Reconnecting to the Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ - Cayuga Nation Homelands

Gaoyakdageh A. Steve Henhawk was raised on the knee of his grandparents and within earshot of perhaps one of most enduring Gayog̱o̱hó:nǫʔ ́ / Cayuga fluent linguistic communities within Six Nations Territory near Brantford, Ontario. Steve’s use of the language is a glimpse into the thinking of his ancestors. He has been at the forefront of the return of the Gayog̱o̱hó:nǫʔ ́ - Cayuga Nation to his ancestral homelands and recognizes the significance of this work through the reclamation of Gayog̱o̱hó:nǫʔ ́ place names, reawaken of agricultural practices, and building community. Intergenerational mentorship informs his mastery of TEK (Traditional Ecological Knowledge) as demonstrated through the Gayog̱o̱hó:nǫʔ ́ - Cayuga language within the context of the ceremonial cycle within the longhouse “way of life.” The instruction of this knowledge has taken place under the direction of Gayog̱o̱hó:nǫʔ ́ - Cayuga elders; Irwina Harris (Wolf Clan) and Henry Henhawk, (Onondaga, Eel). The demonstration of his success is measured by the number of Gayog̱o̱hó:nǫʔ ́ - Cayuga speakers he has mentored who can also reproduce this knowledge. Steve is a Research Associate at Cornell University and involved in collaborative research in the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program and Linguistics Department.