A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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By Doug George-Kanentiio I have written previously the current issues involving the use of cannabis and its attendant controversy began with the racial fanaticism of Harry J. Anslinger, the director of the US office of narcotics, and William Randolph Hearst, the infamous “yellow journalism” newspaper publisher of the early 20th century. Both despised ethnic minorities and sought to attack and undermine people of color by pressuring the federal government into making marijuana, a recreational substance with no known additive qualities, into maki...
By Doug George-Kanentiio, Akwesasne Mohawk One of the more admirable traits of the Mohawk people is the ability to shake things up, to disturb the complacent, to agitate, confront and demand. It was no mere chance that Skennenrahowi, the Peacemaker, decided to enter Mohawk territory first as they had the most formidable reputation, one based on cruelty, vengeance and plain meanness. His reasoning was that if he could shift the Mohawks away from being artists of war to proponents of peace, he could affect similar changes in any people, at any...
By Doug George-Kanentiio When I watch the reports of the thousands of people coming north from their homelands in Central America I do not see Hondurans, Guatemalans, El Salvadorians; I see Indigenous people, our southern kin, fleeing countries which have become overwhelmed by vicious gangs whose drug money comes directly from sales made in the United States. Those gangs use violence to force compliance and terror to recruit new members. The national police agencies have been incapable of protecting their citizens resulting in the painful...
By Doug George-Kanentiio Under traditional custom when an issue is presented to the people requiring their approval or denial everyone, regardless of gender or age, has a right to be heard. However, it is not enough to oppose an issue but to have an explanation as to why and to, when asked, provide an alternative. Through this means we may understand other perspectives while respecting the right to dissent but with the intent of reaching consensus. When I witnessed this at the Longhouse among the former generation, I was impressed with the...
By Doug George-Kanentiio Some years ago, when I was a member of the Mohawk Nation Land Claims Committee, the State of New York, then led by Governor Mario Cuomo, offered us a deal to resolve the theft of our lands by that entity. Cuomo’s lead attorney was Robert Batson, an amicable guy who resembled the actor Stanley Tucci (from the Hunger Games movie among many other roles). Batson submitted one proposal which consisted of the entire Brasher State Forest, about 24,000 acres. Also, forthcoming would be a cash settlement and the return of the St...
Rahiá:tons: Doug George-Kanentiio Kanón:no Ohstoronón:ke Tsi Thonten'nikonhroria'táhkhwa nahé:'a ié:keskwe tánon takahsetánion iahá:khewe ónhka ne Onkwehón:we rón:nehre kwáh aonhá:'a thatihsennowá:nens ne 20th teiohsénhseronte. Kwáh í:ken tsi ion'wé:sen ahsatahónhsatate tánon ahshehshennarónnion. Wa'kheri'wanón:tonhse ne sha'orì:wa Ononta'kehá:ka, Shotinontowanen'há:ka, Onenio'te'á:ka, Kaia'khó:no, Kanien'kehá:ka tánon Tehatihskaró:roks. Ókia'ke iokwenhrá:ron ronwatiia'tarákwen, tánon ókia'k...
By Doug George-Kanentiio I was at the New York State Fair recently and took an informal poll as to who the Onkwe think are our great heroes of the 20th century. It was most interesting to listen and write down the names. I asked Onondagas, Senecas, Cayugas, Oneidas, Mohawks and Tuscaroras the same question. There were regional selections, but others seemed to be universal. My only qualifier was that the heroes were those who have gone into the Spirit World, so we would have a clear summation of their lives. That we have heroes is critical to...
By Doug Kanetiio George Rather than celebrate 60 years of generating what it calls “environmentally and socially conscious” hydro-electricity that entity, composed by the New York Power Authority and the Ontario Power Generation company should have used the event to express their regret and concern as to the enormous harm the Robert Saunders Dam and the Seaway itself have caused to the Mohawk people, to the area’s water and to its air and land. The generating of cheap power resulting in the flooding of Mohawk lands, the destruction of additiona...
By Doug George-Kanentiio, Akwesasne Mohawk When current US Rep. Claudia Tenney began her campaign for national office there was hope among many Native people that she would become an advocate for those concerned about the lack of human rights on tribal territory. Most Americans would be appalled to learn that the Bill of Rights, those entrenched freedoms for which many have died to protect, are not applicable to Native residing on lands designated as “Indian Country” by the US federal government. This means the right to free speech, to peaceabl...
One of the basic rights of any people is to decided who, and who is not, a member. This determination is done among families, religious groups, fellowship lodges, motorcycle clubs and nations. It is one of the most important elements in defining true sovereignty along with culture, jurisdiction, land and history. The Mohawk Nation has long had a rational and methodical way to acknowledge citizenship. It could be a status resulting from being born on Mohawk territory to parents recognized as citizens or it could be secured by following the path...
By Doug George-Kanentiio During the weekend of June 16-17 many Akwesasnorons took to the area’s waters to enjoy the early summer by swimming, fishing and cruising the rivers and touring the islands. They may have noticed the absence of indigenous birds like the egret, heron, loons and terns, all driven from their nests by the double breasted cormorant, an invasive animal with no place in our region. These birds are greedy, homely and aggressive. They devastate the fish, destroy trees and contaminate the soil wherever they colonize. Their d...
Credit goes to the Mohawk leadership for trying to find a way to relieve the extraordinarily high utility rates paid by homes throughout Akwesasne. Those costs take a major bite out of the budgets for the families, a situation which is galling whenever one drives across the International Bridges, looks to the west and sees the St. Lawrence Power Dam, the largest source of hydro electrical power in the region-and knowing that both the land and the water used by that facility are a part of our resources, never ceded, never sold. The amount of...
When the Creator - Sonkwaiatison (in Mohawk) - planted the trees of the world a decision was made to make Wahta (the Maple tree), the chief of all trees. Not only did the maple carry the words of humans to his relatives but to that species was given another task. In this part of the world the winter months may be long and cold, the land covered in heavy blankets of snow which makes food difficult to come by and would push the Mohawk people closer to their longhouse fires. The Creator noticed that the people would become ill for lack of fresh...
Who was Harry Anslinger (1892-1975) and how did he come to have a deep effect on the Mohawks of Akwesasne? To begin with we need to understand the product Mr. Anslinger director of the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Drug Enforcement Administration) from 1930-1962. Director Anslinger hated blacks, he hated jazz, he hated Mexicans. He believed their music and culture was polluting the rest of the United States and that the use of marijuana by musicians was the mark of a degenerative people, particularly African Americans who he accused...
The September decision by the Allergen drug company to enter into a contract with the St. Regis Tribal Council to protect its Restasis eye drug patent is drawing fire from members of the US Congress who are introducing legislation to strip all Native nations of the authority to enter into such agreements. The reaction has resulting in a significant downturn in the company’s stock. In one news report the following information is cited as a cause of concern for both the Tribe and Allergen: From the web site: www.minyanville.com dated October 1...
The following is a Sixties Scoop update from the law firm of Wilson Christen regarding the pending negotiations with Canada. Confidential discussions are taking place to attempt a Canada-wide settlement of the 60s Scoop. Chief Marcia Martel (Brown) believes these discussions may result in a resolution aligned with her vision, and the hopes of many survivors she has consulted within her community. She believes there is the strong potential, through these discussions, for achieving justice for all those who experienced harm. As a result, she has...
©By Doug George-Kanentiio In September of this year Indian Country Today, a weekly online information entity, announced it was suspending operations after 36 years in business, first on the Lakota territory under the ownership of Tim Giago before being purchased in 1998 by the Oneida Nation of New York, Inc. and moved from South Dakota to New York. As the former editor of Akwesasne Notes (1986-1992) I have strong opinions as to why ICT failed. Primarily it was the contrast between a community based news publication such as Akwesasne Notes and...
There are many stories regarding survival in rough times. Here is one. There once was a man who lived in fear about the future. He foresaw a time when there would be hunger and poverty, when the climate would be one of long cold weeks, as the ground lay frozen beneath a weak sun. He decided that he would secretly hoard all the food he could get along with other things he thought people would need and thereby come to him to trade for the things he did not have. For many weeks he gathered dried corn, hid away racks of smoked meat, dug deep holes...
From the beginning, when the Iroquois emerged as a distinct people thousands of years ago, they played lacrosse. It was a sport influenced by the observation of the natural world, of those species of birds and animals, which are engaged in contests for food, territory and for joy. The Iroquois taught the game to other Native nations until it became widely popular throughout North America long before the arrival of the immigrants from the east. It was the ideal means to channel the energy of the young into games in which they won individual...
Consider this: the Peacemaker had to have had formal training as an astronomer and mathematician. How else could he have managed to time the birth of the Confederacy with the total eclipse of the sun? And that was, perhaps, at 2:29 pm on August 22 in 1142 ACE. How could he have coordinated, planned and effected so many variables to come together at one time, at one place at that exact instance? Is there any other example of any enlightened teacher, anywhere on the planet, who managed to do something similar? Not just mark an eclipse but to have...
I had the great fortune to know A. Paul Ortega, the Apache musician and traditional healer who died on May 17 at his home in Mescalero Territory, New Mexico. Paul was a legendary musician who gave three historic albums to the world: Two Worlds (1964), Three Worlds (1969) and Loving Ways (1992). The last was with my wife Joanne Shenandoah and from that came a deep friendship characterized by humor, creativity and respect. Paul was one of the few Native musicians from the past generation who had their songs heard across the country, primarily by...
The General Real Estate Company (www.generalrealestate.us), with an address on Frogtown Road in “Hogansburg” NY has a curious, and controversial property listing with the cite of MLS #158999. The property for sale is described as 240 acres of “investment and development” land within a few hundred feet of the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino (it is actually further away) with “tribal water and sewer” (not connected but implied it could be). Besides the suggestion that the land could be a business site, the summation also notes that the property is...
For two days, April 27-28, my wife, Joanne Shenandoah, and I attended the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York City. There were a number of events to mark the 10th anniversary of the passage of the UN’s Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) which has now been endorsed by most nations of the world. UNDRIP was the culmination of decades of work by indigenous peoples to secure a permanent presence before the United Nations and its predecessor the League of Nations. From the time of the inception of t...
Over 875 years ago Skennenrahowi, the Peacemaker, brought his instructions to the warring Iroquois in an effort to persuade our ancestors to abandon violence and revenge as a response to disputes. He codified his message in an oral constitution by which a great abiding peace might be achieved. He also introduced rituals to initiate healing and to remove those emotions, which cloud rational thinking. But Skennenrahowi was not passive in the face of adversity. He did not become prone when confronted by threats. He did not retreat when his...
Last week’s History Summit chaired by Peter Garrow was one of those unique opportunities to share information and ideas as to one of the most important elements of Mohawk life. More so than most communities, Akwesasne had shown that a strong identity rooted in a common history can hold the people together despite what most would consider a people hopelessly divided into competing factions caused by the imposition of artificial boundaries and jurisdictions. There is no more divided Native community than Akwesasne, but it is this factor that caus...
