Yehyatonhserayenteri - A Haudenosaunee Model for Onkwehon:we Education

Oct 15, 2026

Focusing on Onkwehon:we ways of knowing and Haudenosaunee ways of knowing, this article presents the strengths of Onkwehon:we-led education and leadership. Under a Youth Advisory Council, 22 youth (11 Onkwehon:we and 11 non-Onkwehon:we) took part in three-day Six Nations workshops led by Haudenosaunee knowledge keepers. Six months later, 18 completed one-on-one follow-up interviews, and 10 community impact interviews were conducted. Findings show nation-specific learning helps non-Onkwehon:we youth understand local land histories and access resonant traditions and ceremonies, strengthening relationships and informing decolonization efforts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background on Onkwehon:we youth education needs

Colonial and residential school legacies in education

Challenges of Indigenous Studies instruction by non-Onkwehon:we teachers

Yehyatonhserayenteri: A Haudenosaunee Model for Onkwehon:we (Indigenous) Education Kawennakon Bonnie Whitlow Mohawk, Bear Clan, Six Nations of the Grand River Vanessa Oliver Wilfrid Laurier University—Brantford Kim Anderson University of Guelph Kari Brozowski Wilfrid Laurier University—Brantford Stephanie Tschirhart Wolf Clan, Ojibwe Nation, Saugeen Danielle Charles Cayuga, Six Nations of the Grand River Kaienkwinehtha Ransom Mohawk, Bear Clan, Akwesasne Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 42:2 (2019)©2019 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Abstract Focusing on Onkwehon:we (Indigenous) ways of knowing, and Haudenosaunee ways of knowing in particular, this article showcases the strengths of Onkwehon:we-led education and leadership. Under the leadership of our Youth Advisory Council, 22 young people (11 Onkwehon:we and 11 non-Onkwehon:we) took part in three days of workshops on Six Nations. The workshops were led and conducted by Haudenosaunee knowledge keepers who covered a range of topics. Six months after the completion of the workshops, 18 of the 22 youth participated in one-on-one follow-up interviews. We also conducted community impact interviews with 10 adult community members from Six Nations and Brantford. Through the workshops and interviews, we learned that Nation-specific learning helped to inform non-Onkwehon:we youth about the history of the lands on which they live, granting them access to traditions and ceremonies that resonated with them in both emotional and intellectual ways. Through experiential education and Haudenosaunee leadership, both Onkwehon:we and non-Onkwehon:we youth learned to value the original instructions, build relationships, and address the challenges of decolonization in an increasingly uncertain world. Keywords: Indigenous education, decolonization, experiential education, youth, allyship, reconciliation Résumé Focalisant sur les formes de connaissances et de savoirs onkwehonwe (autochtone), et en particulier sur celles du peuple Haudenosaunee, cet article expose les forces d’un leadeurship et d’une éducation dirigés par les Onkwehonwe. Sous la direction de notre Conseil consultatif des jeunes, 22 jeunes personnes (11 Onkwehonwe et 11 non-Onkwehonwe) ont pris part à un séminaire de trois jours sur les Six Nations. Les ateliers étaient dirigés et conduits par les gardiens du savoir haudenosaunee qui ont couvert un éventail de sujets. Six mois après la fin des ateliers, 18 des 22 jeunes ont participé à des entretiens individuels de suivi. Des entrevues d’impact sur la communauté ont également été conduites avec 10 membres adultes de la communauté issus des Six Nations et de Brantford. Par les ateliers etentrevues, nous avons constaté que les apprentissages spécifiques apportés par les Nations Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 42:2 (2019) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) ont contribué à informer les jeunes non Onkwehonwe à propos de l’histoire de la terre sur laquelle ils vivent, leur octroyant l’accès à des traditions et cérémonies dans lesquellesils ont trouvé une résonance tant émotionnelle qu’intellectuelle. À travers une éducation expérientielle et le leadeurship haudenosaunee, tant les jeunes Onkwehonwe que les non Onkwehonwe ont appris à valoriser les savoirs traditionnels, bâtir des relations et de relever les défis de la décolonisation dans un mode de plus en plus incertain. Mots-clés : enseignement autochtone, décolonisation, éducation expérientielle, jeune, allié, réconciliation Tsi ákta raotihén:ton wa’tekheyatkà:neren’, wa’káttoke’tsi tyo’knón:we otstenhrà:keratine’kòn:reks táhnon ratiráhstha’. Onkenà:kwen’tsi tsi’k sha’oyé:rawahatihéhtkente’, sok è:ren ya’kítye’. Tsi tóhka niwahsì:take ní:iore yé:ke’skwe, tontakatkahraté:ni’ táhnon wa’katkáhtho’tsi Yethi’nisténha Onhwéntsyawahonnónnia

FAQs

What learning approach does the article emphasize?

The article emphasizes experiential education and Haudenosaunee leadership, rooted in Onkwehon:we and Haudenosaunee ways of knowing.

How was the workshop and follow-up study conducted?

Twenty-two youth participated in three-day workshops led by Haudenosaunee knowledge keepers, followed six months later by one-on-one interviews with 18 participants and community impact interviews with 10 adults.

What outcomes are described for non-Onkwehon:we youth?

Nation-specific learning is described as informing non-Onkwehon:we youth about local land history and providing access to traditions and ceremonies that resonate emotionally and intellectually.

Oct 15, 2026

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