Invited Speaker

Brian Maracle (Owennatekha, Turtle Clan, Mohawk), founder of, head of, and teacher at the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Mohawk-language  immersion school on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario. Brian Maracle has been a language activist for nearly 25 years and has developed, published materials and taught adults and children.  He left a lucrative career to return to the reservation of his youth. 

His 1993 book Back on the Rez: Finding the Way Home (Penguin) documents his path back and his struggles to understand meetings held in Kanyen’kéha (the Mohawk language).  These experiences led to his ground-breaking work in language revitalization.

Brian is known to be a dynamic speaker whose deep commitment to language documentation, teaching, and policy have had an impact on many people from linguists to anthropologists to teachers to elders to children and even to politicians.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/brian-maracle/