News
Updates
2020 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow
January 5, 1990 to April 11, 2025
Rahnekawę:rih Montgomery (Monty) Clayton Hill was a Tuscarora and Oneida speaker, linguist, and language activist. He was a citizen of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and a member of the Tuscarora Nation Beaver clan. He also was among the first cohort of First Nations’ Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship.
Here, we honor his memory as a friend and colleague; his vision as a preserver of Haudenosaunee culture, history, and values; and his leadership in ensuring that the knowledge of these practices and the meaning behind them go on well into the future.
First Nations President and CEO Michael Roberts expressed gratitude for Monty’s many contributions both to First Nations and the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship.
Roberts said, “Monty’s knowledge and experience as a fellow had a transformative impact on the Haudenosaunee community and on the scholarship on Native American issues. In addition, Monty’s ongoing involvement as a long-term partner and as an Advisory Committee member helped lay the groundwork for the fellowship and set standards and aspirations for the six cohorts of fellows who came after him. We are grateful for his wisdom, humor, and support.”
For this tribute, many of Monty’s friends and colleagues shared these thoughts and memories:
Monty Hill was a true language warrior. He was a bright light in dark times and an example for us all to follow. I’ll always cherish the time I had with him in ceremony, academic, and activist work. — Anton Treuer
Dear Monty, Your kindness, joy, your laughter will always be remembered. You were an amazing human being who I shared a fellow LOVE of our languages with. Travel well my friend♥️ — Trisha Moquino
Monty was in the inaugural cohort of Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellows… I cannot express my personal sadness and my sadness for the communities of which he was a part; I hope that he is in a place of peace now. — Sean Buffington
Monty pictured here with fellow Auli’i Mitchell
Aloha ino……our hearts go out to the family of our beloved brother, colleague, knowledge keeper, amazing individual. Montgomery will always be a light who carried the love for his people and language everywhere he went and the many others he formed relationships with. He is a reminder for me as his fellow knowledge keeper of how precious life is! His smile says it all! He now resides with his ancestors whom unknown to us need him in another way. May you continue to guide us dearest brother. In the name of Montgomery Hill I am forever changed by knowing you…..Auli’i Mitchell Luce Fellow 2012. — Auli’i Mitchell
Aloha e Monty…a moe loa oe me na kupuna o ia au hala akula. Mahalo a nui ia oe no kau mau hana apauloa au I hana ai no ko kaua mau hanauna oiwi. I lilo kau mau hana I lei aloha, lei makamae no na kau a kau. O hookipa ia oe I ko kela ao ma o aku nohoi a I launa hou nohoi kakou I ka wa kupono. — Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
Aloha e Monty, I am deeply saddened that you have moved from our realm to that of the spirit realm. I enjoyed speaking with you and planning out an idea of a cultural exchange between what we do building Hawaiian houses and your longhouse tradition. I am grateful for the opening ceremony that you shared. I invite you to come to one of ours when we put out the call in our coming ceremonies. When we’re at the longhouse, Iʻll know you’re there with us. Me ke aloha, Kalawaiʻa — Kalawaiʻa Moore
Monty, I am so honored to have been your friend and cohort fellow of 2020. Our last meeting in Phoenix will forever be memorable because you offered the tobacco ceremony, like when we had our cohort meetings during the Covid pandemic where you would selflessly offer prayers to each us. Sending you fond aloha and good thoughts. Travel well my friend. I will see you again one day.
May Monty rest in peace. God bless him and his family. I did not know him, I am a 2023 Luce Fellow, so, he was a family to me. Condolences dear family, may you all stay strong and happy. Bless all of you and he will always be in our prayers including his family. Love you all. — Martha A Austin
Our fellow Luce/ First Nations Fellow, may your spirits journey to “other side campground.” May your work and legacy live on as an inspiration to learn and grow in the beautiful, rich, viable, and vital traditions of your people, especially the youth to learn the language. — Steven Darden
X̱’unei Lance Twitchell and Lloyd Harold Kumulaʻau Sing Jr. share this image from the March convening.
Monty was my friend. When I saw him, I felt a sense of comfort and excitement about the things we could change in the world. He was an active decolonizer who empowered language learners, teachers, and advocates. The world is impoverished by this loss, and I will miss him very much. My thoughts and love are with him family and his community.
I first met Monty in the first cohort of the Luce Foundation Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship, and I admired the approach that he took to language learning and teaching. We started talking right away about ways to collaborate and share knowledge, and how to reach across this beautiful continent that has become a difficult place for our languages to live. In October of 2023 he invited me to the University at Buffalo for a wonderful language conference with speakers from North, Central, and South America.
In his honor, I will continue my work with a love for him as a human being. In his memory, I will think more about ways I can help others and reach out for help to lessen the stress and hardship that a life of language reclamation tends to bring. i x̱six̱án, ax̱ x̱ooní. — X̱’unei Lance Twitchell
Monty, I am so honored to have been your friend and cohort fellow of 2020. Our last meeting in Phoenix will forever be memorable because you offered the tobacco ceremony, like when we had our cohort meetings during the Covid pandemic where you would selflessly offer prayers to each us. Sending you fond aloha and good thoughts. Travel well my friend. I will see you again one day.
Na ke Akua a me nā ʻaumakua e alakaʻi iā ʻoe i kahi e hoʻomaha loa. — Lloyd Harold Kumulaʻau Sing Jr.
My brother, your smile, laughter has always made our hearts full. Your language is a tribute of your journey and legacy you paved for your people. Your work will live on for generations to come. May you be meet by those generations before you and your ancestors. — Clarence Cruz
I met this fine young man on March 24, 2025, at the FNDI Convening in Chandler, AZ. I will never forget his opening prayer for us in Chandler, AZ. His smile was so engaging with much pride! I was so impressed with his spirituality and the love for his tribal language and ceremonies. Deepest condolences to his family and tribe. This great loss is felt in Reno, Nevada — Michon (Northern Paiute-Western Shoshone)
Monty will be truly missed by his Tuscarora Community, and by the Haudenosaunee Language community as well. Monty was passionate about his work and always willing to share. All I an think of is our time at the fellowship gathering, and the energy he shared with us all. Prayers for everyone who knew him. — Damian Webster
First Nations is grateful for having known Monty and for being able to spend time with him recently at the all-cohort gathering of the Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellowship in March 2025. We thank Monty for his many contributions to the fellowship, including leading the opening Tobacco Blessing at the convening.
