Yonkwaweyente’ta’onhatye Tsi Niyonkwarihotens; We are becoming skilled in our ways of life

This initiative supports young language speakers to bring those learning language in colonial education settings into community spaces. Fully participating in ceremonial cycles are unsupported. The project targets the most vulnerable language learners to meet gaps between education, employment, and cultural access. Through an on-going three year Master-Apprentice program. Master-Apprentice recognizes the need to build speakers after a two-year immersion study. The apprentice will adopt from the master, passing language intergenerationally. The focus is to build and support speakers to have confidence and use it across community and in ceremonial spaces. The Haudenosaunee and their distinct communities need to share resources and language speakers across the confederacy as there are very few first language / master speakers. Language and land are inherently related to speaking, conversing, consent, and reciprocal relationships. Ongoing acts to watch, listen, move, do, interact, read, write, apply, transfer, and speak all six of the Haudenosaunee languages is foundational in all our program deliverables. Revitalizing Indigenous language fluency and speakers needs to be supported by creating time and space to interact with other speakers and community members.