Haudenosaunee Confederacy News

The Iroquois Nationals under 19 Field Lacrosse team played Brown University’s Varsity Team on Saturday, February 18, 2012 and lost 11 to 7. The game was at Brown University in Rhode Island. The U-19 team is carrying 36 players at this time but they will be reducing the number of players down to 30. The final team going to Finland will carry 23 players, as is the rule of the Federation of International Lacrosse Association.

The games take place in the first two weeks of July/2012.

• The Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs will be hosting a meeting at the Longhouse on Saturday, February 25, 2012 starting at 10:00am. Mohawks from other communities will be attending.

• A Haudenosaunee Peace and Trade meeting was held on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at the Onondaga Nation cook house.

1. The Cayuga Issue: legal counsel reported that all briefs had been submitted by the deadline date to the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. It is now a waiting period of 30 days for a ruling (decision) by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

2. Chris Abrams gave a detailed report on the Standing Committee on Funerary Rites and Objects held on Monday, February 6, 2012 at the Onondaga Nation (reported in last week’s Indian Time).

3. The Haudenosaunee Nation’s leadership will be tackling a tax issue with the Federal Government. Documents were distributed to the Nations to carry back to their nation for discussion and strategizing.

4. The Haudenosaunee will be working with a Dutch group from New York City on the 400 year commemoration of the Two Row Wampum Belt with the Dutch. The Onondagas will take the lead on this event.

5. A special Peace and Trade meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 23rd to discuss the upcoming Native American Indigenous People’s Caucus scheduled for March in Niagara Falls. This is a prelude to the United Nations meetings in May.

• A new movie about Native Americans playing lacrosse will be released in April, 2012. There are many Haudenosaunee lacrosse players in the movie. The Onondaga Nation has invested in the movie and Neal Powless was an advisor. He will be listed in the credits.

Planning is underway for a special showing here in a local theater and to use the movie as an Iroquois National’s U-19 fundraiser. Watch for details.

• The Mohawk Nation Longhouse faith keepers burned tobacco at a maple tree to give thanks and ask that the Maple water/syrup start to flow. Faith keepers, leadership and people attended the ceremony.

• Upcoming ceremonies at the Mohawk Nation are Okiweh, Maple Tree, Maple Ceremony and Thunder. Read Indian Time and listen to CKON for dates, time and what to bring.

That’s for this week. Have a great weekend.