Category Archives: Ganienkeh

WILD WAMPUM WORLD

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The following letter has been sent to McGill’s McCord Museum 

Re Exhibition:Wampum Beads of Diplomacy

MNN. Mar. 14, 2024.

WOMEN’S NOMINATION BELT

AUTHORIZES THE WOMEN TO NOMINATE AND GUIDE 

THE MALE MEMBERS OF THEIR CLANS  AND THE ROTINOSHONNI CONFEDERACY

From the kanien’keha:ka kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) Kahnawa:ke, Mohawk Territory kahnistensera@riseup.net

She:kon,

We are writing to inquire about the McCord Museum’s collection of Rotinonshon:ni belongings, particularly any wampum belts, beads, or strings that are either in storage or on display. We have also been made aware that many of our wampum presented as part of the McCord Museum’s “Wampum: Beads of Diplomacy” exhibit will be displaced to far-off institutions or into private possession. This is deeply concerning to us given as wampum are not material or cultural artworks of our people.  You did not seek our permission to display these. They are inaccurate misrepresentations.  We request they be returned immediately. 

For example, the Teiohaha:te or “Two Row” wampum is an active, legally-binding treaty between two nations: the Rotinonshon:ni and the Dutch. The fabric of the Rotinonshon:ni Confederacy is made up of hundreds of wampum belts like this one, and as such this necessitates a constant practice of being in relation with them. It is impossible for our people to do so when our wampum are sitting in museums– whether that be in Canada or around the world– or in the hands of collectors, just gathering dust.

As Kahnistensera we are responsible for taking care of the land, and for taking care of the children of the past, present, and future and.making certain whoae wampum belts are available to our  unborn children. It is also our duty to ensure that the Kaianereh’ko:wa or “Great Law of Peace” of the Rotinonshon:ni Confederacy is respected. It is with this understanding that we are reaching out to you. It is our hope that the McCord Museum, despite its historical lack of engagement with the original peoples of this land, the Onkwehonwe, is willing and able to engage in meaningful dialogue with us about our wampum.

We can be available as early as April 1st, 2024 for a meeting with you, whether that be in-person or online. If this works, then we suggest as a next step that we co-create an agenda for our meeting. Onen, Kahnistensera

Fats Domino Ready, sings about being willing and able. “Oh, well, I’m ready. I’m willing and I’m able to rock and roll.  [repeat] Come on pretty baby. We gonna rock. We gonna roll until the broad daylight. Cause I’m ready. I’m willing and I’m able. You better come along with me. We gonna rock and roll til the morning about 3. Talking on the phone is not my kind of speed. Dont send me letters cause I can’t read. Don’t be long cause I’ll be gone cause I’m ready, I’m willing and able to rock and roll ….

O:nen, Kahnistensera

MohawkMothers.ca

Kahnistensera@sunrise.Net

mohawknationnews.com box 991, kahnawake que. canada J0L 1B0

kahentinetha2@protonmail.com

MANIC MASCULINITY?

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Women’s Nomination Belt 

authorizes the women to nominate and guide the male members of their clans and the rotinoshonni Confederacy

MNN. MAR. 12, 2024. Reposted from McGill Tribune 

 

Mason Bramadat

“From hypermasculinity to policy advisor: McGill’s alarming choice for Indigenous oversight

by Concerned McGill Community Members on 

More in Commentary:

In 2022, McGill University began on-site work at the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) site, in service of the New Vic Project. They proposed the expansion project would facilitate “state-of-the-art research”; however, the McGill administration failed to complete a thorough survey of the area and investigate the possibility of unmarked graves from victims of medical experiments and malpractice on the site of the former Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH). The harmful medical and burial practices that took place at the RVH, along with McGill’s involvement with the MK ULTRA experiments, were forms of violence that disproportionately affected Indigenous communities. In Oct. 2022, the Kanien’kéha:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) secured a Quebec Superior Court injunction to ensure a vigilant and culturally sensitive approach to unmarked graves. Taiaiake Alfred’s appointment as McGill’s Senior Policy Advisor in June 2023—which coincided with news of the Historic Human Remains Detection Dogs’ discovery of the scent of potential human remains on the RVH site—prompts scrutiny of the university’s commitment to Indigenous oversight.

Alfred works with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK), a band council formed under the Indian Act. Attracting very few voters and little support in Kahnawake, the council operates far from the consensus mandated by the Longhouse’s traditional decision-making system. Traditionalists have widely criticized his work on a “new governance project” for the MCK as replacing their ancestral government with band council governance structures imposed by colonial powers. One such criticism is that many workshops associated with this system of leadership did not allow anyone over 35 to attend. Therefore, Alfred’s questionable vision of a new way of governance was shielded from the oversight and criticism of elders and has the potential to mislead younger generations. This problematizes his alignment with colonial structures and indicates concerning implications for Indigenous peoples and perspectives at McGill.

Alfred’s new role at McGill follows his controversial exit from the University of Victoria (UVic) amid accusations of a toxic environment in their Indigenous Governance program.  When //Two Row Times// asked for a response to the allegations, Alfred, who regularly puts forward his U.S. Marine infantry veteran status, said “[I]f you’re asking me if I’m hyper-masculine, well, I’m Mohawk from Kahnawake.” This puzzling assertion raises concerns about his accountability, particularly given the matriarchal nature of Kanien’kéha:ka traditions and that the Kahnistensera are from Kahnawake.

As the Senior Policy Advisor, Alfred’s responsibilities include guiding Indigenous policy development at McGill. But his public history raises serious questions about his ability to represent the interests of Indigenous communities and students. Will Alfred’s appointment only ensure that Indigenous consultation aligns with McGill’s objectives?

Beyond the immediate concerns regarding the New Vic Project, McGill’s track record of sidelining Indigenous voices and resisting court-ordered oversight is abhorrent. Their ongoing defiance against the Kanien’kéha:ka Kahnistensera and their appeal against a court-ordered reinstatement of an archaeological panel reveals the hypocrisy of the administration’s stated dedication to ethical practices and Indigenous rights.

Over the past eight years, the Kahnistensera have engaged in a multi-layered struggle against McGill, the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), and others. Their legal battles, including their landmark injunction in Quebec Superior Court, showcase persistent efforts to protect unmarked graves around the former Royal Victoria Hospital. Despite court orders, McGill and SQI’s actions during archaeological investigations, including the disbanding of an independent expert panel of archaeologists, underscore this process’ lack of integrity.

The New Vic Project uses a destructive and denialist strategy to undermine the stories of survivors who witnessed and suffered the atrocities that occurred at the RVH site. McGill’’s actions suggest a pattern of prioritizing expansion over ethics, and Alfred’s role seems to be an attempt to legitimize disregard for valid Indigenous concerns and shield the university from rightful criticism.McGill must foster meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities on their own terms.   Seeking validation that supports the administration’s opportunist agenda is unacceptable. The university must uphold basic principles of equity, justice, and respect for nature and end its support for toxic, patriarchal behaviours, and extractive practices. Let us seize this opportunity to honour the wisdom of the Great Law of Peace that guides the Mohawk Mothers and the land McGill occupies, and genuinely embark on a journey of reconciliation, unity, and collective well-being.”

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young were right behind Richard Oakes and Jane Fonda when the hippie, peace, love movement started in 1964, based on the great law/kaianerekowa.Tthe hippies wanted to be free like the Indians.
7 - Teach your Children - Crosby, Stills and Nash 1970
box991, kahnawake, que. canada J0L 1B0

MCGILL MCCCORD MUSEUM: STOLEN WAMPUM BELTS

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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

“Making A Noise In This World”_500 Nations United_Robbie Robertson

Symposium - Autour des wampums : histoires et perspectives - Jour 1

Symposium – Around the wampums: stories and perspectives – Day 1

Kahnistensera@riseup.net

MohawkMothers.ca

mohawknationnews.com box 991 que. canada J0L 1B0

kahentinetha2@protonmail.com

GET YOUR “COSMIK DEGREE” AT INDIGENOUS MCGILL

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MNN. Mar. 3, 2024. There’s only one rule when you are in a fight. WIN! As you read “Indigenous McGill”, listen to the maestro, Frank Zappa, who eerily mimics what’s been going on: 

Lyrics

The Mystery Man came over
An’ he said: “I’m outa-sight!”
He said, for a nominal service charge
I could reach Nirvana t’nite
If I was ready, willing ‘n able
To pay him his regular fee
He would drop all the rest of his pressing affairs
And devote His Attention to me
But I said
Look here brother
Who you jivin’ with that Cosmik Debris?
Now what kind of a mask man are you anyway?
Look here brother
Don’t you waste your time on me
The Mystery Man got nervous
An’ he sorta, fidget around a bit
He reached in the pocket of his Mystery Robe
An’ he whipped out a shaving kit
Now, I thought it was a razor
An’ a can of foamin’ goo
But he told me right then when the top popped open
There was nothin’ his box won’t do
With the oil of Afro-dytee
An’ the dust of the Grand Wazoo
He said
“You might not believe this Pancho, but it’ll fix up that war paint for you too”
An’ I said
Look here brother (thank you mask man. thank you)
Who you jivin’ with that Cosmik Debris?
Ah, mask man is a faggot
Look here brother
Don’t you waste your time on me
I’ve got troubles of my own, I said
An’ you can’t help me out
So take your meditations an’ your preparations
An’ ram it up yer snout
“BUT I GOT A KRISTL BOL!”, he said
An’ held it to his horse
So I snatched it
All away from him
An’ I showed him how to do it right of course
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I’d look like I was Deep
I said some Mumbo Jumbos then
An’ told him he was goin’ to sleep
I robbed his rings
An’ pocket watch
An’ everything else I found
I had that sucker hypnotized
He couldn’t even make a sound
I proceeded to tell him his future then
As long as he was hanging around
I said
“The price of pajamas has just gone up
An’ yer ol’ swarmy have just gone down”
Look here swarmy
Who you jivin’ with that Cosmik Debris?
(Now is that a real poncho or is that a Seattle poncho who can tell anymore?)
Don’t you know
You could make more money in sindication
So don’t you waste your time on me
Ohm shonty, ohm shonty, ohm shonty-ohm
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Frank Zappa
Cosmik Debris lyrics © Munchkin Music Co

Frank Zappa - Cosmik Debris (Visualizer)

NOW READ THE STORY ABOUT “INDIGENOUS MCGILL”:

 

Indigenous McGill

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SYRACUSE COURT: IROQUOIS PEOPLE IGNORED AGAIN IN NEW YORK STATE-US LAND GRAB

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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 rightWell, I could knock him off of that stoolBut everybody, they said, “Watch outHey, that’s Tiger Man McCoolHe’s had the whole lotta fightsAnd he’s always come out the winner”Yeah, he’s a winner
But I had myself about five too manyAnd I walked up tall and proudI faced his back and I faced the factThat he had never stooped or bowedI said, “Tiger Man, you’re a pussycat”And a hush fell on the crowdI said, “Let’s you and me go outside and see who’s a winner”
Well he gripped the bar with one big hairy handThen he braced against the wallHe slowly looked up from his beerAnd, my God, that man was tallHe said, “Boy, I see you’re a scrapperSo just before you fallI’m gonna tell you just a little‘Bout what it means to be a winner”
He said, “Now you see these bright white smilin’ teethYou know they ain’t my ownMine rolled away like ChicletsDown the street in San AntoneBut I left that person cursin’, nursin’ seven broken bonesAnd, uh, he only broke, uh, three of mine andThat makes me the winner”
He said, “Now behind this grin I got a steel pinThat holds my jaw in placeA trophy of my most successful motorcycle raceAnd each morning when I wake and touchThis scar across my faceIt reminds me of all I got by bein’ a winner
Now this broken back was a dyin’ actOf a handsome Harry ClayThat sticky Cincinnati night, I stole his wife away (beat it)But that woman, she gets uglierAnd she gets meaner every dayBut I got her, boyAnd 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 hearWith this twisted neck and these migraine painsAnd this big ole cauliflower earAnd if it wasn’t for this glass eye of mineWhy, I’d shed a happy tearTo think of all that you gonna get by bein’ a winner
I got arthritic elbows, boyI got dislocated kneesFrom pickin’ fights with thunderstormsAnd chargin’ into treesAnd my nose been broke so oftenI might lose if I sneezeAnd, son, you say you still wanna be a winner?
Now, you remind me a lot of my younger daysWith your knuckles a-clenchin’ whiteBut, boy, I’m gonna sit right here and sip this beer all nightAnd if there’s somethin’ that you gotta gain or proveBy winnin’ some silly fightWell, okay, I quit; I loseYou’re the winner”
So I stumbled from that barroomNot so tall and not so proudAnd behind me, I still hear the hoots of laughter of the crowdBut my eyes still see and my nose still worksAnd my teeth are still in my mouthAnd you know, I guess that makes meThe winner
Box 991 kahnawake que. canada J0L 1B0

FRANCIS BOOTS, WAR CHIEF OF THE MOHAWKS, DIES

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MNN. July 8, 2023. Ayonwaehs – War Chief of the Mohawks, Ateronhiatakon – Francis Boots, Snipe Clan, 73, peacefully passed away on July 5th, 2023. He will be presented at the Kanienkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonsesne [longhouse] located at 570 Route 37 in Akweswasne, starting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 2pm, until the funeral service on Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 10:00 am. Burial will take place at the Jocks Cemetery on 136B Jock Road in Akwesasne [NYS]. Funeral arrangements are with Donaldson’s Funeral Home. Donations can be made to the Kanienkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonsesne. 

He was born October 27, 1948 at the home of his maternal grandparents Katie and Paul Caldwell. He grew up on Cornwall Island of Akwesasne. He married Lisa Thomas, and was later in a relationship with Margie Marquis. He is survived by his children, Kawenniiosta (Joe), Teioronhiate (Crystal), Mandaque, Sohahiio, Karatohon (Cheryl), Konwanietawi (Zane), his grandchildren, Kai, Nora, Reese, Lita Jane, Odessa, Mskwaa-desiinh, Cala and Kanerahtine. He is survived by his siblings, John, Diane, Harvey, Anna, Yvonne, Jake, Emily and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his siblings, Peter, James (Julia), Joseph (Barbara), Catherine-Lena (Ray), Margaret (Peter), Elizabeth-Betty (Carl), Fredrick, Richard, Angus (Harriet) and Stephen (Beverly) and in-laws, Harriet, Patricia and Beverly.

Ateronhiatakon, attended Cornwall Island Day School, East Front Public School, St. Lawrence High School and Mater Dei College. In the 1960’s he travelled with the “White Roots of Peace”. He was always prepared at a momen’t notice to help the people. He shared his vast knowledge and experience, teaching our language, and officiating ceremonies. He was a true gift to the people. His kindness and his way of communicating made everyone comfortable, even in uneasy situations.

Francis honored all his teachers, people of the Confederacy, elders and community members with whom he shared his deep knowledge of our traditional ways. 

Aterionhiatakon was always optimistic, “I’m confident that we will survive. In the future I believe that we will not allow our way of life to be tampered with by the colonial powers. The settler peoples have got to understand they too have these instructions to be kind to Mother Earth, to be kind to the rivers, to be kind to the trees and all life. They seem to have forgotten that, and that’s where the conflict is. They too have to come home now. From”The Mohawk Warrior Society – A Handbook on Sovereignty and Survival, Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall”.

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF CEREMONIAL BURIAL OF A WAR CHIEF:

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Aterionhiatakon was a great aserakowa whose role at all times is to maintain the peace. Another great Mohawk, Robbie Robertson has something to say about Francis:

The general rode for sixteen daysThe horses were thirsty and tiredOn the trail of a renegade chiefOne he’d come to admireThe soldiers hid behind the hillsThat surrounded the villageAnd he rode down to warn the chiefThey’d come to conquer and pillage
Lay down your armsLay down your spearThe chief’s eyes were sadBut showed no sign of fear
It is a good day to die (It is a good day to die)Oh my children dry your eyesIt is a good day to die
And he spoke of the days before the white man cameWith his guns and whiskyHe told of a time long agoBefore what you call historyThe general couldn’t believe his wordsNor the look on his faceBut he knew these people would rather dieThen have to live in this disgrace
What law have I brokenWhat wrong have I doneThat makes you want to bury meUpon this trail of blood
It is a good day to die (It is a good day to die)Oh my children don’t you cryIt is a good day to die
We cared for the land and the land cared for usAnd that’s the way it’s always beenNever asked for more never asked too muchAnd now you tell me this is the end
I laid down my weaponI laid down my bowNow you want to drive me outWith no place left to go
It is a good day to die (It is a good day to die)Oh my children don’t you cryIt is a good day to die (It is a good day to die)
And he turned to his people and said dry your eyesWe’ve been blessed and we are thankfulRaise your voices to the skyIt is a good day to die
Oh my children don’t you cry (don’t you cry)Dry your eyesRaise your voice up to the skyIt is a good day to die

Contact.  kanonsesneh@gmail.com

Mohawk Nation News. kahentinetha2@protonmail.com

TWO ROW TIMES: “AND SO THE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID”

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MNN. Wed. July 5, 2023. This is a discussion with the men’s fire about standing up to the HCCC [Haudenosaunee Council of Chiefs] and HDI [Haudenosaunee Development Insttute] which are private incorporated companies. This is the intervention by the men’s fire against HDI and HCCC to settle all the Ontario and Canada land claims by Canada. They did not ask the people if they could do this because they know all the land is not for sale. The onkwehonweh [natural people of creation] have been given all the land of Turtle Island. The people discussed the responsibilities under the kaiaerekowa of each and every one of us.  

How the corporation system is suppose to work!

https://tworowtimes.com/editorial/and-so-the-people-are-afraid-a-discussion-with-the-mens-fire-about-standing-up-to-the-hccc-and-hdi/

The Weather Girls are giving us some insight into the coming storms on the horizon:

For more information on the court case see :  MohawkMothers.ca

Contact: thahoketoteh@ntk.com MNN Court Correspondence, box 991, kahnawake quebec canada

kahentinetha2@protonmail.com

MOHAWK WARRIOR SOCIETY: HANDBOOK ON SOVEREIGNTY & SURVIVAL Podcast

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MNN. June 20, 2023. The Kahnistensera, Mohawk Mothers of kahnawake, kanesatake, and akwesasne knew Louis karonhiaktajeh Hall, and were greatly influenced by his stories, philosophy and farsightedness. This podcast reveals many of his past, current and future insights into what lay ahead for the Mohawks. 

 

Mohawk Warrior Society

 

The Mohawk Warrior Society is one of the most successful militant organizations in North America. Their predecessors were key to the defeat of the French in Quebec and the United States in the War of 1812. Today, the Warriors are best known for their role in the 1990 Oka standoff against the Canadian army. In the new book, The Mohawk Warrior Society: A Handbook on Sovereignty and Survival, the movement for the first time tells its own history.

We are joined by the editors of this unique anthology of resistance, Philippe Blouin, Matt Peterson, Malek Rasamny and Kahentinetha Rotiskarewake and also by Kwetiio and Karennatha who, along with Kahentinetha, are members of the group Kanien’kehà:ka Kanistansera, the Mohawk Mothers.

Louis will always be honored by the people. The world will never forget the warrior flag he designed. Even the Kingsmen back in the 60’s honoured Louis: Ah Louie Louie. Oh no, Said we gotta go. Yeah yeah yeah. Yeah yeah. Baby. Louie Louie. Oh baby. Said we gotta go. A fine little girl. She waitin for me. Catch a  ship, across the sea. Sail that ship out all alone. Me never think how. I’ll make it home. I’ll make it home. Ah Louis Louie. No no no no. Make it home. . . .  

YouTube player

Episode: 034 Mohawk Warrior Society
Date: 18 June 2023 | Length: 70:23
Briefing Notes

 Karoniaktajeh Louis Hall. The Mohawk Warrior Society: A Handbook on Sovereignty and Survival. (PM Press 2023)
 The Native and the Refugee. (Electronic Intifada 2015)
 Jon Elmer on Mohawk blockades (Al Jazeera June 2010)
 Jon Elmer on the Mohawk Warrior Society and the Canadian military (Inter Press 2007)
 see also The Brief Podcast 023: 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance with Gord Hill

Contact thahoketoteh@ntk.com ,

MNN Court Correspondent

Mohawknationnews.com Box 991, kahnawake que. canada J0L 1B0

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MOHAWK MOTHERS COURT VICTORY Oct. 27, 2022

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MNN. 31st October 2022, 

Just got the judgement from the Quebec Superior Court:  

Decision of the Superior Court of QuebecDownload

Kahnistensera@riseup.net

MOHAWK WARRIOR SOCIETY/ HANDBOOK ON SOVEREIGNTY & SURVIVAL Audio

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MNN. FEB. 1, 2022. This amazing book contains new oral history by key figures of the Rotisken’rhakéhte’s revival in the 1970s, and tells the story of the Warriors’ famous flag, their armed occupation of Ganienkeh in 1974, and the role of their kaianerekowa constitution, the Great Peace, in guiding their commitment to freedom and independence.

Kickstarter Funding

Story

The first collection of its kind, The Mohawk Warrior Society: A Handbook on Sovereignty and Survival uncovers a hidden history and paints a bold portrait of the spectacular experience of Kanien’kehá:ka survival and self-defense. In this anthology, Mohawk Warriors tell their own story with their own voices and serve as an example and inspiration for future generations struggling against the environmental, cultural, and social devastation cast upon the modern world. This 320-page book also has a stunning collection of over 40 full-color pages of paintings, artwork, and flyers by Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall. Learn more about the book and contributors below. Preorder your copy, check out all the rewards, and please consider choosing a “donation” option or add-on so we can send free copies to the kanien’keha:ka kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) who are based in Kahnawake to get them out into the world. Thanks in advance for your help getting this important book into the world!

The first collection of its kind, this anthology by members of the Mohawk Warrior Society uncovers a hidden history and paints a bold portrait of the spectacular experience of Kanien’kehá:ka survival and self-defense. Providing extensive documentation, context, and analysis, the book features foundational writings by prolific visual artist and polemicist Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall (1918–1993)—such as his landmark 1979 pamphlet, The Warrior’s Handbook, as well as selections of his pioneering artwork. This book contains new oral history by key figures of the Rotisken’rhakéhte’s revival in the 1970s, and tells the story of the Warriors’ famous flag, their armed occupation of Ganienkeh in 1974, and the role of their constitution, the Great Peace, in guiding their commitment to freedom and independence. We hear directly the story of how the Kanien’kehá:ka Longhouse became one the most militant resistance groups in North America, gaining international attention with the Oka Crisis of 1990. This auto-history of the Rotisken’rhakéhte is complemented by a Mohawk history timeline from colonization to the present, a glossary of Mohawk political philosophy, and a new map in the Kanien’kéha language. At last, the Mohawk Warriors can tell their own story with their own voices, and to serve as an example and inspiration for future generations struggling against the environmental, cultural, and social devastation cast upon the modern world.

The book is by Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall, Kahentinetha Rotiskarewake, Philippe Blouin, Matt Peterson, and Malek Rasamny.

Praise

“While many have heard of AIM & the Red Power movement of the ’60s and ’70s, most probably do not know the story of the Mohawk warriors and their influence on Indigenous struggles for land and self-determination, then and now. These include the 1974 Ganienkeh land  reclamation (which still exists today as sovereign Mohawk territory),  the 1990 Oka Crisis (an armed standoff that revived the fighting spirit & warrior culture of Indigenous peoples across North America), and the Warrior/Warrior Unity flag, a powerful symbol of Indigenous resistance today commonly seen at blockades & rallies. The Mohawk Warrior Society tells this history in the words of the Mohawks themselves. Comprised of  interviews with some of the key participants, as well as The Warrior’s Handbook and Rebuilding the Iroquois Confederacy (both written by Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall, who also designed the Warrior/Unity flag), this book documents the important contributions Mohawk warriors have made to modern Indigenous resistance in North America.”
—Gord Hill, Kwakwaka’wakw, author of 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance and The Antifa Comic Book

“This clear and stimulating book had me on edge from beginning to end. No matter who we are we can learn from these histories of the Iroquois Confederacy as related by its present-day members, lessons pertaining to non-hierarchical political organization and the care of  the land. In the age of Black Lives Matter this work makes the case for autonomous life-spaces free of US or Canadian state control.”
—Michael Taussig, Class of 1933 Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University, City of New York

“This book is a window into a world seldom glimpsed by Europeans and their settler descendants. Revealed to us is the inner vision of First  Nation liberation movements that emerged from forms of government within which group autonomy and individual freedom have been cherished for thousands of years. Despite inspiring the US Constitution, these confederacies were heavily repressed and forced underground. At the end of the 1960s, the Warrior Society was rekindled by seven original members who vowed to defend their people against state violence depriving them of their rights. Overnight, they were joined by hundreds throughout Mohawk lands, then thousands all over the Iroquois Confederacy, with supporters from the East Coast to the West Coast in  North and South America. The Warrior Society emerged within a broader cultural renaissance that imbued traditional matrilineal cultures with new vitality. As part of the global awakening of the 1960s, they were more popularly rooted than AIM or the Black Panthers. Their Great Law provides an ecological and democratic framework for peaceful coexistence of all peoples.”
—George Katsiaficas, author of The Subversion of Politics: European Autonomous Social Movements and the Decolonization of Everyday Life and The Global Imagination of 1968: Revolution and Counterrevolution

“This book takes the reader behind the masks of the Mohawk Warrior Society, exploring the deep roots of the controversial Indigenous movement that precipitated the 78-day standoff at Oka in 1990. Offering unprecedented oral histories, concept glossaries, and transcripts of internal documents, this auto-history presents the perspective of the Rotisken’rhakéte in their own words. All readers interested in contemporary Indigenous resistance to colonialism will find much of value in this unique compendium that goes beyond the well-known symbols to explain their origins and meaning.”
—Jon Parmenter, Associate Professor of History at Cornell University, and author of The Edge of the Woods: Iroquoia, 1534–1701

“The Mohawk Warrior Society is an excellent collection of stories about colonialism and resistance in Turtle Island—a must read  for settler allies seeking to learn and unlearn the histories of colonial violence that structure our contemporary relations. In providing vital histories of state repression and Indigenous resilience, the teachings in this volume can inform all contemporary efforts working towards decolonialization.”
—Jeffrey Monaghan, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Carleton University, co-author of Policing Indigenous Movements: Dissent and the Security State

“I’ve been blessed because I came to know the Unity Flag by seeing Oka on TV when I was young. When I got married they wrapped us with the flag, it has been a part of all the spiritual ceremonies that I went to, it has been present at every blockade. Along with the Women’s Warrior Flag, it’s a symbol that’s embedded in our spirit, and it’s always been an inspiration. Louis Hall, Ganienkeh, and The Warrior’s Handbook were way ahead of their time, back when people were just starting to fight back, fighting to get their land back. The intention of The Warrior’s Handbook and Unity Flag was for all Indigenous nations throughout the hemisphere and really the whole world to unite, and first and foremost to fight. That’s why this book is so important, it’s something that Louis Hall has gifted to all red nations.”
—Kanahus Freedom Manuel, Indigenous land defender, Secwepemc Women Warrior Society, Tiny House Warriors

“This is a compelling account of the political struggle for the return of indigenous thought through the words of those Kaianerehkó:wa Mohawks affiliated with the original 1970s Warrior Society. It offers a trenchant and witty critique of settler colonialism together with a body of teachings aimed at re-establishing balance and harmony.  It is for the Kanien’kehá:ka, the indigenous peoples of Turtle Island, and all people troubled by the state of our relations to each other and to the beings of the land that make us as well as those who care for it.”
—Eduardo Kohn, Associate Professor of Anthropology at McGill University, and author of How Forests Think

About the Contributors

Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall (1918–1993) was a prolific Kanien’kehá:a painter and writer from Kahnawake, whose work continues to inspire generations of indigenous people today. A man of all trades, Karoniaktajeh worked as a butcher, a carpenter, and a mason. Initially groomed for a life in the priesthood, Karoniaktajeh (on the edge of the sky) began his life as a devout Christian before later turning against what he saw as the fallacies of European religion, and deciding to reintegrate himself into the traditional Longhouse and help revive “the  old ways.” Appointed as the Secretary of the Ganienkeh Council Fire, he became a prominent defender of indigenous sovereignty, and was instrumental in the reconstitution of the Rotisken’rhakéhte (Mohawk Warrior Society). His distinctive artwork includes the iconic Unity Flag, which still symbolizes indigenous pride across Turtle Island (North America). His legacy as a revivor and innovator of traditional  Mohawk culture includes his works The Warrior’s Handbook (1979) and Rebuilding the Iroquois Confederacy (1980).  Both these texts, which served during their time as a political and cultural call to arms for indigenous communities across Turtle Island, were initially printed by hand and distributed in secret.

Kahentinetha Rotiskarewake is a Kanien’kehá:ka from the Bear Clan in Kahnawà:ke. Initially working in the fashion industry, Kahentinetha went on to play a key role as speaker and writer in the indigenous resistance, a role which she has fulfilled consistently for the last six decades. During this time she witnessed and took part in numerous struggles, including the blockade of the Akwesasne border crossing in 1968. She has published several books including Mohawk Warrior Three,  and has been in charge of running the Mohawk Nation News service since  the Oka Crisis in 1990. She now cares for her twenty children,  grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Kahentinetha means “she who is  always at the forefront.”

Philippe Blouin writes, translates, and studies political anthropology and philosophy in Tionni’tio’tià:kon (Montreal). His current PhD research at McGill University seeks to understand and share the teachings of the Tehiohate (Two Row Wampum) to build decolonial alliances. He has published essays in Liaisons, Stasis, and an afterword to George Sorel’s Reflections on Violence.

Matt Peterson is an organizer at Woodbine, an experimental space in New York City. He is the co-director of The Native and the Refugee, a multi-media documentary project on American Indian reservations and Palestinian refugee camps.

Malek Rasamny co-directed the research project The Native and the Refugee and the feature film Spaces of Exception. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the department of Social Anthropology and Ethnology at the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris.

Details

The Mohawk Warrior Society: A Handbook on Sovereignty and Survival
Editors: Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall • Edited by Kahentinetha Rotiskarewake, Philippe Blouin, Matt Peterson, and Malek Rasamny
Series: PM Press
ISBN: 9781629639413
Published: 05/24/2022
Format: Paperback
Size: 6×9
Pages: 320
Subjects: SOCIAL SCIENCE / Native American Studies • HISTORY / Indigenous Peoples  of the Americas • POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism &  Post-Colonialism

Table of Contents

Part I.
1. An Introduction to Sovereignty and Survival
Part II. An Oral History of the Warrior Society
1. Tekarontakeh
2. Kakwirakeron
3. Kanasaraken
4. Ateronhiatakon
Part III. Rekindling Resistance
1. Basic Principles of the Kaianerekó:wa, by Kahentinetha (1997)
2. The Iroquoian Use of Wampum, by Ateronhiatakon (1988)
3. I Am A Warrior, by Karhiio
Part IV. On Karoniaktajeh
1. Who was Karoniaktajeh?, by Kahentinetha
2. Karonhiaktajeh Remembered
Part V. Karoniaktajeh’s Writings
1. Ganienkeh Manifesto (1974)
2. Warrior’s Handbook (1979)
3. Rebuilding the Iroquois Confederacy (1985)
Part VI. Appendices
1. Mohawk Warrior History Timeline
2. Skakwatakwen Concept Glossary
3. Place and Peoples Names
4. Pronunciation Guide

Detail of the reversible benefit bandana

All proceeds go to Resist Line 3–Camp Migizi. The bandanas are union made and printed with the text:

Water is Life / Resist all pipelines

Land Back / Burn down settler colonialism

Designed by Mantis, a Diné Two-Spirit Tattoo Artist living and fighting  alongside Migizi on the frontlines of Line 3. Working towards decolonization and land back baybeeee.

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We think karonhiaktajeh Louie Hall would love the words in this song: “Louie, Louie, we gotta go. yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!”

mohawknationnews.com Contact kahentinetha2@protonmail.com P.O.Box 991, kahnawake quebec canada J0L 1B0