Haudenosaunee Confederacy News

•• Spring is on its way. Some people saw some robins. I’ll look at that as positive news. We can only wait and see what the Creator has for us.

•• The Haudenosaunee Documentation committee is comprised of representatives from the Nations as selected by the Councils. Sitting on the committee for the northern portion of our territories is Chief Al Day (Oneida, condoled), Brian Doolittle and Paul Williams for Six nations and a condoled chief from the Mohawk Nation who resides in Kanesahtake, Curtis Nelson. Howard Thompson, condoled chief, attends the meetings to know and understand what is going on with the ID cards.

Paul Williams has been working diligently with Canada’s different departments to get a meeting to discuss Haudenosaunee I.D. cards. The work finally paid off when the Haudenosaunee Documentation Committee (via Paul) was told a meeting had been scheduled for Monday, February 21st in Ottawa. Scheduled to be at the meeting:

Indian and Northern Affairs, Canadian Border Services (CBSA), Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (CIS). From the native perspective, the representatives included Assembly of First Nations Richard Jock, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Grand Chief Mike Mitchell, Chief Rachel Roundpoint, Karla Ransom and a MCA consultant. Haudenosaunee Documentation committee members Paul Williams, Thomas Deer, Howard Thompson and Al Day.

The discussion and presentation(s) were on one item only: I.D. cards.

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne’s Grand Chief introduced their concept of an ID card and then their consultant gave a power point presentation. The Haudenosaunee then gave the history of the I.D. card, the process to get to this point and what is needed at this point.

No other issues were addressed or discussed. At the end of the meeting, the ADM of Indian and Northern Affairs, Elizabeth said the information would be received by the three departments involved in the meeting and schedule further meetings.

•• Update on Iroquois Nationals attending the World Box Games in Prague, Czechoslovakia. It looks like the team will be off to Prague using the Haudenosaunee passport and a Czech Visa. The Czechoslovakian government has given permission for the Iroquois Nationals to enter their country.

On another note, the team roster has been reduced to 30 players. Please check the Nationals website for the players names.

•• The Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs will not meet this month, February. See you in March. Look for date and time. Oneh.