Language is crucial to cultural preservation, and the Onöndowa’ga:’ Gawë:nö’ education programs are leading the way for our community.
From infants to high schoolers to adults and beyond, there are so many opportunities for our people to reconnect with our language.
Housed in the Cattaraugus Early Childhood Learning Center, the Ëyetinëtšinéhshö’ Immersed Learning Nest (ËILN) is a one-of-a-kind program. They provide fully immersive care in the Seneca Language, using no English with the kids at any time.
The NEST is a Waldorf-inspired classroom, taking a holistic approach to the student’s practical, intellectual, and artistic development. The students and staff explore the outdoors and take inspiration from the seasons, Longhouse ceremonies, and nature. With this, the connection between our Seneca Language and mother nature’s vocabulary becomes more apparent.
The program recently received a grant from the Ruth Danley & William Enoch Moore Charitable Fund to better incorporate creative modalities of outdoor play and exploration.
Through the grant, ËILN was able to work with Buffalo Treehouse, LLC. to design a unique outdoor space for the students to play and interact with nature, all while building and promoting comprehension of the Seneca Language in a natural, practical way. In addition, staff were able to purchase overalls to encourage longer time outdoors, as studies show that good equipment leads to more playtime.
Nya:wëh to the Ruth Danley & William Enoch Moore Charitable Fund, Rico Ravera of Buffalo Treehouse, LLC., and the Seneca Nation for making this program possible!
For more information on the Ëyetinëtšinéhshö’ Immersed Learning Nest, go to senecalanguage.com.
