The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is pleased to announce its participation in a major new research initiative funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The multi-year partnership grant supports the “Onkwehón:we Project: Territory, Identity and Social Interactions in Ancestral Iroquoia”, a collaborative and interdisciplinary effort led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and institutions from across North America and Europe.
The project is a continuation of earlier partnership work initiated by the MCK, Université de Montréal, and Pointe-à-Callière Museum, which aims to reshape the understanding of Iroquoian history and heritage through inclusive, community-based research grounded in archaeology, oral tradition, linguistics, and historical records.
“The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is proud to stand at the center of this important collaboration,” said Dr. Gerald Taiaiake Alfred, who is the project’s Co-Director. “This research challenges outdated colonial narratives and offers a model for how academic institutions and Indigenous communities can co-create knowledge in a respectful and meaningful way.”
The project will explore the cultural, political, and territorial relationships that shaped Ancestral Iroquoia, focusing on the complex interactions between Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, and other Iroquoian-speaking peoples before and after European contact. Key themes include revisiting the St. Lawrence Iroquoian theory, the evolution of Indigenous settlements, cultural exchange and diplomacy, the repatriation of Iroquoian Ancestors, and efforts to preserve and digitize traditional knowledge and heritage.
“This is a unique opportunity to ensure Kanien’kehá:ka voices and priorities are reflected in how our past is studied, understood, and shared,” said Katsi’tsahen:te Cross-Delisle, OCC Project Technician, who represents the MCK on the project’s Steering Circle. “We look forward to the conversations, discoveries, and learning that this project will generate, not only within academic spaces, but within our own community as well.”
The research partnership officially launched earlier this month and will span seven (7) years. The project’s first international kickoff meeting takes place virtually this week and will bring together more than 60 researchers, Elders, and community representatives to begin shaping the next phase of collaborative work.
For more information on the Onkwehón:we Project and upcoming community engagement opportunities, please contact Kelly Marquis, the MCK’s Project Coordinator, at Kelly.Marquis@mck.ca.
