Restoring an Onkwehonwehnéha ecosystem

This is a reflective essay on Akwesasne Freedom School’s effort to recreate a community of Onkwehonwehnéha (language and culture of the Original People) knowledge-sharing for healthier and more sustainable ways of living in alignment with the natural world, for the betterment of our people, the environment, and our Haudenosaunee (They Make a House, or the Six Nations) languages. The Akwesasne Freedom School’s work promotes speaking our languages in our natural environment, reinforcing the ceremonial teachings inherent in songs, words, thanksgiving, and stories. The Akwesasne Freedom School intends to build relationships by creating an everyday learning environment that promotes relationship-building between families, plants, and medicines. Rebuilding healthy Indigenous communities requires reconnecting the people and the earth by utilizing our Indigenous or Original foods, lan­guages, and cultural practices. This reflective essay seeks to validate further the critical relationship between Indigenous people and Indigenous food systems, its impact on learning, and the overall health and wellness of language, environment, and people. It could provide a model or framework for other Indigenous communities to emulate.