10/22/2026
Theresa Bear Fox, citizen of the Mohawk Nation, is a singer-songwriter, language teacher and member of the Wolf Clan who has lived her life in Akwesasne. Her Mohawk name, Kenkiohkoktha, was given in honor of her grandmother. Growing up in a musical family, she developed a love of singing early in life and later began writing songs in both Mohawk and English.
For more than two decades, Theresa has used music as a way to strengthen connections to Mohawk language and culture. She writes songs for Kontiwennenhawi (Carriers of the Words), a Mohawk women’s singing group dedicated to keeping the Mohawk language alive through song. Her music carries messages of culture, language, family and healing, reflecting her belief in music’s ability to bring people together and encourage more Natives to learn their languages.
In this episode of Red Hoop Talk, Theresa joins host Jennifer Robin to share her journey as a songwriter, the role language plays in her music and why carrying Mohawk language and culture forward matters for the next generations.
