Kahwatsi:re – Our Family Fire – Honoring Ancestor Veterans

By Tom Cook - Kanataken:iate. President Akwesasne Genealogy & Historical Society

Akwesasne's Genealogy and Historical Society, Kahwatsi:re, was pleased to sponsor its 2024 Heritage Gathering March 2 at the Mohawk school. The theme was to recognize and honor our military veterans from the Revolutionary war to the present. Equally honored in the theme was the history of our foundational families – what our Mohawk people have lived, suffered, endured and overcome, to make the community we have today.

The day, which was full of displays, photos, videos, talks exchanges, and food, also memorialized the historically significant Akwesasne ancestor, Col. Atiataharon:kwen Louie Cook, the first major Mohawk veteran, who fought as an ally to George Washington in the American cause against British Colonial forces. With the prestige of a notable warrior chief, and chosen Mohawk community representative, Col. Atiataharon:kwen Louie Cook was instrumental in securing from the new United States the reservation lands presently owned by the Akwesasne Mohawk people.

A main event of the day was the presentation by Gerald Taiaiake Alfred of his new book, It's All About the Land. Taiaiake traced recent political currents in the United States and Canada, describing the difficult times Native people will continue to face, and thoughts on how to work to unite and gain victories for land and self-determination against the present-day colonial systems. The veteran Mohawk author and activist from Kahnawake brought a few copies of his recent book, which promptly sold out.

The day began with a thanksgiving, in song, by Bear Fox; then six military veterans from Post 1479 lined up for an honor song by traditional singer, Mark Light, and presentation of a Pendleton blanket for Commander Mike Cook. A satin star quilt red, white, and blue blanket was also gifted to Jack Leaf, Akwesasne's remaining WWII vet and 99 years of age.

I followed with a talk on ancestor Col. Atiataharon:kwen Louie Cook, again, on this ancestor veteran's role in securing the land we have today and directed folks to take copies of a 12-page article by Michael M Wood on Col. Cook's life and war record spanning 60 years, published by the Society of the Cincinnati.

I thought it important to correct the notion that the four ancestors who signed our 1796 treaty had no authority to do so. This erroneous piece of historical disinformation is confounded by a February 4, 1796, letter to President George Washington from the Seven Nations of Canada, provided by tribal member Rene' Garcia of the White family, living in North Carolina. In the letter, twenty chiefs of the Seven Nations attested to their appointment of "the four bearers" to act on their behalf in upcoming treaty negotiations. The letter and other historical materials were displayed on a table, flanking a recent commemorative portrait of Col. Cook by Mohawk artist, Dave Fadden.

Anontaks Barreiro, researcher and office organizer at Kahwatsi:re, was a central coordinator for the Heritage Gathering along with Jaimee Lazore. I thank them for this strong recent work. As researcher this past year, under the direction of Society founder, Bernice Lazore, Barreiro assisted our research at the National Archives in D.C.

The project, which I reported on briefly, was to photograph the 1901-1904 St. Regis applications for the Kansas money due to be paid out at that time. This is an interesting and little-explored piece of our community history. Our tribe was pressured to relocate to Kansas during the Indian Removal era but mostly they would not go. We photographed four of nine boxes of applications in the National Archives, of about 600 total. We plan to return there for the rest of them, having discovered that 32 St. Regis Mohawk families had indeed left here in the 1850's and taken allotments in Kansas; we're interested to find who they were and if they're still around.

It is this reaffirmation of our kinship relations, through our extended families, that characterizes the genealogical and historical work of Kahwatsi:re. Our work is about the history and kinship lineages of Mohawk families, and we hope to generate more community forums, on a range of subjects, intending always to have programs conducted with mutual respect among all participants.

Also at Heritage Fair, Researchers Aimee Benedict and Elly King displayed Charles Cooke's 6,000 Mohawk names, meanings, clan affiliations and origins. Over his lifetime, Cooke, a noted scholar from Oka, completed this monumental collection work in 1954. Many of the attendees lined up to see what their names meant and where the names come from.

During lunch, a video of Col Cook's life was played, being one of several of his life on You Tube.

Lillian Barton from the Tribe's THPO office made a presentation on organized record-keeping, maintenance tips on how to handle daily mail, emphasizing the importance of keeping certain records safely. She described the extensive archive of the tribe and their method of organization.

Five representatives from Cornwall Museum and Historical Society attended, being our longtime collaborators with research and French translations. We viewed their new video production, and all Akwesasne was invited to this June's celebration of 240 years since the founding of Cornwall (originally Johnstown).