indigenous knowledge guardians

 

2010 Indigenous Knowledge Guardians Celebration

Indigenous Knowledge Guardians are acknowledged by the Six Nations Polytechnic Board as Professors of Hodinohso:ni’ Indigenous Knowledge based on their areas of expertise and willingness to pass on that knowledge to the next generation.  All have spent a life time learning about Hodinohso:ni’ ways and how to talk about them in Hodinohso:ni’ languages.  The Indigenous Knowledge Guardians are respected and acknowledged by the traditional community for their authentic Indigenous Knowledge.

2010 Recipients

Nora Carrier, Thom Deer, Arnold General, Ariel Harris, 
Manual Johnson, Alfred Keye, Jim Styres

2008 Recipients

Back Row (L-R): Evelyn Bombery, Ima Johnson
Front Row (L-R): Lottie Key, Hubert Sky, Fran Froman

On December 15 2008, Six Nations Polytechnic held an impressive ceremony to confer the title of Professor of Indigenous Knowledge on five wise and accomplished persons who had contributed to preserving, promoting and imparting the centuries-long knowledge they have developed and nurtured in our community. This step is one in a series being taken in pursuit of a goal to offer an Onkwe:honwe degree program in the culture and languages at the Six Nations Polytechnic. This program, in turn, is one of many actions being taken in the direction of language rejuvenation and cultural recovery occurring in Hodinohso:ni /Rotinonhshonni communities.

Testimonials at the ceremony recounted how each of these remarkable Indigenous scholars and leaders had worked steadily over many years at considerable personal cost to gather knowledge, communicate it to their families and community members, and then sought ways to preserve it and make it relevant for the coming faces. Each Professor was presented with a certificate and a new wampum belt, the Indigenous Knowledge Guardians Belt, as a testament to their efforts.

We congratulate and applaud our Indigenous Knowledge Professors.