagined futures and the futures that we imagine for our children and our grandchildren. But there's other people of this world that get to s they they get to partake in all of that knowledge that we're passing right now. It's actually for their benefit too, whether they speak our language or not. The knowledge that our civilizations have accumulated in all of our time on earth, it's actually not just for our civilizations, our nations, it's for all of these nations of the world. And given the circumstances of our world right now, it's uh tremendously important that not only we raise up and celebrate all of that knowledge, but it's shared, it's respected, um, and it's utilized. So that's a pretty long introduction for me, but I just wanted to uh kind of share like that's that that that's uh the essence of the gratitude that I offer um for the invitation to join you today, but also some encouragement about what you know what what we do as language workers every day. So at Tokenigo Nyawa.

SPEAKER_02 14:25

Oh wow, oh I was just like that's a beautiful way to open up and and like start the conversation off. I say like thank you, Migwech. Um and you say Niawe.

SPEAKER_08 14:37

Oh, Niawe.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

For uh for opening us up like that in such a great way and to get to know you in that way. That's it's I'm always so grateful to be able to do the podcast because like as soon as I start talking to other people doing uh what we're doing, you know, um, in their in their mother tongue, you know, it really invigorates and ignite reignites the fire. So I appreciate hearing those perspectives right from the start and the get-go. Um yeah, that's what I was gonna say before. Sorry, Monty.

SPEAKER_06 15:10

Oh, I was just gonna say for us, um, just to get just for you to understand out where our position is. We're uh learners of our language in Ishnapemu, and uh we're parents. Um we're trying to speak as much as we can to our children. Uh well, we also live in a city too, so surrounded by you know English and um in my community as well, Chippaza of the Thames, uh, we don't have any speakers, uh speakers from our community, so we have that challenge as well. But you said you were from Tendonaga. Did you is that where you you're born and raised there?

SPEAKER_08 15:52

Yeah, yeah. And there's there's a commonality that we might be able to to to talk about um in the fact that uh we're we're of a low speaker population community, uh much, much like you mentioned with your community. Yeah, I uh I was I was born and raised here in in Tyndanaga, and I always joke that uh you know I live here, I raise my family here, um, but I'm likely gonna retire and expire on the same road that I was uh that I was raised. Um I have I have this love for community that uh you know that I just don't see myself uh moving away from. Um and maybe that's a good that's a good spot to start, you know. Um the current environment here in Tyndanaga is is that there's a there's a really strong group of people working hard um to celebrate and to normalize language use um and to revitalize some of our community's ties to our language and culture. And uh, you know, I don't think that's always been the case, but I I I don't want to to take down any of the people that have come before us too, because our circumstances are a bit different now. And uh maybe they they were doing the best that they could with what they had, and it's really nice that um right now we're doing the best with what we can, and it's it just keeps getting better. So although we can say that there's uh there's no first language speaking adults from from Taindanaga right now, and some people might argue that our our dialect is is in is dormant, uh Western dialect of Kanyageha, um, the dialect that's shared between Taindanaga and Six Nations. Um you know people will say that there's no first language uh uh speaking adults remaining and uh and that now that we're borrowing um and and largely mixing from other dialects that we're learning from and learning with. Um it's it's just really it's really important that we we do celebrate though that there although you know our our dialect um you know is is in a transition phase, um that we still have uh a tremendous love and uh respect for for the the dialect that we have and that we share. Um but uh also how lucky we are that a number of um other communities have stepped forward. The dialect uh that comes from the east eastern communities of of uh Ganyange and Gahnawage and Ganasadage been really impactful in our community. Um and that's that that's that's just as impactful as all of the the language workers from Aquososne that have shared and and really impacted us. And um, you know, uh one of the things I say, and I say not to be too rez about it, is that like I'm like a I I'm like a language, a language mu I'm like the Heinz 57 or the res Doug of languages, because um uh I don't I don't claim to speak one dialect. You know, I've had some amazing teachers and mentors that have entered my my life from all of all of the dialects. You know, I was lucky early on in my years to to um to be taught by the late Audrey Ciro, who carried her parents' dialect from right here in Taindanaga. And uh then I was lucky to be joined by um Gardiwahawe, Dorothy Lazore, who brought in like this Aquazasne dialect and this love for for language and culture. And uh then as I continued and I went into these emerging schools, I was again reacquainted with Western dialect through Ganaduak, the late David Marical, and um the work that they do in Six Nations at Ungoana Gunjokwa in here in Taindanaga, at Jizunha Ungoana, you know, celebrating that Western dialect. But then um uh, you know, completing my immersion program, we were lucky to have uh our first child, and we had these uh two amazing dudas that were part of a language nest here in Taindanaga, and uh they both lived in Ghanasadage, the Wadalunyakwa, Mina Bova, and Wadi Zoze Gabriel. Um, they had a tremendous impact on our families, my family's proficiency development. So Wadi Zose brought in the dialect like Aquazosne, Kornwa Island dialect, but she'd been in Ghanasadage so long that she she also shares their dialect. And Waderunyakwa um uh with uh Ganasadage dialect. So my language mentors and learners have have been from all communities and uh also celebrate um uh the late the Gahanwazer Gaha, the late uh Mel Daibo, who worked here in Tainanaga too, and we were able to do this mentor apprentice program. Um so I and uh the the radio programs from Gahnawage that were impactful for my language learning. You know, so there's this Gahnawage dialect, the Skana Sadage dialect, the Akwasasne dialect, and then the the work, the the people that have helped uh perpetuate the Western dialect. So I borrow from each one of them, and I make mistakes in each one of them. And uh and I try to do my best to be comprehensible um in in each one of those dialects. But you know, uh the Heinz 57 res dog that's uh got a mix of all of these different uh breeds. I I I kind of equate that to my understanding or my vocabulary, my language use of Konyankeha.

SPEAKER_02 22:17

Yeah, I'm the same way. Like I had teachers from as far as Minnesota to like to the east and then north and south, like where we are, and I learned like five different dialects from the get-go, like different teachers all from different places. And so like everyone's like, Your dialect's such a jumble. And I'm like, well, I'm gonna use what I can. And in the meantime, guess what? I can understand like five different dialects, like you know what I mean, or more. Um, just because of the exposure of those different teachers, right? Do you find do you kind of when you're with one speaker, you turn, or do you just kind of use like a collective amount of of um to fill in? Or like how do you navigate the different dialects?

SPEAKER_08 22:59

I I think for me, I'm more aware. I like I just become more aware of their dialect and their dialect use. And uh I can do some switching, and I have I have done um some switching of of particle use, um, and even and even you know, some some verbs and nouns that are more commonly used in those communities. If I'm speaking with a speaker from that community, I'll I'll make it a make a concerted effort to use those nouns and verbs that they're familiar with, or the particles that that they use. Um and here in my family, though, I think like one of the great things about learning different dialects and different languages is that you actually you actually kind of recreate one. So, you know, down the road somebody might say, Oh, that's the dialect from the Brandt family in Tyndanaga.

SPEAKER_02 24:03

That's so good.

SPEAKER_08 24:04

Like it will be that because it's a mix of the dialects, because we we borrow, we borrowed from our language mentors in all of those communities. It it's just different too. It wasn't that I had to follow a grandparent's dialect or it was introduced into my home to my parents where that was that was our dialect. Um, it's gonna be it's gonna be a mix of those. Now, I would also like to celebrate that that's how it's been in our communities for for millennia. That as people come into our families, we accept them, you know, we learn their their habits, their traditions, whether it's uh language or outside language, and and we make that our own. So so it's actually, in my opinion, it is it's a time for us to celebrate that uh we're on the right path, right? We're doing the things that we've been doing for years, and uh, you know, a a little bit of transition in in language use is is not a bad thing. It's actually something to to really celebrate. So, you know, we'll celebrate that it's happened for millennia and it and we're doing it, you know. I think it's a really good thing. Um, but I do uh have to say too that one of the one of the pieces of my of my my being, whether it's my personal uh endeavors or my professional endeavors, is this idea of of maintaining this ling this linguistic authenticity. That one of the things that I keep striving for is that I want to use language like first language speakers use language. I want to celebrate the way that they see the world and that they've learned the world. And and I don't want to take away from that based on my like second language look at the world, where English, that English lens has really uh, you know, um guided my perspective in my in my early years and throughout life. We're surrounded by so much English, right? That even though we're I'll just speak to for me, that I am mixing these different dialects, what I want to help preserve is the the real and true perspective that comes with our with our language, that using different words might happen, and some changes, maybe even some pronunciation changes, that that happens. But what I want in my proficiency development now and moving forward is to make sure that like I I have that authentic lens, that that real realistic cultural worldview that that is perpetuated through language, and I want to protect that and I want to perpetuate that so that uh you know that that that we don't just speak uh we don't speak or ungohuay neha. We don't speak our languages. Um just being English with different sounds. You know, I want to speak our languages the way that we look at the world. So um dialect change happens, it's awesome, celebrate it. But also still the the work that I like to to think about is how can I still ensure that I'm, you know, I get this authenticumaiha way of being and looking and and uh talking.

SPEAKER_02 27:41

That's just refreshing for me to hear, but you know, I don't know if I've ever thought about that, like just as a point itself of like, yeah, so many of our families came together from different communities. Like that was essential. And like I hear that all the time in other people's families, like not my own, because um my grandparents died at it at a young age, but but they were from different communities, you know, Sandy Bay and Long Plain. So of course it'd be a mix in the household. And I've heard that so many times, like such like different, like sub-regional dialects being in one household and then it becoming a mix. So I that was like I was I didn't I haven't even thought about that before like as just by itself. So I'm like, so refreshing to me. It should be celebrated, it's a positive thing, right? Like, yeah, sorry, Monte getting really excited.

SPEAKER_06 28:36

So I'm curious um about your your learning journey. Like, were you always wanting to learn the language, or was it I know for me it wasn't like it was kind of oh a little bit about my story, my dad kind of planted the seed that I should learn our language. Um but it wasn't a priority for me really, even up until my late mid mid to late twenties, I guess. So I'm just wondering what your journey was like and where you know how you became proficient.

SPEAKER_08 29:13

Yeah, I uh I have to say that we we share a commonality there. I I I feel growing up here in Tandanaga. I guess maybe I'll preface with, you know, I I don't I don't share this story to disrespect for anyone. I I respect uh where everyone was at, um, not only in our community but in my family at the time. Um and you know, it's easy to look back on circumstances that you may not have been aware of, you know, and and and judge, and I I don't wish to do that, but um, in saying that, I feel that as I grew up here in Taindanaga, that the use of Gahuai Naha um language and ceremony was was was really looked down upon. The speakers that I ended up learning that. Or speakers that you know that I grew up seeing either daily or from time to time, they they didn't share the language. That there was definitely an element of shame that came, or uh reluctancy. I don't want to say shame, maybe reluctancy that came with them using the language. And and uh that that's that's a kind of discouraging part of of my language learning story is that there I was surrounded with people here in in Tundanega that were first language speakers. Oftentimes I didn't even know that they were speakers of our language. And and that's that's unfortunate. But in in even in my family, I have to say, you know, my my father um and my grandfather and my great-grandfather, they had to kind of relocate over to Prince Edward County for work. And although they they stayed connected here to Tyanaga through, you know, through their family, through some through political work. Um they, you know, when I was growing up, it it wasn't a high priority for me to to learn um like our language or or even tradition. It was more looked at as uh as quite secondary to maybe second language learning and French, you know, and the ability to obtain employment and prosper economically through through English and and French, you know, and and uh and growing up, you know, and in my my first language exposure, you know, I I I think and I want to celebrate this is my first language exposure. I didn't even know that I was I was speaking uh Goinah. It was just with some some short phrases that that my mother, so my mother's uh from Chatham, Ontario, and uh she's uh English and French speaker. So in and around your your area. Um I remember a time that I was I was saying like what I don't know, like just short phrases like ado and adox for us is like the reaction to extreme cold and hot and agi to like you bunk your knee or whatever, and uh you say these real short phrases that that were still alive in my family when I was growing up because my mom was like, What are you saying? And I'm like, I don't know, I'm like, I'm saying like a gee, you know. She's like, No, you say you say ouch, you know, and I'm like, Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just it's the same. And uh at the time, though, I didn't know I didn't know it was it was uh like our use of Ungwahoine, but that's all that I had in my family for for language. And you know, exposure came at uh the elementary school here in the territory in the NSL classes that started out as like uh once or twice a week, and eventually through my time at at the elementary school here, you know, um moved up to you know three, four times a week. And uh and uh that was it, you know, like in those early years, it was about uh learning the colors and uh animals and singing a song, and you know, and and just it was it was what I call exposure programming, right? Just trying to expose people to the language in a nice way. Um but uh in hindsight, here the biggest uh impact, the the biggest thing that happened in my language learning and cultural learning adventure was was uh the siege of uh Ganasadage in 1990. That people called the Oka crisis. But it was really when the the Canadian government and the military, the provincial government of Quebec and the Côte de Quebec decided that they were going to support the building of a golf course over our traditional lands. And what they didn't know at the time was their actions not only violated many elements of human rights and human dignity, um respect for the land and respect for human beings, but what they didn't know is that it was sparking uh this reconnection to indigenous nationhood and especially in Mohawk territories, Mohawk nationhood, and was largely one of the most impactful parts of my life so far. So this is 1990. I'm I'm real young. I don't want to give away my age too much, but I'm real young at the time. And it's it's a bit an uproar in our community. You know, there was people that were going to Kanasadage and Kahnawage to support uh the people that were making a stand and protecting the land, protecting the people. And then here in Tainanaga, there was also uh movements, you know, to help show support. And uh that's when that's when I realized that we were going through a really important time. And and over the years, uh the 1990s and the summer of 1990, and the years that followed, that reluctance to learn culture and language had had dissipated, and there was this rejuvenation and reconnection to what I what I call like uh Gohait Neha, like Mohawk Nationhood. And part of that was the revival of of social beings and social uh activities like uh social singing and the impact of the families that were involved in in this the early creation of what was called the Peacemaker's Drum, uh youth uh social singing group, those families, the adults and the adolescents that took part in that were that was huge. And it was kind of just following that, that that 1990, those events, and from that, you know, it just it snowballed into okay, well, now we got some people that know the songs, and now they need to introduce the songs and the language, and now that they have some language, you know, we can we can uh restart our our ceremonies in the language. You know, and I don't mean restart our ceremonies, there's families that have done ceremony in our in our community since since time immemorial, but having it openly done in the language was was key, you know, and and people, our young people traveling to different communities and reconnecting um to those different communities was it was huge. So that was a major part. And then as I said, in 1992, or I think it was around 90 91, 92, Gardiwahaway, Dorothy Lazore moved to our community to teach language in our schools, and uh and she just brought the spirit of of uh of being ungwaunwe, like being a being a speaker, being being a learner, and uh being a strong uh Mohawk person. And you know, this is you know, I moved starting to move into teenage hood. And you know, she'd say, hey, if you're if you are Mohawk, it's because you speak Mohawk. It's it's not something that you just you just are. Like if you don't speak, you you're not Mohawk. And you know, and we had an awesome opportunity to to learn from her and travel with her and make connections to her family and and to her community of Akwasosne. And uh yeah, so it was but it was still real basic, you know. Like uh I I look in my proficiency, it's still like novice mid, maybe, you know, real low. And uh and I went away to uh university uh after high school. I I was able to take with Guardiwaha, I was able to take Mohawk language classes every every year up until what was at the time was OAC, right? In the grade 13. And uh yeah, I went away to school, and a friend of mine moved in um in my second year, and we always liked to be able to speak a bit back and forth, especially if we needed to say something about somebody else. But it it kind of was still very, very basic stuff and kind of memorized phrasing. And then I went to teachers college after that, and this was a real important point. Um you know, it wasn't connected to language yet, but it's actually what really spurred on this r renewal of language in my life. And you know, one of the things about our program was an Indigenous teacher education program at Queen's University, and a professor in that in that program that really wanted us to understand what culturally integrated learning was versus culturally inclusive learning, you know, and that integration just kind of being speckles of it here and there. And culturally inclusive learning being the learning and embodies the culture and language. And it was something really I I had to think through a lot um at teachers college and tried to bring right into practice right away. And I got real lucky that uh there was a private high school here in the territory that was um that was uh centering their curriculum and their activities on our culture. So I thought, you know what, that's a spot to start. So I taught there for um for 14 months, right at a teacher's college, and uh was really trying to understand in my practice and my being about what a culturally inclusive teacher could be here in an environment. And you know, that was in the incorporation of ceremony, the incorporation of language and being, you know. And I just didn't have the language to say that I was doing it. Like it wasn't a culturally inclusive environment if I could if I couldn't center it in the language. So we're real lucky that uh Jijun Hangoana, the language and cultural center here in Tindanaga, um, put forward the first adult Mohawk immersion program in Tindanaga, like that year. So I uh you know, I I I uh I didn't quit my job, but yeah, I took a break from my job to take the full-time program, and it was a full-time adult program. It was taught by the late Anaduak Konka, the late David Marikal, and really got to learn a lot about the morphology of the language. Um one full calendar year I learned as an adult learner, and I would say that I wasn't a very good student, but uh you know, I picked up some things and made some connections, went back to teaching again the next year, and I did the same thing. I'm like, man, I still don't have the language that I need to say that I'm a culturally inclusive teacher. So Six Nations in Unkawana Konzokwa at the time was was doing a second-year program. And I'm not sure if it was the like the first iteration of their of their second-year program, but both um De Waseta, uh my wife and I, we applied to that too. So we went, sold everything, we quit our jobs, and we moved to Six Nations. And uh I was lucky to live with a childhood friend of mine, uh De Hodat Garado, Jeremy Green. And he was raising his brand new families, his little babies in the language, and he offered us a spot to live at his place. And uh we got to be immersed in what he what he was what he was doing. He was he was the only one doing it that I knew of. He's raising his kids. It's a second language speaker, he's raising those babies, and and we got to be a part of it. So we spent our our our time there, you know, going to school through the day. And uh actually, let's start earlier, getting up in the morning and De Hodgarado and be up with his babies, and they'd be having breakfast, and they'd be speaking, and we get to sit there and and learn from them, and we go to school, come home at lunch. Well, there'd be lunchtime for them too, you know, and back to school. It was uh in the evening, same thing. You know, we shared De Jod Agrado and I shared the love for hunting and fishing and sports and stuff. So I was able to learn from him, you know, while I'm in an immersion program, and uh, that was the year, that was 200 uh seven. That was the year that we found out we were expecting our first baby. So we're in this program, and uh it's January, mid-January, and uh we found out that we're expecting a baby, and you know, all the really high emotions that come with that, right? Uh celebrating that and being so humbled by by that, and then kind of thinking and realizing that I'm living in my buddy's basement 350 kilometers away from home. And I you know, I don't have a job, and you know, um I started to talk about moving home, you know, and putting my name on the supply teacher list, reestablishing my career as a teacher so I could provide for my my new family or my growing family. And uh they was at uh my wife, um she just put a stop to it. And she does she's a real quiet person. Um she was just sitting there and thought she's she said, uh the way the war don't get why don't we just become speakers? She said the greatest thing that we could do for our kids is to is to give them our language so amazing. She's she's so amazing. Um you know, as I was thinking about all these monetary things in everybody's house and uh you know, having that career to provide for my kids, she was talking about the impact of them having a relationship with all of the things of the natural world and having that grounding of being a person. And that was what was going to uh that's what we could offer our kids. So yeah. So then it was like, okay, well, if we're gonna do that, we better get doing it as best we can. It was like this re-uh this this re-energized language learning look, right? Where it's like you know, without using any explicit words or anything, but it's like, oh we only have like eight more months, you know, to to get uh to get to a level where we can raise our children in the language. We can speak to them now, and we can speak to them when they're here, you know, when they're born and into this world. And so we had lots of work to do. Um and uh that's where it really kicked in, you know, those first two years. I thank all the work that our teachers and our mentors and our educational assistants did in those those courses, and I can uh I can name a whole bunch of them that were in the class, but you think too, all of the administrators and the fundraisers and all the people that were were really working behind the scenes, that was great. They did amazing stuff. We were in the right place at the right time, obviously. Um but it was like that time, mid-January 2007, where it's like, now I have to learn. So we had to do some more things. We we really worked hard in the last four months or five months of the course. Um we we reconnected, we reconnected with uh Gardy Wahoe. Um and at the time her her cousin, Kawan is like uh the late Anne Lazore, she was in our community too. We reached out and we told them what we wanted to do. And uh they came to our house and when we moved back to Titananga, they came to our house in this in the spring every week, and we started having language dinners with them and trying to build our proficiency. And then baby came um in late August of 2007. Lucky that both they come back um to to teach and learn in the fall, like when school restarted. So it was like not even a I'm telling you, my eldest daughter was only a few days old, invited them back in, you know, and I would record all of these dinners that we had, and I would ask them questions about the baby, raising baby, you know, what's what's what's she look like, you know, what's she doing, you know, how do we describe all of these things? And uh yeah, so we did these Mohawk language dinners for I think we did it for two years, every week recording, um speaking and then re-listening, writing down some of the words we we knew and some of the words we didn't, and incorporating it into our into our language at home and um really shutting down all of the opportunities that English has to enter our home. You know, and really creating this immersion environment. And uh I know this is kind of going on here. I don't my name is the hotaraji. It means he comes along talking, so I can tell stories quite some time. But uh the the one last piece that I want to celebrate, and it's not the last, but it's the next piece in this chronological story here. Um I'm telling is that um around, I think it was around I think it was this this September of 2008. So my eldest daughter was was uh just just turned one. And my my wife um applied to be uh education assistant at the Language Nest. And the Language Nest was um is an amazing it was an amazing program here in Tindanaga, and there's met many different iterations of it across Mohawk territory and elsewhere. But we had this we had this program where two duddas, two grandmas lived in a home here, and my wife was the education assistant, the support person there, and there was a small group of students, uh, like preschool age students that went there. She was able to take my wife, was able to take my eldest daughter there. And she was expecting another baby at the time. So there she is working at the language nest with my with my eldest daughter, um, expecting a new baby and being surrounded by two amazing uh first language speaking grandmas. And uh yeah, I was able to kind of resume my career in education. I was teaching, and she was she was at uh EA at the school, and she was teaching, and she was learning, and my kids were very surrounded by um extremely wonderful people that spoke our language. And uh so that that was an awesome opportunity. My kids stayed at the Daphne for like for years. Like I think it was supposed to be only up until the kindergarten age, but we lobbied um through the support of the language circle at Jizunhe and Gowana, um, and the workers at Dudahne, the the Dudas. They they helped our helped keep our children in the program even after this the elementary age. And that that was just that was just amazing, amazing. Yeah, so like fast forward a little bit, 2000 and uh the the 2010s, uh the 2010 until 2020, I'm in an administration at uh at the elementary school on the territory. I think it was 2010 where I started as vice principal, and I really just wanted to be like a lead learner. I didn't really have too much administrative experience, but I had this love for language and culture and community and learning. And uh so I started to to try to find ways that I could be like a lead learner. So I got all my principal's papers, and that was a couple-year adventure, and I was looking for something new. I wanted to be the teacher that was just kept on learning. And uh University of Victoria, they had an intake for a master's program in Indigenous language revitalization. So I applied to that and was I got in, I think it was in 2014, the early like the summer semester of 2014 when I started. And uh one of the opportunities that I had was to kind of write this master's um thesis. And my supervisor, the late Trish Rosborough, wanted me to talk about how it's possible to raise a family in the language and create this Mohawk speaking home in a community where we had very limited first language support, and there was a break in intergenerational transmission, there's lots of things. So it was real fun kind of looking back. It's like an auto-ethnographic, you know, where you're just kind of looking back at your story and trying to find these really important parts and pieces. But it was like, okay, yeah, I'm really falling in love with the idea that that I can do more with language in our community. So then uh yeah, I uh my wife and I, we always kind of traded as my children grew up, we kind of traded off taking years off of work so that we could homeschool our kids and we could have them at the language nest, we could have them involved in some elementary education, but we really wanted to maintain their language learning at home and do homeschooling. So for at least half the day through their entire elementary school career, my children were homeschooled by either the mother or I. So, you know, we're into like 2017 now, and uh it was my turn to take the year off, and I did, and and uh I got this job um in the mornings. I was helping out with uh Jijun Hai Unkowana's uh Radiwanogwa's language documentation program, and I and I really got to learn how to record first language speakers and how to learn from those recordings, and and it was just amazing how my proficiency was my receptive proficiency through that opportunity just skyrocketed. And maybe my expressive proficiency wasn't it was still developing, but man, I I just loved how much I was able to learn about listening and listening with intent and um and listening for understanding, you know, rather than just listening to hear, hear, I'm trying to hear that word, I'm trying to, you know, it was like really this idea of listening to understand. So uh yeah, so I was sharing how much fun I was having with this, and uh another opportunity came up to do some PhD work at the University of Victoria under the supervision of the late uh Trish Rossboro, and then uh later on through the supervision of uh Dr. Onawa Mackyver and help from um Dr. Sonia Byrd and Dr. Eva Chaikoska Higgins, I was able to do a dissertation that was centered in celebrating how to document language for learning. How what could I record first language speakers so that I can contribute to um second language learners' proficiency? And once again, like I have to say, in all of that work, uh that master's work and that PhD work, the underlying goal for me was to work in the language and to help others learn the language. So doing that, it wasn't only about providing curriculum and activities for other people. It was about me learning and showing how impactful that is just in my language development. And since 2020, I switched to kind of not I didn't switch career paths, I just moved to a different direction in education. And through the University of Toronto now, I get to teach some language, I get to to teach um in ling in a linguistics course about uh really about what's uh um what I would think is called linguistic relativity and like how language impacts thought and actions. Uh sustaining indigenous languages in Canada is is one of my courses I teach. But what they've offered to me is is the ability to continue my language work in my community, my proficiency development work in my community, and to have an opportunity to share that with other Mohawk communities and even the broader scope of Indigenous language work across the world. So um as I sit now, I I like self-assess uh expressive proficiency around like an advanced high level, you know, as indicated with we use this scale called ACTFIL, ACTFL, um trademark. Um their proficiency scale is uh what a lot of communities use. Well, there's this advanced level, but there's still a superior and distinguished level. And I can't wait to keep working to get up into these superior levels. Um and I receptive comprehension, I I would say that I'm at least at advanced high in receptive comprehension, so I can understand our speakers and and almost every single thing they say, even if it's a new word, I can I can get that understanding. So that's that's my proficiency story. Um and I know it's long, but uh if you know me, you don't expect anything different. Um the other thing too though is like I I I've set a goal that I I need and I want, and I will move myself into that superior proficiency category. And I I have a time limit that I'm putting on that, and it doesn't mean that I'm gonna stop learning at that point, but and the best thing that I can do for my community right now and and the uh Konyagahaga nation is to become the best speaker that I can and and learn and share. So that's that's the opportunity that's that uh that I'm looking um you know straight down the barrel at right now. And I've started um you know to to really put in place some some steps to do that. So that's that's where I'm at right now. And as I said, uh it's not it's not a learning journey that's going to end, but uh I think I I want to celebrate all of those different those people and those programs. Because if you if you if like looking back on that story, you know, we we have exposure programs in elementary school, you know, we have more sustained, what would be called like NSL, native second language programming. You know, we have a high school program that's supported with, you know, with with a with a really inspiring teacher, you know, immersion programs, um, and the development or continue uh the continuity of a second year program in advan in adult language work. And then the idea that there's some there's opportunity and need for supported self directed learning, and that that learning uh can be tied to the home. And that there needs to be intergenerational support, that language nesting is an amazing practice, that independent and self-guided studies has to be part of language learning. That learning from first language speakers is tremendously important, especially in communities of low-speaking populations like ours. We can utilize documentation, through recordings, in order to develop our proficiency. So, you know, as I said, my when you asked about proficiency, yeah, I did give a long story though. But it all of those programs are important. And, you know, I think uh each and every one of us, we we have we may have different priorities and different circumstances to access those programs, right? Is it like the ability for us to access those programs is really important. So it took me the only that's my story is pretty long sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:08

That's all right.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:09

There's so much in there that is so important and critical to hear, I think. Like for me, um, there's like so many points where I'm like, whoa, that like mind blown. Um yeah, so many points I want to talk about too. Um this is kind of like through that whole thing, um, there was one thing that kept popping up for me. Like there's a couple of things, but um like your determination and your motivation is like so strong. This is like a personal question for me. Um how do you how did you manage or is there any strategies or like um mindset of drowning out the noise to stay on your like target goal? Like through all of that, I can't imagine, like also like all the random, like tedious things that happen in daily life that you know can wipe our motivation off the plate or our goals off the plate for the day, or like things that happen in life. Like, is there anything specific? Or I know that's a huge question, but like that helps you drown out all of that to stay on your course.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:20

Yeah, I'll I'll I'll try my best to share.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:23

Yeah, it's a huge question, I know.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:26

I'll try my best to share. Um like some of those motivations. Um, like I'm I'm a real stubborn person, and when somebody I mean when someone or something presents a task where you know it's questionable whether I'll do it or not, or be able to do it, then that's normally the motivation where I'm gonna do it and uh I'll show you kind of thing. And and that's just part of uh my my personal way of being that I feel like there's no there's nothing that's insurmountable. Um and this is one of those areas where you know it's it's it's a tough go. And maybe because it's tough, that gives me a little extra motivation to do it. But um to be honest with you, when it comes to strategies, uh I'll I'll talk about and maybe ask a question about what language loyalty uh means to you know to us, to you, to others. And and it and it stems from what I just shared, because um there's no doubt that that some of our work or language work, it's it's it's difficult. We can say that it's it's rewarding and we know that it's rewarding. But there's some challenges, there's specific challenges to indigenous language work and learning that that don't exist in other realms, you know, of second language learning, where there's millions of people in the world that speak the language, or there's a geographical area where you can go and that's all you hear, you're immersed in it, um, where it's seen in all of the contexts of life, from professional life to personal life, in the home, outside the home, uh in community, intergenerational. You know, like that that that's the reality of second language learning in other contexts. Well, we don't we we really in in Ganyakahaga territory, we don't have that. And it's it's about creating that for yourself um and making deliberate actions and plans and practice to to really support yourself in ensuring that your language is always at the top of the priority list. So um when in my master's work, I had an opportunity to learn from from the late Josh Joshua Fishman's work. Uh and he did a lot of and some people regard him as the godfather of language revitalization for revitalization of Hebrew and whatnot, um, and other languages throughout the world. But one of the things that really stuck out was this phrase called language loyalty, and language loyalty for us, as I just kind of tried to frame, is a lot different. How do we learn and use and celebrate our language even when we're in a community that's not doing that? Or even if we're in a community that does do that, but only in certain places. So, you know, especially when when people enter this realm of this advanced proficiency, this movement towards um what people might characterize as native speaker-like proficiency, there is a need for self-like a self-directed question, and that is what how loyal are you to your language? What does language loyalty mean to you? How bad do you want it? How bad do uh how many circ um how many sacrifices are you willing to make to learn and to speak and to share the language? Um and I think that speaking proficiency can be equated to the degree of loyalty that one has with the language. Um and it's it's not just a mindset, it's actions, it's this deliberate practice of doing that likely is the most important. So I I just don't I I just uh I can't see that as a specific strategy that that you you go back to, you know, in a specific circumstance. But I I feel like it's all tied to this idea that uh the language is that we have this reciprocal relationship with it. There's things that I need to do in order to learn from and with it. And uh the there's circum certain things that the language gives to me as a to me, it's like a breadcrumb that helps me on my way. Um and you know, if I'm not willing to search for those breadcrumbs and utilize them the way that they should be used, then there's a break in that relationship. So um the question I ask is, you know, how far are you willing to go? What's what's your language loyalty like? What's what what in your scale, what's your level at? Because I think based on that level, realistic, long-term, ongoing, in all these different circumstances, with different pressures and different people in your lives, if your language loyalty is still that high on a scale of five, if you're ripping that five, what I think is that there'll be a correlation to the proficiency that you're able to obtain. And uh yeah, and varying strategies, like you said, the a specific strategy that doesn't really resonate with me. Um but there's so many, there's so many tools that we have. Like we're at the the moment in human history and civilization where there's so many opportunities to learn and so many very various ways that one can learn and connect to the language that uh we need to take advantage of of that bounty and and uh use the ones that work with us for as long as they work with us. Because sometimes those strategies are awesome at maybe at this at this level, or maybe when I'm this tired, you know, that strategy really works with me. But I don't know when I move up a proficiency level, maybe that strategy isn't doesn't fit so well, and or maybe I have this extreme motivation and I'm gonna I'm gonna you know use another strategy because I'm in that at that point. So um that's important. And I I think that this the second piece, maybe if I can, it would be uh would be about uh reclaiming domains, like the the places and spaces where you only use the language. And uh and the most important domain is within the home. So that has to be the not only the foundation, um but all of the support structures need to have the home embedded within it. And unfortunately what I see in in our in Gonyagahaga territories and and some other indigenous language programming is that it it doesn't it doesn't include the home. And if we take a look at the environment wherein our language programs operate, they're largely institutionalized. They're in a in a building that's that looks looks and feels way different than the home does. So if one of the main indicators of the normalization of language use is the use of language in the home, then our programming and our efforts, our practice as language learners needs to have the home domain as its main focus. And um some people laugh when I say that when I say that you need to you need to systematically reclaim domains of your use. And the easiest thing to do is is to reclaim the domains where you're isolated first. It's easy. And to me, I I think there's two spots in your life wherein it's easiest to reclaim that domain as an ungwahuat neha only domain. Number one is your car andor your mode of transportation. It might be walking, it might be biking, or it might be on the transit system. You can choose what language you're using and hearing for the most part. Because in the car you have the radio on transit or walking, you have a headset, and you can choose your language input. And if you have some recordings or you've made some recordings yourself, you can continually listen to that. And yeah, it might be quiet in the car, but if the rule in your car is when I'm in my car, that's all. That's all. It's just our language. I'm listening, I'm speaking. If you're driving by yourself, nobody's judging your pronunciation, your word choice. You're just speaking, and it doesn't matter. If there's a family member in there, you just got to tell them the rule. You know, I'm gonna talk and I'm gonna listen in the language, and you don't say anything unless it's in our language. That's the way it is. Don't tell me how to drive unless you can do it in a shnabemoin. Imagine that being a rule, you know. So uh, and and one of the other reasons I say that to learners is because normally they have to drive to or from, like they have to transport to or from their school, you know, where it's institutionalized. Well, this is our way, this is our first step to deinstitutionalize it. Something that's part of my normal life. And then, you know, you you systematically take over your home. Okay, what's the space in your home that's most isolated? Okay, it's the bathroom. Right? Normally you're in the bathroom by yourself. If you have children, you likely don't have that opportunity so much, but um, but there's time every day. We spend time in the bathroom, every single day, and normally, not all the time, but normally it's by ourselves. We can control what we hear and what we say in the bathroom. That's the next, in my opinion, that's the next domain, and you systematically take over, you know, next to me, next bedroom, you know, okay, and next, where's the spot? It might be the kitchen table, because maybe we don't have all the vocabulary for for cooking yet. But maybe we do have enough vocabulary to ask how we're doing today. Um, you know, maybe we get to identify some of the pieces that that are on the table, the things that we're eating, these types of things. But the systematic re-reclamation of domains centered in the home, not exclusive to the home, but centered in the home, I think uh is is the is then is the next action or one of the actions, whichever sequence it takes.

SPEAKER_06 1:15:32

Yeah, I think that's awesome, awesome advice. Things that you know I I've done in the past, like and kind of still do, but it's not like fully like a full-on rule, but you know, just driving along listening to recordings or whatever. Um same in the house. Um and but yeah, just making like like you're saying, like claiming that and like making that the priority, you know, it's how far do we want to take it? And I always think about um for learners, I think, or for other people wanting to learn. You know, that kind of sounds intimidating, but I think that's just that's like your next step. So as you're learning, you know, make that next step. And that's where we're always thinking about, okay, I learned the beginner stuff, okay, what's my next step? And then what's my next step? And I think that's part of that um on our learning journeys.

SPEAKER_08 1:16:39

Yeah, I I agree. What what resonates in what you said to me is this ideal of what's called what's been coined deliberate practice. That it it has to be it has to be planned, it has to be um impactful, it has to be measured, you know, uh it has to be prioritized. And that continual practice, it's that's a I'm making this a deliberate, deliberately choosing this for this reason, and these are the steps I'm taking to enact it. And continually I have to keep asking myself, is you know, is there something that's working and not working, and how can I keep making it better? And you know, that's I think that's a that's a really important part of what what I just uh what I understand from from what you just shared. It's a deliberate thing. It doesn't just the stuff doesn't fall out of the sky. You don't get to dream. You don't get to lay down one night and become a speaker the next day, you know. Um it's it takes it takes some some very serious and dedicated and deliberate work.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:55

That was like really, oh, go ahead, Monty. I was just saying like the reframing all of that was just like very helpful for me because yeah, I don't know if strategy is the right word. I was just looking for like what is your mindset or what do you do, or how do you speak to yourself to keep moving on a road when you know life decides to just like throw stuff at us here and there nonstop. And how do you, you know, drown that out to stay on course because it's so easy to like fall off the path for a bit and then you get yourself back on. It's like how do you avoid, you know, letting those things like take you off course of like your goals and whatnot. So wonderful reframing of like the reciprocal relationship between you and your language and like it also, like you having to feed it and it having to feed you back. And then um, yeah, the idea of um what can I do to support my own to support my own learning? Like, what can I do to support myself so that this continues? Yeah. And I know that I'm just reiterating what you said, but like very, very, very helpful for me as a mother. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:19:05

That's good. I appreciate that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:08

You go ahead, Monty. I I didn't mean to interrupt you.

SPEAKER_06 1:19:11

I was just wondering if you could talk about. I know we have different family structures in our communities, but uh, you you talked about how your kids were doing half a day homeschooled through whole their whole elementary. So like how did that come about? How did you like what like was the school like just uh receptive to that, or did you have to kind of challenge that a bit?

SPEAKER_08 1:19:39

Um well, my circumstance in that regard is a little bit different. I was the vice principal at the time of the elementary school, so um uh that was that's an important part, but um not as important as the willingness of the staff in the administration at the school to uh to accept that that that's an important part of your being and your family and uh your children's growth and development. So um it it wasn't it wasn't difficult. Um it did take some planning, um, it did take some um uh some give, some give and some take, this reciprocal uh relationship. Um but it was it was tremendously impactful in the continuity of language use for my children. I would think that it's likely one of the most important parts of my children's ability to be able to express themselves in our language today. Because don't get me wrong, all of those early years were really, really important. The the time that uh Dewaset, uh my partner and I took off of work, the dedication that we had to the Geha being uh the language of our home, um the support networks that we we created and were supported by uh the language nest, all of those things in those early years, tremendously important to the to the point where my children were extremely highly proficiency speakers. Um equivalent to elders, elder speakers and their their ability to comprehend and express themselves. But one of the things that we know of this of this world that that that we live that I live in right now is that if English has an entry space, um it just takes over. You know, it it's you know, look at world's history, this happens to people and places, and and it happens to language too. Uh if you give it that that crack that door open a little bit, boom, it busts it right down, takes over everything, does it all, you know? So um we we we were protective of that, but we're also under the understanding uh you know that that our ch that our children were and are going to be bilingual, and that's okay. Multilingualism is amazing, you know. So with that came the opportunity for our our kids uh to to go to school for that. They they were already going to be bilingual, whether the school was involved or not. But an important part of their early years to me um is all of those important things that you learn in kindergarten. You know, there's there's a saying that everything that you need to know in your life, you learn in kindergarten. It's about sharing, right? It's about taking your turn, it's about supporting somebody else, it's about asking for help, all of those things. So the education system that we're involved in in this part of the world that doesn't celebrate that that is actually the most important part of elementary school. It's about building friendships, learning these social rules that come with being a respectful human being. Um, so we wanted to give them that opportunity to be a part of that and and and learn, make friends, and and then and have fun. Um but we also knew if they were going to be there all day, that it was just gonna take over. So, you know, we we were able, or we're lucky enough in our situation to to be able to do what we could to work with that. And uh yeah, that did all the teachers and the support staff, the educational support staff at the elementary school here, um, and the administration were all in support of it. And um, you know, as I said, sometimes, sometimes there was a really cool event that was at the school, and they'd be like, hey, can uh can your daughter stay all day? Like, yeah, absolutely, you know. And then sometimes we just take them out of school for for a week and um and or you know, maybe we go to another community for ceremony or go somewhere else, you know, and and we just worked together at that. And I I will also say this, you know, there's this fallacy, this myth out in the world that um learning a minority or an indigenous language um takes away from someone's ability in you know in a in a common language, in this case English, and or that um, you know, the the focus on in indigenous language education takes away from the academic achievements of a student. I am here to tell you that our experience is absolutely 100% the total opposite. That um my children's ability to express themselves in English um is is great. Their academic achievement um throughout their elementary school career, and now we're getting to the point where my eldest now is is is entering her last semester of high school, and every single year since she was in junior kindergarten, she has been commended in many different ways for her extremely high academic achievement. My youngest, same. Um, extremely high achieving academically in institutions where they only attended largely for half the time. You know, their their ability to speak English is is it's not it's not been negatively impacted by their ability to speak another language. And the you know, this colonial, especially in in colonial southern conservative Ontario, that we should be monolingual English is and these myths that are out there that that promote that and people that promote these myths are are well off the base of what reality is. And I'd encourage us as learners, as speakers, as teachers, uh as parents and you know, all of the generations, grandparents and young people, that you don't you you don't you don't give up something because you're learning your language or speaking your language. You you you actually gain much more than you'll ever you'll ever give. And um it's yeah, so you know, as I said, the support that came from the community, amazing. The the teachers, the administrative support, um, amazing, and uh the achievements of of my daughters. And it's not because of the language, it's because of who they are and what the work that they've done and put into this. They're really uh amazing people, you know, that just happened to be first language Ganyageha speakers. Um and I think that's that's something I'd like to celebrate.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:43

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 1:27:45

It's an awesome story. Yeah, I'm glad you're able to share it with uh yeah, with everyone.

SPEAKER_08 1:27:51

Yeah, that's awesome. I um as part of just the just this little side story that now that uh my daughter's you know getting towards her graduation of high school, um, I'm just so proud that uh she she's right now she's looking at a career in being uh in education. She wants to be a teacher. She's made um strides to to apply um to university programming, but also has made strides to applying to um adult immersion programs, and is is just what an awesome opportunity. I I I really appreciate that that uh you know as we get to this transition in our family's life, that we've still been able to maintain a kind of a love, a love for learning and a love for teaching. And um one of the tools that that she has and one of the gifts, I guess, that she can share is is that language. So, you know, I hope I really hope that uh that that she's she pursues her dreams. And whether that's this dream that she continues on or others, you know, I think it's a really um awesome opportunity for for our family to uh to give back. As I said, if it if it changes to a different direction, that's great too. But right now, you know, as she as she you know puts her university application in and her look towards next year, it's it's still in there. That that love is still in there. Um that's something that I just want to celebrate.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:33

You can let her know that we're rooting for her as well. And just like whatever path she takes, right? But that's that's um that's really lovely. Like, yeah, I'm hoping that, you know, my kids can be whatever they want to be, but I really do hope that they end up in language some somewhere down the line.

SPEAKER_08 1:29:55

Yeah. Well, uh, I do though, as we come to the top. Yeah, what I do have to get go with.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:03

Um just so thankful for everything you shared. Um is there anything that you like want to plug?

SPEAKER_02 1:30:10

Do you have anything out there you wanna want people to promote for people to find?

SPEAKER_08 1:30:16

Yeah. Um you know, I don't I don't know if it's anything specific, but you know, in in my story, n none of my story would we wouldn't be talking about this without just amazing people doing amazing things for generations. You know, we're at the point in in our our history or our civil, like our day and age where this is actually to me, this is easy. If you can think, if you know, if you think of what our parents and our grandparents, and then if we go back generations and generations, what they've had to do in order for us to be able to speak our languages today, right now, this I don't want to reduce what we're doing because this is really hard stuff, but to me, it's nothing compared to the work that our people have had to do over the last 400 years, you know, and we wouldn't be able to talk, we wouldn't be able to have this conversation if it wasn't for language warriors that have come, that have come before us. And what we get to do is we get to uh we get to be those language warriors today, so that in generations to come they'll be like, holy, you know, we have it easy compared to what they had it, you know. That's what I dream of. But so for a for a plug um or for uh an offer of gratitude and respect in closing, it's it's to celebrate that that many people have shaped the story. And I hope that I've um I've been able to celebrate their legacy, their impact on my family. Um, and I'm in mentioning them by name in these stories. But there's other people that I wasn't able to mention in these stories too, the ones that are working behind the scenes, the ones that that are working that I just uh that I just wasn't able to mention. But I wouldn't be here, and my family and my language and my community and my nation wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for all of the people that that have come to to this point. So I I really uh appreciate the opportunity to share their stories, my perspective on how they've they've shaped my life with you today. Yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_06 1:32:41

I have one more request if you can share something in Mohawk to other learners, other Mohawk learners, like some words of inspiration or yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:32:53

Yeah, or you well do what it's a ginongways with the way that you can in the gajana day, go like jar the Zatkawa Hajja, I'll give neha ski gano tini sajarha, then lodg the hajay. Tano Aguani Gua Dinah, the deity no ladung go on goa kanualadumslawanya. Gwa saw no ka no tena the wada doga wada guaeno sayogi the waliwasla guat say easy waliwa gay. Tana swahujages. Toga dinayo than is what the gola. Don't want that to kni go. That's all I got.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:00

Yahweh, yeah. I think I could talk to you all day long, but I also have a class I have to run to. We really appreciate you spending sharing space with us, sharing your knowledge with us, being willing to come on. Like I think this is really gonna impact so many people, so many families. So can't extend my gratitude enough for all of the knowledge that you carry from others that have shared with you and your own and your own experiences. Yeah, we're very, very grateful to have you on today.

SPEAKER_08 1:35:30

I I appreciate the opportunity and offer you the the the same thanks um and encouragement to keep keep going. Your work is really impactful. And I appreciate the opportunity for us to meet today. Maybe our paths cross into the future.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:47

Yeah, that'd be great.

SPEAKER_08 1:35:51

Take care, take care of yourselves and your family.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:53

Yes, you as well. Thanks so much for listening to our podcast and waiting on my sound to reach us my email. Find us at all sound period podcast at email.com. You can find all of my links to my minute, Instagram, Instagram, period, and my link on myself. And I'm gonna clean it up on the team, my younger brother, and oh some.