Dr. Yekuhsi·yó Rosa King
Founder, Executive Director,
and Head Instructor of Teshakonatnʌtshotalhu
akaulhá/akowʌ·/she/her/hers
Rosa is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a member of the turtle clan and was born and raised on the Oneida reservation. Rosa’s Oneida name is Yekuhsiyo meaning, “she has a nice face”.
aklihwá·ke (Biography)
“Language is medicine and can be used to heal our community.”
- Dr. Yekuhsi·yó Rosa King's personal philosophy on Indigenous language reclamation.
Dr. Rosa King is the founder and Executive Director of the Indigenous women-led non-profit, Skaˀnikú·lat, Inc. Rosa recognized how settler-colonialism was deeply embedded in her community and the need for community-wide need healing, which led to her founding Skaˀnikú·lat, Inc as a way to restore community wellness through Oneida language and culture education and enrichment. As a part of this work, she aims to create an Oneida language medium school for children and an adult immersion program, as a pathway to rebuild speakers and Traditional Knowledge Holders in her community. Prior to starting Skaˀnikú·lat, Inc, Rosa also founded and was the lead immersion instructor for the TehatiwʌnákhwaɁ Language Nest immersion program. She has been learning the Oneida language for approximately 14 years and has taught the language in various settings, including public schools, tribal schools, and local colleges, for 13 years. She has taught the language in a variety of settings including second-language and immersion learning environments, and prior to the language nest, she taught the Oneida language in the Pulaski Community School District. She is a licensed American Indian Language teacher by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Dr. King also holds an adjunct appointment at the College of Menominee Nation, where she teaches Oneida Language, Oneida Treaties, and Oneida history. Rosa King is a lifelong learner, educator, and advocate of the Oneida language and her goal is to create speakers of the language to ensure its survival for generations to come.
Rosa has a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Indian Studies from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, a Master’s degree in Tribal Administration and Governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Doctorate in First Nations Education from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Her doctoral work and research focused on Indigenous language immersion education, Oneida language and culture revitalization, and Oneida language pedagogy. Her dissertation, entitled, “Ukwaka·lá·: My Relational Journey of Reclaiming the Oneida Language” focused on the teaching and learning experiences of three Oneida language educators in the Oneida community and identified intrapersonal skills for prospective learners to use on their language learning journey. Her dissertation grew out of her own personal experience as an Oneida language learner and educator. Rosa has done research and has experience in the following areas: Native language revitalization, Indigenous immersion education, immersion teaching methods and techniques, immersion learning techniques, decolonization, decolonial pedagogies, language program design, curriculum development, and grant writing.
Rosa resides in Green Bay and enjoys hanging out with her cat and dog, family, friends, and watching the Green Bay Packers and other Wisconsin sports teams. Rosa enjoys binge watching documentaries on Netflix, working out, boba bubble teas, coffee, and snacks. Rosa regularly attends longhouse ceremonies with the Oneida community and relative communities across Iroquois country. Rosa is also an award winning artist, and has a background in traditional Iroquois arts, specifically sewing regalia, moccasin making, and raised beadwork.