From Pre-Contact to Present Day

From Pre-Contact to Present Day:
A Tour of Mohawk Life

Akwesasne Mohawk Cultural Tour Through Time

Immerse yourself in Mohawk culture with cultural educators at Native North American Traveling College, a nonprofit cultural center dedicated to preservation, revitalization and education of Mohawk ways of life. This guided Indigenous cultural tour provides guests with a better understanding and experience of the Mohawk peoples’ culture, experiences, and storytelling. You’ll learn about our Creation Story, the importance of our Mohawk language, and get to handle various objects from our museum’s expansive collection!

Experience Akwesasne Mohawk culture through time

Experience Mohawk culture with educators at Native North American Traveling College, a non-profit cultural institution dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of Mohawk lifeways. Learn about our Creation Story through art, the importance of Kanien’keha (Mohawk language), and handle various items from the center’s expansive collection.

Tour Highlights

View and handle cultural items, such as pottery shards, rattles, and replica wampum
Learn a few words of our beautiful language, Kanien’kéha
See how Mohawks lived prior to contact with Europeans on our shores
Participate in a short musical demonstration featuring a water drum and horn rattle

Tour Description

The tour begins with a warm welcome to Akwesasne and a brief history of the Native North American Traveling College, a groundbreaking cultural institution since the 1960s. Next, guests hear the Haudenosaunee creation story as they follow vibrant depictions beginning with Skywoman’s fall onto the back of a sea turtle. The traditional Thanksgiving Address follows.

Guests are guided through various exhibits that tell the story of Akwesasne, from pre-contact to present day. Indigenous traditions around agriculture and food sourcing and preparation are shared, as are examples of historical attire from different time periods. Cultural items, such as pottery shards, replica wampum belts, and musical instruments are available for guided handling.

Share in a few traditional stories and music, including a live demonstration of a song in the Mohawk language. Guests may learn a few Mohawk phrases, with friendly guidance on pronunciation.

The tour winds down with a visit to the gift shop, where locally made art, crafts, and books about Mohawk culture and history may be purchased.

NNATC website

Tour Duration

2 hours

What To Bring

Bring an open and inquisitive mind!

What's Included

Museum admission fee
Guided museum tour by Akwesasne cultural hosts/storytellers
Disposable gloves for handling artifacts

What's Not Included

Transportation to the NNATC museum
Souvenirs (available for purchase)

Tour Price

USD $39.00 per guest
Minimum group size: 2 guests
Maximum group size: 10 guests

Reserve Your Tour

FAQs

Need more information to plan your visit? Our Frequently Asked Questions page covers everything from weather to directions to local dining and lodging options.

Virtual Tour Option

You can now enjoy the Native North American Travel College’s “Living Culture With Mohawk Interpretation” tour virtually from the comfort of your own home. Simply click on the link to go to Airbnb’s Online Experiences and find out more about his virtual tour today!

"Living Culture With Mohawk Interpretation" Airbnb Online Experiences Virtual Tour