What is a Nation?

By Doug George-Kanentiio.

Exactly what is a nation? According to international law a nation is a group of people with a common culture, history, language and identity who inhabit a defined land area and have a distinct, independent government. A nation is able to govern its external and internal affairs, may engage in formal relations with other entities, has the capacity to enter into treaties and other compacts and has the means to provide for the needs of its people.

A nation must have an administrative element to carry out its policies. Under a democracy a nation has a government which is a servant of the people and whose members are selected by popular will to carry out those programs and policies the people deem of importance. A nation must be more than a mere symbol. It must be more than a conductor of spiritual rituals. It is empowered by its citizens to provide justice and security while addressing such vital needs as housing, food, employment, economic development, education, public works, environmental preservation, health care and whatever else the people require.

Failure to do the basic things causes disruption, disharmony, confusion and conflict. When a government willfully abandons these obligations it must be changed, its leaders recalled, and new ones given the duty of forming a new administration.

At Akwesasne there are three councils, two of which actually respond to the real needs of the community. The St. Regis Tribal Council and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne are composed of members subject to elections. They have the capacity to deliver essential programs to the people. While some of what they do may be subjected to criticism no one can deny that our health is better, our education systems stronger, our elders better cared for, our homes more secure and our collective wealth in better shape than ever before. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic by the two “elected” councils was immediate and effective which saved many lives especially among the most vulnerable.

As one who has a brother under the care of the excellent staff at Tsiionkwanonhso:te and a stepmother at Iakhihsohtha I am impressed and grateful for their respective compassion and care. The current elder and medical care available to Akwesasronon are among the best anywhere in Indian country and for that both councils merit our respect and praise.

What does concern me is the silence coming from the Mohawk Nation Council. I have listened to many people and they also are worried that the MNC is not fulfilling its responsibilities as a government. It does oversee the critical spiritual rituals which define the ethics and culture of the Mohawk people but nothing else. It has not adequately responded to the other elements by which a nation is defined. It does not have an administrative arm. It does not deliver any services, it does not take a leadership role in areas involving land, justice or International relations. In fact, anything involving actual governance is left to the Tribe and MCA which places those thousands of Mohawks who refer to themselves as “traditional” in an awkward position.

If they are true to their principles, then they must instinctively oppose any activity which qualifies the Nation’s standing as an independent state. They must stand against alien laws and the policing mechanisms by which those laws are enforced. They must insist that culture and language preservation be at the core of all educational programs. They must also take a strong position against environmental degradation. They must also have their leaders take an active part in creating an economy based on their ancestral values. In short, what makes them distinct as Mohawks, they must do.

But what happens when the Nation itself neglects to protect its status as something which exists as separate under law? Skennenrahowi, the Peacemaker, did not just give our ancestors wonderful ceremonies but he taught the people the elements of good government and then created a method of leadership in which the needs of the people were addressed by the first Mohawk Nation Council. There were disruptions in our history, particularly after the American Revolution, but the essence of traditional governance was carried on.

It is not that way now.

The rotiane and an iakoiane are not simply ceremonial. They cannot restrict themselves to culture or spirituality. Those parts of our identity do not provide food, housing, medical care, justice or jobs. They must have the skills and knowledge to actually govern and not simply issue edicts which few people follow. Taking a moral stance on any issue without consulting the people or securing their support is self-defeating and diminishes the Council’s standing.

I would propose a series of classes on the elements of governance within the traditional customs and laws of the Mohawk Nation, to examine how the Nation was created as a government and what it did in former times to direct the collective resources of the people to areas of communal needs. Before any candidate for leadership is selected, they must accept governance as a part of their duties and not simply hold ceremonies, as essential as they are.

I am confident that the St. Regis Tribe and the MCA will work with a functioning Mohawk Nation Council to acknowledge it as representative of all Mohawk people if it demonstrates the capacity to govern as it does not currently. It will be the will of the Mohawk people which can make this a reality by insisting the Council do its job as a government in all of its definitions. Symbolism is not enough.