2019 Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Strawberry Festival
Don’t miss the annual Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Strawberry Festival on June 29-30, 2019 at the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community in Fonda, New York. All are invited to join the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community for a weekend of Mohawk culture and fun. Enjoy traditional and modern music, dance, storytelling, silent auction, craft fair, good food and even better company. See old friends and make new ones while supporting the Kanatsiohareke community and learning more about the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy).
The Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Strawberry Festival takes place the last weekend of each June when the wild strawberries ripen. The strawberry is called ‘The Leader of the Berries,’ because it is the first to ripen and ‘The Big Medicine,’ because it is shaped like a heart, and when we eat it or drink the juice from the berry, we are rejuvenated. The strawberry has important medicinal qualities which help to strengthen our blood.
Daily Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Admission
$5.00 Adults
$3.00 Seniors & Children under 12
Free – Children under 5
Location
Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community
4934 State Highway 5
Fonda, NY 12068
(exits 28 & 29 of I-90)
For More Information:
Call 518-673-4197; Email Kanatsiohareke@gmail.com
About the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community
Kanatsiohareke is the site of old Mohawk bear clan villages. After the Revolutionary War, most Mohawks were forced to leave the Mohawk Valley in order to find refuge in other places. A few of them carried with them a prophecy that told of someday returning to their traditional homeland. That prophecy was passed down through the oral tradition from generation to generation until 1993 when a group of Mohawks left Akwesasne (St. Regis Mohawk Reservation) and returned to their ancestral home in the Mohawk Valley. They purchased a farm at auction and began the work of renovating buildings, planting gardens, and opening a native craft store. The community of Kanatsiohareke is working to revitalize the language, culture, and spirituality of the Mohawk by offering language classes, workshops, conferences, and cultural exchange programs with many colleges and community groups. The community and this event are drug and alcohol-free.
Kanatsiohareke today is a small Mohawk/Kanienkahaka community on the north bank of the Mohawk River, west of Fonda, New York. The name means “The clean pots” Kanatsiohareke was created to be a “Carlisle Indian Boarding School in Reverse”, teaching Mohawk language and culture. Located at the ancient homeland of the Kanienkehaka (Mohawk), it was re-established in September 1993 under the leadership of Thomas R. Porter (Sakokwenionkwas-“The One Who Wins”). The community must raise their own revenue and frequently hold cultural presentations, workshops, and academic events, including an annual Strawberry Festival. A craft shop on site features genuine handmade Native crafts from all over Turtle Island (North America).
Mark your calendar today so you don’t miss the next Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Strawberry Festival the last weekend of June at the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community in Fonda, New York.
Tags: Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Strawberry Festival, Kanatsiohareke Strawberry Festival, Mohawk Strawberry Festival