Road To Your Name - Season 7, Episode 1: Talking about the Mohawk Language with Maggie Yakorennio Powless-Lynes

This episode was recorded in November 2024.  Maggie has graduated from the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa program in May 2026.The Road to Your Name — Season 7, Episode 1"She Has a Good Song": Maggie Yakorennio Powless-Lynes on Learning Kanien'kéhaEpisode DescriptionWhat does it take to reclaim a language two generations after it was taken away? In this episode, host, Lisa, sits down with Maggie Yakorennio Powless-Lynes, a Mohawk Nation, Wolf Clan member from Six Nations of the Grand River, who recently began her first year of the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa (Our Language Society) adult immersion program in Ohsweken.Maggie holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from McMaster University and a Master's in Indigenous Public Health from the University of Toronto — but after years of "maybe next year," she finally ran out of reasons not to learn her language. Two months into the intensive full-time program, she shares what the journey has been like so far: the entrance exam that requires memorizing 40 pronominal prefixes, the terror of the first two weeks, the warmth of teachers who are themselves graduates of the program, and the joy of studying alongside her older brother.A lifelong pianist and bassoonist with the Brantford Community Symphony Orchestra, Maggie also reflects on how being a musician shaped her approach to language learning — the patience, humility, and willingness to "sound terrible for a long time" that both pursuits demand. As she puts it, you can't become a speaker without speaking.Looking ahead, Maggie dreams of bridging two worlds that rarely meet: conducting community research entirely in Kanien'kéha, capturing people's realities in the language they actually think in.Her traditional name, Yakorennio, means "she has a good song." It fits.In This Episode- [02:00] Meet Maggie: from biochemistry and public health back to community- [03:16] Growing up with "little words and phrases" — the residential school generation and the gap it left- [06:05] The entrance exam: 40 prefixes and one root word- [10:00] The first two months of immersion: terrifying, intense, and deeply rewarding- [12:28] Language and identity — "filling up a place in yourself"- [14:16] Gratitude for the speakers who carried the language forward- [16:16] Learning alongside her brother, and a mom who now wants to learn too- [17:52] Maggie the musician: piano, bassoon, and performing with Semiah Smith- [19:15] What music teaches about language: dedication, humility, and the long game- [24:46] Places where the language is waiting: from Everlasting Tree School to adult immersion- [27:10] The dream: doing research entirely in Kanien'kéha- [29:05] "She has a good song" — the meaning behind Yakorennio, her traditional nameAbout Onkwawenna KentyohkwaOnkwawenna Kentyohkwa (Our Language Society) was established in 1999 by Owennatekha Brian Maracle and Onekiyohstha Audrey Maracle with the goal of creating fluent adult speakers of Kanien'kéha. The program offers first-year and second-year full-time immersion at Six Nations in the village of Ohsweken, as well as an online program for those who can't attend in person.Links- Aboriginal Legal Services: www.aboriginallegal.ca- Donate: click "Donate" at the top of the ALS homepage- Find us on Facebook: Road To Your NameCreditsThe Road to Your Name is produced by Aboriginal Legal Services with technical assistance from True Seed Media, and hosted by Lisa VanEvery, coordinator of the Yoha:te ne kahsen:na (The Road to Your Name) program.