Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

CANTON -- A condoled Bear Clan matron has been honored by SUNY Canton with an honorary doctorate in recognition of her work to not only preserve Mohawk history and culture, but link it with the surrounding communities.

Wa'kerakats:te Louise McDonald Herne received a doctorate of humane letters at the college's 109th commencement on Saturday, May 13. She was also the keynote speaker. In addition to that, 24 Akwesasne and Kahnawake students received diplomas from SUNY Canton.

"As the Mamabear, I am humbled in this honored invitation and would like to use this moment to do a rekindling of relationships upon these indigenous lands. I hope to bring home inspiration and renewed dedication to a joint quest for self-determination, freedom and peace in our traditional territories,"

SUNY Canton President Zvi Safran, who Herne calls a friend, said part of Herne's work includes possibly establishing a Center for Peace Studies at the college that, according to Herne, would be guided by Native principles.

"The short-term goal is to get [Indigenous-oriented] courses going here ... my ultimate goal is a Haudenosaunee university ... bringing back into practice our peace protocols," Herne said following the ceremony.

During Herne's speech, she noted that although she has had family members attend and graduate from SUNY Canton, the Native presence on campus isn't visible.

"SUNY Canton has had a steady stream of Native young people attend school here from our community at Akwesasne. Some of my family members earned degrees here. We are among the generation that has opened the way to attaining and experiencing higher education," Herne told the crowd. "On many occasions I have walked this campus and realized that the Native presence was invisible here. However, after this day, our newfound relationship I hope will further challenge this invisibility and create a relationship with broader sustainability and accountability."

"For our people, mere survival has been a challenge. Invisibility is the pathway to extinction. But visibility, to act in the world, to represent, that is the base of survival and the pathway to a self-determined future."

College officials also cited a number of Herne's efforts over the years as reasons for giving the doctorate.

One of her most influential societal contributions is her work to revive the Oheró:kon Rites of Passage ceremony, which helps youth make their transition into adulthood. Loosely based on a former rites of passage ceremony performed by Turtle Clan Mother, Delia Cook, she and others developed the Oheró:kon ceremony but with more pomp and circumstance. She said renewing the ancient ritual was intended to combat social ills, such as drug abuse and suicide, and reconnect youth with their identity as indigenous people. She also secured grant funding to expand the rites of passage to other Haudenosaunee communities across Ontario, and as a result, the program earned the 2015 Harvard Kennedy School's prestigious "Honoring Nations" award for exemplary tribal governance, according to a statement from the school.

She is also a founding member of the Konon:kwe Council, a grassroots organization that develops and advances policies to end domestic violence. Through this work, she has mentored and empowered young women to use their voice and stand in their rightful place of honor within their communities.

Herne visited SUNY Canton in 2015 to discuss ESPN's documentary "Keepers of the Game," which chronicles the trials of the Salmon River High School girls' lacrosse team as they broke down barriers in a sport that Native American culture traditionally reserves for men. Tsiotenhariio went on to play for SUNY Canton's women's lacrosse team during the 2016 season.

Francis Arquette receives his graduation medal from SUNY Canton. He received an associate's degree in computer information systems, graduated cum laude and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society for maintaining a minimum 3.5 GPA.

In addition to Bear Clan matron, Herne is also an indigenous knowledge keeper and Haudenosaunee knowledge guardian, helping to preserve traditional culture, traditions and language for future generations. Her professional area of research is the Haudenosaunee women and their influence on early feminism, and in 2016 she was recognized as a Distinguished Scholar in Indigenous Studies by the McMaster Institute for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning. She is the first indigenous woman to receive this honor.

In addition to Herne's doctorate, 24 students from Akwesasne and Kahnawake received degrees and certificates. They included Kyle Green, Francis Arquette, William Bigtree, Peighton Laffin, Chase Sunday, Tristan Thomas, Demi White and Angel Yanulavich of Akwesasne and Abbey Diabo of Kahnawake. School officials said they were not able to release the rest of the names due to confidentiality restrictions.

After receiving his diploma, Green said he had a positive experience at SUNY Canton and is now the first in his family to get a college degree.

"It was great, I saw a ton. I'm glad to graduate. I'm the first in my family to graduate college," Green said.