As a Mohawk, I NEVER Thought I'd See the Marvel Mohawk Superhero, Kahhori

By Vincent Schilling.

After the premier of the series What If, several Facebook friends expressed their awe and wonder at how they were emotionally charged while watching, hearing and listening to a Kanieńkehá:ka – Kanien'kehá – on national television. And then to watch the episode with their children left many parents in tears – joyful tears to hear and understand our own language on screen.

Akwesasne's own Cecilia – Sesi – King, who worked as a language consultant on Kahhori stated, It is so awesome to hear the great news about the young people and others of all ages – enjoying Kahhori. This is the first time our Mohawk language is heard on the big screen with Marvel. I really enjoyed doing this work and I have met so many great people along the way. I would really like to say that our language is so important, and we should all try extra hard not to lose it. It is a huge part of our identity. Listen hard and learn to speak and understand."

Vincent Shilling, whose family is from Akwesasne, Shilling created 'Native Viewpoint" – a multimedia Native and Indigenous guided storytelling website created in the spirit of the Native peoples of Turtle Island and beyond. Native Viewpoint is written chiefly by Akwesasne Mohawk journalist, editor, and founder Vincent Schilling.

Vincent is the author of several books, including his most recently contracted project through Penguin Random House, tentatively titled "UNSPOKEN" which will detail the story of his Mohawk grandmother, his 'Tota' and her experience in Native residential/boarding school, and how his family's life has been affected. Vincent shared his experience watching What If... Kahhori.

The second season of "What If" has revealed one of the most exciting Marvel Native characters I've ever seen ... so, who exactly is Kahhori?

Someone, please pinch me and tell me I'm not dreaming.

The second season of "What If" has revealed one of the most exciting Marvel Native characters I've ever seen ... Kahhori, an animated character and superhero portrayed by Devery Jacobs. If culturally-accurate clothing and Mohawk-influenced designs weren't enough, the episode is almost entirely spoken in Mohawk.

Is it true that I actually heard Mohawk language words in the second season of "What If?"

In my life, I have never before heard words I actually understood in the Mohawk language in an animated Marvel program featuring a Mohawk superhero! And all the while I was listening to the exceptional voice acting job by Mohawk actor Devery Jacobs!

In the past few days since I watched this "What If" episode on Disney+, I actually felt my eyes fill with tears thinking back on my life as a little Mohawk kid. I never thought I would see a Marvel superhero who looked like me, who represented my community, who wore what my ancestors wore, and who spoke the language my ancestors spoke.

It really is so much to process. I am literally awestruck by what I watched this past week. I also watched as article after article was published, feeling as if I needed to respond and report on this. So yes, I saw articles, and I bookmarked them and sent them to myself to inquire as to what the world was thinking.

But I decided not to read them, at least not yet.

For once, someone who looked like me, who was from my community, who spoke my language–the language of my ancestors–had a story playing on the largest studio's streaming site in the world, Disney and Marvel.

For so long, looking out to see what the world thought – I stopped and I realized, this time, the world would hear from my perspective.

I've never been in this position before.

So, that said? It is freaking awesome.

As a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic, I receive alerts and messages all the time. I had to look twice a few weeks ago when a source of mine revealed that Marvel's 'What If' was going to be dedicating an episode to explore what would happen if one of the Infinity Stones had been discovered in the territories of the Haudenosaunee aka the Mohawk people.

As a little brown kid living on Compton Blvd, flipping through the pages of Spider-Man, the X-Men, or Daredevil, I never thought I would see such a thing. And no, Native American characters at that time rarely made an impression on me because they were so contrived and culturally oblivious, I didn't ever think, 'That character represents me." Because they didn't.

It wasn't until the New Mutants came out in 1982, and thanks to Chris Claremont, that Danielle Moonstar came onto the scene. It was the first time I remember seeing a Native American superhero as part of a popular team of mutants in the Marvel comic book universe.

Thank you, Chris, as well as editor-in-chief Stan Lee, who saw to it this character was brought to life. Thank you, gents, I noticed.

In January 2024, the spectacular Native American character Echo, portrayed by Alaqua Cox, will be featured in Marvel Spotlight on Disney Plus's streaming site. This is a fantastic concept by Marvel/Disney, and I wholeheartedly applaud them.

Now, as a Mohawk critic, I see there is Kahhori.

So, who exactly is Kahhori?

As every character is introduced into the Marvel Universe, thousands of worker bees diligently document every interaction. Kahhori is now documented on Marvel.com if you would like to take a look, but I will describe her here now.

In the second season and sixth episode of "What If," the show asks what would happen if the Tesseract (the glowing cube that contained the space infinity stone) had landed "in the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy before the colonization of America."

Wait a minute, did I just read that sentence on the page description of Kohhari on Marvel.com mentioning the Haudenosaunee Confederacy? Yes, I did. I just pinched myself, and I'm not dreaming.

Without giving too much of the episode away, Kahhori, portrayed by Mohawk actor Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs, Echo), finds the location of the stone and is imbued with the energy of the space infinity stone (and your fateful Mohawk journalist Vincent Schilling, screams internally while fighting to maintain consciousness.)

Devery Jacobs interacts mostly with the character played by Jeremy White, Atahraks, whose playful banter is seriously wonderful. Another exceptional actor, Kiawentiio, plays Wahta, and of course, Jeffrey White does a flawless job of portraying the Watcher.

I likely watched the entire episode with my mouth dropped completely open. It was pure magic. Devery Jacobs, as well as other actors speaking the Mohawk language, joked, laughed, supported and interacted with each other in a way that was so genuine I could hardly keep my breath. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

The episode was written by Ryan Little and, according to Marvel: "The episode was created in close collaboration with members of the Mohawk Nation like historian Doug George and Mohawk language expert Cecelia King to ensure cultural authenticity. The episode takes place in the Mohawk language and is informed by the history of the Akwesasne region in what is now upstate New York."

My Mohawk family is in Akwesasne. How is it even possible that I am writing this?

But it is possible. It goes even further. Kahhori (whose name is pronounced Kah-holi, and means 'she stirs the forest') is wolf clan. I am Wolf clan. I wonder what my grandmother, my Tota, would have thought?

The episode is a beautiful one, with nearly the entire thing spoken in the Mohawk language.

Then, more magic. As the Mohawk men introduced themselves to Kahhori, I wasn't reading the subtitles; I was following along in my own Mohawk language.

This is a gift I will remember for all of my lifetime.

Nia:wen Devery, you made comic history.

And what an amazing history it is.

As a Mohawk, I can say, 'Yes, world, we are still here.'

List of actors in What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World? (Season 2, Episode 6)

(Taken from IMDb)

Jeffrey Wright – The Watcher

Devery Jacobs – Kahhori

Kiawentiio – Wahta

Jeremy White- Atahraks / Additional Voices

Gabriel Romero- Conquistador Gonzolo

Benedict Cumberbatch – Doctor Strange

Carolina Ravassa – Queen Isabella of Spain

Clancy Brown – Surtur

Jeff Bergman – Odin

Additional voices include Iotsi'Tsanien Goodleaf, Rànikonhrí:io Lazare, Sahawisó:Ko' Arquette, Tehotsenhátse Lazare, Tekahné:kake Stacey, Alexa Iekenhnhenha:wi Montour, Kahentinéhshon Alfred, Richard Miro, Christian Rodrigo, Jordi Caballero, Christopher Lee Parson, Tatu, Ieronhienhawi McComber, Carlos Reig-Plaza, and Terri Douglas.