Indigenous sisters developing video games to revitalize Mohawk language

Two Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk) sisters from Montreal are on a mission that is close to their hearts: to save their ancestors' first language by developing video games young and old can play.

Two Kanienʼkehá:ka (Mohawk) sisters from Montreal are on a mission that is close to their hearts: to save the language of their ancestors.

Kahentawaks and Wennekerakon Tiewishaw are from Kanesatake, about 40 minutes northwest of Montreal.

They learned to speak Kanienʼkéha (Mohawk language) in elementary school, but with few chances to practice, they ended up losing it.

"Our mother and father don't speak at all, but our grandmother and grandfather spoke fluently, but they didn't pass it on to their kids," said Wennekerakon.

The sisters hope to revitalize the language through Indigenous video games called Revital Software. A demo of the game Karihonniennihtshera is available online.

Their goal: to make learning fun and engaging for everyone young and old. The games are based on well-known Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) legends, stories steeped in tradition they heard growing up.

"There is something about Indigenous languages that will teach you how to think of yourself in relation to nature and in relation to other people in a more respectful way," said Kahentawaks. "Today, the Mohawk language has fewer than 4,000 speakers worldwide: most of them are elderly."