The Mohawk Language Standardisation Project Conference Report, August 9-10, 1993 Submitted by Dorothy Karihwénhawe Lazore to the Mohawk Language Steering Committee. Edited and translated by Annette Kaia'titáhkhe Jacobs , Nancy Kahawinónkie Thompson, and Minnie Kaià:khons Leaf. Co-ordinated by Dan Rohkwáho Thompson. The Mohawk-language version of this document is also available online. Contents Executive Summary Introduction Standardisation o What is Standardisation? o Why Standardise the Writing System? Mohawk Writing Systems o Historical Background on the Kanien'keha Writing System o The Mohawk Alphabet The Process for Standardising Mohawk Writing o The Aboriginal Standardisation Project o The Mohawk Standardisation Conference o North West Territories o Conference Mohawk Language Standardisation Conference o Welcome o Keynote Speaker o Terms of Reference o Alphabet o Guest Speaker o Follow-up to the Conference Recommendations of the Mohawk Standardisation Conference o Summary of Recommendations o Alphabet o Diacritical Marks and the Glottal Stop o Capitalization o Punctuation Marks o New Word Formation Bibliography Appendices o Archaic Words o Conference Elders Group o Mohawk Standardisation Conference Steering Committee o Consultation Participants o Pre-Conference Workshop Participants o Conference Participants o Meeting Dates o Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Statement of Earnings Executive Summary In August 1993, the Mohawk Language Standardisation Conference met at Tyendinaga to decide on a standard, written form of Mohawk. The conference was co-sponsored by the six Mohawk First Nations and supported by the Ontario ministries of Education and Training, of Citizenship, and of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. The method followed for standardising the Mohawk language was to identify areas for standardisation, to establish consensus through consultation, and to hold a conference in order to reach a final decision. Prior to the conference, specific orthographic issues were identified through consultation meetings in all six Mohawk territories. Elders, teachers, linguists and fluent Mohawk speakers were invited to attend. The issues that were identified served as the topics for discussion, consultation, and decision-making at the conference. The conference made five recommendations which form the basis for a standard, written form of Mohawk which can be used and understood wherever Mohawk is read and written. Summary of Recommendations: 1. The Roman alphabet consisting of twelve letters is to be used in writing the Mohawk language. In alphabetical order, this alphabet consists of: A, E, H, I, K, N, O, R, S, T, W, and Y(1) 2. The diacritical marks used in writing the Mohawk language are: o falling tone with length (Kawennénhtha tánon teiotsistóhkwake) (`:); o rising tone with length (Kawennakará:tats tánon teiotsistóhkwake) (´:); o rising tone stress (Kawennakára:tats) (´); o glottal stop (Tekawénniaks) ('). 3. Capitals will be used in writing the Mohawk Language. 4. In writing the Mohawk language, question marks, quotation marks, exclamation marks, periods, and commas are used. 5. New words in the Mohawk language are to be formed by function, activity, or characteristic. Loan words may be taken from other languages. All agreed to the following new words: Vowel Kawennisá'as Vowels Kontiwennisa'as Consonant Kahiatonhkwakwe'ní:io Consonants Kontihiatonhkwakwe'ni:io Alphabet Iewennonnià:tha Syllable Tekawennákhas Introduction The purpose of the report is to describe the process of preparing for the conference and to record the decisions made at the Mohawk Language Standardisation Conference on the standards for the literary form of the Mohawk language. The Mohawk Language Standardisation Project, a joint effort of the six Mohawk nations of Tyendinaga, Ahkwesáhsne, Wáhta, Ohswé:ken (Six Nations), Kahnawà:ke and Kanehsatà:ke, was supported by the ministries of Education and Training, of Citizenship, and of Culture, Tourism and Recreation. It has completed the task of standardising the orthography of the Mohawk language spoken on the six Mohawk territories. The method followed for standardising the Mohawk language was to establish consensus through consultation and to reach final decisions at a conference. Prior to the conference, specific orthographic issues were identified through consultation meetings in all the Mohawk territories. Elders, teachers, linguists and fluent Mohawk speakers were invited to attend. The issues that were identified served as the topics for discussion, consultation and decision-making at the conference. The representatives of the steering committee, the project co-ordinator, the ministries, and the Band Councils of the six Mohawk nations would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who accepted to participate in the consultation process, either by attending meetings, participating in the pre- conference workshop, or by advising the committee on the issues of orthography. We would especially like to express our gratitude and appreciation to our Elders who responded to our request with such enthusiasm and to Kaia'titáhkhe Annette Jacobs for help with editing this report. Standardisation The Assembly of First Nations in its 1990 report "Towards Linguistic Justice for First Nations", recommended: "establishing standards for the written and oral languages by approving terminology, developing a dictionary, and approving standard orthographies". It is important that a literary standard be developed for the future delivery of Native education in the Mohawk language. What is Standardisation? Standardisation is a necessary and vital process in any language. A natural standardisation process occurs in healthy languages. Certain standard rules must be followed so that people can communicate effectively with one another. However, there are differences in speech that occur among all speakers of a language. Sometimes the differences are so pronounced that one can identify from which community a speaker originates. One can also tell when the speaker is a child, a beginner, or an Elder. Furthermore, one can identify when a speaker is giving a formal speech, such as an opening address, or simply having a friendly chat at the corner restaurant. The task of the Mohawk Language Standardisation Project was to select a writing system which would accommodate these differences for each of the Mohawk-speaking territories. Standardisation is particularly important when there are great differences between dialects. Dialects are not a big issue for the Iroquoian languages. There are some dialects in Mohawk but they are mutually comprehensible. Standardisation does not mean the elimination of dialects in favour of a new literary form. Dialects are preserved in the family and in the community of speakers. Revitalizing any language requires modernizing the vocabulary, publishing a standard writing system, and developing methods to incorporate new words into the language. The existence of modern dictionaries and grammar makes the work of standardisation much easier. The purpose of the Mohawk Language Standardisation Project was to come to a consensus on a writing system that could be used among the six Mohawk Communities and to establish rules for writing to reflect the differences for each Community and its dialect. The method of standardisation involved selecting a process which would lead to a consensus on the alphabet and on the writing practices used among the six Mohawk-speaking Communities. The social and stylistic differences in speech among the Communities was to be respected. During the consultations, it was highly recommended that the speech of Elders be selected as the basis for writing the Mohawk language. Why Standardise the Writing System? Standardising the writing system of the Mohawk language would be of great benefit to the retention, survival, and revitalization of the Mohawk language within the six territories. Solidifying a standard literary form that is and has been used by Native speakers will assist in the preservation of the older forms of speech, especially the speech of Elders. If all Mohawk speakers were to utilise one standard written form, it would be easier to teach literacy in the native language. Mohawk curriculum materials could be developed which would be available to schools in communities speaking the same language. Important documents, such as band legal documents or school board information, could be available in both languages to encourage community awareness on how important and vital it is to maintain the native language. Standardising the Mohawk orthography will assist in the on-going promotion, development, and production of materials in the Mohawk language. Mohawk Writing Systems Historical Background on the Kanien'keha Writing System Prior to European contact, the Mohawk language was recorded in pictographs. Messages, stories, and legends were all told in pictograph form. The history of our people, events, and treaties were recorded on wampum belts. Wampum belts were used as a mnemonic device. In the early eighteenth century, the Jesuits, Sulpicians, and other religious groups who worked with the Native people transcribed the oral language. The Jesuit and Sulpician missionaries relied on French phonetics to write in Mohawk. They used twelve letters of the Roman alphabet to write the language in order to record hymns, prayers, and Church music. Almanacs, legal documents, band council resolutions, and wills were all written using the twelve-letter alphabet. A Mohawk-French,