Kanien’kéha adult immersion gathering held entirely in the language

This story can also be read here in Kanien’kéha.

A gathering last month of teachers and administrators from each Kanien’kéha adult immersion program across six Kanienʼkehá:ka communities was held entirely in the language.

The second annual Kanien’kéha Adult Immersion Gathering was held in Kingston, Ont., July 13-16.

Otsitsia Sunday, an instructor from Akwesasne who translated Kanien’kéha into English for administrators, said interpreting in real time put her language skills to the test but it was worth it.

“We are so rich in community and in a community of people who are actively working towards language revitalization and it was incredible to see and experience,” she said.

Sunday, who had had three Kanien’kéha-speaking grandparents, said hearing the language over the three-day gathering was inspiring and that the language community “can face challenges better as a collective when it comes to adult immersion.”

“Our minds are so powerful when we come together like this,” she said.

Karihwaiénhne’ Sarah Chaloux from Wahta will be overseeing the opening of Wahta’s new adult immersion program in September 2027.

She said the gathering was a “rare and beautiful opportunity” to centre Kanien’kéha, but that for administrators, who are also doing important work, the language was a barrier.

Chaloux is not a speaker so having an interpreter was important for inclusion and a helpful solution, she said.

She said language gatherings such as this one are “impactful for community collaboration and knowledge sharing.”

She’s been to other conferences and said a common thread is the need to share because “there’s too much work happening in silos.”

“What’s beautiful about that gathering … was that we gathered as a nation,” she said.

Konwanonhsiióhstha’ Callie Hill from Tyendinaga, one of the organizers, said the gathering helps “raise the prestige of the language and outside of the classrooms.” 

“Isn’t that cool that we’re now at a place where that’s something that we need? We need reverse translation from Kanien’kéha to English,” she said.

Hill said Kanienʼkehá:ka communities “have been leaders in language revitalization across the board, in children’s programs but also in adult immersion.”

Kanatawakhon (David) Maracle, also from Tyendinaga, pioneered the curriculum using the root-word method now used in Indigenous language learning across the world, Hill said.

Need for adult immersion

Oheróhskon Ryan DeCaire from Wahta, also one of the organizers, said by text message that adult immersion was established to address challenges experienced by more common learning pathways, which weren’t creating speakers.

According to his research, in 1985 Kahnawà:ke experimented with a 10-month full-time initiative to train teachers and resolve an overdependence on first-language speakers. In 1996, a similar program in Wahta was offered, inviting participants from any Kanien’keháka territories.

DeCaire’s research suggested that although these programs lasted only one cohort, they acknowledged increased immersion was necessary to “create speaking peer-groups necessary to strengthen the Kanien’kéha speech community.” 

In 1998, Onkwawén:na Kentyóhkwa was developed in Ohswé:ken (Six Nations), the longest running adult immersion program in Kanien’kehá:ka territories. 

Rohahí:yo Brant began as a student turned instructor at Onkwawén:na Kentyóhkwa. He’s been with the program for 11 years. 

Brant said he’s facilitated knowledge sharing with all six of the Haudenosaunee nations.

“Our curriculum is over 25 years of trial and error and we’re improving it each year,” Brant said.

“If a program that’s just starting out now can kind of start 25 years ahead of where we started, it’s incredibly beneficial.”

More recently, Brant worked with Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation in Quebec. Now they are graduating the first cohort of a two-year Mi’kmaw immersion program.