This collection of ideas and suggestion for communicating the importance of Ohnekanos to Onkwehonwe youth from a Haudenosaunee Perspective (Worldview; Paradigm). This work reflects the journeys of the Kanienkehaka writing team that have spent their lives calling home the pieces of themselves stolen by colonial violence on their ancestors and people, the land and culture, and future generations - some describe this as decolonization. The process can have many names and is a very personal journey that resonates at the level of community and nation. This journey can be painful as we confront this violent history and the current realities of our people's experiences.However, there is a lot of power and healing in our people's knowledge. Despite this benefit to learning our culture, it can inspire anxiety and shame because this knowledge is our birth right. It is from this place of accessibility and safety that we have cultivated this introduction and collection of resources to support learning about our connection, as Haudenosaunee People, to Ohnekanos.
About the Authors
Dr. Sarah Konwahahawi Rourke
Dr. Sarah Konwahahawi Rourke, a member of the Deer Clan from the Mohawk Community of Akwesasne, is dedicated to advancing Indigenous health, education, and social justice. With a background in cultural revitalization, grassroots organizing, and advocacy, she has supported families and survivors through the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls & Two Spirit and worked internationally to address sexual health, environmental violence, and policing injustices. Konwahahawi holds a BA in Anthropology/Sociology, a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and a Doctorate in Executive Leadership and Social Justice, where her research focused on Akwesasne Aunties and decolonial healing. Currently, she serves as the Director of the Indigenous Health Professions Program (IHPP) at McGill University, where she leads efforts to increase Indigenous representation in health professions, aligning her work with the needs and priorities of Indigenous communities.
Abraham Francis
Abraham Francis is Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) from Akwesasne and Deer Clan. He has a BSc in Microbiology, 2014, and MSc in Natural Resources, 2019, from Cornell University. Currently, they are a Ph.D. candidate at Clarkson University studying Environmental Science and Engineering. Abraham held various positions within his community of Akwesasne where they worked on projects inspired and directed by community voices and grounded in their culture. As an Kanienkehaka Ecologist, he is drawn to understanding the ways their culture can empower their community across a multitude of fields and issues, which inspired their dissertation targeted at creating tools to support Indigenous Communities in caring for their environments from their biocultural contexts. As a community builder, Abraham has cultivated their expertise around their research and grown an extensive network of Indigenous Scholars/Knowledge Sharers and Allies that carry a variety of expertise. Their expertise and network inspired the founding of the Aronia Collective, which seeks to align Indigenous Communities with experts to meet their unique needs and non Indigenous organizations to engage Indigenous peoples meaningfully.