Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) is pleased to offer students the opportunity to earn credits in Kanien’kéha, the Mohawk language, at two secondary schools; Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School (BMLSS) and Gravenhurst High School (GHS).
“By creating space for language learning within the school day, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students are beginning to experience Kanien’kéha as a living language that carries meaning, histories, and a worldview. The learning extends beyond vocabulary, inviting students to explore the relationships among language, identity, and culture,” said GHS principal, Trent Willett.
As Canada celebrates National Indigenous Languages Day on March 31, this learning serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving, revitalizing, and strengthening Indigenous languages. TLDSB is actively responding to the 94 Calls to Action, and these essential learning opportunities also reflect the Board’s ongoing commitment to honouring Indigenous identities, cultures, and ways of being and knowing.
Mohawk language teacher, Kaniehtaké:ron, Richard Hay, is approaching this work with care and intention, grounding instruction in authentic perspectives and connecting learning to community knowledge. “This is a great opportunity to promote Mohawk language and identity,” said Hay, whose passion and knowledge for Kanien’kéha are helping to create classroom spaces where culture and language are honoured and valued.
“Mr. Hay’s Mohawk class is an incredible opportunity for youth in our community. As a learner of the language, I have felt a closer connection to the people around me and my community as a whole in the Muskoka area, and to the land in which my family has inhabited for generations,” said TLDSB student trustee, Alex Goltz. “Helping revitalize the language has also made me appreciate the land more than I had ever before and I would recommend anyone at any age take the time to learn this, or any Indigenous language.”
