Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign

Native Peoples and Allies Plan Campaign to Renew the Two Row Wampum 400 year-old treaty for peace and friendship to be marked with educational events and historic canoe trip

The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, a statewide educational initiative throughout 2013, announced the formal endorsement of the campaign by the Haudenosaunee Grand Council today. The campaign was initiated by Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, a project of the Syracuse Peace Council, and developed in partnership with the Onondaga Nation and members of other Haudenosaunee nations.

The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign promotes understanding and respect for the Native Nations to which we are all neighbors, and our common obligation to protect the environment, by holding educational events throughout the year and an epic canoe trip on the Hudson River to celebrate a 400- year-old treaty that forms the basis of diplomatic relations between the Haudenosaunee and the United States to this day.

“The Haudenosaunee see the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign as a valuable tool to raise awareness and knowledge of this historic agreement,” the Grand Council statement reads. “…this Wampum is called the Grandfather of all treaties as it established protocol for future agreements…”

Events will be held around the state featuring Haudenosaunee speakers covering a range of topics from history to hydrofracking, social dancing and other cultural sharing. The highlight of the campaign will be a thirteen-day trip down the Hudson River from July 28 to August 9, 2013 with Haudenosaunee and allies paddling side-by-side from Albany to NYC, enacting the imagery depicted by the Two Row Wampum, the Haudenosaunee documentation of the treaty.

The Two Row Wampum belt has three rows of white and two rows of purple beads made from quahog clam shells. One purple row represents the Haudenosaunee in their canoes and the other represents the Europeans in their ships, each carrying their way of life, culture and government (thus the Two Row Wampum).

“In the Two Row, we agreed that we will travel the river of life together, side-by-side,” explains Jake Edwards, of the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs. “One line represents a canoe carrying our laws, culture, language, government, and way of life; the other line represents the same for those who have come to this land. We will not try to steer each others’ boats, but travel side by side linked by peace, friendship, and forever, respecting the laws of our mother earth, natural law.”

“The concepts explained in the Two Row Wampum are not only the basis for all of the subsequent treaties between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch, French, English, and Americans, they provide a model for relations between our peoples in the modern era,” suggests Lindsay Speer of Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation. “Treaties are made by two peoples; we represent the other side of the treaty now.

The Haudenosaunee are still here, and deserve our respect and understanding. This campaign is about the present and future relations between our peoples.” “We urge governments such as the United States and Canada to ‘polish the Covenant Chain’ that binds this agreement and provides a process to work as Brothers to resolve our issues such as jurisdiction, land, water, treaty rights, self-governance and peace between all nations and Mother Earth,” the Grand Council statement explains.

Organizing for the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign has been underway for over a year in, acquiring over 60 co-sponsoring organizations and attracting an Honorary Advisory Committee including Jane Goodall, Joanna Macy, Bill McKibben, Leonard Peltier, Pete Seeger, Suzan Shown Harjo, Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney, and Haudenosaunee leaders.

Events are being planned for Albany, Rochester, NYC, Ithaca, and other locations throughout the state, particularly along the Hudson River. The current schedule of events can be found on their website http://www.honorthetworow.org.

You can follow the progress of the campaign on Facebook or Twitter @HonorTheTwoRow. Updated schedules will be available at http://www.honorthetworow.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

•Onondaga Paddlers to Albany

•Start: July 2, 2013 8:00 am - End: July 15, 2013 5:00 pm

On July 2, Onondaga Paddlers begin a trek to Albany, carrying the Two Row Wampum Belt in preparation for the Two Row trip down the Hudson beginning July 28. The group will leave the Onondaga Nation on the morning of July 2, travel up Onondaga Creek into the Inner Harbor where they will be joined by non-native ally paddlers for a Two Row paddle across Onondaga Lake landing at the festival at Willow Bay. Later that evening they will exit Onondaga Lake to the Seneca River, Oneida River, Oneida Lake, Erie Canal, the Mohawk River to the Hudson. Along the way they will be joined by paddlers from other Haudenosaunee Nations. The group will end their journey at Peebles Island on the Hudson River on Sunday, July 14.

Info: contact Hickory Edwards, 315-775-7548, Email: [email protected]

OTHER EVENTS INCLUDE:

•Two Row Festival Schenectady

•Saturday, July 13, 12 - 7 pm

Mabee Farm Historic Site, 1080 Main Street, Rotterdam Junction

An afternoon of music, storytelling, crafts and celebration as we welcome those who are biking the Mohawk River/Erie Canal Bike Path and the paddlers from the Six Nations arriving on the Mohawk River at the Mabee Farm. Contact: Pat Barrot (518) 887-5073

•Two Row Wampum Renewal Send-off Celebration Festival

•Saturday, July 27, 10 am - 5 pm

Russell Sage College, Troy, NY

Tom Porter, the Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers, Akwesasne Women Singers, children’s activities and much more. Contacts: Kevin Nephew at kenephew@

gmail.com or Lori Quigley at [email protected]