Menu:

Contact Us

Akwesasne: A Special People in a Special Place

Teaching American History Through Haudenosaunee Eyes (TAHTHE)

The Haudenosaunee Nations which include the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora played a important roll in the history of the formation of the United States and Canada. Early Colonial history has been told many ways and by a great many people, but it is not yet a story that has been told from a Haudenosaunee perspective. The purpose of TAHTHE was to challenge teachers to tell the history of America and Canada and the Haudenosaunee, through the eyes of its first peoples – to provide an Indigenous perspective. Teachers who are participating in TAHTHE have explored a variety of aspects of history with a view to presenting a First Nation perspective of history. This is the first project of its kind.


Pete Jemison (left) and Rick Hill holding up George Washington Wampum belt at TAHTHE
Photo: Akwesasne Museum

Over the last three years Salmon River Central School, the Akwesasne Museum and St. Lawrence University have worked together on the development and implementation of history curriculum based on Haudenosaunee perspectives. Locally, teachers from the Salmon River Central School, Massena High School and other Akwesasne schools have participated in this exciting curriculum development program. It is hoped that this program will inspire all students of history to open their minds to varying perspectives of historical events.

In early 2003 Sue Herne of the Akwesasne Museum got the idea of creating a curriculum to teach Haudenosaunee history to both Akwesasne Mohawk children and non-native children in the Salmon River School District. Her idea was fueled in part by coming across a grant application through the US Department of Education that was geared toward the teaching of American history to elementary and high school students. Russell Merrill of St. Lawrence University was a volunteer in the grant writing process, and Annemarie FitzRandolph of Salmon River Central School was instrumental in expanding the proposal to include all 13 schools that contract with New York State to serve large Native populations. Other participants in the planning stage were Katsitsionni Fox of Salmon River Central School, Carol White of the Akwesasne Cultural Center, and Nicole Chase of St. Lawrence University.In July of 2003, the group applied for the teaching grant through the auspices of the Salmon River Central School District and by September of 2003 the grant was approved and Teaching American History Through Hotinonshonni Eyes (TAHTHE) was created. Tim Cook, and Virginia Bond of Salmon River Central School came on board soon after the acceptance of the grant, aiding in the implementation of the grant, as well as secretarial and support staff at the school. Recent planning meetings have also included various teachers and resource people from across Haudenosaunee territory. Each year, an impressive group of presenters have presented Haudenosaunee history to the teachers who participate in the program. There were approximately 25 teachers housed at St. Lawrence University for 2 weeks during the three summers of the project. The teachers created units of study that have already been implemented in their own classrooms. Continuing work is being done to publish units for broader dissemination.

Rahatatonni Dancers L to R: Andrew Thomas, Curtis Lazore and Paul Thomas
Photo: Akwesasne Museum

The project is in the sprit of Kaswentha (Two Row Wampum): meaning that all the parties involved work in cooperation on an equal footing. There are native and non-native teachers involved, as well as native and non-native leadership in the project. Participants work towards respecting one another’s differences while keeping in mind the over-riding purpose of the project. This project is an important tool for teaching Haudenosaunee history in our local elementary and high schools. The fundamental element of this curriculum is that it provides teachers with appropriate sources to teach our history, and generates dialogue about Haudenosaunee history and culture. The first unit that has been chosen for production for TAHTHE is Wampum as Historical Document by Margaret Lafrance, an Akwesasne Mohawk teacher in the Salmon River Central School District. Hopefully this will only be the beginning and there will be a series of TAHTHE publications and the curriculum will have a continued impact and become more entrenched in local schools One of the first milestones in the project was a meeting at Wolf Clan restaurant in May of 2004, when the presenters and resource people for the first summer conference met together.


L to R: Rick Hill, Ernest Benedict, Oren Lyons and Lloyd Elm. Photo: Akwesasne Museum

The roster of presenters includes scholars, presenters, advocates and writers of Haudenosuanee history,

2004

Dr. Ernest Benedict
Dr. Carl Benn
Darren Bonaparte
Dr. John Demos
Dr. Lloyd Elm
Annemarie FitzRandolph
Katstitsionni Fox
SueEllen Herne
Dr. Bruce Johnansen
Carole Kissam
Mike McDonald
Dr. Robert Odawi Porter
Tom Porter
Dr. Sally Roesch-Wagner
Audrey Shennandoan
Jeannie Shenandoan
Billy Two Rivers

2005

Dr. Taiaiake Alfred
Salli Benedict
Dr. Carl Benn
Dr. Jose Brandao
Dr. Lloyd Elm
Helaine Feidler
Katsitsionni Fox
Dr. Laurence Hauptman
Richard Hill
Kallen Martin
Dr. John Mohawk
Dr. John Parmenter
Dr. Jolene Rickard
Jake Swamp
Albert Tarbell
Mike Tarbell

2006

Dr. Thomas Abler
Dr. Joy Bilharz
Darren Bonaparte
Dr. Lloyd Elm
Helaine Feidler
Katsitsionni Fox
Dr. Laurence Hauptman
Richard Hill
G. Peter Jemison
Oren Lyons
Dr. Alyssa Mt. Pleasant
Dr. Jane Mt. Pleasant
Dr. Peter MacLeod
Dr. Jolene Rickard
Dr. Robert Speiegelman
Dr. R. Scott Stephenson