Akwesasne territory straddles the U.S.-Canada border in upstate New
York, Ontario, and Quebec. In 1979, in the midst of a major
conflict regarding self-governance, traditional Mohawks there
asserted their sovereign rights to self-education. Concern over the
loss of language and culture and clashes with the public school
system over who had the right to educate their children sparked the
birth of the Akwesasne Freedom School (AFS) and its grassroots,
community-based approach. In Free to Be Mohawk, Louellyn White
traces the history of the AFS, a tribally controlled school
operated without direct federal, state, or provincial funding, and
explores factors contributing to its longevity and its impact on
alumni, students, teachers, parents, and staff. Through interviews,
participant observations, and archival research, White presents an
in-depth picture of the Akwesasne Freedom School as a model of
Indigenous holistic education that incorporates traditional
teachings, experiential methods, and language immersion. Alumni,
parents, and teachers describe how the school has fostered a strong
sense of what it is to be ""fully Mohawk."" White explores the
complex relationship between language and identity and shows how
AFS participants transcend historical colonization by negotiating
their sense of self. According to Mohawk elder Sakokwenionkwas (Tom
Porter), ""The prophecies say that the time will come when the
grandchildren will speak to the whole world. The reason for the
Akwesasne Freedom School is so the grandchildren will have
something significant to say."" In a world where forced
assimilation and colonial education have resulted in the loss or
endangerment of hundreds of Indigenous languages, the Akwesasne
Freedom School provides a cultural and linguistic sanctuary.
White's timely study reminds readers, including the Canadian and
U.S. governments, of the critical importance of an Indigenous
nation's authority over the education of its children.
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