Teyotsihstokwáthe Dakota Brant

Six Nations, Grand River Territory
Indigenous Environmental Studies
Specialization in Mohawk Language

Teyotsihstokwáthe Dakota Brant is graduating from Trent with a number of firsts – not only is she is among the first graduates of the new Indigenous Environmental Studies (IES) degree program, she is also the first student to graduate with a specialization in the Mohawk Language program offered at Trent through the First Nations Technical Institute.

“As a Mohawk woman I have three passions in life – my people, my land and my culture. These passions are what have driven my academic career,” Dakota says. “I couldn’t be prouder of being an Indigenous person. If I have known anything in my life, it has been my identity as a Mohawk woman. I have never wavered in my belief in myself as per my heritage. I will and can do what it takes to show the world that Indigenous people of North America are strong, proud, and fully committed to the future.”

Proud and excited to be one of the first Trent graduates to achieve a degree in Indigenous Environmental Studies, Dakota says, “Trent University’s IES program is the first door that has been opened in the entire world in academia that seeks a mutual aid in our understandings of what the world needs from us the human beings to remain beautiful and everlasting. I am deeply honoured to be one of the first people to graduate with this degree and to be a part of this thing that we all hope will amount to the perpetuation of our beautiful world. We only have One Mother, and she is a good mother who has taken care of us all. We need to be good to her.”

During her time at Trent, Dakota served as vice-president of the Trent University Native Association and as Indigenous student commissioner with the Trent Central Students’ Association (TCSA). And, in addition to being a volunteer fire fighter in her home community, she has also become one of the youngest teachers of the Mohawk language, instructing youth in grades one through eight.

Because of her passion and commitment to her people and community, Dakota was crowned Miss Indian World at the 27th Annual Gathering of the Nations, the most prominent Native American powwow in the world, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the end of April. Continuing her list of firsts, Dakota is the first Mohawk woman to win the title and chosen to represent all Native and Indigenous people as a cultural goodwill ambassador.

With plans to serve the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in a community development capacity, Dakota says she also hopes to use her education to inspire her community.

“My time at Trent has given me an opportunity to step back from the issues faced by Indian Country and gave me time to observe them. Residential School, land claims, treaty rights, cultural and linguistical degradation; these are all the harsh impacts of colonization,” she says. “At Trent I was able to engage closely with knowledgeable people who taught me to deal with these issues not in anger, but as a human and a being that the Creator gave the gift of creation. From these people, I now have the knowledge and the tools and hope to create something beautiful for the children I hope to have one day. Trent has given me a starting point to what I know I can do, what I am capable of, to see to a future for Native people that I know I can be proud of.”