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"Kanienke'ha teacher receives honorary doctorate"

Publication
Two Row Times (Six Nations of the Grand River, ON), 17 Jun 2015
Description
Full Text
Kanienke'ha teacher receives honorary doctorate
By Nahnda Garlow

Brian Maracle; author, journalist and noted Kanienke'ha language teacher from Six Nations - has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford this week.

Maracle has written for several national publications, bringing an authentic indigenous voice into the very public discussions. Along with his wife, Maracle also founded the full-time adult Mohawk immersion program, Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa, which has helped numerous Haudenosaunee people reclaim the Kanienke'ha language.

Dr. Owennatekha Brian Maracle humbly accepted the honour saying, "Kanienke'ha is now the first language of some young children growing up - something that hasn't happened at Grand River in more than three generations."

Maracle said, "I am very pleased with this honour today but I got my reward long ago when I became able to speak with our elders in our ancestral language and I have been rewarded every day since. When I hear young people use Kanienke'ha as their language of choice to communicate with the small but growing pool of young speakers - when I hear small children using the language to communicate with their parents - it lifts my heart."

Maracle said that the need for a renaissance in the traditional languages of the Haudenosaunee is rooted in the Canadian policy of removing indigenous children during the residential schools. Maracle was invited to address the graduates of the class of 2015 - and he encouraged them to carry forward a spirit of thankfulness, thoughtfulness, kindness and respect in walking out their futures.


Creator
Garlow, Nahnda, Author
Media Type
Text
Newspaper
Item Type
Clippings
Publisher
Two Row Times
Place of Publication
Six Nations of the Grand River, ON
Date of Publication
17 Jun 2015
Subject(s)
Personal Name(s)
Maracle, Brian (Owennatekha).
Corporate Name(s)
Wilfred Laurier University.
Local identifier
SNPL004483v00d
Language of Item
English
Geographic Coverage
  • Ontario, Canada
    Latitude: 43.1394597456404 Longitude: -80.2635919602967
Creative Commons licence
Attribution-NonCommercial [more details]
Copyright Statement
Public domain: Copyright has expired according to Canadian law. No restrictions on use.
Copyright Date
2015
Copyright Holder
Two Row Times
Contact
Six Nations Public Library
Email:info@snpl.ca
Website:
Agency street/mail address:
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PO Box 149
Ohsweken, ON N0A 1M0
519-445-2954
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