Some lucky participants of the Ase Tsi Tewa:ton Experience won a handmade splint basket. (Left to right) Carol Lazore, Junior Cook, Alicia Shenandoah and Peachy Skidders.

The Ase Tsi Tewa:ton (Cultural Restoration Program) gave their Fall presentation of traditional foods, cooking demonstrations, river and fish preservation, a medicine walk, hunting and trapping skills and Kanien'keha lessons on Saturday, September 17, 2016.

Viewer active presentations were given by apprentices, as Master Teachers gave rein to their apprentices to share their knowledge, skills and Kaniehke:ha language in fishing and river use, traditional foods and basket making, traditional medicine and healing, and hunting and trapping.

The Ase Tsi Tewa:ton's (Cultural Restoration Program) main objective is to re-establish the harmed cultural practices to the level at which they were practiced years before the release of contaminants into our local ecosystems.

This is year three in a four-year program and Kanetires Barbara Tarbell, Program Director shared some of her thoughts as they prepare for their last year for this group of apprentices, and search for funding for another group of apprentices.

Ranekenhtaron, an apprentice in Hunting and Trapping, shows students how to clean a fish. Photo by Amber Dawn Lafrance.

"Based on today and yesterday, they've progressed so far and they have so many things to teach people. You can tell how much they have learned. Especially in our language. Yesterday (Friday) we had two-immersion schools visit, the Akwesasne Freedom School and Skahwatsi:ra Program (Kanatakon School), and they did all of their presentations in Kaniehkeha. They still have one more year of learning. This group of apprentices will be done and we hope to help them and support them to find something in the community – to transition into the community. We need to secure additional funding and the goal is to bring in more apprentices and continue for another four-year program. Everything is done now, we have set the way, and we have the curriculum and structure. It's all there."

The confidence shown by each apprentice was remarkable as was each presentation. The gift of teaching and the gift of learning by each Master Teacher and apprentice is a gift to all of Akwesasne.