We had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Tahohtharátye Joe Brant, one of our newest faculty members who is also cross-appointed in the Centre for Indigenous Studies. Keep reading to learn more about him!
What attracted you to UofT?
UofT is a world-class facility with world-class people. I know Professor Ryan Decaire and the great work that he, and others, do at the Centre for Indigenous Studies and Department of Linguistics. When the opportunity to join UofT came up, it seemed like a really good fit. I get the opportunity to be surrounded by smart, like-minded people who can help in my community's language revitalization journey.
Do you have any expectations about coming to UofT?
I have high expectations for my work at UofT. I want to provide the best opportunities for students to learn and support them in reaching their goals. I especially want to inspire students to in Linguistics and Indigenous Studies to support communities and help the next generation of minority and Indigenous language learners. Being at UofT gives me great opportunities to learn with, and from great people.
You were a teacher, a principal, and a vice-principal at an Indigenous institution. What inspired you to work as an educator?
I was born, raised, and reside on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, this will be my first job off the Territory. As I was grew up and went through school, I always wanted to be at home, in my community, to support our children. During my undergrad at the University of Ottawa, I was studying criminology, I thought that this was a good way to help. But, I realized there are ways to reach kids earlier, through the education system. For almost 20 years, I did what I could in education on the territory and now wish to follow another passion, Kanyen'kéha (Mohawk language) revitalization practice and research. I’m now going on a limb, moving to work outside of the Territory, but in this position, I am able to engage with my community and nation's language work.
What did you enjoy most being an educator working with children / young adults?
Children and young adults often don’t get enough credit for how brilliant they are. They have an energy that desire to learn, question, and experience. I enjoy helping students in their learning journey and guiding them through the experience of learning. Normally, around this time of year, I would be at the elementary school, it would just be myself with a few other staff members. The school seemed so eerie without the children. Once the students, families, and teachers enter on the first day, the school would truly come to life. Seeing, hearing, and supporting that energy, the desire to learn and do, was what I enjoy most.
What drew you into the field of linguistics? What made you go from elementary education to U of T?
When I was growing up, I rarely heard the Kanyen'kéha (Mohawk language) in my family or throughout the community. There are many reasons for the current generational gap in Kanyen'kéha speakers. I started learning Mohawk in elementary school and in the 90s while there was huge surge Mohawk nationhood and sovereignty. I believe one of the greatest things that help perpetuate the vitalization of Mohawk nationhood and sovereignty comes in the normalization and active use of our language. When I was teaching, I strived for culturally inclusive learning and felt like I couldn’t teach this class properly without further knowledge of the language. That’s when I began to learn Kanyen'kéha as an adult. That’s what inspired me learn more about linguistics. I learned the language from amazing people and I have had many great mentors along the way. Now Mohawk is the primary language my family and I speak at home. When raising my children, I wanted to show them how important our language is. It ensures that we have a connection to each other as people and all natural elements of the world. We need to speak our language because language shapes our thoughts and actions. Tahohtarátye is the name, I was given in as a young adult. It translates to, "He comes along in conversation". Your name can be based on birth events, family tradition or as a match of personality or characteristics. Sometimes too, a name fits what you'll do throughout your life. I feel like I keep moving to fulfilling the responsibilities that come with my name.
What makes learning / researching Indigenous languages unique?
There is a correlation between language revitalization, and the health and well-being of a person, community, and nation. There’s great strength in how languages perpetuate the living culture of a people. Learning Indigenous languages is a way forward. A way for people, communities, and nations to reconcile with the past and develop a brighter future. Working with Indigenous languages is more than learning sounds, it is about connecting with our people, our lands, and our ways of knowing and being in this world.
What challenges do you face when researching Indigenous languages? What do you think can be done to ease these challenges?
The biggest challenges in learning comes from acknowledging where we are and making the best choices possible in moving forward. What's interesting is that institutionalized education was used to take away language and now, we are relying on them to help our people learn. We, in Indigenous language revitalization, need to consider how language is and has been transmitted intergenerationally, for millennia. It’s important to look at the home and family as the base for language vitality. Having access to Indigenous languages is difficult. At home, there was a 60-year gap between first-language speakers of Mohawk. Ultimately, we need greater focus and development of informal language learning opportunities and to have access to hearing, seeing, and doing, in our language.
In terms of research, another challenge comes from sharing knowledge and resources. There are amazing people doing important work in many different communities, often accessing such great work is difficult. I feel that we are often quite protective of our resources, knowledge, and experience. Right now, we are in a time crunch. We need to accelerate Mohawk language acquisition, transmission, and learning. We need to come together to find what works and take steps to ensure our language is used for generations to come.
Since you have much experience as an educator, what advice would you give your incoming students?
Come into class with an open mind, open ears, and an open heart. We need to listen, and read, to understand, not to simply respond. Take in the information and bring it into your world. Ask yourself how the material you are learning impacts you, your family, or your community. Never stop asking questions, but also, put your answers into action. I want my students to know that I also am a learner, I am coming into this new just like how my first-year students.
As the world is re-opening, what are you most looking forward to doing/trying?
I am a BIG sports fan! Racetracks, golf, and lacrosse are open and hockey will be back soon. I want to go to sporting events. I have always had a love for sports and trying different sports. The love might not have been the sports themselves but the comradery that comes with sports. Even when you’re not playing and you’re just watching, there is just a great environment. I’m hoping everything goes well so we can get back being fans and spectators.
We'd like to thank Tahohtharáte Joe Brant for taking the time to be interviewed and for sharing his experiences with us. The Department of Linguistics is excited to welcome you and we all wish you the best of luck here at UofT! Say tuned in to check out our other interviews to learn more about our faculty members!
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