About This Translation
This is the first complete translation of the Holy Bible in the Mohawk language.
The first Scripture translation commissioned by the first Bible Society in the early 1800s was the translation of the Gospel of John in Mohawk. This work would represent a number of firsts for the newly-formed Bible Society: first translation; first publication; first distribution in a foreign land.
Among the further translations and revisions that would appear in the 1800s was a translation of the four Gospels by Chief Sosé Onasakenrat of Kanesatake. These Gospels were published by the Montreal auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1880 and appear in this edition using the original orthography where 8 represents a W sound.
A new project to translate the remaining books of the Bible began in 1999 in Kanesatake and Kahnawake. The Mohawk Bible Translation Team (Kanien'kehá:ka Aotióhkwa Tehatiwennaténie's Kahiatonhseratokénhti) translated the following books which were published by the Canadian Bible Society: 2 Corinthians (2001), Jonah (2002), Ruth (2005), Daniel (2005), Esther (2006), Proverbs (2007), and Genesis (2014).
The other books in this edition are a new translation by Harvey Satewas Gabriel and published by the Canadian Bible Society.
It is our hope that this Bible will make a positive contribution to the life of the Mohawk church and to efforts to revitalize and teach the Mohawk language. This Bible is a literary resource, a source of both old and current words and expressions, and it contains a message about the love of God for all people which we hope will be a blessing to all Mohawk people.
Copyright Information
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were translated by Sosé Onasakenrat and published by the Montreal auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1880. The text of these books is in the public domain.
The text of the following books is copyright © Kanien’kehá:ka Aotióhkwa Tehatiwennaténie’s Kahiatonhseratokénhti (Mohawk Bible Translation Team): 2 Corinthians (2001), Jonah (2002), Ruth (2005), Daniel (2005), Esther (2006), and Proverbs (2007).
All other text is copyright © Harvey Satewas Gabriel, 2023.
