At a recent chapel gathering, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) had the honour of receiving a historic gift – a newly printed copy of the complete Bible translated into the Mohawk language. Presented to us by Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling, Ambassador of the Canadian Bible Society, this Bible represents a monumental accomplishment and labour of love spanning nearly two decades.
The Mohawk language Bible is the culmination of 17 years of painstaking work by Harvey Satewas Gabriel, now 83 years old. His perseverance was inspired by a childhood memory of hearing a preacher eloquently translate Scripture into Mohawk, the words sounding like “honey” to his young ears.
While a Mohawk translation of the Gospel of John was first published in 1804 by the Canadian Bible Society, this marks the first complete Mohawk Bible in print. Gabriel singlehandedly translated 58 of the Bible’s books from English into the Mohawk tongue, with support from the Canadian Bible Society, The United Church of Canada Foundation, and the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake.
For OCMS, receiving this significant work is an honour and a reminder of the vital importance of preserving indigenous languages. As a threatened language spoken by only around 3,500 people primarily in Canada, having the complete Bible in Mohawk will be invaluable for engaging future generations with their rich cultural and spiritual heritage.
As the Canadian Bible Society notes, “In many Indigenous Canadian communities, the translation of and engagement with the Scriptures is seen as strategic and valuable for the revitalization of language and culture.” They hope this Mohawk Bible will make a positive impact on Mohawk church communities and language education efforts.
This Mohawk Bible can be viewed in our Library. Please contact us on info@ocms.ac.uk if you are interested in seeing it.
You can find out more about Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling here.
