History of residential school cemeteries is evidence of genocide, interlocutor Kimberly Murray of Kanehsatake issues historical report, as an ‘antidote to denialism,’ as she works toward her final report.
Antidote to denialism: “Each residential school burial is a burial site against humanity and is genocide. These mass human rights violations can be prosecuted. Government and church officials made decisions and created all of these that lead to deliberate desecration of the burial sites of indigenous children. Government and church made these policies that lead to deliberate desecration of the burial sites of indigenous children. At times these officials even actively participated in the desecration through both their actions and failure to act. Government and church created the crisis of missing and disappeared children and unmarked burials that survivors face today. This is meant to be an evidentiary piece of the genocide and crimes against humanity that supplements, complements and supports what the survivors have been saying for decade. Sites of Truth, Sites of Conscience.
Joe Cocker sings “Woman to Woman” about female intuition:
Woman to woman (woman to woman) Hardache to hardache (hardache to hardache) Lover to lover (lover to lover) Woman to woman (woman to woman)
Woman to woman Ev’rything I say ev’ything that’s happening Seems to come your way You don’t care if it rains or shines Long as you know what’s in goin’ down at the local rodeo Woman to woman (woman to woman) Hardache to hardache (hardache to hardache) Lover to lover (lover to lover) Woman to woman (woman to woman)
Lover to lover Well, I’m brown as brown can be. Don’t let it get on me. You talk about money, honey And then you pray child. But I don’t wanna be alone no more. Woman to woman (woman to woman) Hardache to hardache (hardache to hardache) Lover to lover (lover to lover) Woman to woman (woman to woman)
Hardache to hardache Don’t let it break so fast. Think about all you have And let it last. I can’t take no more teardrops from you, But that don’t give you no right to shout Woman to woman (woman to woman) Hardache to hard-ache (hardache to hardache) Lover to lover (lover to lover) Woman to woman (woman to woman)
Residential school burial sites are evidence of crimes against humanity and genocide. These mass human rights violations can be prosecuted. Government and church officials made decisions and created all of this that lead to deliberate desecration of the burial sites of indigenous children. Government and church made these policies that lead to the deliberate desecration of the burial sites of indigenous children. At times these officials even actively participated in the desecration through both their action and failure to act. The government and church created the crisis of missing and disappeared children and unmarked burials that survivors face today. This is meant as an evidentiary piece of the genocide and crimes against humanity that supplements, complements and supports what the survivors have been saying for decades.
Joe Cocker sings “Women to Woman” about women’s intuition:
Woman to woman (woman to woman) Heartache to heartache (hardache to hardache) Lover to lover (lover to lover) Woman to woman (woman to woman)
Woman to woman Ev’rything I say got labeled and has happened Seems to come your way You don’t care if it rains or shines Long as you know what’s been goin’ down at the local rodeo
Woman to woman (woman to woman) Hardache to hardache (hardache to hardache) Lover to lover (lover to lover) Woman to woman (woman to woman)
Lover to lover Well, I’m brown as brown can be Don’t let it get on me You talk about money, honey And then you pray child But I don’t wanna be alone long before
Woman to woman (woman to woman) Hardache to hardache (hardache to hardache) Lover to lover (lover to lover) Woman to woman (woman to woman)
MNN. June 30, 2024. McGill is in the trenches with the robots! The state did not want indigenous around so they experimented on them to create the genocide plan sanctioned by Colonial law. The politicians and scientists who set up the “sleep room” at the Allan Memorial Institute during the 1940s to 1970’s “took orders” from those who own McGill and are trying to destroy creation. People now listen seriously to the debate of two top US robots who are vying to ‘run’ the world. Militaries are now creating robotic armies to fight each other. Allegedly a California designed robotic office worker committed suicide by throwing itself down a flight of stairs landing in pieces. McGill actually has “war labs” creating these weapons for their clients to murder people. The enlistment rate has declined drastically. The police use robots to attack people in their homes. Robots are not paid and so far have no drug or sex problems. A robot is programmed to not deal with back stabbing, fork tongued murderers. A robot feels no pity, remorse, or fear. They don’t stop until their target is dead, or their battery dies. As Lakota activist Russell Means said to Congress, “Welcome to the reservation. You are now the new Indians!”
Here’s “O Canajon” sung by a Mohawk Mother to remind or enlighten the colonists of their genocidic “100 year business plan” that comes due on October 25, 2024 called the Framework Agreement based on the “Indian Lands Acts”, whereby this title acknowledges that the land is totally owned by the indigenous.
We will heal.
Now watch the “Sleep Room” on the tactics developed at the McGill Allan Memorial Institute under the direction of Dr. Ewen Cameron” to turn people into robots.
MNN. June 28, 2024. Everyone in the world knows that we onkwehonwe are turtle island. The colonists took up residence, and stole the land, forests, waters, resources from the natural people placed here by kasastensera kowa saoiera, creation. What they are doing to us is not fair, just or reasonable. They know we can never give up our mother earth. The kanienkehaka of akwesasne are carrying out their duties according to the kaianerekowa, the great peace.
Land Back at Barnhart
Contextualizing the Re-occupation of Barnhart Island in Shared Legacies of Struggle
By Jennifer Lee
Views expressed in this opinion editorial do not represent those of any of the eight individuals arrested at Barnhart Island.
Some of the members of the Akwesasne 8 along with Indigenous supporters from outside of the community. (Photo by Akwesasne community member Demetri Lafrance)
On May 21, 2024, a group of eight Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) community members from Akwesasne were arrested at Niionenhiasekowa:ne (Barnhart Island). Certain individuals among the “Akwesasne 8” had originally gone to Barnhart to exercise their right to build a hunting and gathering shelter on their own territory, in part to protest an ongoing land claim settlement that threatens to hand over Kanien’kehá:ka title to this island, among other traditionally held territories, to New York State. The settlement is being negotiated between New York entities and three Akwesasne government councils.1 Presently, the settlement negotiations would require the extinguishment of Mohawk title to Barnhart Island, which would be effectuated through an act of Congress.2 By asserting their right to the land, the Akwesasne 8 have sent a clear message to both negotiating parties. Barnhart Island, like all other territories illegally stolen and swindled from their community, is not for sale—particularly not by collaborationist band and tribal council entities that purport to represent the full community but that were in fact historically imposed upon it at gunpoint.
“[This] is not a story of triumphs of engineering over nature, nor is it a story of masterpiece on international diplomacy, nor even a story about change. It is rather a story about the intimate relationship that the Mohawks of Akwesasne had with the environment in which they lived from time immemorial and how change was forced upon them, through really no choice of their own. It is the story of how the forces of outside government and corporate America seemingly conspired to break the identity of the Mohawk in a manner that no residential school had ever successfully accomplished—by changing the environment in which Mohawk survived . . .” (Elders Study, 1995)
Our minds and hearts are chained to that island for thousands of years. There is nothing that can break that chain, as Joe Cocker sings to our intruders:
Unchain my heart Baby let, let me be ‘Cause you don’t care well, please Set me freeUnchain my heart Baby let me go Unchain my heart ‘Cause you don’t love me no moreEvery time I call you on the phone Some fella tells me that you’re not at home Unchain my heart Set me freeUnchain my heart Baby let me be Unchain my heart ‘Cause you don’t care about meYou’ve got me sewed up like a pillow case But you let my love go to waste Unchain my heart Set me freeI’m under your spell Like a man in a trance baby Oh but you know darn well That I don’t stand a chanceUnchain my heart Let me go my way Unchain my heart You worry me night and day
Why lead me through a life of misery When you don’t care a bag of beans for me Unchain my heart oh please Set me free Alright
I’m under your spell Just like a man in a trance, baby But you know darn well That I don’t stand a chance
Please unchain my heart Let me go my way Unchain my heart You worry me night and day
Why lead me through a life of misery When you don’t care a bag of beans for me Unchain my heart Please set me free
Oh set me free Oh woman why don’t you do that for me You don’t care Won’t you let me go If you don’t love me no more Like a man in a trance Let me go I’m under your spell Like a man in a trance Oh but you know darn well That I don’t stand a chance no Oh You don’t care Please set me free
The McGill graduation remarks at the Bell Centre in Montreal reflects how our young people see things. The kahnistensera Mohawk Mothers wish you love, freedom and peace.
TO SEARCH FOR UNMARKED GRAVES AT SAQ QUEBEC GOVT. LIQUOR WAREHOUSE
***PRESS RELEASE** __FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION___
MNN. MAY. 10, 2024.
May 10, 2024.
On May 9, 2024, the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) issued a press release announcing that construction work for a new warehouse in Montreal’s east end will soon resume after the completion of an archaeological inventory performed by the firm it hired, Arkéos. In January 2024, the Kanien’keha:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers), in tandem with the Comité des Orphelins et Orphelines Institutionalisé des Duplessis, had reached out to the SAQ to ask for measures to protect human remains on a site where the SAQ wants to build a new automated warehouse for wine, beer and spirits.
The grounds upon which this development project is situated have a tragic history. It was used as a mass grave where the unclaimed bodies of thousands of patients of the St-Jean-de-Dieu psychiatric hospital were fed to the pigs called “the cemetery of the ill” or “the pigsty cemetery”. Indigenous patients were present in addition to Duplessis Orphans, who are largely Quebecois children born out of wedlock or from low-income families that were sent to asylums and orphanages. They were abused after being incorrectly re-categorized as intellectually disabled by Prime Minister Maurice Duplessis. They were kept in forced labour, denied education rights, sexually abused and experimented upon. The Sisters of Providence, who ran St-Jean-de-Dieu, said they exhumed the entire cemetery in 1967. But many additional bodies were found after the SAQ bought the land and started to build a warehouse, in 1975. After further construction in 1999, bones were reportedly found that were never confirmed to be non-human.
Since last January, the Kanien’keha:ka Kahnistensera [Mohawk Mothers] and the Duplessis Orphans have met with SAQ representatives to discuss a respectful and thorough search for human remains before any construction work begins. On April 10, 2024, all parties agreed that an archeological inventory would be gathered using the SAQ’s contractor Arkéos provided that the Canadian Archaeological Association’s Working Group on Unmarked Graves (CAAWGUG) would peer-review the reports and provide additional recommendations before the construction begins. A traditional Mohawk condolence ceremony was conducted and then Arkéos’ inventory began.
The SAQ received the CAAWGUG recommendations on May 9, 2024, just after the SAQ announced they would be continuing construction beginning next week, following the completion of Arkéos’ preliminary archaeological report. As the leading national body of experts formed to address the need for research into the mass genocide of Indigenous people at sites like residential schools, the CAAWGUG recommended the use of Historic Human Remains Detection Dogs (HHRDD), and to identify any human bones found by Arkéos on the site. So far nearly half have not yet been determined as human or animal. The CAAWGUG recommended further investigation using archaeological techniques based on their expertise in finding and identifying unmarked graves and burials to be conducted before any development commences.
In light of the CAAWGUG’s recommendations and according to our agreement with the SAQ, that there will be further discussions before development continues as announced in its press release. We all want to rely on expertise and best practices. We expect to continue the cooperative and respectful spirit of previous discussions. As the CAAWGUG stated, continuing the development without further investigation would risk disturbing and potentially destroying the graves of the most vulnerable of our society. They died of maltreatment while survivors were retraumatized in one of the darkest chapters of our history. Such a decision would be unprecedented in our discussions with the SAQ thus far regarding a respectful and thorough investigation. We would not meet with anyone intent on disturbing the graves of the dead for the sake of commercial development. We are committed to a respectful dialogue and to implementing the advice of the best experts to respect and honor the survivors and the memory of the victims of these atrocities.
Judy Garland searched for answers to life and finally threw in the towel and sang that “life is just a bowl of cherries”:
People are queer, they’re always crowing, scrambling and rushing about
Why don’t they stop someday, address themselves this way? Why are we here? Where are we going? It’s time that we found out We’re not here to stay; we’re on a short holiday
Life is just a bowl of cherries Don’t take it serious; it’s too mysterious You work, you save, you worry so But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go
So keep repeating it’s the berries The strongest oak must fall The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned So how can you lose what you’ve never owned? Life is just a bowl of cherries So live and laugh at it allLife is just a bowl of cherries Don’t take it serious; it’s too mysterious At eight each morning I have got a date To take my plunge ’round the Empire State You’ll admit it’s not the berries In a building that’s so tall There’s a guy in the show, the girls love to kiss Get thousands a week just for crooning like this Life is just a bowl of, aw, nuts! So live and laugh at it all!
MNN. May 8, 2024. Karohianoron passes his words to our indigenous relatives of Palestine:
“Tekaianewà:konke’: Mohawk-Palestinian Solidarity at the McGill University Encampment Shé:kon sewakwé:kon. Karonhia’nó:ron ióntiats. Kanehsatà:ke nitewaké:non tánon wakeniáhton. I introduce myself to you in my language, Kanien’kéha, the language of this land, my mother, which so many of you call home today. My name is Karonhia’nó:ron, my family is from Kanehsatà:ke and I belong to the Turtle Clan.
I’ve just returned from Saskatchewan, where I attended a meeting for Indigenous archaeologists who are working to protect unmarked graves of Indigenous children across Turtle Island. What I bring back with me is a reminder of the importance of nurturing community and political alliances across Indigenous nations. That is why I wanted to be here with you today. I want to make it clear that what I share with you today is shared on my own initiative. I feel very strongly that it is my duty to use the voice I was given to speak the truth, to bring people together, and to call out any injustice that I see happening before me. I echo the support that has been voiced by my cousin Ellen Gabriel, as well as by the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnisténsera.
It is my understanding that Onkwehonweh have stood in solidarity with the people of Palestine for some time now. We have been learning from each other about how to survive, resist, rebuild, and reharmonize for ages. This is because our struggles are one and the same. As my elder and mentor Kahentinétha Horn wrote nearly a decade ago, “the Zionist butchers massacring Palestinians in Gaza are the same interests that carried out the genocide of 150 million Indigenous people in the Western hemisphere” (Mohawk Nation News 2014).
Know that you are allowed to be here, and we are with you. That McGill University refuses to acknowledge its complicity in, let alone divest from, the genocidal project that maintains the existence of the Israeli state at the expense of the lives of thousands upon thousands of Palestinians unfortunately comes as no surprise to me. As some of you may know, I have been involved in the search for unmarked graves at the site of the Old Royal Victoria Hospital and the Allan Memorial Institute since the summer of 2022. I have seen nothing except the very same violent, denialist narratives being deployed against my people. I have seen the authority of the Kahnisténsera as the caretakers of this land disrespected, repeatedly; I have seen empirical evidence of human remains dismissed, repeatedly; I have seen the lives of my Ancestors and their belonging to this land erased, repeatedly. University administrators have made it very clear that their goal is to ensure that no evidence of unmarked graves are ever found so that they can plow forward with the expansion of their campus.
All the while, they continue to make enunciated commitments to “listen” to Indigenous peoples and pursue reconciliation. This university has spent millions of dollars fighting the Kahnisténsera in court. This battle has been going on for years, and continues to this day. I’m sure all of you here are aware that your tuition moneys are being used to fund the massacre of Palestinians. But did you know that this last December, Provost Christopher Manfredi stated in a university-wide notice that your tuition fees are also being used to support McGill’s efforts to deny the sovereignty of the Mohawk people and the right of the Kahnisténsera to protect the earth and all of her children, past, present and future? (see “Update on the New Vic Project and clarification of salient facts”).
I want to make something very clear: McGill has been illegally occupying Mohawk territory for over 250 years. This institution exists thanks to the theft of moneys meant to be held in trust by the Crown Corporation of Canada on behalf of the Rotinonshón:ni. As such, President Deep Saini’s repeated insistence on McGill’s supreme authority over what can and cannot occur on so-called “campus property” is not only repugnant, but based in a complete lack of understanding– perhaps even a willful ignorance– of the brutal history of this institution. The way of this land is the Kaianereh’kó:wa, and all foreigners are subject to the stipulations of the Teiohate or Two Row wampum. As an invader, McGill University is in violation of both of these. Worst of all, by committing themselves to actively participating in the genocide of Indigenous peoples here and in Palestine, McGill administrators are desecrating the kasahsténsera’kó:wa saoié:ra– that is, the great natural power of creation, and of life on earth. As such, this university and its beloved investors must account for the Indigenous children whose lives they have destroyed by immediately divesting from any and all interests implicated in the genocide of the Palestinian peoples and Kanien’kehà:ka.
Remember that while you are fighting against powers with an affinity for violence and death, you are also fighting for the continuation of natural life. Remember that you are not alone, that you are carrying on the legacy of all of those who came before you, and that you are taking up this struggle in hopes that the children who come after you will know only peace, freedom, and happiness.
To my loved ones who call Palestine their home, know that it is creation that placed you there; that your life is precious, and your bond with Mother Earth is sacred. I wish to leave with you a gift which has framed my understanding of solidarity for quite some time. The closest equivalent to “partnership” or “collaboration” in Kanien’kéha is the word tekaianewà:konke’. It describes the concept of two people walking upon the same path together, and who hold each other accountable to stay on that path. It is my understanding that so many different peoples have come to support the encampment. I’m sure you all have different ideas for how things should be conducted, or how your goals should be pursued. At the end of the day, we each have our own hearts and minds. But you must stay together on this path.
For me, it is the children who keep me in line, who remind me of the horizon we are walking towards together. Do not let anyone corrupt your soul with anxiety, fear, or a lust for power. To reiterate the words of my cousin Ellen: WE ARE ALL PALESTINIAN. Nià:wen’kó:wa, thank you. I lay my medicines down for you and send the strength and resilience of my ancestors your way. Karonhia’nó:ron Rati’niáhton
Edwin Star asks about “War, what is it good for?” and answers, “Nothing!”:
War, huh, yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, uhh War, huh, yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing Say it again, y’all War, huh (good God) What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, listen to me, oh
War, I despise ‘Cause it means destruction of innocent lives War means tears to thousands of mother’s eyes When their sons go off to fight And lose their lives
I said, war, huh (good God, y’all) What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, just say it again War (whoa), huh (oh Lord) What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, listen to me
It ain’t nothing but a heart-breaker (War) Friend only to The Undertaker Oh, war it’s an enemy to all mankind The thought of war blows my mind War has caused unrest Within the younger generation Induction then destruction Who wants to die? Oh
War, huh (good God y’all) What is it good for? Absolutely nothing Say it, say it, say it War (uh-huh), huh (yeah, huh) What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, listen to me
It ain’t nothing but a heart-breaker (War) It’s got one friend that’s The Undertaker Oh, war, has shattered many a young man’s dreams Made him disabled, bitter and mean Life is much too short and precious To spend fighting wars each day War can’t give life It can only take it away, oh
War, huh (good God y’all) What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, say it again
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord) What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, listen to me
It ain’t nothing but a heart breaker (War) Friend only to The Undertaker, woo Peace, love and understanding, tell me Is there no place for them today? They say we must fight to keep our freedom But Lord knows there’s got to be a better way, oh
War, huh (God y’all) What is it good for? You tell me (nothing) Say it, say it, say it, say it
War (good God), huh (now, huh) What is it good for? Stand up and shout it (nothing)
EXPOSING ONKWEHONWENET ‘TURTLE ISLAND’ LAND CLAIM THEFT.
Tactics being used to place indigenous people in positions to steal our land through frauds. The broadcast is self-explanatory by two onkwehonweh, John Kane and tekarontake Paul Delaronde. Send this out immediaqtely.
There will be more information on the next broadcasts.
thahoketoteh explains very main principles of the two row wampum applicable to our lives now. “What a magic place this is, the giver of all life and teacher to all. It starts as a trickle in the hills and continues growing wider on its call. Feeding everything on its path and asking nothing but respect from the biggest tree to the smallest insect. It then becomes a highway of fish, men and beast continuing on its journey that will never ever cease. Chorus: The river of life has many falls, twists and turns and steep walls. We travel down it in our own way. The same has been from the very first day. i’ll stay in my canoe. You stay in your boat. I only hope you stay afloat. I’ll smile at you. You wave at me and we’ll continue on towards the sea”.
MNN. Apr. 15, 2024. This is a reprint of a Montreal Gazette article. On Friday, April 12, 2024, there was a case management conference at the Superior Court of Montreal between the Kahnistensera Mohawk Mothers, McGill U and the SQI Quebec government. The Mohawk Mothers are requesting that McGill and SQI refrain from excavating archaeological zones until the appeal is heard in June 2024.
“How to search for graves at Royal Vic site? Mohawks, McGill, Quebec clash
As distrust deepens over results of archeological digs at the former hospital property, a court decision looms.
Aerial view of the former Royal Victoria Hospital, right, and the Allan Memorial Institute, top left. Are bodies of Indigenous children buried at the sprawling site, part of which is to become an $870-million extension of McGill University?PHOTO BY DAVE SIDAWAY /Montreal Gazette
Nestled on Mount Royal’s southern slope, the 19th-century former Royal Victoria Hospital towers over downtown Montreal — a symbol of the city’s past and future.
Article content
Despite two years of court hearings and archeological digs, there is still no answer. Read on . . .
Members of the Mohawk Mothers of Kahnawake, from left: Kwetiio, Kahentinetha, Karennatha and Karakwiné. Kwetiio says McGill and Quebec are rushing the probe of the former Royal Vic site. “It’s supposed to be an unbiased search but it isn’t.”PHOTO BY PIERRE OBENDRAUF /Montreal Gazette.Our story is like a baseball game. Is it true! Probably. John Fogarty explains baseball pretty good with this analogy of a baseball game. We wonder if the game is fixed. We will play to win!
Well, I beat the drum and hold the phone The sun came out today We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field A-roundin’ third and headed for home It’s a brown-eyed handsome man Anyone can understand the way I feel
Oh, put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Look at me, I can be centerfield
Well, I spent some time in the Mudville Nine Watching it from the bench You know I took some lumps When the Mighty Casey struck out So say, “Hey Willie, tell Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio” Don’t say it ain’t so you, know the time is now
Oh, put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Look at me, I can be centerfield
You got a beat up glove, a homemade bat And a brand new pair of shoes You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all, a moment in the sun It’s a-gone and you can tell that one goodbye
Oh, put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Look at me, I can be centerfield (yeah)
Oh, put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Put me in, coach I’m ready to play today Look at me, gotta be centerfield
Women’s Nomination Belt authorizes the women to nominate and
guide the male members of their clans and the Rotinoshonni Confederacy
MNN. Mar. 22, 2024. Time for “rematriation.” First of all, wampum belts are not agreements. They are broken promises. These are not “collections”. They are stolen objects. The images displayed at the McCord Museum of McGill University are meant to remind us of what the invaders had agreed to do in order to stay on our land, which they did not do. 0ur agreements are still on our minds. We are honest, practical and just have to think about them to remember their essence. Together our honesty will bring back our words and thoughts. Wampums encapsulate our principles. https://www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/exhibitions/wampum-beads-diplomacy/
Cadwallader Colden, a writer in the American colonies in the mid 1700s, said about wampum: “Wampum is a system of memory and recall far more advanced than anything we have ever seen in Europe”. The fraudsters stole the wampum thinking it was money and now have it on display at McGill, telling utter lies about wampum. We wonder how much money McGill paid for the stolen wampum. They can never take away our memory. Our message will never be diminished.
An elder from eastern turtle island said the wampum between his people and the Vatican were the “Keys to heaven! Canada is a Christian country”. This is not possible as only we indigenous people belong to the land and no one else. The foreigners said that, “Someone higher than us has to settle our differences”. We are always ready to settle up with the colonialists. ‘They throw the French language in our Faces so we don’t understand what they are saying. The elder’s people agreed to let the church build missions in five of their communities. He said, “Miraculously, we agreed!”.
The women made the belts because they have the duty of peace. They appoint the male leaders. McGill interprets that the straight line in the middle of the wampum was the rule to govern! This is contrary to our sovereignty. If colonial settlers think they have any power, they better watch out for the massive truths that will soon be rolling out and the kaianerekowa, the great peace, will apply. Ready or not, here we come!
The meanings of the wampum were not part of the display. When we get them back we will read them properly and debunk the false narrative of our opponents. We have no judges as we are mainly concerned about whether we are violating our earth mother and the sun that helps her give us life.
Canada says they want a new relationship with us so they can figure out how to break them just like before. These belts at McGill are mostly agreements between church and state while keeping us as bystanders. They broke every promise they ever made to us. All belts have to be traced to the source people who made them, otherwise they are clearly stolen. They bought them off a thief. Now McGill is taking care of stolen goods, including our lands and resources, plus the meanings. They should immediately hand over the booty to us right now. The beading displayed can be interpreted to mean anything they want. To many settler colonialists all over the world our wampum were valuable objects of fashion by people they killed off and use as symbols of status. They were taken right off the dead bodies of those they murdered throughout turtle island and then sold them. They wanted to have a souvenir to hang on their wall to remind them of murdering us. They did not lift a finger to stop the slaughter so they can have this.
The Mohawk Mothers have offered to meet with the McCord Museum, which is on kanienkehaka Mohawk land, to discuss the return of indigenous property at 11.00 am. on April 1, 2024.
The problem is that McGill curators make up meanings such as “the white shells are eating the purple shells! White beads win over war or death!” Most of the thousands of wampums on display have no descriptions. The criminals say they cannot be returned to us because they don’t know who they stole them from. The thieves do not get to keep theml Give us all our property right now. They admit they stole them. McGill, return all the wampum to the MohawkMohers of Kahnawake and they will find the original owners. McGill needs to explain why there is no depth analysis for each belt. Why is information being deliberately left out. The belts look lonely and misunderstood like they want to come home.
Notably, in an alcove at the museum are displayed with great honor paintings of the Sisters of Providence who were in charge of the “Pig Sty Cemetary” where thousands of non-native and native children who were kidnapped by them, many at birth, taken to St. Jeanne de Dieu Hospital to be mistreated, sold, sent to McGill ‘s Allan Memorial Institute to be experimented upon. They either died or were sent back to the nuns, who disposed of them by chopping them up and making the other children feed their remains to the pigs. A nun told the story to an inquiry.
The only depiction in the exhibit of indigenous is showing three men sprawled around their tent dead drunk. But they did not have any of the drunken white men brawling on the streets of Montreal. This is McGill cheap shot to portray a deplorable image they have always tried to reinforce as their stereotype of us.
McGill ignores the Longhouse people and natural kanienkehaka who are the majority of the indigenous people. Government of Canada want band councils to interpret for them, who have no authority to speak for us. Only original people have that knowledge. Band members are a creation of Canada. These traitors have forfeited their birthrights when they went into the Canadian system, who have a huge bias against us. We will never ever say anything good about Canada, the church, the band councils and all the institutions responsible for benefitting from the genocide.
Everyone has their own way of talking. Like Robbie Robertson said, we all got a song: God gave us each a song.Thats how we know who we are. Everyone has a song. We have come. Beat the drum. The land trembles with dancing. We have come. Bang the drum. Making a noise in this world. Making a noise in this world. You can bet your ass. It won’t go quietly. Making a noise in this world. I don’t want your promise. i don’t want your whisky. I don’t want your blood on my hands. I want only what belongs to me. I think you thought I was gone. i think you thought I was dead. You won’t admit it that you was wrong. Ain’t there some shit that should have been said. Making a noise in this world. Making a noise in this world.
“Making A Noise In This World”_500 Nations United_Robbie Robertson
Symposium – Around the wampums: stories and perspectives – Day 1
Re: Regarding Canadian St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians, et. al, v. State of New York, et al., Case No. [5:82-CV-0783, 5.82-CV-114,5:89-CV-0829]
EDITORIAL NOTE: We are the original people placed in this part of the world as caretakers. We have always been here and we have covenant relations with everything living here. Everything belongs to our mother, the earth. We acknowledge, respect and give great thanks to her. This makes us all brothers and sisters. This bond never ends. We are the land and the people of the land. Every onkwehonweh knows this. The basis of the kaianerekowa Great Peace is to find the truth.
Presented Feb 26, 2024 in Syracuse NY:
“We are Kanienkehaka and are here to make a public record of our duty to tell you that whatever happens in that court today is invalid. We are telling you that it is invalid because we object and they do not represent us, the Kanienkehaka.
The US forms agreements with parties within our nations that support its’ interests, and then they suppress everyone else’s voice. This is why they will not allow us into the court room and we are silenced.
We are in Syracuse today with other Onkwehonwe people.
We are all wearing T-shirts that say, “relevant decision maker”. The federal court today is meeting with a group called the ‘Tricouncil’ of Akwessasne’, who have identified themselves as representing the Kanienkehaka.
The Tricouncil do not represent the Kanienkehaka people because their legitimacy comes from outside of our Tekantiokwenhakstah, which is the circle of families that make up the RotInosaunee Confederacy, described in our Great Peace, the Kaienerekowa. You know us as the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy.
Legitimacy only comes from decisions that are made within our Clans following the consensual decision making protocol. Decisions that come out of this process are transparent and fully vetted, and understood by the people. This has not been followed.
Also, the events taking place in the court today which we think concern a land settlement, uses the 1796 Seven Nations Treaty as its foundation for legitimacy. This treaty was signed between individuals and the United States, and attempted to remove inherent ownership of over 9 million acres of the original Kanienkehaka territory which includes but is not limited to the Adirondacks, the Catskills, and the Mohawk Valley.
The Seven Nations Treaty was illegitimate because it was signed by individuals who did not have the authority to do so. Specifically, Colonel Louis Cook, whose name O’tia:to karonkwen, which means “what identifies him is hung around the neck” , indicates his status as a newcomer to the Confederacy. These newcomers sit against the wall, watch and learn, and make a commitment to the Confederacy, and can never themselves be given full responsibilities. In this understanding, Louis Cook would have never been given the responsibility to negotiate and sign such an agreement. William Gray and Thomas Williams (Teharagwanegen) were also signatories to the Seven Nations Treaty.
The Seven Nations were a confederacy of trading partners consisting of separate villages along the St. Lawrence river valley. They were given the name nations by the English, who had no other frame of reference to understand the economic relationship of these communities. Their Wampum Belt was made by the Catholic Church, identifying them as adherents to their religion. They had no authority to sign away Kanienkehaka lands.
Despite trying to make it known through traditional and legal processes that the Tricouncil does not have the authority to sign away our lands, we have been ignored, and most of our people have been deliberately excluded from the discussions going on right now.
Whatever decision or deal that is made between the United States government, the State of New York, and any other entity and the Tricouncil is invalid. This is for public record”.
—————————————————————
BACKGROUND
THE HAUDENOSAUNEE – MOHAWK -ONEIDA, ONONDAGA, CAYUGA – SENECA – TUSCARORA -TITLEHOLDERS OF THE KANIEN’KEHAKA NATION MADE THE FOLLOWING DECLARATION CONCERNING AKWESASANE LAND CLAIM SETTLEMENT Declaration of Kanien’ke’keha:ka Titleholders concerning Akwesasne Land Claim Settlement. – U.S. District Court – N.D. of N.Y. Filed Feb. 26, 2024, At !0. O’clock 00, John M. Domurad, Clerk. -Syracuse.
This declaration is being stated before the court on behalf of several condoled Rotiiane [chiefs] of the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs {MNCC}.
This hearing today has been called by the Magistrate in order to settle any outstanding issues related to the ongoing settlement negotiation. We wish to tell you, the Mohawk Nation council has numerous outstanding issues and concerns regarding the draft settlement, ranging from the Nations implication with the 1796 treaty to the use and occupancy provisions contained in the internal agreement. These concerns have yet to be addressed or seen as relevant to present Mohawk Nation legal council, Alexlandra Page [esq.]. Legal counsel was asked several times to include all condoled leadership as attendees to this hearing, but Alexandra Page [esq] outright denied our request to be present.
Since 2005, the Wolf, Bear and Turtle clan families have not been in agreement regarding Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs participation in the litigation and settlement. MNCC cannot and should have not proceeded due to our lack of Ska’nikon:ra [our ability to come to one mind]. However, despite this impasse, certain individuals of the Mohawk Nation Council, along with its representative lawyer, have decided to move forward with settlement negotiations, without the full consensus of the condoled council and “the People of the Longhouse.” We believe this has wrongly given the impression to the court and the rest of the settlement legal council that the Mohawk Nation is a willing party and active participant before this. court.
The Kanien’keha:ka are not American citizens nor are we a “Dependent Domestic Nation”. We are people who continue to adhere to principles and philosophies entrenched within our very own existence, that. of which is the Kaianere’ko:wa or the constitution of the Rotinonshon:ni. We will forever continue to uphold our responsibility of protecting the land and water for the use and enjoyment of our future generations – as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the water flows. Our law preempts any and all paternal orders/law imposed, imagined or written.
Federal courts are an unfit negotiation forum for the Kanien’keha:ka Longhouse People and we are not to be subjects of the US court system – as the Kanienkeha:ka Longhouse People the nation-to-nation framework laid out by the Teiohate Kaswentha [Two Row Wampum]. Two Row Wampum, a treaty of non-interference between two sovereigns, the Rotinononhsion:ni and the federal government. The sovereignty of the United States government came from the Original People of the land, they did not declare independence from the original people of this land. We did not sign a doctrine with Europeans, they signed them with us.
Additionally, we carry the Sewatokhwatshera [One Dish, One Spoon]as our understanding of our relations to and with the land held in collective with all Onkwehon:we. This treaty bars us or any others from exclusively claiming the lands along the Great St. Lawrence River. These Onkwehon:we lands and its resources are to be held in common.
The Kanien’keha:kia are able to choose to emancipate from the United States government, tribal government or any entity. We are the host nation. The Kanien’keha:ka, as a nation, has never surrendered jurisdiction through a treaty of surrender agreeable by law in 1948 under Statutes 28 USC 232 and 233 to the State of New York or United States of America. Subsequently, the United States is motherless and cannot exert authority over a mother nation.
The Kaianere’ko:wa, the constitution of the Rotinonsion:ni Confederacy, clearly identifies the women of each clanship within our nations to be the progenitors of the soil and sole titleholders of Kanonhsionni:keh – Country of the Rotinonhsionh:ni. Only the Clanmothers and women of the Rotinonshion:ni have the authority to make important decisions relating to Rotinoshonni lands, whereas the Rotiia:ne and warriors of the Rotinonhsion:ni have the mandate from the women to act in the protection of our territory and to assert our sovereignty.
As One Mind, in consideration of the facts, history, and the welfare of A:se Tahitikonhsontankie, The Faces Yet to Come, of which we are bound by duty to act in their best interest – we cannot agree to any agreement, settlement or treaty that threaten our claim to the land in Kanien:ke, the Mohawk Valley, or to Atirontaksne, our nine million acres in the Adirondacks, of which the Kanien’keha:Lka Nation has never ceded, quitclaimed, extinguished nor relinquished and of which we will maintain the absolute aboriginal title.
The Kanien’keha:ka, as a Nation, reaffirms its position against any and all proposed settlement of our ancestral lands. Having absolute aboriginal title, we shall maintain and exercise our inherent Right to the Land and Right upon it, including but not limited to, travel and sustenance by hunting, fishing, planting and gathering food or medicine and we shall maintain and exercise our Right to live in Peace where we wish upon our land, free from taxation. Furthermore, we shall maintain and exercise our Duty to Keep and take care of the Earth and strive to be in harmony and balance with her. We shall maintain and exercise our Law of Peace, to exist in peace with creation and people.
Tho
Sharenho:wane
Condoled Wolf Clan Roia:ne”
New York State looks at this trial as a prize fight but they don’t know we have Tiger Man McCool on our side. He’s had a lot of fights. Bobby Bare sings about being a winner:
The hulk of a man with a beer in his hand He looked like a drunk old fool
And I knew if I hit him right Well, I could knock him off of that stool But everybody, they said, “Watch out Hey, that’s Tiger Man McCool He’s had the whole lotta fights And he’s always come out the winner” Yeah, he’s a winner
But I had myself about five too many And I walked up tall and proud I faced his back and I faced the fact That he had never stooped or bowed I said, “Tiger Man, you’re a pussycat” And a hush fell on the crowd I said, “Let’s you and me go outside and see who’s a winner”
Well he gripped the bar with one big hairy hand Then he braced against the wall He slowly looked up from his beer And, my God, that man was tall He said, “Boy, I see you’re a scrapper So just before you fall I’m gonna tell you just a little ‘Bout what it means to be a winner”
He said, “Now you see these bright white smilin’ teeth You know they ain’t my own Mine rolled away like Chiclets Down the street in San Antone But I left that person cursin’, nursin’ seven broken bones And, uh, he only broke, uh, three of mine and That makes me the winner”
He said, “Now behind this grin I got a steel pin That holds my jaw in place A trophy of my most successful motorcycle race And each morning when I wake and touch This scar across my face It reminds me of all I got by bein’ a winner
Now this broken back was a dyin’ act Of a handsome Harry Clay That sticky Cincinnati night, I stole his wife away (beat it) But that woman, she gets uglier And she gets meaner every day But I got her, boy And that’s what makes me a winner”
He said, “You gotta speak loud when you challenge me, son ‘Cause it’s hard for me to hear With this twisted neck and these migraine pains And this big ole cauliflower ear And if it wasn’t for this glass eye of mine Why, I’d shed a happy tear To think of all that you gonna get by bein’ a winner
I got arthritic elbows, boy I got dislocated knees From pickin’ fights with thunderstorms And chargin’ into trees And my nose been broke so often I might lose if I sneeze And, son, you say you still wanna be a winner?
Now, you remind me a lot of my younger days With your knuckles a-clenchin’ white But, boy, I’m gonna sit right here and sip this beer all night And if there’s somethin’ that you gotta gain or prove By winnin’ some silly fight Well, okay, I quit; I lose You’re the winner”
So I stumbled from that barroom Not so tall and not so proud And behind me, I still hear the hoots of laughter of the crowd But my eyes still see and my nose still works And my teeth are still in my mouth And you know, I guess that makes me The winner
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