And so, in January 2002, Kahnawa:ke became the first Mohawk territory to put its own language law into effect. (The law) arose from a declaration made by the community’s Elders in the winter of 1998. ‘Fearful of the loss of our beautiful Kanien’keha language,’ the Elders urged the Mohawk Council of Kahnawa:ke to take action. What emerged was a law that sets out ‘...to revive and restore the Kanien’keha language as the primary language of communication, education, ceremony, government and business within the Mohawk territory of Kahnawa:ke.’

Mark Abley in Spoken Here