David Kanatawakhon-Maracle
Mohawk
Lecturer, Indigenous Studies
Phone: 519-662-2111 ext. 85042
Email: david.kanatawakhon@uwo.ca
I am a Mohawk. I am Turtle Clan. I speak, read, and write the Mohawk language. I have a good knowledge of the history and traditions of my own people and a strong belief in its spiritual traditions. I was born David Brant, registered as David Maracle, and for the last twenty years I have used my Mohawk name, Kanatawakhon, as my surname rather than the one chosen by the colonists.
I have written numerous dictionaries, language learning textbooks, and a variety of pedagogical materials for the Mohawk language, and some for the Oneida language as well. I devised a method for teaching the Mohawk language to facilitate learning it more efficiently. I have also learned the Oneida language and presently teach it as well.
During a 12-year period I taught Mohawk language courses, as well as other Indigenous studies courses, for the Aboriginal Studies Program at Brock University. I am presently actively engaged in teaching language and Indigenous courses for the Indigenous Studies program at Western.
Research Interests:
- Linguistics
- Teaching and preservation of Mohawk and Oneida languages
Education:
- PhD, Brock University
- BA, Anthropology, Western University
Publications:
- Publications include multiple Mohawk dictionaries, textbooks and a CD with 240 hours of language instruction
