Why Supporting Kanatahkwèn:ke Matters

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Why Supporting Kanatahkwèn:ke Matters

Set on a three-acre forested site along Highway 132, Kanatahkwèn:ke offers a diverse range of cultural, educational, artistic, and community experiences for both community members and visitors. Your support helps sustain and expand the following programming initiatives:

1. Safeguarding Kahnawà:ke History and Knowledge

Fostering deeper connection to Kanien’kehá:ka heritage by engaging community members and visitors in immersive cultural and learning experiences.

KORLCC Museum

A dynamic journey across two floors of permanent exhibitions that presents the history, identity, and living culture of the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke. It begins with an introduction to the community, followed by the Rotinonhsión:ni Creation Story, the Great Law of Peace and Confederacy, and traditional village life, along with other key narratives. A historical timeline highlights key moments that have shaped the community’s political, social, and cultural landscape.

KORLCC Library

The library is frequented by community members, students and scholars from around the world. It holds a rich collection of resources on Kanien’kéha language learning, Rotinonhsión:ni history, traditional medicines, and contemporary Indigenous scholarship and literature.

KORLCC Arts & Archives

Photo Archive

The Photo Archive preserves an extensive collection of historical photographs dating back to the early 1900s, safeguarding the collective history of Kahnawà:ke community life across generations. Donated by community members for the benefit of the community, the collection has grown to host approximately 10,000 photographs.

Audio Archive

The Audio Archive houses a collection of radio show and other recordings dating back to 1992, including recordings that have been digitized from cassette tapes to ensure their long-term preservation. The archive features elders and community members discussing a wide range of topics, including history, culture, sports, language, and other matters of community significance. These recordings preserve invaluable knowledge, stories, and language skills, providing a rich cultural and linguistic resource for current and future generations.

2. Keeping Kanien’kéha Alive for Future Generations

Kanien’kéha (our language) is more than a means of communication. It carries our values, beliefs, worldviews, and our relationship to the land and to one another. Keeping the language alive ensures the continuity of our culture by empowering community members to actively contribute to language vitality and normalizing its everyday use.

Kanien’kéha Ratiwennahní:rats Adult Immersion Program

Kanien’kéha Ratiwennahní:rats, a two-year full-time immersion program designed for Kanien’kehá:ka adults to develop fluency and confidence in the language, with the potential to become teachers through sustained practice and mentorship. The renowned Language School plays a vital role in preserving and revitalizing Kanien’kéha by providing culturally grounded language curriculums that strengthen spoken language proficiency. Through immersive and intergenerational programming, the school supports learners at different stages of their language journey.

Language Curriculum and Resource Development Department

KORLCC’s curriculum resources are created to foster authentic language and culturally based learning. The strength of our curriculum lies within its collaborative development where learners, facilitators and administrators participate in shaping and creating content. Our aim is to create curriculum resources that strengthen the language and cultural capacity of our community through the preservation, promotion, and enrichment of our language and culture. Curriculum at KORLCC employs various approaches, methods and mediums, such as: written materials, audio recordings, multi-media visuals, lectures, story-telling, hands-on practice

All-Kanien'kéha Programming

To further advance its mission of engaging community members in learning and speaking Kanien’kéha, the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center develops a wide range of cultural programming conducted entirely in Kanien’kéha, creating accessible opportunities for language use across generations. Programming includes:

Intergenerational radio shows featuring Elders and youth,

Tóta tánon Ohkwá:ri, a children’s television series,

Annual variety shows and community events,

Language symposiums bringing together Mohawk nations to encourage inter-cultural language learning and revitalization efforts
The Shatiwennakarí:tats Language Mentorship Program that pairs advanced speakers with fluent-speaking Elders to further strengthen conversational proficiency and cultural knowledge.
Additional language initiatives that also provide accessible learning opportunities for individuals beginning their journey in Kanien’kéha language learning.

3. Ensuring the Continuity of Culture and Traditions

We do not learn only in classrooms, we learn through our songs, dances, stories, and our connection to the land. Teachings that form our cultural foundation are essential to the strength, resilience, and survival of our nation. These cultural spaces will engage our people in upholding and passing on the teachings inherited from our ancestors.

Cultural Workshops & Teachings

Workshops in cultural foundation, traditional practices, song, dance that strengthen cultural knowledge and identity.

Traditional Arts Programming

Courses in basketry, beadwork, leatherwork, and other traditional and contemporary cultural art forms.

4. Empowering Kahnawà:ke’s Artistic Community

Rooted in our culture, we also embrace and celebrate the vast and evolving world of the arts. Kahnawà:ke is home to many forms of artistic expression that we are committed to nurturing and growing. We recognize that art provides a powerful outlet for self-expression, allowing community members to process emotions, reclaim their voices, strengthen identity, and foster healing. These creative spaces will encourage creativity, collaboration and growth through the transformative power of the arts.

Turtle Island Theatre

Summer drama camps, after-school youth programs, and theatre initiatives for teens and adults, participants of all ages to develop artistic skills, build confidence, shared lived experiences and strengthen their connection to culture and community.

“It is because of my time in the theatre that I live a life full of creative expression with empathy for others, as well as a general confidence in myself to speak up and share my ideas. Theatre has been an outlet for stress relief, a place to have fun and a sense of community, and a great way to exercise your mind and body. It is because of this creative and expressive lifestyle that I am able to live a happy, fulfilled life that is full of joy and appreciation for the world around me.” —A former member of Turtle Island Theatre

KORLCC Arts & Archives

KORLCC Arts Department

Through its workshops and professional development opportunities, community artists across visual, cultural, performing, and multimedia disciplines are supported in strengthening their practice and making their voices heard in Kahnawà:ke and beyond.

5. Building Bridges Through Shared Knowledge, Culture and Arts

The Two Row Wampum Belt is a white belt featuring two parallel purple rows. For our people, it represents a relationship between nations founded on peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. The wampum belt woven into the façade of Kanatahkwèn:ke reaffirms our commitment to fostering meaningful connections and opportunities for dialogue between visitors and the Kanien’kehá:ka people, grounded in understanding, respect, and reciprocity.

Experiences that will be offered:

Tailored tours, workshops, and immersive learning experiences for schools organizations, visitors, and special groups

Annual Echoes of a Proud Nation Powwow, held each July, attracting over 17,000 visitors over a two-day weekend

Exhibitions and art fairs presenting the work of local artists

Stage productions highlighting established plays alongside culturally relevant performances

“We had the privilege of visiting the Kahnawà:ke Welcome Center Fellowship study tour, and it was truly a memorable experience. Conversations with Roxann (the guide) were particularly powerful, she shared histories that are too often absent from textbooks, from the defeat of American incursions to the Oka Crisis of 1990. She also introduced us to the teaching of seven generations, a perspective that deeply inspired our group by reminding us that today’s choices shape the future. This visit was one of the highlights of our study tour, and we are grateful for the openness, knowledge, and hospitality we received. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn and be inspired by the rich history, resilience, and vision of the Kahnawà:ke community.” — Anne M.