NEW ROCHELLE — Tami Mitchell didn’t grow up connected to her family’s Seneca roots, but she’s spent her adulthood exploring her heritage and embracing traditions.
It’s a passion Mitchell, a longtime activist in our union’s Mid-Hudson State Employees Local, hopes to pursue further in retirement. Although she was deeply moved as a teenager after reading the groundbreaking book “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” she didn’t have the opportunity to explore her heritage more deeply at the time.
“I never gave it a thought until I got into my 20s,” said Mitchell of connecting with Native culture. “It grew incrementally in my 30s and then I finally went for a Mohawk language immersion course for three weeks in 2000.”
Though Mitchell’s family has Seneca roots, the foray into Mohawk language learning happened once she learned about the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community, located in Montgomery County’s village of Fonda along the banks of the Mohawk River.
The community was reestablished in 1993 and offers festivals, educational opportunities and language learning. The community has also provided Mitchell with priceless connections with their culture.
“I connected with the Mohawk elder at Kanatsiohareke, Tom Porter — he gives a lot of workshops and that is how I’ve learned,” said Mitchell. “I would recommend it to anybody who wants to learn about our culture.”
Between making connections at Kanatsiohareke and poring over books related to Native history, Mitchell said she has come to value the principles she’s explored.
“The Great Law of Peace, which comes from the Iroquois, helped shape the U.S. Constitution,” said Mitchell. “It’s very instructional as to how people are supposed to comport with one another and coexist with nature.”
One of Mitchell’s most meaningful experiences was participating in a traditional longhouse ceremony associated with the seasonal observances of the Six Nations.
“It was an experience I will never forget,” said Mitchell. “I went for the Stirring of the Ashes, which marks the midwinter.”
Mitchell recently retired as an administrative assistant 1 at the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s office in New Rochelle. She looks forward to spending more time at Kanatsiohareke and encourages fellow CSEA members to visit, noting that visitors do not have to have a Native background.
“I want to see Kanatsiohareke succeed and see that land protected,” said Mitchell. “Tom Porter, the elder, explained his dream for it when I went to the language immersion class 25 years ago. I can just picture it in my head.”
— Jessica Ladlee
Note: The Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community will host an event Nov. 21 featuring teachings about the Haudenosaunee Creation Story by Tom Porter. For more information, visit mohawkcommunity.org.