After a career of teaching, you can acquire quite a lot of papers, notebooks, folders and pamphlets of stuff. As I began to unpack a box of memories from my time teaching at the Onondaga Nation School, I came across a yellowing aged pamphlet. It was a student handbook labeled “Onondaga Indian School Student Handbook”. 
A smile came across my face as I read about the attendance rules, bus routes, lunch prices and disciplinary guidelines of the past. Then my attention was drawn to the back of the handbook. On the back was a message to all of the students and staff from the late Audrey Shenandoah, Go·whi’anih. Go·whi’anih was the school’s first Onondaga language teacher, a clan mother, a leader, and a wise soft spoken elder. She was always willing to share what she knew and how she felt about the importance of continuing our Onondaga way of life.
This message I believe is something that she would like all to remember as we begin a new school year.
Nyawenha to Percy and Jay for helping modernize the spelling.
Da•ne’tho’,
~Dehowähda•dih