Karihwakátste Deer

Karihwakátste Cara Deer is our Coordinator of Iakwahwatsiratátie.

She is a graduate of the Ratiwennahní:rats Adult Immersion Program (Class of 2008). She was a participant of the original Iakwahwatsiratátie from 2005-2006 and one of the parents to re-establish the current Iakwahwatsiratátie.

She grew up around Kanien’kéha first language speakers and although she only started learning and speaking Kanien’kéha as an adult it was strongly instilled in her that our language, ways of life and lands are all connected and need to be lived & protected.

Ieronhienhá:wi is our language facilitator and program co-coordinator/animator.

She is a second language speaker who learned Onkwehonwehnéha as an adult and committed to raising her children as first language speakers.

She is one of the original founders of Iakwahwatsiratátie when it was first established in 2005 and volunteered in its operation while attending with 3 of her children until 2007. She worked on revitalizing the program in 2014 after her last child was born and worked with him by her side until he reached school age. Ieronhienhá:wi began Iakwahwatsiratátie in an effort to create a supportive language learning and speaking environment for both L2 & L1 speakers and their families.

She is a graduate of McGill University’s B.Ed. program (2000), the Ratiwennahní:rats Adult Immersion Program (2004) and is a current student in the Master’s of Indigenous Language Revitalization program at the University of Victoria, BC. She has over 25 years of teaching experience in daycare, elementary, high school, and university levels and is currently researching the needs of L1 children and L2 parents with the goal of fostering a healthy and thriving Onkwehonwehnéha speaking community.

Skanaiè:’a is our Kanien’kéha Co-Facilitator.

She is a graduate of Ratiwennahní:rats (Class of 2018) at KOR Kahnawà:ke and McGill University.

She and her partner Teiawenhni’táthe have been sober together for 10 years and learning her language and reconnecting to her culture was a way the she was able to love herself and her community again.

Kanerahtenhawi Phillips is the first language speaker of Iakwahwatsiratátie .

Her language journey started when she entered this world and was taught that no matter the struggle, keeping our language alive and in the home is one of the most important things you can pass down to your children.

She comes from a family where passing down the language never skipped a generation.

She’s worked in teaching the language outside of her home since she was around 20 years old. All of her children are Kanien’kéha first language speakers and are also passing on the language to their children .

Working for Iakwahwatsiratátie now since it reopened has given her the opportunity to help parents bring the language into their homes where it is the most important thing to do to keep our language alive.

Tewateronhiákhwa Barnes is our Kanien’kéha Child Language Facilitator.

She has worked throughout the Kahnawà:ke school systems since she graduated the Kahnawà:ke Ratiwennahní:rats 2-year language program in 2018. She believes “for our language to continue, and for us to truly know ourselves, it needs to be present in the home and used by everyone within our families to support our learners.”

Kahsennókwas Jacobs