A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Dave “Sweet Knees” Richmond was a survivor and a winner. He endured combat tours in Vietnam where he was a member of the US Army’s Rangers. He lived through the troubles of 1979-80 as one of the leaders of the Mohawk Nation men, keeping them calm, showing them through example how to control their emotions, how to take a stand without having to resort to bluster and anger. Dave defended the Nation, he stood for the rights of the people, he contributed to the rise of Mohawk nationalism. He believe...
The fact is the only entity blocking anything on Akwesasne territory is the United States. Acting without consultation with the united Mohawk leadership the Americans made a decision to interfere with our aboriginal, and treaty, right to cross from one area of our homelands to another. The US border forces are armed and, unlike the Canadians, will not leave their posts because of an imagined threat to their security.They will not be pushed, prodded or pressured to do anything which compromises their tough stance on border security issues. So...
Well fed, confident and healthy the young Mohawks did what they do best when they are at ease-they danced. The Smoke Dance competition at Kawehnoke was not simply an affirmation of youth and talent but an affirmation of the joy which is at the heart of Onkwehonwe culture. The drum, the songs, the dancing is said to attract the Thunder Beings as they move about the earth, carried by the wind and bringing the sky waters. At this event, the dancing attracted others besides Akwesasnorons. While the...
A few weeks ago I wrote a column for IT in which I called for a national meeting of the Mohawk people to address the border issue since this is a concern for all of us whether we live in Kahnawake, Kanehsatake, Wahta, Tyendinaga or Oshweken. It is now a crisis which will effect Native people across the continent and calls for the active, visible participation of other nations must be sent far and wide. Our Mohawk Nation leaders should send an appeal for international support including asking human rights observers to come to Akwesasne to...
On June 1 the US will exercise its law enforcement muscles by trying to impose new border crossing rules on all Native people with the citizens of the Mohawk Nation a particular target. The Americans are betting that if they can muzzle us the other pesky redskins will fall in line. Never mind that they will have breached the spirit and letter of the Jay Treaty or violated our aboriginal rights. What they plan to do is create Fortress America at our expense. In the past, we have reacted to these kinds of anti-Mohawk tactics by organizing the...
It is beneficial for us to remember our history, both personal and communal, since the events of the past flow through our lives, giving it dimension, direction and power. Some of those occurrences may not be pleasant but we must learn from them nonetheless and what better time than the annual Jake Fire Day to take part of that 24 hours to recall from whence we came. John Fire is the Mohawk man martyred by the Canadian government for his stand against the armed invasion of Akwesasne by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1899. He stood to...
The following list of commonly used techniques will be helpful in “burglar-proofing” your reserves, and your rights. GAIN THE INDIANS CO-OPERATION - It is much easier to steal someone’s human rights if you can do it with his OWN co-operation. So… Make him a non-person. Human rights are for people. Convince Indians their ancestors were savages, that they were pagan, that Indians were drunkards. Make them wards of the government. Make a legal distinction, as in the Indian Act, between Indians and persons. Write history books that tell half th...
The NYSPA is the ultimate “Indian giver”. We, as a community, have an absolute right to Niionenhiaseko:wane (Barnhart Island). It was never sold to anyone. It is ours as are the waters, which flow on both sides of the island. We have a right to demand a fair percentage of the profits generated from the St. Lawrence Power Dam. We made a huge mistake when we agreed not to challenge the licensing of the dam. In 1988 we estimated we could have assessed an annual fee of over $33,000,000 for the use of our land and water. That amount would be...
For the past 10 years I have been involved with the World Parliament of Religions, first as a presenter at its conference in Cape Town, South Africa in 1999 and then as an organizer in Barcelona Spain in 2004 and now as a member of the Parliament’ Indigenous Task Force which has the duty of insuring the planet’s native peoples will have a dynamic presence when the 12,000 delegates, representing all religions, arrive in Melbourne, Australia this December. The notice in last week’s IT was to remind the Mohawk community we have an historic oppor...
Our community is learning a number of hard lessons this winter. On February 24 the US Supreme Court once again slapped down a Native people when it ruled the Narragansetts of Rhode Island cannot place their lands into trust since they were not a “recognized” tribe at the time of the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. A very effective trap if you are an Iroquois nation since we rejected the IRA at Akwesasne and therefore are precluded from expanding our existing lands under current American law. This ruling will effect the St....
The movie “Frozen River” features exceptional acting by Melissa Leo worthy of her Oscar nomination. But it is not a great movie. Its setting is on an unnamed Mohawk reservation located astride the St. Lawrence River. Perhaps the producers had difficulty with the name “Akwesasne” or they elected not to consult (hence obtain the approval of) the Mohawk Nation but it is odd to see a road sign marking Native territory cut in half as if anonymity is part of the film’s setting. Smuggling, as the central activity of the film, is shown as not simp...
A few readers have asked over the past year why we haven’t reviewed the film Frozen River or written anything about it. The film is set in Akwesasne and was originally filmed here. There are a few reasons. First, I haven’t seen it. Second, I‘ve been hoping that it would quietly just go away. Third, I haven’t had cooperation from the film’s director, Courtney Hunt, in writing an article on it. Without an interview with Hunt, I’m unable to write a fair and unbiased article, so an editorial is the only option I have. The following is everything...
We are all the inheritors of our individual and collective histories. From the colour of our eyes to the way in which we see the world we are products of a unique heritage rooted in what has happened before. We act in accordance with a combination of personal experiences within the circle of familial, communal, national and international events both of human and natural origins. We cite historic events as a way of marking time, as sources of conversation and generational identification. We are cloaked in history; we would be wise to extract f...
I was present at the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as President of the United States on January 20 in Washington, DC. This was actually the fourth ‘swearing in” ceremony I have witnessed with the other three being in 1981, 1993 and 2001. The latest one was by far the most crowded with estimates ranging from 1.5 to 2 million people there. I believe the latter is correct since there were over 250,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial concert a couple of days previous and the inauguration one was much larger. Despite all predictions of an hi...
In the summer of 1687 a young English mathematician named Isaac Newton issued his three laws of physics based upon his observations of the natural world. His conclusions have resonated across the centuries and form the basis of all contemporary technologies, sciences and philosophies. These laws also hold true with regards to human behavior and have meaning for the Haudenosaunee as we struggle to sustain a distinct society as well preserve our formal treaty relationships with the United States and Canada, the successor to Britain. In the past...
On December 15 New York Governor David Paterson caved into a combination of convenience store owners and anti-Native sovereignty groups when he signed into law a bill which will compel the collection of state taxes on tobacco products delivered to Iroquois communities. The bill is also part of an attempt by the governor to respond to a massive state deficit estimated to be around $15,000,000,000. The supporters of the bill claim hundreds of millions of dollars of potential revenue are being lost because businesses on Indian territory do not...
On November 14 Ray Fadden-Tehanetorens left this world to begin his journey along the stars back to the Creator’s land, a place of living light where we will be embraced by those who have gone on before. His leaving means we will no longer have his counsel. His voice has been taken from us, we must make it through this life without his wisdom or his words of encouragement. He was, without doubt, one of the great human beings of our history, a true Onkwehonwe who fulfilled his duties with h...
For those who think that the events on Wall Street and the subsequent downward spiral of the US economy does not have an immediate affect on their lives they should realize that as it goes with the Americans so it goes with us. Every Mohawk family will be caught up in the recession as the free flowing money of the past generation begins to dry up. First will be the construction industry with new home purchases decreasing meaning less demand for electricians, carpenters, masons and plumbers. Large projects demanding the specific skills of ironwo...
When Skennenrahowi walked among the Iroquois 850 years ago he sought not only to bring an end to war through the creation of the Great Law of Peace but also created a society in which women were assured of their natural liberties as free human beings. He acknowledged that women were the lifegivers of the planet and as such carried a great responsibility to nurture and protect our sacred mother earth for all time to come. Along with this status came great political ad spiritual powers for it was the women who cultivated the land and it was they...
After five decades, and two full generations, the Mohawks can sit on the shores of Kaniatarowanenneh, our ‘big river”, and see the great and permanent changes the St. Lawrence Seaway has brought about to our lives. Once we were masters of the rapids, a people strong and healthy who were known throughout the world for our ability to take delicate watercraft into areas others feared. From our homes astride the Big River we guided the courier des bois deep into the continental interior as no other group was as adept as the Mohawks in nav...
Becoming an elder among the Mohawk people means being acknowledged as one who has weathered the many trials of life and, somehow, acquired a bit of wisdom which, according to our customs, is to be shared with the younger generations. But when does one become an elder? Some would say the sixth decade, others the seventh while some may believe it is not determined by years but the number of gray hairs lightly blowing across the scalp. Or maybe it is attached to the list of physical ailments we can boast about-proud evidence of those wild and...
This past week I had the opportunity to witness a positive event at Akwesasne, which may well lead to the resolution of the tobacco trade issue. A group of men from the Kanienkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonhsesne met with Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Grand Chief Tim Thompson in an atmosphere of mutual respect to discuss the movement of tobacco products across Mohawk territory. All participants were concerned about the incident on May 27 in which the MCA police attempted to effect the arrest of a resident of Kawehnoke as that person was attempting t...
I have had the honour, and duty, of serving the Mohawk Nation Council as one of its land claims negotiators from 1984 to 1991. I took a firm, unyielding stance against the United States-New York State offer to exchange (meaning extinguish) sections of our aboriginal territory at Akwesasne for a few million dollars and a few thousand acres of forest astride the St. Regis River. When commercial gambling became available Governor Mario Cuomo adopted the tactic of offering casinos for land, which was rightfully rejected by the Nation. One of the...
On a recent trip to the southwest I had the opportunity to listen to the concerns of Native people in that region. They, like the Haudenosaunee, are worried about the loss of their indigenous languages, the intrusion of the media on the youth, widespread substances abuses, the overall decline in health for all age groups and the excesses of Indian governments across the continent. Most worrisome for many was the removal of Natives from tribal roles for what many claimed were personal vendettas. They also believed it was an increasingly...
There is a saying that we never quite appreciate what we have until it is gone. That is as true of our friends and relatives as it is of our material possessions. The passing of time compels changes, which means we lose things and people as we journey through life. But it is important to stop, rest, reflect and look back; to remember the trail. From March 28-30 students and faculty from the University of Buffalo organized an event which brought together dozens of community leaders to rec...
