I am Kanienkehaka. You might know that by another name: Mohawk.

I grew up in Akwesasne, a Mohawk Nation, though most people refer to it as a reservation, and only see it from Route 37. But we are so much more than what’s visible from there. I grew up on my grandparents' homestead, where we raised animals and farmed, and it sustained our family. I was always surrounded by relatives, and I loved that. I still live there today.

When my parents were young, they were forbidden from speaking Mohawk in school. When they had kids, they felt they shouldn’t pass the language on. It’s their biggest regret in life, and mine, too; I wish I had learned it more.

Now, I’m studying our language and getting better at speaking and understanding. When I see other Mohawk at work or around town, we greet each other in Mohawk. There’s even a full-immersion school in Akwesasne for kids to learn the language. It’s something we can be proud of that reminds us of who we are.

My mother, Celia, is now a Mohawk language expert and teacher. She worked on Marvel’s “What If...?” (season 2, episode 6), where the Tesseract – a powerful, blue cube from the Marvel Cinematic Universe – lands in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy before colonization. The main character, Kahhori, discovers it and leads her people in a fight against their Spanish enslavers.

The entire episode is in Mohawk with subtitles. My mom, forbidden to speak her language as a child, is now teaching it and helping incorporate it into shows! I have a famous aunt too, Theresa. She goes by "Bear Fox" and sings in the traditional language. She sang at the opening of Farm Aid in September with my Aunt Betty, and my cousin.

It’s inspiring to see the revival of our culture in these ways. It gives me hope for the future of our people.

Leanne King is a Registered Nurse and has worked at Alice Hyde Medical Center for 35 years.