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The Mohawk Nation (Kanien’kehá:ka)

Who the Mohawk are, where their communities are today, and their language and ironworking history.

The Mohawk Nation, or Kanien’kehá:ka (“People of the Flint”), is one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, with communities today in New York State and Canada.

Who are the Mohawk (Kanien’kehá:ka)?

The Mohawk are one of the original five nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, joined later by the Tuscarora to make six. Their homeland sits at the confederacy’s eastern edge, a position both Britannica and the Smithsonian’s Haudenosaunee guide describe as “keepers of the eastern door” (Britannica).

This page is an overview. It does not cover the internal governance or ceremonial life of any single Mohawk community in depth. Each community’s own government is the authority on that.

Where do Mohawk communities live today?

Akwesasne is one of the largest Mohawk communities, and it straddles the border between New York State and Canada. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe governs the portion south of the international line, and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne governs the portions in Ontario and Quebec (Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne).

Kahnawà:ke, near Montreal in Quebec, is another major Mohawk community, governed by its own elected council. Other Mohawk communities include Kanesatake in Quebec and Six Nations of the Grand River and Tyendinaga in Ontario. This page names the largest communities. It does not describe every Mohawk community’s government or membership rules, which each community sets for itself.

How is a Mohawk community governed?

Many Mohawk communities today have more than one governing body. At Akwesasne, the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs represents traditional, clan-based leadership recognized by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, while the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe are elected governments that deal with Canada and the United States (Mohawk Council of Akwesasne).

These bodies do not always agree, and their relationship is part of an ongoing, community-led conversation about self-government. This page does not take a position on that conversation.

Is the Mohawk language still spoken?

Yes. Kanien’kéha remains a living language at Akwesasne, where it is actively taught in schools and through community immersion programs, and community leaders link the language directly to cultural survival (Mohawk Council of Akwesasne).

Revitalization efforts and fluency levels differ by community and by generation. This page does not have current fluency figures for every Mohawk community.

Why are Mohawk workers known for ironwork?

The tradition traces to 1886, when Mohawk workers from Kahnawake took jobs building the Victoria Bridge across the St. Lawrence River and showed unusual skill working on high steel. Mohawk ironworkers went on to help build landmark New York buildings, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the original World Trade Center towers (History.com).

Not every Mohawk family has ties to ironwork, and the trade has changed over generations. This section covers the history of the tradition, not current employment numbers.

Where to learn more

The Mohawk are one of six nations in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. For a neighboring nation in the confederacy, see the page on the Seneca, and for shared Haudenosaunee art traditions, see Iroquois art. This page is part of our wider Native American history and culture section.

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