World Parliament a Unique Opportunity for the Mohawk Nation

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 opportunity to take a leading role in this event, the largest gathering of spiritual people in human history.

The World Parliament of Religions was formed in Chicago, Illinois 120 years ago and had is first international conference in 1894.  It remained dormant until the 1990’s when the need for an effective, sustained dialogue among the planet’s religions became obvious, and some would say, necessary.  The second session was again in Chicago in 1994 when the delegates decided to meet every five years at locations in different nations.  Chicago was followed by Cape Town, then Barcelona and now Melbourne. With each event the number of representatives has grown.  In Cape Town there were 6,000 attendees and in Barcelona 10,000 plus. For Melbourne planning is underway to accommodate 12-15,000 people.

The Parliament offers the best forum for people to learn about the many religious practices which define human spirituality.  There is nothing comparable to it anywhere.  During the Parliament Catholic priests, Muslim imams, rabbis, yogis, Buddhist monks, Protestant ministers and Native healers have the freedom to discuss their respective disciplines while becoming more sensitive to the concerns of others.

The central theme of this year’s session, scheduled for December 3-9th, will be planetary survival and the role of religions in reconciliation with the earth.  This is where the Mohawk Nation can provide much needed knowledge and demonstrate its leadership.  There will be over 450 sessions of which the indigenous peoples have been given 60.

Invitations will be sent by the Task Force to Native representatives in

all continents with the aboriginal people of Australia serving as hosts.

Already Jake Swamp has been designated as a primary spokesperson for North American native peoples along with Oren Lyons of the Onondaga Nation. Leading the list of performers at the Sacred Music concert will be Joanne Shenandoah of the Oneidas.   But we need many more Iroquois and additional Mohawks.

We will have a special pre-conference assembly of Native peoples spread out over 3 days prior to the formal beginning of the World Parliament.  We expect speakers from northern Europe, Africa, Asia, Central and South American and Oceana. Since our people live closest to the earth we will be expected to address the issues of environmental change and the means by which we may address the needs of other species through greater spiritual sensitivity.

Ideally, the Mohawks would have a large, cohesive group capable of

expressing our perspective on the environment while taking an active

role in forming alliances.  Akwesasne has a formidable talent pool to

draw from in this regards.

As a Task Force member I have proposed to the Parliament an inclusive Mohawk team led by Jake Swamp. We would, if the support we need is secured, have a filmmaker such as Tsionni Fox of Salmon River there to record the events while also capable of talking about the traditional

role of women in Iroquois society.  We plan to have a panel discussion on the “sacred and sport” with Dr. Phil Arnold of Syracuse. Add to this would be someone like Raweras Mitchell to not only explain the Mohawk perspective on lacrosse but to teach the fundamentals of the game to aboriginal youth.  We may have students from the Akwesasne Freedom School to show how our traditional values can be the basis for an exciting school curriculum and to demonstrate how a Native language may endure even if surrounded by other cultures.

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne has a chance to send people who can show the ways in which traditional healing methods are used in a contemporary medical facility and to have one of its representative’s lectureon the intricacies of land claims negotiations, an important element in the lives of the aboriginals of Australia.  Paul Williams, an MCA attorney, might be sent to address colonialism and its effect on Native nations. He can be joined by Vaughn Sunday of the Economic Development Office since meaningful, culture based employment is a vital part of a community’s well being.

We’d like to have Mohawk delegates who have talent in the arts; singers, dancers, visual artists.  We have many multi-talented people at Akwesasne who are not only athletes but speakers, not only technical experts but people who have a sense of rhythm.  We need a group similar to the old White Roots of Peace, people of integrity who are as eager to learn as they are to instruct.  They also need to look good and be dressed in a truly Mohawk style.  We need at least 12, and preferably, 24, Mohawks to attend the World Parliament as there is much to do.

There will be tangible results for the Nation.  First will be a change in the way in which organized religions see the world and the place of human beings within the cycle of creation.  If we are to survive as a species this must be done and it can be done best by altering the way in which we see the natural world.  We have a beautiful philosophy, a way of thinking, which the world needs to know and learn from.

There will also be the chance to form alliances with other native nations for the exchange of ideas and goods.  I was in Melbourne a month ago to scout the city for our conference and observed that the aboriginal residents of that city of over 3,000,000 have exactly the same concerns as Natives in the US and Canada.  They worry about assimilation, loss of language, erosion of culture.  They have the same problems as we do: alcohol abuse, poor health, displacement and racism.

We can show them how the Mohawks deal with these issues and learn new techniques from them.

We can show the entire Parliament that the Mohawk Nation not only endures but is expanding.  We can make connections with other nations which in turn will serve us as we move towards greater control over our ancestral lands and resources. We can find new ways to communicate across national borders, add new friends and change the course of human history.

The budget I submitted to the MCA allows for all of this.  It gives the Mohawk Nation the best opportunity to protect itself.

Anyone Akwesasnorens who may have an idea for a conference panel or wants to take part contact me directly at: [email protected].