MNN. Mar. 28, 2013. On March 26, 2013, the MNN editor was invited to be the opening speaker at Champlain College in Sherbrooke Quebec. The topic was, “A Native Perspective on Canada’s Exploitation of Resources”. Two Mohawks, as is our custom, accompanied the speaker. They sat at a table facing the crowd.
Happy Champlain College students!
She did a traditional opening; explained the Seigneury of Sault Louis land,dispute which is returning vast areas to the Mohawk Nation; that Canada is not a state according to the Montevideo Convention of 1933; the genocide committed by the Jesuits, the storm troopers of the Catholic Church; the Great Peace of Montreal 1701 that created the official two row wampum relationship between the Indigenous and the visitors to Great Turtle Island; and Section 109 of the BNA Act 1867 that established the ever growing $50.3 trillion Indian Trust Fund. The presentation was legalistic and cautious.
Cartoons were inserted in the power point presentation to help them understand the basics. They were carefully taken step by step through the legal maze of their settlement history here on our land and their legal position today.
Champlain College debater.
The speaker received an ovation. Then the questions and comments began. Some in tears, said, “What happens to us?” “I came here because I love the Indians. After listening to you, now I hate them and I hate you!” “I didn’t do anything. My ancestors did.” “Why? Why are you telling us this?” “You have no feelings for us!” I instructed them to study the Great Law of Peace to help them understand our position.
The speaker, a 73-year old elder of the Mohawk Nation, tried to make light of the provocative jibes to calm them down. This made them madder. The discussion became more and more heated. Some students stomped out. Others heckled and smirked. The air became static with anger and threats. The speaker remarked, “The truth hurts”. Almost the entire student body jeered in astonishment. The three Mohawks could feel intense anger and were ready to deal with it. And they did.
Julian Assange: “Happens to me all the time”.
For a moment the crowd calmed down. Then the insults started again. The speaker was accused of “having no feelings”. The speaker answered, “Yes, the we have strong feelings about the genocide of 100 million people and the murder of half our children placed in your church run residential schools. No one has been charged or punished for this.” More angry words flew. None addressed the legitimate issues. The sound arguments backed them into a corner. It was like they were standing on their hind legs and were ready to jump the Mohawks.
Suddenly a teacher rose up. She reminded them that, “We wanted to hear the Indigenous side. You have to listen even if she turns it inside out”. The confrontation ended. They formed groups and began talking, some giving the Mohawks dirty looks.
“I don’t agree with your point of view”.
A native speaker should take at least three people security when they go into a potential hostile situation. Because of the rampant spread of the Owistah disease throughout the settler population, an adverse side affect is, when they don’t like the message, they might kill the messenger. As the Guess Who sang:Guns Guns Guns “You be the Red King and I’ll be the Yellow Pawn. Guns, guns, guns! Eagle all gone and no more caribou. God speed mother nature. Never really wanted to say good-bye”.
MNN Mohawk Nation News ka***********@ya***.com For more news, books, workshops, to donate and sign up for MNN newsletters, go to www.mohawknationnews.com More stories at MNN Archives. Address: Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0
as a white ‘canadian’ I thank you for your Truth
Wade, it takes a truly developed human being to hear a truth that is so uncomfortable and keep an open mind, without becoming defensive. In the long run this is what will set us all free. You have my respect.
thank you for standing up for the truth.
. The speaker answered, “Yes, the we have strong feelings about the genocide of 100 million people and the murder of half our children placed in your church run residential schools. No one has been charged or punished for this.” — Where do you get the 100 million number? I highly doubt there’s ever been 100 million indians at one time, making 100 million a number which seems like an over stretch. considering that’s more than the total of people killed in WW2, this is why nobody takes your claims seriously, they have no merrit. The Catholics just tried to help you guys, why can’t you just be happy they tried?
I am a Canadian of Metis and Norweigan heritage. I grew up with my Metis family. My grandmother was taken by the grey nuns when she was a child and what happened to her there left a legacy of pain that my family is still overcoming. This generation of my family is finally turning things around. We are awake and active in our families, work and communities. It has taken many years and a lot of courage for my family to heal from the help the catholics gave my grandmother. I know young First Nations people in their 20’s whose parents, grandparents…… generations of their families, endured the churches help. We Canadians have a lot of healing to do as a Nation. The first step is knowing the truth, as difficult as it may be to hear. It takes courage on the part of non aboriginals too. Once this is done we can all move forward as a country. However, we are not waiting for you, we can’t afford to. We are moving forward regardless. Much love and respect to the courageous people who dare to tell their truths and the ones who are willing to hear and learn.
So when the priest was raping my grand parents and my parents that is how they help them? And us, so that is how help looks.
help doesn’t look like that, i hope you were being sarcastic my step-brother said when he was alive that all controler’s have one, that is at a one time on their tiny minds, is to abuse, sexually abuse mentally abuse, pycphsically abuse and make slaves anyway they can. that is there legacy. they have never changed down the centuries. i will have pity for them but that doesn’t stop the punishment by the children of the great spirit.
You may want to clarify who is not waiting for who??? An the church never helped anyone, they were nthing but dAmage control.. Manipulate the minds of the savages after shredding their families an lively hood apart.. Now have them chant prayers of a god they never knew… And as for Elizabeth! Your about as ignorant as they get, im not even gonna waste my time on you!
i won’t waste my time, she is not ignorant she know perfectly well the difference between five pounds and one pound. she got hurt by her own friends the Tors and now she wants to get her revenge on others that she thinks are weaker than her what a sad life she has.
no one is a savage as a baby. they are taught to be savages. the ones that control others are savages and always will be until they died and then they scream and sob it their box they made for themselves.
lakowiNe, my comments were for Elizabeth. I was addressing Elizabeth’s claim that the catholics helped the children in the schools. I said my grandmother had to HEAL from the “help” the catholics gave and that generations of families ENDURED the churches “help”. Do you really think someone whose family experienced those schools would think they were HELPFUL. I think it should be clear that my remarks were sarcastic directed toward Eliiabeth’s claim. I guess I should have used quotation marks and capitals – but it never occurred to me that someone wouldn’t get what I was saying. Try rereading what I wrote.
To answer your question about “who is not waiting for who”???, I was saying that people and families, who were and are devastated by these schools, are healing, and moving forward and working to make a better life for their children and grandchildren ( I am a grandmother and I want my grandkids to grow up in a world that values and respects them – they are 4 and 6 years old and members of the Penelakut tribe). I was telling her that I hope non aboriginal people would stop the BS, face the truth (some are) and support the aboriginal people who are healing and standing up. My point was I hope they do join in, but that, My family and !, friends I know, and the people I have met in INM are not waiting for them to acknowledge the truth and support us in healing the past. We are already moving ahead with or without them.
I hope you haven’t forgot that these bullies, they were pay for by the government of the day and it is still carried on by the Tors ( those who give themselves titles) policies. i would like to see them and their off springs arrested and put on an island with a bag seeds so they can’t damage any more children or kindnesses but if that is not done, i know, not think or have faith or believe or a concept that they will be put into two boxes one for the body and one for the souls. If you have heard of the scream a painted picture the was robbed from an art gallery that is what they will look like in their box of the own making, this is not a promise it will happen. that is why i asked you to sit back and watch as these Pepoles (it is what dogs do lifting there leg) leave there stench so other like them can do the same and dig their own graves.
Seems like this is all the work of John Stracham following the War of 1812 when he repeatedly connected the church and the state. Canada is the ONLY American country that hasn’t seperated the church fromhe state and look at what a crappy country this is… As a Deutsch-Seneca, my ancestors had to work during the summer when they were attending these ‘Asylums.’ It is fitting to make sure they came back with everything they left with because thats what they did??? If they were molested or something the nurse would know… How am I supposed to believe that? It’s not the prestige that the U.S. tried to take away—it’s Canada; filthy rotten, muck of a country Canada. Oh, Canada, home of the pedophiles, racist, murderers, and the pursuit of muck