Language Nest, Kahnawake

Each week two groups of mothers and their babies go to a small building in Kahnawake to be immersed in the Mohawk Language Nest with their  children. Each group of  eight mums attends two days per week with their babies and then on the Friday a two hour language tutoring session is provided for the mums as beginner, intermediate/advanced language learners.  The mothers language proficiency is assessed using Oral Language Indicator evaluation and mothers are encouraged to keep a language journal.  Mothers pay a small fee to attend and commit to a minimum of 6 months.

Just before 10 am the mothers, some grandmothers and aunties arrive and settle in with the children.  The language nest is run by a facilitator working with an elder so all sessions are in Mohawk. The days always begin and end with thanks giving in a circle, followed by songs, stories, and a range of activities based on seasonal topics about health, foods, medicines, yards and gardens.
One the first day the mums then move to the adjacent kitchen/dining room for a two hour formal language lesson about the current topic, while two trained childcare workers run sessions for the children in the lounge area. The children are free to move between the rooms. Lunch is shared and then activity sessions continue until 3 pm.
The second day  is 'cooking day' when the mums join in preparation,  cooking, eating (and cleaning up). All sessions are in language and they are continually learning about healthy eating as well as language used in the kitchen and conversatons along the way.  After a shared lunch there is another activity before closing.
Cara the LanguageNest coordinator, is one of the founding members of the Nest, and a mum curently attending the sessions. She said "The language nest is amazing, its our family. It not only vital for language learning it also strenghtens bonds between mothers and their children and other families. It also provides mothers support for breastfeeding, practical advice and skills for healthy living, cultural knowledge and bereavement support."
"Through the adult immersion classes and the Language Nest we now have second language adults who are raising their children as first language speakers. " This is truly language revitalization.  There is a wait list for registrations and despite the demand and success of the program funding remains uncertain each year.

When I asked Cara what she would recommend to other language groups revitalizing their languages she had the same two key suggestions that other Korkahnawake staff had discussed:
☆ Look at and prioritize the resource pool of current speakers where/how they can be used most effectively
☆ Focus on building adult speakers first, through immersion. Provide day care or language nests to enable all to attend. Then focus on children in day care, kindergarten and schools as they grow.