When Tahnaokata Elijah '25 finished the 8th grade, he made a promise: wherever he went and whatever he learned, he would bring that knowledge and those newfound skills back to his community. It's a promise he's now ready to fulfill.
 
Elijah estimates that nine out of 10 native children play lacrosse. The sport is part of his community's identity, but other aspects of the Akwesasne Mohawk culture are endangered. Raised in Akwesasne, Elijah's family lives on a large reservation of approximately 20,000 indigenous people on the Canadian border. His mother was adamant that Elijah and his siblings learn the Mohawk culture and their native language, so they attended Akwesasne Freedom School, a full-immersion Mohawk school for kindergarten through 8th grade. Elijah credits the school for shaping his values and connecting him to his history, but it made the juxtaposition of college even sharper. 
 
Every graduate of the Freedom School is required to make the same promise. If they leave the community in pursuit of an education, they're obliged to return and share their gifts with the community. Very few actually do, and there was no precedent in Elijah's family (no one from his immediate family has earned a four-year degree), but Elijah has earned that chance at Siena.
 
"I knew I wanted to play DI lacrosse since the 5th grade. But when I got to Siena, I felt isolated as a freshman. I struggled a lot mentally. I had the lacrosse team, but as a freshman, I was still trying to fit in. I was used to having that sense of community back home. This was a culture shock."
 
Elijah decided, with some encouragement, to do something about it. Davina Mayo-Dunham '20, AVP for Mission and director of the Damietta Cross-Cultural Center, suggested he form a club for Indigenous students and allies. A little research uncovered that, at the time, only three Saints on campus self-identified as Indigenous. Elijah was undeterred. He helped to create Siena's Indigenous Student Union.
 
"When I graduate, there's no one here to keep it going, but that's okay. We've created the foundation and established a budget. It'll be easier for the next person to get it started. But it's not just about a club for Indigenous students, it's about education. People have asked me if my family hunts with bows and arrows. It's not their fault. We can do a better job educating people about my community and our history."
 
Feeling seen helped Elijah push through the isolation. There were times, particularly as a sophomore, when it felt too hard. But he reminded himself of his opportunity... and of that promise. 
 
Siena's social work program requires 400 hours of community-based work. That's a heavy lift for a student-athlete, but the faculty allowed Elijah to complete half of his time over the summer, working in his community back home. 
 
"I worked with Traditional Services, which provides culturally appropriate programming for people who may be wary of government support. There's a lot of substance abuse in my community. The unaddressed trauma stems from past genocide and forced assimilation. The substance abuse hides the real issue. My group is able to provide traditional versus mainstream services that are often more effective and better received."
 
Elijah estimates that if you send 10 Indigenous people to college, you might get two who return to the reservation. Elijah can't wait to be among the minority. He'll use his social work degree to complete his promise, and he hopes to chip away at that cycle of abuse. He'll also return to the community as a champion. Siena's men's lacrosse team just earned a share of the MAAC's regular season championship and a bye into next Thursday's conference tournament semifinal. The Saints are two wins away from qualifying to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014. Elijah's close to fulfilling a promise; he's now two wins away from realizing a childhood dream as well. 
 
Elijah's desire to make a difference in people's lives extends beyond his own community. In fact, he underwent a four-hour procedure in Florida (above) to extract stem cells in the hope that it might help a complete stranger. Last year, Elijah was matched through Gift a Life with an anonymous blood cancer patient. He still doesn't know anything about the patient or whether the stem-cell donation was a success, but he'd like to meet the recipient at a Gift of Life event next September in Washington, D.C.
 
Read more about Elijah's life-saving effort in this Times Union piece. 
 
"I just felt like everyone has a responsibility, and if you have the opportunity to help someone in dire need, I feel like you should," said Elijah.