-----Original Message-----
From: Jacqueline House [mailto:jacqueline_house@hotmail.com]
Sent: April 27, 2006 2:01 PM
Subject: On gwa ho weh land rights
On gwa ho weh Land Rights
Sano (Hello) my name is Jacqueline House, Cayuga Turtle from Six Nations I am a spokesperson Re: Haldimand Estates aka Douglas Creek Estates.
interview http://auto_sol.tao.ca
I am pleased to say this path has been overwhelming as we see the many new faces rising to say, "we too want to be heard". It is an International matter and concerns all of us. Far too long have we kept you in the dark.
But our Ancestors once said, "you will know when we had enough"! and today we had enough. Also it was seen that a generation will rise and their voices will be heard and we are that generation. We couldn't have come as far as we are today without the help from all of you. Nya weh (Thank you) Now is time to tell our story, Canada has made no attempt in telling you the truth, as they not only speak to us with a fork tongue, but you fellow Canadians as well. The Canadian Government has been keeping secrets and I am about to share some of those secrets with you. I speak with truth and honesty, the gifts the Creator has giving to me and my people. No longer can we stand back and allow ourselves to be molested by the Government and no longer allow our Ancestors to built upon. It saddens our people when we see Prudent Developers such as Henco uproot our Ancestors as if they are nothing. They have set this path for us and we must honour them and look after them as they have looked after us so long ago when they signed the Treaties. It is up to us to uphold them and see that Canada honours them. They not only go against us but the late King George the Third as well. Canada owes the world the truth, how they illegally imposed upon or people with their ways and laws as we never asked for it. We honoured our word when we said we would never try steer their vessel and when we buried our weapons of war and made Peace and todate still honour. That is the difference between our laws and the government laws.
Words from #12 School, Council Fire Book, Code of
Handsome Lake, Janice Switlo, the Life and Death of Anna Mae Aquash, Toronto Star, CBC
8 Points of Jurisdiction:
1. Installation of Chiefs
2. The Great Law
3. Membership
4. Treaties
5. Land
6. Ceremonies
7. Justice/Law
8. International Relationships (Peace, Commerece, Taxation)
Installation of Chiefs:
The Cheifs intrepreted this belt to the Governor General of Canada in 1890.
"And if any man or Chiefs were to go through outside where these men stands in form of a circumference, then the emblem of his Chiefship strikes on their arms and fall from him, thus it remains within the circumference... so he is nothing nut as man no more Chief any longer but how does he go through well that is if he receives the laws of other nations to be governed by it accordingly".
The Great Law:
When the War of the American Revolution shook the Tree of Peace and resulted in many Mokhawks and others of the League establishing themselves at the Grand RiverTerritory, most of the fundamental wampum records remained at Onondaga.
However, several belts were placed with the Onondaga Chief's at the Grand River, including important League Constitutional wampums and several records of Treaties with the British Crown and its representatives. The government of the Confederacy is symbolized by the circle wampum, an entwined circle of pure white the color denoting peace and purity, with its fifty Chiefs, and the binding matter in which they are brought together around a central fire. The circle is an emblem of the unbroken contnuity of the law. The circle protects those within it. It also acts as a barrier to those outside it. The laws and government of the Conferderacy became a barrier to the application of foreign laws to the people and institutions of the Confederacy.
The Two Row Wampum:
Symbolizes the two governments, namely the British agovernment and the Haudensaunee. The two rows symbolize two vessels traveling down the same river together, neither interfering in the course of the other. An important reason we were to remain in our own canoe is because our canoe is fragile and the British did not understand our rules and will upset ours.
A second enduring symbol of the relations between the Confederacy and the Crown, Sir William Johnson included a personal seal: the Silver Covenant Chain. In the seal, it is shown as a circular chain which six shirtles arms and one with a shirt and coat (presumably his own) are grasping. The Covenant Chain had its origins early in the relations between the Confederacy and the Europeans. Both parties engaged to keep the ends of it fast in their hands; that they would take care to keep it from breaking, or from getting any rust or filth upon it. That they would be as one flesh and blood so that if any enemies should intend to hurt or strike one party, the other should immediatelygive notice, rise up and help him, and that a good road should always be kept open between them". Note: Meanwhile, the United States were intent on breaking the power and pride of the Confederacy. They delibertly ignored Council procedure; the purpose was not assimilation but attack:
In 1784, in order to press the diplomatic attack more effectively, the federal representatives adopted a more conscious policy of destroying, corrupting our leaders, and subverting or political system- Indian and Northern Affairs as a device of Psycholical Warfare, to break down our morale. This attitude was to be broken by constantly treating us as inferiors, as a dependent minority group, trying to constantly force us to adopt their ways of law. As Quoted by James Duane, "their very exiztence as a political unit was to be denied." and he "would never suffer the word nation or Six Nations, or Confederacy, or Council Fire atOnondago". Or any other form which would revive or sem to confirm our ideas of independence to escape.
The Code of Handsome Lake: Part of the Social System a Seneca Prophet and Teacher of 1735
1794 - his name appears on a Treaty but whether he took active part is unknown.
Handsome Lake holds up a beacon of hope for the people. He merely proclaimed the Gai wiio and that is what we follow today, not him but the Creator.
Our religion is not one of paint and feathers; it is a thing of the heart - Who can change it? The Creator made this sunshine feeling a new hope.
Night - to live through it to see another day Warmth brings life The Beings - "He who created the world at the beginning employed us to come to earth. From the earth comes our medicines of life.
Membership:
Confederacy - The people
Confederacy Council - Clanmother - Who carries the peoples voices
Chiefs - Our voices are heard through them
Women - protectors of the land
Men - protects the women and children
Treaty:
Is a binding. legal agreement between two or more sovereign nations and has existed as long as we have existed amongst nation to nation. The Treaties are made because of the need for mutual understanding and agreement and relate to; 1. Peace and Friendship 2. Military Alliance 3. Boundaries 4. Trade
Through the Land comes Peace and Harmony:
We acquired our lands because of the Military Alliance, which guarenteed our Independence (Sovereignty) as Allies to the Crown, establishing them through Peace.
Our Treaties guarentee our relationship. We are not resigned to a mere historical role.The Treaties are the fundamental constitutional documanets for the existence of Canada (and the United States). Their permissions remain necessary for Canada to exist; this means - The Treaties must be; HOPNOURED, RESPECTED, adn ENFORCED.
Note: We have never broken any Treaties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ceremonies ~ Council Fire Book
Ceremony of Condolence, where exchanging wampum strings, using our language that they now learned how to use. The Peacemaker was the first to use the wampum when he condoled Hiawatha over the deaths of his daughters. It is said that the Peacemaker made short strings of beads from the shells opf river calms as a way of preserving the memory of his soothing words, which became the core of every ceremony of condolence to this day.
Note: Wampum is a record, a pledge, a ceremonial thing that acquired a value which could not be traded.
Code of Handsome Lake (Seneca Teacher and Prophet of 1735) Held up a beacon of hope with his divine message, the Gai wiio creating a new system to fasten our hopes. He merely proclaimed the Gai wiio and that is what we follow, not him but the Creator. Our religion is not one of paint or feathers, it is a thing of the heart - Who can chage it?
The Creator made this sunshine feeling a new hope.
Night- to live through it to see another day.
Warmth brings life.
The Beings - "He who created the world at the beginning employed us to come to earth.
From the earth comes our medicine, trees, food to feed our families, and the blanket for when we have to place our loved ones into the ground.
Justice
If any head of state feel they can ignore a Treaty and allow the government to threaten the Peace, by doing so, is the most serious International Matter and concerns all of us.
This requires the Protectorate Obligations of Her Majesty to step in. This commitment - She is still bound by.
International Relationships:
Royal Proclamation of 1763 King George the Third; His intent was to protect us under His protection regarding our hunting grounds, which is the land and we should not be molested or disturnbed on our lands.
Canadian Constitution Act of 1982, Section 25 Charter of Rights and Freedoms p[roviodes that it shall not be construed so as to erode Aboriginal (On gwa ho weh - True People) and Treaty Rights or rights assured under the Royal Proclamation.
1886 - Constitution Act recognizes and affirms this!!!!!!!!!!!!!
International Relationship
We practised a variety of forms and systems of government, establishing Treaties and Alliances among tribes and nations and engaged in trade along extensive routes reaching from east to west. We distinguished our identity through ontogenetic, succession, custom and law, utilizing symbols of power, establishing methods of leadership, continuity and treated on trade, land and international relationship.
1774 - 13 Colonies came together
Granted in 1784, the Haldimand Deed through King George III and Sir Frederick Haldimand;
6 miles on either side, from mouth to source of the Grand River. As long as the sun shines, the river flows and the grass grows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Note: This give us True Title Holders of the Land!
1794 - 20 years later after the colonies came together. Jay Treaty Border Crossing giving On gwa ho weh the right to pass.
Registered with the Public Archives, March 20, 1795, by Wm Jarvis
1830's - Council records were written in Mohawk or English.
1840-1870-1884 - Readings of the wampums were documents by John Buck, Onondaga Chief Skanawati with the wampums kept at the Grand River.
Certified by the Provincial Registrar's Office in Quebec, March 23, 1862 Stated - Mohawk Nation and such others of the Six Nations Indians as wish to settle upon the banks of the Grand River commonly called Ouse or Grand River running into Lake Erie
1871 - Wampums were taken.
1880 - Dayodekane (Seth Newhouse) was instructed by Chiefs to put in writing an authorative version on the history and constitution of the Confederacy.
June 18, 1887 - Submitted by Six Nations Council to Canada - NO SURRENDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 16, 1911 - Presented to the Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, the history and constitution of the Confederacy.
1800's - Conservative Government of Sir John A. MacDonald gave Indians the right to vote in Canadian Federal elections, and in 1885 attaching our sovereignty.
1812 - War against the Unbited States, we fought well as the King's Allies.
After the war Levi
General (Deskaheh)
travelled to
recognition for the Confederacy, irritating Canada sending in the RCMP on our
Territory (Six Nations) in 1920, a move which the Confederacy protested as an armed
invasion Indian Agent Colonel Morgan, began to impose the existing laws on our
people he considered oppenents of his power.
Canada appointed a Commision of Inquiry under Major Andrew Thompson.
1922- Evelyn Johnson placed the wampum belts in the museum.
September 17, 1924 - an order was passed to establish as elective system (Six Nations Band Council)
October 10, 1924 - Before the election Morgan and Hilton broke into David Sky's house for the wampum belts, but failed to seize all the wampum belts, and he failed to destroy the Confederacy Council, and they continue to hold monthly meetings to date.
October 21, 1924 - First election twenty-seven votes were cast for thirteen positions on the Council and the clerk of the Indian Affairs office, Hilton Hill becames the first elected Chief Councillor.
May 1988 - Elected Chief Concillor Bill Montour presented the stolen 6 wampum strings that were seized in 1924.
1989 - The Royal Museum in Toronto was asked for the return of four belts and six strings which are the propery of the Confederacy.
Note: Bringing home the wampum accentuates a duty of the Confederacy, not only to preserve the past, but to use its lessons for the future, and remind the people of their laws and their proper path as it closes the circle and opens others.
For the Confedearcy, the issue is more simply recovering sacred objects and symbols and used properly and carefully, restores harmony sharpens purpose, heals division, teaches knowledge. And peace acheived through knowledge and power, is what the Confederacy is all about.
Wounded Knee:
1968 - the American Indian Movement (AIM) is founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
October 1972 - AIM and other On gwa ho weh groups organize the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan to Washingto D.C. and then occupy the headquarters of the Bureau of Indian Affairs there.
February 27, 1972 - AIM supporters begin a 71 day occupation of the village of Wounded Knee with OSCRO (Oglala Sioux Civil Rights Organization).
April 1973 - Anna Mae Aquash journey to Wounded Knee and there she married Nogeeshik on April 12th.
May 8, 1973 - The Wounded Knee Occupation ends.
September-October 1974 - The On gwa ho weh Caravan reaches Ottawa.
January-June 1975 - There is an increase of violence and murder on the Pine Ridge Territory. The FBI was on the lookout for informats to turn the Nation on each other.
February 24, 1976 - The body of Anna Mae Aquash is found near Wanblee, South Dakota.
Note: Years have passed since the shocking story of Anna Mae. The recent support for imprisioned Indian rights activist Leonard Peltier reminds us once more of the unsolved and almost forgotten case of Ms. Aquash.
In Febraury 1976, the murdered body of this thirty-one year old Mic Mac from Nova Scotia was found on the Pine Ridge, South Dakota, the same troubled Territorywhich seven months earlier spawned the murder charges against Leonard peltier.
Both incidents have raised serious concerns with respect to the FBI's role in crushing legitimate On gwa ho weh dissent and attempting to break AIM. They raise as well major questions regarding the Canadian justice system and its relationship with the FBI in these cases.
Anna Mae was shot in the back of the head cowardly!
1990 - 78 standoff between the Canadian Government and the Mohawks of Kanasatake.
Politicians announced they planned to expand their golf course again over our Ancestors graves and distrupt Mother Nature. Land dispute extends back nearly 300 years. In 1717, Louis XV of France granted 150 square miles of land surrounding OKA Sulpician Missionaries when the land wasn't his to grant.
Corporal Leney refused to become ionvolved.
August 8, 1990 - Priemier Robert Bourassa called Canadian Military.
August 29, 1990 - 4000 Soldiers deployed the area.
September 18, 1990- Soldiers raided the Longhouse searching for weapons causing violence among the people. Seventy-five Mohawk were injured or gases.
Note: The Quebec Government refused to negotiate.
September 26, 1990 - The Progreeivative Conservative Party suffered the worst defeatin Canadian electoral history. Kim Campbell was defeated in her own Consttuency - To date - Not Resolved!
1995- The Shooting that ended our brothers life by law enforced officers;
Dudley George at Ipperwash, once again it revolves around the stealing of our Land Rights by the government!
A half century old land rights dispute exploded on StoneyPoint Territory going back into 1924. It was war time and the Federal Government expropriated land belonging to Stoney Point. They needed to build a military camp. Shortly after the war ended, the Department of Defence said it was willing to return most of the land as long as it could lease back what is still needed for military base. The offer was later withdrawn.
1972 - Jean Chretien waited patiently for the federal of Minister of Indian Affairs but no word as tension was building.
1993- Still no resolution.
Note: In the meantime Stoney Point On gwa ho weh were trying to gety the land back because it contained a burial ground destroyed when the camp was built.
September 1995 - the Military withdrew, defence Minister James Richardson, Stoney Point should be offered another piece of land and be compensated.
September 6, 1995 - Premier Mike Harris ordered a night attack saying, "I want the f****** Indians out of the park," sending in the OPP.
Today we are faced with Land Rights at Six Nations because the govenment doesn't want to recognize us and fess up to the wrongdoings of them to our people, "True Title Holders of the LAND!" For those of you that don't know here is a little story lesson of our inherent rights to the land, and why we don't pay taxes.
to be continued with the Haldimand Deed