Akwesasne elder makes history as first graduate of McGill’s Indigenous languages PhD program

Detailed summary

At 73, Mary Onwá Tekahawáhkwen Macdonald is the first graduate of McGill’s Indigenous language revitalization PhD program.

A woman from the Mohawk community of Akwesasne is making history at McGill University, becoming the first graduate of its Indigenous language revitalization PhD program.

Mary Onwá Tekahawáhkwen Macdonald, 73, completed the program in three years, two years ahead of its usual five-year timeline.

Macdonald has spent decades teaching Kanyen’kéha, the traditional name for the Mohawk language — her First Nations language.

Her academic achievement is also helping inspire a new generation of students working to preserve Indigenous languages at risk of disappearing.

Macdonald retired at age 70 after 45 years of teaching Indigenous languages in Akwesasne to pursue her doctorate at McGill.

At first, she worried about returning to school alongside younger students. “How does a 70-year-old woman compete with 20-year-olds?” she told Global News.

But the fear soon disappeared, and Macdonald became a mentor to other students pursuing their master’s degrees.

The program, created in 2023, is designed for students who already speak an Indigenous language and live in communities in the Americas where their languages are threatened.

Jessica Coon, a linguistics professor at McGill, said the program aims to equip students with the skills to advance language preservation.

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