Moving Kahnawake

The Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake is a First Nations reserve located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, between Montreal and Kahnawake.

Where is Kahnawake located? Kahnawake is only 10 kilometers southwest of Montreal. Converts to Catholicism by French Jesuits founded the church in 1716.

Caughnawaga was the name used by foreigners before 1980 when Kahnawake became the official name, similar to how Dutch settlers in America once called it.

Kahnawake is an ancient people with a vibrant culture and a long history. As the British and French fought each other in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries, the Kanien’keha’ka found themselves caught between these two colonial rivals.

In 1813, the American army advanced towards Montreal along the Châteauguay River. Following the War of 1812, independent, self-sufficient lives would change dramatically.

Nearly 8,000 people live on reserve, but many more live off reserve. Originally, the Mohawk tribe was part of the Iroquois Confederacy originating in New York State. In the early 19th century, Dutch and English settlers began to use the term “Mohawk” to describe nearly every tribe in New England.

The majority of the population now speaks English. Traditionally, people of European descent refer to the people of Kahnawake as Mohawks.

Some Kahnawake residents learned French by trading and allying with French settlers. The majority of Kahnawake residents spoke the Mohawk language. During the American Revolutionary War and the Lower Canada Rebellion, they united with the British government alongside most of the four Iroquois nations.

With a defining curriculum based on the language, beliefs and traditions of Kahnawake, Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) is one of three schools within the Kahnawà:ke Education Center. KSS was formed in 1978 to protest the enforcement of Bill 101 in Quebec schools to establish a cultural foundation on which students can build their Kahnawake identity.

There are two sections at Kahnawake Survival School:
Grades 7-8 and 9-11 are middle school and high school. KSS students learn the following subjects:

• Kanien’keha
• Sociology
• Math
• Natural Sciences
• Arts and Humanities
• Information technology
• Exploration (Art and Carpentry).

Students are placed in a Kanien’kéha (Mohawk language) class based on their proficiency in the language.

In Kahnawake, the best museum is Kanien’kehka Onkwawén:na Raotiti hkwa. It is located at 969, chemin du Cimetière J0L ​​1B0 Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada.

Mohawk Princess Productions is located at 2 Ch River J0L 1B0 Kahnawake Quebec – Canada.