Iethiiehiá:rons means ‘we raise them’ in Kanien’kéha (Mohawk language) and is the name of a project that supports parents raising their children with Kanien’kéha as their first language.
Four families just completed the first year of the pilot program.
Taiawentón:ti Chelsea Sunday, who is from Akwesasne, on the Ontario-Quebec-New York state border, is also co-founder of Ionkwahronkha’onhátie’ (We’re becoming fluent), an adult language program.
She and her co-founders Karonhiióstha Shea Sky and Kaienkwinehtha Ransom wanted to create a space for language learners to continue their language journey outside of Kanien’kéha immersion programs.
“All the first language speakers are dying and there’s this panic, right?” she said.
“In communities, they’ve already experienced the loss of the
