{"id":45249,"date":"2017-06-09T12:28:17","date_gmt":"2017-06-09T16:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=45249"},"modified":"2018-07-17T13:45:43","modified_gmt":"2018-07-17T17:45:43","slug":"language-makes-us-unique-brock-honorary-doctorate-recipient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2017\/06\/language-makes-us-unique-brock-honorary-doctorate-recipient\/","title":{"rendered":"Language makes us unique: Brock honorary doctorate recipient"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Iroquoian tradition, last names are meant to be unique and meaningful, and both hold true for David Kanatawakhon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs it turns out, I\u2019m the only Kanatawakhon in the world,\u201d he told a packed crowd during his address at Brock University\u2019s final Spring Convocation ceremony. \u201cIf you Google Kanatawakhon, you get me, whether you want to or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a good reason for that.<\/p>\n

Kanatawakhon, who received an honorary doctorate from Brock Friday, June 9, has made it his life\u2019s work to keep the Mohawk language alive. His multiple dictionaries and textbooks on the language have become the foundational tools for those learning indigenous languages.<\/p>\n

He set out to teach Mohawk \u201cso we can get our language back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Mohawk language pioneer David Kanatawakhon with Brock Chancellor Shirley Cheechoo.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe went through a cultural bump and people abandoned the language. That\u2019s most unfortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kanatawakhon\u2019s last name means \u2018shaking the town,\u2019 and that\u2019s what he has done over his many years of teaching students from elementary school to university.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tried to shake up our communities and get our language going again,\u201d he said. \u201cLanguage is one of those things that make us unique and special. We\u2019re at a time now that we have so much technology that we\u2019re going to be able to bring it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kanatawakhon said he has been driven by his passion for keeping his language alive, and he encouraged the graduating students to find what drives them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI encourage people to develop a passion for what you\u2019re doing,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re graduating and you\u2019ve got all these skills that you can now focus on something. Use that to help yourself get through life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s Convocation concluded a week of celebrations with more than 3,550 students graduating in nine ceremonies.<\/p>\n

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The crowd gave 93-year-old Robin Guard a standing ovation for becoming the oldest-ever graduate at Brock University.<\/p><\/div>\n

Among the graduates in the final ceremony Friday was 93-year-old Robin Guard, who shattered the record as Brock University\u2019s oldest-ever grad. Guard\u2019s story has garnered plenty of attention this week with stories on CTV National News<\/a> and in the St. Catharines Standard<\/a> as well as radio interviews as far away as Montreal.<\/p>\n

Faculty Awards for Excellence in Teaching<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The final Convocation ceremony also saw Omar Kihel from Math and Science and Martin Danahay, from Humanities, receiving Faculty Awards for Excellence in Teaching.<\/p>\n

Mathematics and Statistics Professor Kihel has contributed to the growth of the department by actively participating in curriculum development, establishing well-attended new courses in his areas of expertise. He has also served many years as an engaged member of the graduate program committee. Kihel is also conducting an active research program funded by NSERC.<\/p>\n

English Language and Literature Professor Danahay researches the effects of new media on cultural production and in the digital humanities. His work in digital humanities scholarship has been crucial to the development of online courses for the Department of English.<\/p>\n

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Faculty of Humanities Dean Carol Merriam with Professor Martin Danahay.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Faculty of Mathematics and Science Interim Dean Alan Castle with Professor Omar Kihel.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Friday, June 9, 10 a.m. \u2014 Faculties of Humanities and Mathematics and Science<\/strong>
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