Akwesasne Needs its People

Akwesasne Needs its People

We’ve always dealt with strife in Akwesasne and, for the most part, we’ve risen to the challenges we’ve faced. Ideally these challenges give us an opportunity to remind ourselves who we are as Akwesasronon and Onkwehonwe, or at least who we are supposed to be. We have no problem standing against outside entities, but now there is a new enemy that is slowly diminishing our nationhood and our identity as a people more effectively than the white man could have ever hoped. If Akwesasne’s people don’t step up, we’re going to look back at our history and remark that Oxys (and other drugs) did a much better job destroying our people than small pox blankets ever could have.

Arguments aside that Oxys were introduced to our community by the white man or that there’s some sort of pharmaceutical company conspiracy (which may be true), we, as a community need to be responsible for ourselves; that’s part of what it means to be a nation. We fly our flags and wear camouflage for YouTube, but too many of us are sitting back and letting this current drug epidemic go too far. We are allowing ourselves to be distracted by the easier fights and have not been willing to take on the real challenge of protecting our people. The reality is, this drug epidemic is killing our nation and we need to do something, everyone needs to do something soon.

We cannot afford to throw stones at one another for past indiscretions, especially if they’ve changed their ways. We can’t afford to hang our heads in shame for things we may have done wrong, if we’re now making better choices. When we look back at this time in our history the only thing we’ll have to hang our heads about is if we do nothing. If everyone who lived in a “glass house” or who “called the kettle black” was shamed into silence, the drug dealers and this drug will win. Everyone has the ability to make different choices and right now I don’t think we can afford to have our people standing on the sidelines, silent.

I implore our people to stand up for our children and our Nation. I’ve learned that we have young men and women who are prostituting themselves for this drug. We have dealers who laugh while they force our young people to engage in horrendous acts in exchange for this drug. We have a few parents who’ve even offered their children in exchange for this drug. Try yourself to come up with a list of everyone you know who’s died from drug or alcohol abuse or related violence; its beyond sorrowful but how many more people will we have to lose before we take a stand? This is not who we are supposed to be. This is not our way. We can do better and as far as I know, there will not be another Peacemaker or Savior coming to us anytime soon – we’ve already been given the ways and knowledge to be a strong, healthy and good people; we need to help ourselves.

Simply offering silent support to those who are willing to stand up for our community is not enough. Our community needs you to take a stand. We brag about being strong Mohawk people, yet this little pill is bringing our Nation to its knees. I know we are stronger than this and I believe the vast majority of our people do not accept what is happening but the luxury of being a silent majority has long passed. Akwesasne needs its people to take a stand. Etho Nikonrhak.

Skennen,

Danielle Lazore-Thompson