Shé:kon sewakwé:kon. Watya’nali:yo iontiáts. Wakeniáhton. Oneniote’á:ka niwakonhontsò:ten. Ratiwennahní:rats katerihwaiénstha’.
Greetings everyone. Watya’nali:yo is what they call me. I am Turtle Clan. I am Oneida, or of the People of the Standing Stone. I am a student at Ratiwennahní:rats, a Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) language immersion program based in Kahnawà:ke, Quebec.
Becoming a fluent speaker of Onkwehonwehnéha (Original Language) comes with a great generational responsibility that isn’t always talked about, or understood. As Onkwehón:we (Original Beings), we can only go so far without Onkwehonwehnéha—as individuals, as families and as a people. Having been raised with Tiohrhèn:sa (English) as my first language and often away from cultural teachings and our way of life, I always had a feeling that I was missing something. Now that I’m a full-time language student, I’m beginning to understand the impact that Onkwehonwehnéha can have—something that I am eternally grateful to feel. Although my comprehension of Kanien’kéha is limited, and it’s been barely three months since I started learning, I’d be happy walking away from the program with the little bit I know now.
I may never be able to understand Kanien’kéha in the same way that a first language speaker does. But I know that if I continue embodying intergenerational healing, my children will. This is a reality we have to face as a result of the ongoing genocide against our people. Because I am doing this work now, my children won’t face the same challenges that I did growing up. My children won’t have to re-parent themselves to understand who they are—they’ll already know. They’ll know what it means to be Onkwehón:we, an original being walking through life on their mother’s back. This is the fuel that keeps my fire going, because I know that every challenge I overcome is one less challenge that my children will have to face.
Learning Onkwehonwehnéha can bring forward unfaced traumas—often generational traumas. When cultural shame or feelings of unworthiness come forward, I do my best to remind myself why I initially applied to Ratiwennahní:rats—I come back to why I am here. Without fail, this reignites my flame when it has become dim.
Language learning is so much more than decolonization work. Decolonization is a responsibility of all of humanity. As Onkwehón:we, we have unique responsibilities that grow far beyond undoing colonization. We carry a great responsibility of returning to our original instructions, and to do so we must face the reality that we have lost our way. Although this takes so much more than revitalizing our original languages, becoming a speaker of Onkwehonwehnéha is a vital component of doing so. Onkwehonwehnéha continues to steer us back to our tracks.
The Center for Earth Ethics is a major aid in my language learning journey. Moving away from Iohskóhare (Schoharie Valley, New York) has been the most challenging part of starting Ratiwennahní:rats. Support has come from many channels, people and places, including the Center for Earth Ethics. Niawenhkó:wa (a grand thank you) for providing the opportunity to share my reflections as I continue walking this pathway of generational healing and for supporting the evolution of my language learning.
Ó:nen ki wahi! (Goodbye for now!)