Ernest M. Kaientaronkwen Benedict (July 14, 1918 – January 8, 2011) was an educator, activist, and chief of the

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been t ...

Council.

Early life

Benedict was born on 14 July 1918 to Charles and Julia Jandreau Benedict, members of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne. He attended school on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, at

Bombay, New York Bombay is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,357 at the 2010 census. The town was named after a major port city in India, now known as Mumbai, by an early landowner whose wife was from Byculla. Bombay is in ...

, and the Massena Central High School. He married Florence Hopps on 20 September 1952. Benedict received an

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

from

Trent University Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes.

in 1994.

Teaching and activism

Benedict worked with mentor Ray Fadden-Tehanetorens to organize the Akwesasne Mohawk Counsellor Organization, which visited historical sites while meeting with other Native nations and learning about their heritage while traveling in the eastern part of North America. Their travels would influence the formation of the White Roots of Peace in the mid-1930s. Benedict started the North American Indian Traveling College with Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell, as a continuation of the Counsellor Organization. Benedict founded Manitou College as an attempt to create a college composed of mostly Native Americans. The concept of a degree based on traditional Native knowledge was picked up on by Syracuse University. He inspired Operation Kanyengehaga, a tutoring program conceived by professor Bob Wells at St. Lawrence University. Benedict was a lecturer and professor at

, where he later served on the PhD committee for Native Studies candidates.

Journalism

From 1939 until 1941, Benedict was the editor of what was thought to be Akwesasne's first newspaper; the ''War Whoop''. He later worked with the paper ''Kawehras!'' ("It Thunders!"). The ''Akwesasne Notes'' was started by Benedict in 1968.

References

External links

Travelling College (1968) NFB film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, Ernest 1918 births 2011 deaths Place of birth missing Place of death missing American Mohawk people Activists from New York (state) Educators from New York (state) Academic staff of Trent University People from Franklin County, New York First Nations academics