When I attended school, a good few years ago, there were a number of punishments that could be administered by the teacher in school, ranging from a reprimand to the "strap" (a form of physical assault and abuse against a helpless child). Only once can I recall getting Mrs. H's dreaded "pointer across the knuckles" approach to behaviour management. Most often, if I did not complete an assignment on time or any such "infraction" I would have to stay after school and write some sentence that was in some way relevant to my misdeed on the blackboard 50 or more times. Well, apparently our venerable Courts are willing to meet out much more laughable "punishments" for crimes committed which were highly disruptive for not just one person, but many members of the community and over a protracted period.
Last fall, before I took a "blogging hiatus", I wrote how overjoyed I was that the Ontario Provincial Police were laying charges against the three leaders of the brilliantly creative initiative to address a perceived wrong - blocking Highway 6 (once again). Here a group of Six Nations members decided that the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women in other parts of Canada warranted creating chaos in the lives of innocent Haldimand residents, and many confused travellers from elsewhere, by shutting down the main artery between Port Dover and Hamilton. The same action (blocking Highway 6) was used by a group of largely youthful Six Nations members, primed and egged on by social media, who wanted to protest the fracking in New Brunswick (although at the time these socially responsible protesters there were pitching Molotov cocktails at RCMP officers), in October of 2013.
In considering the two above incidents of blocking Highway 6 there was one difference. In the 2013 instance all of the perpetrators were given a pass - no charges were laid by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), sending a very clear message to those who might consider following the same path (you will probably get away with it - if you are Native). Of course there is not a shadow of a doubt that if Caledonia residents had done precisely the same act, for whatever reason, they would have been arrested on the spot, and charged and punished by a Court of law. It is hardly a secret hereabouts.
So when the perpetrators of the 2014 incident were not arrested on the spot this was seen as highly predictable in light of the OPP's two-tiered policing of Haldimand County (one set of rules for "aboriginals" and another set of rules for "non-Natives"). However, at a later date the ringleaders were charged and required to answer to the changes in Court (giving some credit to the OPP for at least doing something). So the expectation was that some sort of meaningful punishment would be administered which would act as a deterrent to others who might consider blocking Highway 6 yet once again. See here for further details. However, in addition, the person responsible for erecting the gate blocking the Haldimand County owned Surrey Street was also brought to Court at this time. The details of the "punishments" were reported in "Turtle Island News", June 10, 2015, p. 4 in an article entitled, Charges dropped in MMIW protest, and Kanonhstaton fence.
The matters were heard in the Provincial Court in Cayuga, and in a jaw dropping development, Mischief charges against a number of Haudenosaunee men have been dropped after they agreed to give donations to local charities as part of a joint resolution between the Crown and defence. The reporter correctly calls this an "unusual move", which evolved during alternative dispute resolution discussions. It is noteworthy that the lawyer for the "defence" was the legal representative of the militant and highly controversial Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI).
So the obvious question here is, "would this option have been available if the person being charged was a non-Native resident of Caledonia. No head scratching is needed here, the answer is a resounding NO! This is another example of the double standard that is being applied in Haldimand County, which is decidedly to the advantage to those who possess a "Status Card". The Indian is seen as a victim of some sort (don't forget the Residential Schools, and any of a number of other such matters), and so accorded special and preferential treatment. To rub salt into the wound, The charges [of mischief] were withdrawn and there was no finding of culpability in terms of any wrongdoing.
So, since the majority of those inconvenienced by the blockade were residents of Haldimand County, was there any stipulation in relation to the "local charities"? I don't think that many (any) would be surprised to learn that no one opted to donate to a charity that would benefit all (e.g., to cancer or diabetes research), or specifically those who reside in Haldimand County.
Two of these worthies donated $300 to the Hamilton Regional Indian Friendship Centre, and a third donated $360 to Six Nations Minor Softball. The individual originally charged with "mischief over $5000" in relation to the installation of the gate resulting in the destruction of County property donated $500 to Six Nations Minor Lacrosse. Is it possible that the HDI will pay these "fines" and that the perpetrators will get away scot free? That is certainly a likely scenario, but we will never know since the HDI is among the least transparent organizations (despite persistent complaints from the Six Nations community), and the books are closed - as far as anyone knows.
It should also be noted that Haldimand County residents who attended the Court proceedings reported complete and utter respect toward the Court being shown by the Natives in attendance. For example they did not stand when the Judge entered the Court. This would NEVER be tolerated if the people had been non-Native. Once again the double standard prevailed here. There are never any consequences for courtroom misbehaviour, as was the case during all proceedings relating to the DCE situation from 2006. It would be understandable if anyone present at these Court sessions concluded that people from Six Nations are complete and utter boors, with no class and showing no respect. However when things are turned around, these same people expect complete respect for their culture and traditions - but they are not willing to give respect to others, only demand it for themselves.
This "agreement" is but another slap in the face of Haldimand residents, and a tap on the wrist of Six Nations activists who have yet again learned that there are no or minimal consequences for their actions.
At the moment I sit here thoroughly disgusted, and with a monumental feeling of betrayal.
DeYo.
Wednesday 10 June 2015
Sunday 7 June 2015
Things that Go Bump in the Night: Mysterious Disappearances Around and About Six Nations
On a relative scale, matters around Caledonia and the Grand River Territory have been rather quiet of late - hence the relative lack of postings. Those of us well inured to the experience of protest rallies, road blockades, and friction of one sort of another largely traceable to the events surrounding the contentious issue of the Douglas Creek Estates (Kanonhstaton) in 2006, have been pleasantly surprised of late. We have had a winter and spring free of any bitter acrimony between some of the residents of Caledonia plus other Haldimand County communities, and some of the residents of Six Nations. While this turn of events appears to be something to celebrate (while it lasts), there is something rather unsettling lurking in the shadows of this apparent blessing. Specifically, things have gone missing, without a whisper, let alone any fanfare. Quietly disappeared they have - no explanations available - just no longer present and accounted for. Strange unexplained mysteries. So what, specifically, are these puzzling events and circumstances?
1) Online transcripts of the Six Nations Council Minutes between 1841 and 1849 documenting the surrenders of land by the Chiefs in Council have been removed. While the originals are still to be found at the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in Ottawa, and the microfilm copies of this documents that can be accessed at the LAC, and the Archives of Ontario at York University in Toronto, the transcripts which were appended to "A Short History of the Six Nations" (2011) by Garry Horsnell were the only version that could be seen on the Internet. I became alerted to this removal by clicking on a bookmarked link to the document and seeing "404 Error File Not Found" from the website that used to host the document. A Google search did not even reveal a cached copy available. However, someone using the handle "feisty2" did upload the 2008 version of "Short History" to the Scribd site here.
2) Similarly the "Reports of Joan Holmes Filed on the City of Brantford's Injunction Notice" has disappeared from the same webhost. Fortunately, it can be found uploaded to a "Voice of Canada" WordPress site seen here.
Thus there remain tenuous links to the very documents which unequivocally undermine the credibility of the claims to properties such as Douglas Creek Estates (DCE). There are many hard copies of the above documents in circulation, and should there be further "removals" these important resources will pop up somewhere else. None the less, there is a story as to why the documents were removed from the primary site. Alas, the present author has no information as to what initiated the disappearance of what might be viewed as "contentious" documents.
3) A group called "Solidarity with Six Nations" has sputtered out of view. It was last seen in 2012, and there have been no postings to their website here since then. The group was composed largely of non-Native university students including radicals of every stripe (communists, anarchists, etc., etc.,). It had become a very controversial group at Six Nations, and was every bit the "provocateur" to the people of Haldimand County that Gary McHale had been to the people of Six Nations. It's disappearance from the landscape hereabouts has been one of the reasons why a calm has descended. None the less, the real story of their demise has not been told.
4) Those deemed to be "agitators" by one community or another have also "vanished" or kept a low profile. The "Solidarity" leader T. K., a radical communist - anarchist, who has been a part of the pain and suffering of the Haldimand community since 2006 has not been seen in these parts for some time. He appears to be involved with one of the two Reserve newspapers in an administrative capacity - but uncharacteristically quiet.
This brings me to Gary McHale, who some might say is the greatest thorn in the side of Six Nations (at least that is the perception of many there). Since 2006 he has been a familiar figure standing up against the "two - tiered policing", and the illegal land grab / land reclamation by Six Nations at DCE, and the many hypocrisies that local residents have endured. The Internet has not been helpful in determining his whereabouts or activities since his last appearance in Caledonia in 2014. This begs the question as to whether he has given up on Caledonia, or simply moved on to other pursuits (perhaps those that would permit making a living). He was such a prominent and consistent figure for so many years, and now, who knows ....................
Since we are on the theme of persons or things that have "disappeared" of late, it would seem apropos to review a few others that have not yet been solved.
5) The papers and records donated by one of my contacts to the Haldimand County Museum and Archives circa 2002 have still not surfaced. These amounted to about 10 archival boxes of documents copied from the originals in New York and Ontario pertaining to the Six Nations. The collection included all of the deeds, "treaties" and other documents which were signed by the Chiefs of the Six Nations between about 1613 and 1850. In 2009 my contact inquired about their donation, and they were shown a single archival box containing the "dregs" of the collection - everything else was gone and was not found despite a thorough search of the building. By chance, three years later, the contact met the former curator of the Museum, who accessioned the collection, and in response to the obvious question about the possible whereabouts of the material, the former curator said something rather interesting. The documents were last in the possession of "two women from Ohsweken". Humm.
6) While the above has a air of mystery about it, the following disappearance is more clear cut.
The theft of the records in the possession of the Indian Office in Brantford has still not been admitted by anyone, and so the perpetrators are "officially" unknown. All of the records were by law to have been sent to the Library and Archives Canada so that they could be preserved and microfilmed for access to researchers. After a large part of the collection had been sent to Ottawa, a friend complained to the Indian Office that this material is of importance to local genealogists and should stay in Brantford so that they could be consulted by researchers. Unfortunately, according to the friend, her efforts backfired because representatives of the --------- Council entered the Indian Office and demanded the records, which were duly handed over to them. The result was that important records are not only unavailable to local researchers, but are also not available to the Federal Government who is supposed to be responsible for land claims and so are hamstrung by this theft. What I know is that the records were taken to the Woodland Cultural - Educational Centre (as it was called then) for microfilming. I know because I saw the records there with the Indian Office label on them. The records were later removed to their present location in Ohsweken. No one is allowed to view them without the permission of the Band Council, which is never given. The only way to see a particular item of interest is to provide enough information that the employees can search the collection to find the piece of information needed (assuming it is not "sensitive") - I know, I went through the process and paid the stiff fee. This would / should have all been free for anyone to research (the Archives staff redact anything that is recent and not appropriate for public viewing - such as personal information about living people). The upshot of this is that both the Six Nations and the Federal Government can view the Land Inspection Returns 1844 - 1848 for Oneida Township in the original or microfilm, but only Six Nations have any access to the comparable data for adjoining Seneca Township.
My friend termed it (asking that the records remain locally) was the worse mistake of her life, and it caused her a great deal of grief. At a broader level it also means that the Federal Government is unable to "play with a full deck" since Six Nations retain sole possession of key records (which by law should be in the hands of those who generated it - the Federal Government).
DeYo.
1) Online transcripts of the Six Nations Council Minutes between 1841 and 1849 documenting the surrenders of land by the Chiefs in Council have been removed. While the originals are still to be found at the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in Ottawa, and the microfilm copies of this documents that can be accessed at the LAC, and the Archives of Ontario at York University in Toronto, the transcripts which were appended to "A Short History of the Six Nations" (2011) by Garry Horsnell were the only version that could be seen on the Internet. I became alerted to this removal by clicking on a bookmarked link to the document and seeing "404 Error File Not Found" from the website that used to host the document. A Google search did not even reveal a cached copy available. However, someone using the handle "feisty2" did upload the 2008 version of "Short History" to the Scribd site here.
2) Similarly the "Reports of Joan Holmes Filed on the City of Brantford's Injunction Notice" has disappeared from the same webhost. Fortunately, it can be found uploaded to a "Voice of Canada" WordPress site seen here.
Thus there remain tenuous links to the very documents which unequivocally undermine the credibility of the claims to properties such as Douglas Creek Estates (DCE). There are many hard copies of the above documents in circulation, and should there be further "removals" these important resources will pop up somewhere else. None the less, there is a story as to why the documents were removed from the primary site. Alas, the present author has no information as to what initiated the disappearance of what might be viewed as "contentious" documents.
3) A group called "Solidarity with Six Nations" has sputtered out of view. It was last seen in 2012, and there have been no postings to their website here since then. The group was composed largely of non-Native university students including radicals of every stripe (communists, anarchists, etc., etc.,). It had become a very controversial group at Six Nations, and was every bit the "provocateur" to the people of Haldimand County that Gary McHale had been to the people of Six Nations. It's disappearance from the landscape hereabouts has been one of the reasons why a calm has descended. None the less, the real story of their demise has not been told.
4) Those deemed to be "agitators" by one community or another have also "vanished" or kept a low profile. The "Solidarity" leader T. K., a radical communist - anarchist, who has been a part of the pain and suffering of the Haldimand community since 2006 has not been seen in these parts for some time. He appears to be involved with one of the two Reserve newspapers in an administrative capacity - but uncharacteristically quiet.
This brings me to Gary McHale, who some might say is the greatest thorn in the side of Six Nations (at least that is the perception of many there). Since 2006 he has been a familiar figure standing up against the "two - tiered policing", and the illegal land grab / land reclamation by Six Nations at DCE, and the many hypocrisies that local residents have endured. The Internet has not been helpful in determining his whereabouts or activities since his last appearance in Caledonia in 2014. This begs the question as to whether he has given up on Caledonia, or simply moved on to other pursuits (perhaps those that would permit making a living). He was such a prominent and consistent figure for so many years, and now, who knows ....................
Since we are on the theme of persons or things that have "disappeared" of late, it would seem apropos to review a few others that have not yet been solved.
5) The papers and records donated by one of my contacts to the Haldimand County Museum and Archives circa 2002 have still not surfaced. These amounted to about 10 archival boxes of documents copied from the originals in New York and Ontario pertaining to the Six Nations. The collection included all of the deeds, "treaties" and other documents which were signed by the Chiefs of the Six Nations between about 1613 and 1850. In 2009 my contact inquired about their donation, and they were shown a single archival box containing the "dregs" of the collection - everything else was gone and was not found despite a thorough search of the building. By chance, three years later, the contact met the former curator of the Museum, who accessioned the collection, and in response to the obvious question about the possible whereabouts of the material, the former curator said something rather interesting. The documents were last in the possession of "two women from Ohsweken". Humm.
6) While the above has a air of mystery about it, the following disappearance is more clear cut.
The theft of the records in the possession of the Indian Office in Brantford has still not been admitted by anyone, and so the perpetrators are "officially" unknown. All of the records were by law to have been sent to the Library and Archives Canada so that they could be preserved and microfilmed for access to researchers. After a large part of the collection had been sent to Ottawa, a friend complained to the Indian Office that this material is of importance to local genealogists and should stay in Brantford so that they could be consulted by researchers. Unfortunately, according to the friend, her efforts backfired because representatives of the --------- Council entered the Indian Office and demanded the records, which were duly handed over to them. The result was that important records are not only unavailable to local researchers, but are also not available to the Federal Government who is supposed to be responsible for land claims and so are hamstrung by this theft. What I know is that the records were taken to the Woodland Cultural - Educational Centre (as it was called then) for microfilming. I know because I saw the records there with the Indian Office label on them. The records were later removed to their present location in Ohsweken. No one is allowed to view them without the permission of the Band Council, which is never given. The only way to see a particular item of interest is to provide enough information that the employees can search the collection to find the piece of information needed (assuming it is not "sensitive") - I know, I went through the process and paid the stiff fee. This would / should have all been free for anyone to research (the Archives staff redact anything that is recent and not appropriate for public viewing - such as personal information about living people). The upshot of this is that both the Six Nations and the Federal Government can view the Land Inspection Returns 1844 - 1848 for Oneida Township in the original or microfilm, but only Six Nations have any access to the comparable data for adjoining Seneca Township.
My friend termed it (asking that the records remain locally) was the worse mistake of her life, and it caused her a great deal of grief. At a broader level it also means that the Federal Government is unable to "play with a full deck" since Six Nations retain sole possession of key records (which by law should be in the hands of those who generated it - the Federal Government).
DeYo.
Saturday 2 May 2015
A Study in Contrasts: Racism and Blame Versus Mutual Respect and Creative Problem Solving
To date I do not recall seeing two articles published in the same paper which are so diametrically different as found in "Two Row Times", April 29th, 2015. For starters, one sees aboriginal people (using special terms such as 'Gwahon:we' to set them apart as special) as paragons of perfection defiled by the evil grasping conniving colonial powers of Canada. The other article may take a swipe or jab at Canada, but it is all from within a balanced and rational perspective based on an understanding of history - not the "party line" to be chanted at rallies and protests. I will consider each article in turn.
1) An entire page is devoted to "Editorial and Opinion", which in fact turns out to be nothing but a channel for propaganda, spewing out all the standard hateful rhetoric that I have heard all my life - but little of which can stand up to any scrutiny (e.g., historical investigation). The segments are entitled, "I'm not your Indian, bro" and "Luv, Resect & Defiance" - "In memory of Misty Upham".
The page begins with mentioning the year 1688 as the year when "visitors to the Americas" came to "claim ownership over us". In all of my research, I don't recall 1688 as being of any particular significance. By 1608 the French were in New France, the English at Jamestown Virginia, and the Spanish were entrenched in Florida and lands to the south. What can be demonstrated as historical fact is that 40 years before 1688 the then Five Nations were engaged in a genocide the scope of which has seldom been seen anywhere in the world. Ancestors of the Haudenosaunee had almost completed the eradication (murder, torture, cannibalism, capture) of the Huron (Wyandot), Petun, Neutral (Attiwandaronk), Erie, Wenro - wiping them off the map in a complete and successful sweep. I acknowledge that in all probability my ancestors were among the killers, but that is history - but cruel, indeed.
The author continues by bringing up the missing and murdered indigenous men and women and pointing the finger of blame at the Government of Canada. I have followed many many cases and in the majority of them, the community of origin was the source of the problem. Endemic alcoholism, domestic violence, rape, assaults, child abuse cause many to flee with no street smarts and who become among societies most vulnerable who must turn to the sex trade or other means to merely survive. Corrupt chiefs and gross nepotism ensure that nothing will get better, even with more billions of dollars of taxpayer money poured into the bottomless pit. The problem has to be dealt with by the community - assigning blame to those who are working with key aboriginal leaders to find a solution is not going to fly too well. It will turn many Canadians away from any concern for those unwilling to accept what is staring them in the face, and instead are themselves supposed to accept guilt for a situation that can only be repaired from within. At the risk of being accused of waging my own propaganda soapbox war, I will drop this subject.
Somehow the author comes to the conclusion that Canadians in general consider aboriginal people to be "their property", and offers statements such as "The Queen is not our Creator" that make absolutely no sense in any apparent context. Apparently also, "White settler guilt skyrockets into overdrive when the true landlords stand up and speak out ........ " Read any of the comments to a Yahoo news report relating to aboriginal Canadians and rather than guilt you will see anger at the perceived "rights and entitlements" and the biting of "the hand that feeds them". Guilt, maybe in the sociology and political science departments of some universities - but out in the small communities across Canada - anger at the injustice of what is perceived as special treatment.
Then of course the mandatory jab at the Prime Minister, embedded in some sort of fantasy about what would happen if Mr. Harper, "dismantled parliament in favour of Haudenosaunee governance what do Canadians think that we would do? Are they fearful of the violent savage they [sic] colonial pop culture created in their minds. Maybe they are afraid of receiving what they deserve." I am at a complete loss to know what this means. There are about 23,000 Six Nations members, considerably less than the Pakistani community east of here in just Brampton. Is this a less than veiled threat that someday the Six Nations will assume power over Canada and "make things right" - I don't know.
In the second part, this diatribe against all non - aboriginals continues. I will (as will the author of the second article) later address the absurdity of this we - they mentality. Here the author uses the tragic death by suicide of an aspiring American Blackfoot actress to turn this event into yet another cut at the supposedly uncaring Government and populace in Canada who refuse to acknowledge that the responsibility for the disturbing missing and murdered women issue is at their doorstep. Despite the coroner's report, the author resorts to the fact that, "Her father says it was no suicide". Denial perhaps. Suicides occur frequently when people seem to be at the top of their game or seem to have everything to live for - that is an unfortunate fact, linked to hidden depression, lack of self confidence and many other psychological factors - many of which in all honesty are unknown. We don't always know why people do these things, but they do. I make this comment based on my experience as a former medical and mental health professional. Why assume that one knows better than the legal and medical professionals and go with a hunch or a belief or with what someone close to the deceased believes. Using this unfortunate woman's death to launch into a vitriolic attack against Canada is unacceptable. The following quote is in the "I can't believe they really said this category". Readers can judge for themselves - "The hatred toward Onkwehonewe [the "real people", used to mean non aboriginal] women is endemic amongst the ocean of euro-centric energies on Turtle Island."
The author ends this page filled with hatred and negativity by further referring to concepts that might not be familiar to those unaquainted with Six Nations history and culture. The author brings the story of Sky Woman, the good twin and the evil twin into the picture, perhaps to further emphasize the supposed traditional thinking that is being deployed in the article (which is not true but apparently that is beside the point). I am very familiar with this essential part of Haudeonsaunee creation mythology - but see absolutely no point in its appearance here other than to covertly suggest that Canadians are the Evil Twin and Haudenosaunee are the Good Twin, and as all of us who know the story are aware, the Good Twin is holding his own against the forces of evil (that surround aboriginal communities as perceived by the author of the article) - although the Evil Twin has sworn to go after, "your beloved children fashioned from the red earth". I won't take the time to comment on the author's unusual interpretation and twist on the creation story.
The author speaks of energies, however it would appear that all that this article has accomplished is to foster negative energy. The author appears to be a very bitter person, filled with hate toward others. Does the content of this article reflect the beliefs of all at Six Nations. Fortunately the answer is no, as clearly reflected in a second article in the same issue of the paper.
2) The next article was written by Rick Hill, Chairperson of the Six Nations Legacy Consortium, and Senior Project Coordinator at Deyohaha:ge: Indigeous Knowledge Centre. Normally I do not mention the names of Six Nations persons if I am going to be overly critical, however since I don't have anything negative to say about Rick Hill - his name will be noted here. He an I may disagree on matters relating to history, however it is a respectful disagreement which is normal between two people, to use an over used phrase hereabouts, "of a good mind". His article is entitled, "What makes a 'real' Haudenosaunee?"
Here follows some quotes which, in large part without my comments, will speak loudly for a rational and sensible way for Six Nations people to move forward into this century:
- If we demand respect for our culture, are we required to give respect for others? Diversity and multiculturalism are a two way street. However, all my adult life I have heard racist and exclusionary thoughts from the People of the Longhouse.
- We seem to have become a vengeful people, and with the introduction of lateral violence, took it out on our own relatives first.
- Now it seems that anyone without a clan was considered an enemy. Those with a clan that do not tow the party line are also considered an enemy. Our community is full of stories of prejudice, bigotry and exclusion. Not at the hands of the colonizers but by our own conduct toward each other. After a while, those within the circle became fewer and fewer, but more intense in their hatred of others. ........... The real question is : Do we want to stay there?
Then Mr. Hill recounts his change in perspective from one where he refused to stand for the Canadian or American anthems, to having an epiphany of sorts. Once he became involved in international Lacrosse, however, and when the "Confederacy flag" was developed, he saw, players from other nations that their fans respectfully stood as our flag was raised and our anthem played. However, the American, Canadian, British and Australian flags were also raised. After the respect shown to us, I could not then sit down while their flags were honoured. If we want respect, we have to show respect.
Furthermore, Mr. Hill notes that various petitions to for example the United Nations which, demand their recognition of our human rights to be Indigenous. Yet in what way do we recognize the human rights of other people within the Territory of the Haudenosaunee? ......... Can we demand what we are not willing to give? Are our current attitudes and practices racist or exclusionary?
In support of the above assertion, Mr. Hill notes how the Kahnawake Warrior Society forcibly evicted non-Natives from their community. Mr. Hill finds it ironic that, Kahnawake Mohawks are comprised of many bloodlines ......... Many Christian converts sought refuge there and Abenaki, Nippising, Algonkian, and Huron blood became mixed. Mohawk became the language of choice and Mohawk identity was adopted by all. ......... Today, the prevalence of light skin, hair and eyes at Kahnawake, as elsewhere among the Haudenosaunee, shows that intermarriage was a tradition.
In 1981 the Kahnawake Band Council passed a moratorium on mixed marriages, people who 'married out' had to leave the community. In 1984, the Band Council added a 50% blood quantum regulation in order for a marriage to qualify under the previous regulation and for band enrollment. This means that your parents had to have 100% Kahnawake Mohawk blood (or any combination of blood from both parents that would add up to 50% in the children). Ultimately this regulation caused great turmoil at Kahnawake and other communities since it would result in the break up of families, and the relegation of some Haudenosaunee people who defied arbitrary rules to an "other" category.
Mr. Hill then turned the light on his own community, Six Nations, where in the 1970s people were being "excluded" from being considered as "true Haudenosaunee" (my words) for committing any of a series of infractions. These include converting to Christianity, marrying a Caucasian, voting in any election, taking an oath to any foreign government.
This made it very difficult for many of us. Many were born of Christian parents or grandparents. Many had married non-Natives. Many were required by their work to make such pledges. Many had served in the U.S. and Canadian military. Many voted in local elections. After a while you began to wonder who was left inside the circle. We had a habit of wanting to push those who disagreed with us out of the circle. It became a noose wielded by gatekeepers, who required a blood quantum in order to be considered Haudenosaunee. But how else to protect our inheritance? .......... Also, the history which includes for example a "duplicitous government agent", needs to be balanced off with what the Peacemaker told us would bring peace to our lives - universal justice. Not just the justice for ourselves, but for everyone. In fact, he was very clear when he said that ANYONE can trace the Great White Roots to their source at the Tree of Peace, and therefore learn of the Great Law. Anyone. Not just card carrying Natives.
We are facing a difficult time. It is reported that half of the marriages at Grand River are to outsiders. How do we create and maintain peace among ourselves first. Can we use our tradition of coming to One Mind in this matter as well. Getting beyond romantic notions of an ideal past, we have to deal with the realities we find ourselves in.
All I can say at this point is, bravo Mr. Hill, thank you for saying what needed to be said, but that which few will touch. Better for some to live in a pretend world, full of spite and hatred directed at those who are not responsible for the status quo. Here we would get into the sensitive issue of personal responsibility, often a "no go zone".
As a footnote, just after writing the above post, an article on the Kahnawake "marrying out" controversy appeared online. It is entitled, Kahnawake mixed couple subject of 'marry out, stay out' protest and can be seen here. To say the least, the comments to this article are interesting. They are consistent, and entirely non supportive of the Band Council's decision.
DeYo.
1) An entire page is devoted to "Editorial and Opinion", which in fact turns out to be nothing but a channel for propaganda, spewing out all the standard hateful rhetoric that I have heard all my life - but little of which can stand up to any scrutiny (e.g., historical investigation). The segments are entitled, "I'm not your Indian, bro" and "Luv, Resect & Defiance" - "In memory of Misty Upham".
The page begins with mentioning the year 1688 as the year when "visitors to the Americas" came to "claim ownership over us". In all of my research, I don't recall 1688 as being of any particular significance. By 1608 the French were in New France, the English at Jamestown Virginia, and the Spanish were entrenched in Florida and lands to the south. What can be demonstrated as historical fact is that 40 years before 1688 the then Five Nations were engaged in a genocide the scope of which has seldom been seen anywhere in the world. Ancestors of the Haudenosaunee had almost completed the eradication (murder, torture, cannibalism, capture) of the Huron (Wyandot), Petun, Neutral (Attiwandaronk), Erie, Wenro - wiping them off the map in a complete and successful sweep. I acknowledge that in all probability my ancestors were among the killers, but that is history - but cruel, indeed.
The author continues by bringing up the missing and murdered indigenous men and women and pointing the finger of blame at the Government of Canada. I have followed many many cases and in the majority of them, the community of origin was the source of the problem. Endemic alcoholism, domestic violence, rape, assaults, child abuse cause many to flee with no street smarts and who become among societies most vulnerable who must turn to the sex trade or other means to merely survive. Corrupt chiefs and gross nepotism ensure that nothing will get better, even with more billions of dollars of taxpayer money poured into the bottomless pit. The problem has to be dealt with by the community - assigning blame to those who are working with key aboriginal leaders to find a solution is not going to fly too well. It will turn many Canadians away from any concern for those unwilling to accept what is staring them in the face, and instead are themselves supposed to accept guilt for a situation that can only be repaired from within. At the risk of being accused of waging my own propaganda soapbox war, I will drop this subject.
Somehow the author comes to the conclusion that Canadians in general consider aboriginal people to be "their property", and offers statements such as "The Queen is not our Creator" that make absolutely no sense in any apparent context. Apparently also, "White settler guilt skyrockets into overdrive when the true landlords stand up and speak out ........ " Read any of the comments to a Yahoo news report relating to aboriginal Canadians and rather than guilt you will see anger at the perceived "rights and entitlements" and the biting of "the hand that feeds them". Guilt, maybe in the sociology and political science departments of some universities - but out in the small communities across Canada - anger at the injustice of what is perceived as special treatment.
Then of course the mandatory jab at the Prime Minister, embedded in some sort of fantasy about what would happen if Mr. Harper, "dismantled parliament in favour of Haudenosaunee governance what do Canadians think that we would do? Are they fearful of the violent savage they [sic] colonial pop culture created in their minds. Maybe they are afraid of receiving what they deserve." I am at a complete loss to know what this means. There are about 23,000 Six Nations members, considerably less than the Pakistani community east of here in just Brampton. Is this a less than veiled threat that someday the Six Nations will assume power over Canada and "make things right" - I don't know.
In the second part, this diatribe against all non - aboriginals continues. I will (as will the author of the second article) later address the absurdity of this we - they mentality. Here the author uses the tragic death by suicide of an aspiring American Blackfoot actress to turn this event into yet another cut at the supposedly uncaring Government and populace in Canada who refuse to acknowledge that the responsibility for the disturbing missing and murdered women issue is at their doorstep. Despite the coroner's report, the author resorts to the fact that, "Her father says it was no suicide". Denial perhaps. Suicides occur frequently when people seem to be at the top of their game or seem to have everything to live for - that is an unfortunate fact, linked to hidden depression, lack of self confidence and many other psychological factors - many of which in all honesty are unknown. We don't always know why people do these things, but they do. I make this comment based on my experience as a former medical and mental health professional. Why assume that one knows better than the legal and medical professionals and go with a hunch or a belief or with what someone close to the deceased believes. Using this unfortunate woman's death to launch into a vitriolic attack against Canada is unacceptable. The following quote is in the "I can't believe they really said this category". Readers can judge for themselves - "The hatred toward Onkwehonewe [the "real people", used to mean non aboriginal] women is endemic amongst the ocean of euro-centric energies on Turtle Island."
The author ends this page filled with hatred and negativity by further referring to concepts that might not be familiar to those unaquainted with Six Nations history and culture. The author brings the story of Sky Woman, the good twin and the evil twin into the picture, perhaps to further emphasize the supposed traditional thinking that is being deployed in the article (which is not true but apparently that is beside the point). I am very familiar with this essential part of Haudeonsaunee creation mythology - but see absolutely no point in its appearance here other than to covertly suggest that Canadians are the Evil Twin and Haudenosaunee are the Good Twin, and as all of us who know the story are aware, the Good Twin is holding his own against the forces of evil (that surround aboriginal communities as perceived by the author of the article) - although the Evil Twin has sworn to go after, "your beloved children fashioned from the red earth". I won't take the time to comment on the author's unusual interpretation and twist on the creation story.
The author speaks of energies, however it would appear that all that this article has accomplished is to foster negative energy. The author appears to be a very bitter person, filled with hate toward others. Does the content of this article reflect the beliefs of all at Six Nations. Fortunately the answer is no, as clearly reflected in a second article in the same issue of the paper.
2) The next article was written by Rick Hill, Chairperson of the Six Nations Legacy Consortium, and Senior Project Coordinator at Deyohaha:ge: Indigeous Knowledge Centre. Normally I do not mention the names of Six Nations persons if I am going to be overly critical, however since I don't have anything negative to say about Rick Hill - his name will be noted here. He an I may disagree on matters relating to history, however it is a respectful disagreement which is normal between two people, to use an over used phrase hereabouts, "of a good mind". His article is entitled, "What makes a 'real' Haudenosaunee?"
Here follows some quotes which, in large part without my comments, will speak loudly for a rational and sensible way for Six Nations people to move forward into this century:
- If we demand respect for our culture, are we required to give respect for others? Diversity and multiculturalism are a two way street. However, all my adult life I have heard racist and exclusionary thoughts from the People of the Longhouse.
- We seem to have become a vengeful people, and with the introduction of lateral violence, took it out on our own relatives first.
- Now it seems that anyone without a clan was considered an enemy. Those with a clan that do not tow the party line are also considered an enemy. Our community is full of stories of prejudice, bigotry and exclusion. Not at the hands of the colonizers but by our own conduct toward each other. After a while, those within the circle became fewer and fewer, but more intense in their hatred of others. ........... The real question is : Do we want to stay there?
Then Mr. Hill recounts his change in perspective from one where he refused to stand for the Canadian or American anthems, to having an epiphany of sorts. Once he became involved in international Lacrosse, however, and when the "Confederacy flag" was developed, he saw, players from other nations that their fans respectfully stood as our flag was raised and our anthem played. However, the American, Canadian, British and Australian flags were also raised. After the respect shown to us, I could not then sit down while their flags were honoured. If we want respect, we have to show respect.
Furthermore, Mr. Hill notes that various petitions to for example the United Nations which, demand their recognition of our human rights to be Indigenous. Yet in what way do we recognize the human rights of other people within the Territory of the Haudenosaunee? ......... Can we demand what we are not willing to give? Are our current attitudes and practices racist or exclusionary?
In support of the above assertion, Mr. Hill notes how the Kahnawake Warrior Society forcibly evicted non-Natives from their community. Mr. Hill finds it ironic that, Kahnawake Mohawks are comprised of many bloodlines ......... Many Christian converts sought refuge there and Abenaki, Nippising, Algonkian, and Huron blood became mixed. Mohawk became the language of choice and Mohawk identity was adopted by all. ......... Today, the prevalence of light skin, hair and eyes at Kahnawake, as elsewhere among the Haudenosaunee, shows that intermarriage was a tradition.
In 1981 the Kahnawake Band Council passed a moratorium on mixed marriages, people who 'married out' had to leave the community. In 1984, the Band Council added a 50% blood quantum regulation in order for a marriage to qualify under the previous regulation and for band enrollment. This means that your parents had to have 100% Kahnawake Mohawk blood (or any combination of blood from both parents that would add up to 50% in the children). Ultimately this regulation caused great turmoil at Kahnawake and other communities since it would result in the break up of families, and the relegation of some Haudenosaunee people who defied arbitrary rules to an "other" category.
Mr. Hill then turned the light on his own community, Six Nations, where in the 1970s people were being "excluded" from being considered as "true Haudenosaunee" (my words) for committing any of a series of infractions. These include converting to Christianity, marrying a Caucasian, voting in any election, taking an oath to any foreign government.
This made it very difficult for many of us. Many were born of Christian parents or grandparents. Many had married non-Natives. Many were required by their work to make such pledges. Many had served in the U.S. and Canadian military. Many voted in local elections. After a while you began to wonder who was left inside the circle. We had a habit of wanting to push those who disagreed with us out of the circle. It became a noose wielded by gatekeepers, who required a blood quantum in order to be considered Haudenosaunee. But how else to protect our inheritance? .......... Also, the history which includes for example a "duplicitous government agent", needs to be balanced off with what the Peacemaker told us would bring peace to our lives - universal justice. Not just the justice for ourselves, but for everyone. In fact, he was very clear when he said that ANYONE can trace the Great White Roots to their source at the Tree of Peace, and therefore learn of the Great Law. Anyone. Not just card carrying Natives.
We are facing a difficult time. It is reported that half of the marriages at Grand River are to outsiders. How do we create and maintain peace among ourselves first. Can we use our tradition of coming to One Mind in this matter as well. Getting beyond romantic notions of an ideal past, we have to deal with the realities we find ourselves in.
All I can say at this point is, bravo Mr. Hill, thank you for saying what needed to be said, but that which few will touch. Better for some to live in a pretend world, full of spite and hatred directed at those who are not responsible for the status quo. Here we would get into the sensitive issue of personal responsibility, often a "no go zone".
As a footnote, just after writing the above post, an article on the Kahnawake "marrying out" controversy appeared online. It is entitled, Kahnawake mixed couple subject of 'marry out, stay out' protest and can be seen here. To say the least, the comments to this article are interesting. They are consistent, and entirely non supportive of the Band Council's decision.
DeYo.
Thursday 9 April 2015
Lets Blame the Children's Aid Society for Our Own Failings
It is not at all unusual for unfit parents who have lost their children to the Children's Aid Society to be angry - not with themselves, but with those who were acting in the best interests of the child or children, and whose duty it is, if all other approaches fail, to remove the child or children from the a situation where their health and welfare are in danger. So it is chronic problem faced by the CAS to have angry parents who take no responsibility for their actions, and instead point the finger of blame at the CAS. How would I know this? I worked for many years with Children's Aid Societies / Child Protective Services throughout the Niagara Peninsula (including Brant County on the Reserve) and specifically, doing medical and psychological assessments then reporting to Court as an expert witness. I got to see first hand the horrors some children face at the hands of those who should be blanketing them with protection - their own parents. While in some instances I did not agree with the CAS, and provided the specific reasons why I believed that they were perhaps over reacting, in the vast majority of cases my investigations served to validate the work done by the CAS. With this in mind, lets turn our attention to an article which appeared in a Rez paper, apparently authored by a disgruntled parent who was furious at the CAS and its representatives. In this article every one of the same old same old chestnuts were used as accusations against everyone from individual CAS workers to the Canadian Federal Government - but not once did the unnamed author ever even suggest that they or Six Nations society may have played a role in the situation in which they found themselves. What struck me most here was the way "over the top" unsupported accusations made by someone who appears to have anger control issues, and a newspaper which would print an article composed of statements that were patently false, and which were taken to off the chart extremes.
In the April 8th, 2015 issue of "Two Row Times" there was published:
COLUMN: LUV, RESPECT & DEFIANCE
Let us celebrate our family, culture and health
The author kicks off the column by stating that, some people with professional titles [are] in dire need of some sensitivity training when it comes to dealing with Onkwehon:we people involved in the Children's Aid Society court system of suppression. Especially if they're going to be infiltrating our Six Nations territory.
As I recall, most front line workers at Six Nations are Aboriginal people, and all are forced to work out of Brantford offices because some very vocal people at Six Nations garnered the ear of some members of the Elected Council (the Hereditary Council have been a bit more hesitant), and there is now a plan in place to have a Six Nations CAS - but over the months and years, nothing I have seen shows that a viable plan that will keep children safe has ever been floated - so time ticks on and the vocal few rule the day. It has now become a matter wrapped around the tiresome matter of idealistic but no workable plan for "self determination" - allowing Six Nations (who, Elected or Hereditary Councils or some other faction?) have complete control of what presently the Brant County CAS does at Six Nations on a daily basis. Somehow the fantasy is that with this new (as yet undefined) system in place, "culturally sensitive" approaches to child welfare will replace what is present in place across all of Ontario. This makes no real world sense, however that does not deter the core group of supporters of the "new plan" in the least. So magically with the new order of things the unfit parents will get their children back and all will somehow be well and the children no longer in need of protection. This dream world vision has a large number of supporters who clearly don't know what the CAS must face on a day to day basis. NEVER have I seen any CAS worker across the entire Province of Ontario apprehend a child without a suitcase full of evidence, and with a heavy heart in having to do what was necessary - removing children from the care of their parents.
Returning to the content of the above captioned newspaper "column", it seems that the author saw that, It's my job as a Kaniakehaka Wakataioni Rotiskenna to do security and warfare, just as it is the bear and turtle clans' job for diplomacy and medicinal cures. The context make it unclear what the author means here, but anyway, apparently they were, threatened by some Toronto person of African descent to sign some paper that I had no idea what I was signing away. I am not sure what being of African descent has to do with anything here, but perhaps we can let that drop. The author continues by stating that, She tried to tell me we had no say in these matters, and Six Nations is no different than Peel Region or the 'hood she was raised in. I cannot imagine anyone of African heritage living in Canada referring to her "hood". This brings forth the question as to whether this was a racist slur - unclear due to the lack of detail and context. Apparently then the discussion between the two moved toward the CAS no longer being able to work from Six Nations, but only Brantford. As I noted in an earlier blog posting this was a decision whose responsibility rests squarely with the Band Council members who advocated for this seemingly destructive or poorly thought out plan. Anyway, the author apparently told the representative of the Toronto CAS that, you were kicked off Six Nations because it isn't Canada. Canada is psychological and in your mind. Furthermore, Show me the date of the Iroquois Confederacy/Yayak nio hon tsake in our own language has surrendered and I'll gladly sign your document. What this means is completely obscure to the present commentator (myself), except that the column author sees Canada as having no legitimate role at Six Nations (except of course to dispense the tax dollars earned by other Canadians as "transfer payments" - although this is not said).
Apparently then things got really heated and personal between the two individuals. The author's version of what happened next is that the CAS worker, escalated the situation into a threat to make my kids crown wards in an orphanage. In the words of the author, I clarified my position. "The Six Nations Haudenosaunee are free, distinct and sovereign," I said. "Why don't you try and see what happens. I'm sure that if the sheriff that read us that injunction at Kanonstaton in 2006 that ordered us off our own land - and then couldn't enforce it with 500 police officers - then we're not too worried about you."
So what the enablers in the Haldimand County, Ontario Government and Federal Government have done by their inept actions and inactions is to create a climate where no matter what situation arises, someone at Six Nations can say "remember Douglas Creek Estates (DCE), well we will do that over again if anyone tries to interfere in matters we consider to be our own business". We who lived through the bullying, arson, theft, assaults, threats, destruction of property such as cutting down metal hydro towers, intimidation, blocking of public thoroughfares, flaunting of Court Orders, civil disobedience and on and on know that this group of thugs terrorized the community in Caledonia from 2006 until today - and we are powerless to do anything about it because we have been abandoned by every level of government - we are on our own, and eventually must take steps to bring law and order back to our community - even if it means a Court action to recover the millions upon millions of dollars lost due to the thugs of DCE and bankrupting all of Six Nations by issuing a penalty on each registered member. Eventually it is going to be, "so you want to play hardball, ok, here we go - time to pay the piper". The land was surrendered in 1844 through a perfectly legal action by over 40 Chiefs in Council - yet today people would disavow the actions of their ancestors and demand back land that has been out of the hands of Six Nations for 170 years. It is completely insane, but since no one at any level of government has to date shown the willingness to do anything but pussyfoot around .................. one can only hope for a champion of our cause, who is willing to allow accusations of "racism", "colonialism", lack of "cultural sensitivity", "cultural genocide", and all of the unsupported nonsense that is slung at politicians and anyone who dares to tell the truth to appear, and walk the walk. We can dream of justice, and someone with a spine, but at the moment that is all we have, dreams.
Continuing with the content of the recent newspaper column, things get more and more bizarre (if that is possible). The author accused the "person of African descent" with being, downright ignorant, and culturally insensitive to where they were working and what they are doing. The author then rants about how, This is the whole policy marker's plan. They sit back and watch two indigenous people bicker and argue and then laugh at us both. One completely happy with getting kicked around, and one sovereign Mohawk trying to be free of mind, because freedom is a state being tempered with respect and love for all of creation. That's the ultimate goal. Once again the present commentator is left scratching their head trying to figure out what really happened - since nothing seems to make sense. One thing is clear though, the author of the column was not going to let things go without further acrimony (yet just a sentence earlier claimed how the goal was love and respect ........... ). Here comes a further rant:
It's up to the enslaver/oppressor to try take away our peace that is why we must have a strong good mind with seven spans' thick skin for these kind of coercive techniques. If the Haudenosaunee of the Grand River are set to take over our at-risk children's destiny, we must make sure we don't go from bad to worse. Here the first sentence is indecipherable, but the second one makes perfect sense - it seems to caution that there are dangers afoot when Six Nations takes on the role presently being performed by the Brant CAS. However back to the rant that does not to me make sense, except that once again Ottawa is being accused on being some sort of tyrant. In the words of the author, Because if you follow the money for the new Six Nations Children's Aid agency it leads to Ottawa, and what good ever came from there when it comes to our wellbeing? More Ottawa bashing - but somehow they are supposed to understand the factions tugging at Six Nations and play arbitrator and of course that means giving in to the faction supported by the author of the column - otherwise Ottawa is very bad.
Somehow, and I don't know how the line of thought ends up here, but apparently whatever is, Just like this new Bill C-51 on terror is one more step in the 1,000-year-old plan of world domination and absolute control over every living being in the world. We are going to have to go live in the bush as clans very soon. What in blazes does this mean? Talk about a conspiracy theory! You have to be kidding. Over the top, over the moon - world domination???
Time to bring in another chestnut. The next sentence reads, And as we all know, child protection agency is a pretty little ribbon on an old word - genocide. Yes, I guess it was time to add the usual spiel about the Canadian government committing genocide. Whole groups of people being murdered selectively to eradicate them - perhaps because they are pesky or in the way or something? As I have said many many times, the only true genocide within recorded history is the ethnic cleansing and genocide perpetrated by the Five Nations against the Huron, Petun, Erie, Neutral and other nations who were wiped off the map during the 1640s, thus removing "competition" for the valuable fur trade. Indeed it was more complicated as these were also "mourning wars" to replace lost tribal members - but the result was the same. How can any action taken by Canada at any time be compared in any way to what happened in the 1640s - that was ethnic cleansing and genocide and yes, my own ancestors were among the killers roaming Ontario targeting innocents in the planned extermination of entire peoples. This is a crime against humanity - nothing Canada has ever done - ever - even remotely compared to the actions of our Five Nations ancestors.
In the words of the author of the column, Apprehension and care means to take your kids back to the mush hole and finish you irritating Mohawks off. Really, that is the goal of the CAS? That was my goal when I was working in the field? There was in the real world nothing remotely like this gross exaggeration and spate of false accusations. The so called "mush hole" was the residential school which many elders have told me fed them and taught them and provided experiences that would never happen in the impoverished homes of the day. This, to many Six Nations, was a place of refuge, but to be politically correct you have to buy into the view that what happened here was the same as what happened in say Alberta where distance meant that children were transported 1,000 or more miles from their homes. However there were benign reasons for this, as well as some abuses of course.
The rest of this "column" is just simply too off the wall to even consider any further. What is most frightening to me is that these words likely reflect the sentiments of an untold number of Six Nations members who buy into stuff like this all the time and cannot seem to see the big picture, and only the negatives, and the supposed conspiracies. I don't know when or even if that will ever change. It hasn't done so in my lifetime, and if anything, attitudes have hardened, and evidence (actual facts) mean nothing.
Good luck to us all.
DeYo.
In the April 8th, 2015 issue of "Two Row Times" there was published:
COLUMN: LUV, RESPECT & DEFIANCE
Let us celebrate our family, culture and health
The author kicks off the column by stating that, some people with professional titles [are] in dire need of some sensitivity training when it comes to dealing with Onkwehon:we people involved in the Children's Aid Society court system of suppression. Especially if they're going to be infiltrating our Six Nations territory.
As I recall, most front line workers at Six Nations are Aboriginal people, and all are forced to work out of Brantford offices because some very vocal people at Six Nations garnered the ear of some members of the Elected Council (the Hereditary Council have been a bit more hesitant), and there is now a plan in place to have a Six Nations CAS - but over the months and years, nothing I have seen shows that a viable plan that will keep children safe has ever been floated - so time ticks on and the vocal few rule the day. It has now become a matter wrapped around the tiresome matter of idealistic but no workable plan for "self determination" - allowing Six Nations (who, Elected or Hereditary Councils or some other faction?) have complete control of what presently the Brant County CAS does at Six Nations on a daily basis. Somehow the fantasy is that with this new (as yet undefined) system in place, "culturally sensitive" approaches to child welfare will replace what is present in place across all of Ontario. This makes no real world sense, however that does not deter the core group of supporters of the "new plan" in the least. So magically with the new order of things the unfit parents will get their children back and all will somehow be well and the children no longer in need of protection. This dream world vision has a large number of supporters who clearly don't know what the CAS must face on a day to day basis. NEVER have I seen any CAS worker across the entire Province of Ontario apprehend a child without a suitcase full of evidence, and with a heavy heart in having to do what was necessary - removing children from the care of their parents.
Returning to the content of the above captioned newspaper "column", it seems that the author saw that, It's my job as a Kaniakehaka Wakataioni Rotiskenna to do security and warfare, just as it is the bear and turtle clans' job for diplomacy and medicinal cures. The context make it unclear what the author means here, but anyway, apparently they were, threatened by some Toronto person of African descent to sign some paper that I had no idea what I was signing away. I am not sure what being of African descent has to do with anything here, but perhaps we can let that drop. The author continues by stating that, She tried to tell me we had no say in these matters, and Six Nations is no different than Peel Region or the 'hood she was raised in. I cannot imagine anyone of African heritage living in Canada referring to her "hood". This brings forth the question as to whether this was a racist slur - unclear due to the lack of detail and context. Apparently then the discussion between the two moved toward the CAS no longer being able to work from Six Nations, but only Brantford. As I noted in an earlier blog posting this was a decision whose responsibility rests squarely with the Band Council members who advocated for this seemingly destructive or poorly thought out plan. Anyway, the author apparently told the representative of the Toronto CAS that, you were kicked off Six Nations because it isn't Canada. Canada is psychological and in your mind. Furthermore, Show me the date of the Iroquois Confederacy/Yayak nio hon tsake in our own language has surrendered and I'll gladly sign your document. What this means is completely obscure to the present commentator (myself), except that the column author sees Canada as having no legitimate role at Six Nations (except of course to dispense the tax dollars earned by other Canadians as "transfer payments" - although this is not said).
Apparently then things got really heated and personal between the two individuals. The author's version of what happened next is that the CAS worker, escalated the situation into a threat to make my kids crown wards in an orphanage. In the words of the author, I clarified my position. "The Six Nations Haudenosaunee are free, distinct and sovereign," I said. "Why don't you try and see what happens. I'm sure that if the sheriff that read us that injunction at Kanonstaton in 2006 that ordered us off our own land - and then couldn't enforce it with 500 police officers - then we're not too worried about you."
So what the enablers in the Haldimand County, Ontario Government and Federal Government have done by their inept actions and inactions is to create a climate where no matter what situation arises, someone at Six Nations can say "remember Douglas Creek Estates (DCE), well we will do that over again if anyone tries to interfere in matters we consider to be our own business". We who lived through the bullying, arson, theft, assaults, threats, destruction of property such as cutting down metal hydro towers, intimidation, blocking of public thoroughfares, flaunting of Court Orders, civil disobedience and on and on know that this group of thugs terrorized the community in Caledonia from 2006 until today - and we are powerless to do anything about it because we have been abandoned by every level of government - we are on our own, and eventually must take steps to bring law and order back to our community - even if it means a Court action to recover the millions upon millions of dollars lost due to the thugs of DCE and bankrupting all of Six Nations by issuing a penalty on each registered member. Eventually it is going to be, "so you want to play hardball, ok, here we go - time to pay the piper". The land was surrendered in 1844 through a perfectly legal action by over 40 Chiefs in Council - yet today people would disavow the actions of their ancestors and demand back land that has been out of the hands of Six Nations for 170 years. It is completely insane, but since no one at any level of government has to date shown the willingness to do anything but pussyfoot around .................. one can only hope for a champion of our cause, who is willing to allow accusations of "racism", "colonialism", lack of "cultural sensitivity", "cultural genocide", and all of the unsupported nonsense that is slung at politicians and anyone who dares to tell the truth to appear, and walk the walk. We can dream of justice, and someone with a spine, but at the moment that is all we have, dreams.
Continuing with the content of the recent newspaper column, things get more and more bizarre (if that is possible). The author accused the "person of African descent" with being, downright ignorant, and culturally insensitive to where they were working and what they are doing. The author then rants about how, This is the whole policy marker's plan. They sit back and watch two indigenous people bicker and argue and then laugh at us both. One completely happy with getting kicked around, and one sovereign Mohawk trying to be free of mind, because freedom is a state being tempered with respect and love for all of creation. That's the ultimate goal. Once again the present commentator is left scratching their head trying to figure out what really happened - since nothing seems to make sense. One thing is clear though, the author of the column was not going to let things go without further acrimony (yet just a sentence earlier claimed how the goal was love and respect ........... ). Here comes a further rant:
It's up to the enslaver/oppressor to try take away our peace that is why we must have a strong good mind with seven spans' thick skin for these kind of coercive techniques. If the Haudenosaunee of the Grand River are set to take over our at-risk children's destiny, we must make sure we don't go from bad to worse. Here the first sentence is indecipherable, but the second one makes perfect sense - it seems to caution that there are dangers afoot when Six Nations takes on the role presently being performed by the Brant CAS. However back to the rant that does not to me make sense, except that once again Ottawa is being accused on being some sort of tyrant. In the words of the author, Because if you follow the money for the new Six Nations Children's Aid agency it leads to Ottawa, and what good ever came from there when it comes to our wellbeing? More Ottawa bashing - but somehow they are supposed to understand the factions tugging at Six Nations and play arbitrator and of course that means giving in to the faction supported by the author of the column - otherwise Ottawa is very bad.
Somehow, and I don't know how the line of thought ends up here, but apparently whatever is, Just like this new Bill C-51 on terror is one more step in the 1,000-year-old plan of world domination and absolute control over every living being in the world. We are going to have to go live in the bush as clans very soon. What in blazes does this mean? Talk about a conspiracy theory! You have to be kidding. Over the top, over the moon - world domination???
Time to bring in another chestnut. The next sentence reads, And as we all know, child protection agency is a pretty little ribbon on an old word - genocide. Yes, I guess it was time to add the usual spiel about the Canadian government committing genocide. Whole groups of people being murdered selectively to eradicate them - perhaps because they are pesky or in the way or something? As I have said many many times, the only true genocide within recorded history is the ethnic cleansing and genocide perpetrated by the Five Nations against the Huron, Petun, Erie, Neutral and other nations who were wiped off the map during the 1640s, thus removing "competition" for the valuable fur trade. Indeed it was more complicated as these were also "mourning wars" to replace lost tribal members - but the result was the same. How can any action taken by Canada at any time be compared in any way to what happened in the 1640s - that was ethnic cleansing and genocide and yes, my own ancestors were among the killers roaming Ontario targeting innocents in the planned extermination of entire peoples. This is a crime against humanity - nothing Canada has ever done - ever - even remotely compared to the actions of our Five Nations ancestors.
In the words of the author of the column, Apprehension and care means to take your kids back to the mush hole and finish you irritating Mohawks off. Really, that is the goal of the CAS? That was my goal when I was working in the field? There was in the real world nothing remotely like this gross exaggeration and spate of false accusations. The so called "mush hole" was the residential school which many elders have told me fed them and taught them and provided experiences that would never happen in the impoverished homes of the day. This, to many Six Nations, was a place of refuge, but to be politically correct you have to buy into the view that what happened here was the same as what happened in say Alberta where distance meant that children were transported 1,000 or more miles from their homes. However there were benign reasons for this, as well as some abuses of course.
The rest of this "column" is just simply too off the wall to even consider any further. What is most frightening to me is that these words likely reflect the sentiments of an untold number of Six Nations members who buy into stuff like this all the time and cannot seem to see the big picture, and only the negatives, and the supposed conspiracies. I don't know when or even if that will ever change. It hasn't done so in my lifetime, and if anything, attitudes have hardened, and evidence (actual facts) mean nothing.
Good luck to us all.
DeYo.
Wednesday 8 April 2015
The Six Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chief's Council (HCCC) Expands the Rules for Membership Eligibility
There has been some limited discussion on Bill C - 10, "Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act", which the Federal Government has enacted (it has reached "Royal Assent" and can be put in place at any time) to regulate tobacco distribution and sales (e.g., unstamped, untaxed cigarettes being transported and sold, which are considered contraband). Many at Six Nations believe that they have an inherent right or entitlement to make their own rules relating to tobacco or tobacco products. A great deal of the economy of Six Nations has over the years been directed toward the large - scale manufacturing of cigarettes, down to the "mom and pop" shacks or trailers along any road on the Reserve, and some outside the boundaries, which sell tobacco products in varying degrees of processing to anyone with the cash.
Since Bill C - 10 is pretty much a "done deal", various factions at Six Nations are scrambling around trying to find ways to keep Six Nations members from being charged with for example trafficking in contraband tobacco - for which there are stiff fines for first and particularly second offences.
The "solution" arrived at by the various tentacles of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chief's Council (HCCC) is to enact their own law, based on the premise of the "inherent right to self - determination", meaning that the perception is that they are exempt from the law (so much of what goes on among the conservative community at Six Nations swirls with beliefs that are at odds with Canadian law, previous agreements or even common sense). Knowing that there will be test cases (some distributors or retailers without a Federal licence will be arrested to test the viability of concepts of self - determination in Court), the HCCC branches are trying to forestall the inevitable and perhaps show the Federal Government that they are able to regulate the industry within their own territory.
The debate continues.
What is new is the present effort to draft a law that would be a "Haudenosaunee Tobacco Law". The details have yet to be revealed, but apparently the members of the "Trade Delegation" are actively seeking Community input before submitting the draft tobacco law.
What caught the eye of the present author was the linking of this law with ancestry - not ancestry as defined by the Membership Office, the Band Council, and the Federal Government - but simply "Haudenosaunee ancestry" as envisioned by the wider community and in particular, those who are drafting the "law" which will be proposed to the Six Nations community.
An article entitled, Draft tobacco law clarifies Haudenosaunee ancestry, appeared in "Turtle Island News", April 8, 2015, pp. 2, 4. The very first paragraph in the article reads, Any person who can trace his or her lineage back to Six Nations of the Grand River will be protected under the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council' (HCCC) new tobacco law (p.2). This statement was provided by at the Six Nations Polytechnic by K.T., the Haudenosaunee lawyer. Hence, the perspective is seen in legal terms.
The above appears to suggest that in contrast to the rigid and highly restrictive definition used by the Membership Office of the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC), the HCCC will be opening up the definition to include ALL who have heritage that can be traced to ancestors who were "Six Nations of the Grand River" at any point in time. This is a surprising and dramatic development, so it is necessary to seek cross confirmation of what exactly is meant by the above statement. On page 4 the last paragraph in the article, lawyer K.T., said any Haudenosaunee person will be eligible as long as they can trace their ancestry back to Six Nations of the Grand River. "We don't want to exclude anyone", she said. "It's not our intent that we get to decide who is Haudenosaunee and who is not."
The definition seems unequivocal, although the quality of the documentation or other evidence pertaining to proof of descent from those who were members of the Six Nations of the Grand River, is not defined or even considered. This opens a huge door very wide, and if they are serious about this "broadening" of the definition of who is Haudenosaunee, then surely they realize that there are many thousands more such descendants living off the present day Reserve who would qualify, than all of the present day on Rez and off Rez members together (around 23,000).
Should this matter proceed any further, the present author is in a position to produce published and non - published original source evidence that would permit the application of untold thousands of "regular Canadian citizens" to claim, with valid evidence, that they "belong". What has not been answered is how the Canadian regulatory agencies will be in any position to assess whether a person about to be charged under Bill C - 10 has the requisite documentation to fall under the proposed "Haudenosaunee Tobacco Law" - or any other law or situation where knowing the names and identities of all the players will be critical to enforcing the law.
All of the above begs the question as to whether the HCCC are willing to take all descendants of Six Nations people who have come to the Grand River since 1785 under their wing, and grant them some sort of formal status. Will there be a membership card based on the authority of the HCCC? To what does this entitle people other than the proposed exemption under the Haudenosaunee Tobacco Act?
Have the HCCC opened up a can or worms? Time will tell.
BTW, to the HCCC or the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI), when can I expect my Haudenosaunee membership card - I have all the evidence you will need, just let me know how I go about obtaining my card, you know, in case I get stopped by the cops? Soon Confederacy flags will be flying from houses and yards all up and down the Grand River from the mouth to the source. Rather a smart move on your part - this inclusivity - more supporters - lots of positives.
DeYo.
Since Bill C - 10 is pretty much a "done deal", various factions at Six Nations are scrambling around trying to find ways to keep Six Nations members from being charged with for example trafficking in contraband tobacco - for which there are stiff fines for first and particularly second offences.
The "solution" arrived at by the various tentacles of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chief's Council (HCCC) is to enact their own law, based on the premise of the "inherent right to self - determination", meaning that the perception is that they are exempt from the law (so much of what goes on among the conservative community at Six Nations swirls with beliefs that are at odds with Canadian law, previous agreements or even common sense). Knowing that there will be test cases (some distributors or retailers without a Federal licence will be arrested to test the viability of concepts of self - determination in Court), the HCCC branches are trying to forestall the inevitable and perhaps show the Federal Government that they are able to regulate the industry within their own territory.
The debate continues.
What is new is the present effort to draft a law that would be a "Haudenosaunee Tobacco Law". The details have yet to be revealed, but apparently the members of the "Trade Delegation" are actively seeking Community input before submitting the draft tobacco law.
What caught the eye of the present author was the linking of this law with ancestry - not ancestry as defined by the Membership Office, the Band Council, and the Federal Government - but simply "Haudenosaunee ancestry" as envisioned by the wider community and in particular, those who are drafting the "law" which will be proposed to the Six Nations community.
An article entitled, Draft tobacco law clarifies Haudenosaunee ancestry, appeared in "Turtle Island News", April 8, 2015, pp. 2, 4. The very first paragraph in the article reads, Any person who can trace his or her lineage back to Six Nations of the Grand River will be protected under the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council' (HCCC) new tobacco law (p.2). This statement was provided by at the Six Nations Polytechnic by K.T., the Haudenosaunee lawyer. Hence, the perspective is seen in legal terms.
The above appears to suggest that in contrast to the rigid and highly restrictive definition used by the Membership Office of the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC), the HCCC will be opening up the definition to include ALL who have heritage that can be traced to ancestors who were "Six Nations of the Grand River" at any point in time. This is a surprising and dramatic development, so it is necessary to seek cross confirmation of what exactly is meant by the above statement. On page 4 the last paragraph in the article, lawyer K.T., said any Haudenosaunee person will be eligible as long as they can trace their ancestry back to Six Nations of the Grand River. "We don't want to exclude anyone", she said. "It's not our intent that we get to decide who is Haudenosaunee and who is not."
The definition seems unequivocal, although the quality of the documentation or other evidence pertaining to proof of descent from those who were members of the Six Nations of the Grand River, is not defined or even considered. This opens a huge door very wide, and if they are serious about this "broadening" of the definition of who is Haudenosaunee, then surely they realize that there are many thousands more such descendants living off the present day Reserve who would qualify, than all of the present day on Rez and off Rez members together (around 23,000).
Should this matter proceed any further, the present author is in a position to produce published and non - published original source evidence that would permit the application of untold thousands of "regular Canadian citizens" to claim, with valid evidence, that they "belong". What has not been answered is how the Canadian regulatory agencies will be in any position to assess whether a person about to be charged under Bill C - 10 has the requisite documentation to fall under the proposed "Haudenosaunee Tobacco Law" - or any other law or situation where knowing the names and identities of all the players will be critical to enforcing the law.
All of the above begs the question as to whether the HCCC are willing to take all descendants of Six Nations people who have come to the Grand River since 1785 under their wing, and grant them some sort of formal status. Will there be a membership card based on the authority of the HCCC? To what does this entitle people other than the proposed exemption under the Haudenosaunee Tobacco Act?
Have the HCCC opened up a can or worms? Time will tell.
BTW, to the HCCC or the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI), when can I expect my Haudenosaunee membership card - I have all the evidence you will need, just let me know how I go about obtaining my card, you know, in case I get stopped by the cops? Soon Confederacy flags will be flying from houses and yards all up and down the Grand River from the mouth to the source. Rather a smart move on your part - this inclusivity - more supporters - lots of positives.
DeYo.
Friday 14 November 2014
Criminal Negligence?: Have the Lives of Two Local Young Girls Been Compromised Because of "Cultural Sensitivity"?
I have been following the stories of two young girls from the area, one from New Credit, the other from Six Nations, whose parents have made atypical choices in the care of their 11 year old daughters who have acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In almost all cases, with the assistance of oncologists, parents will obtain the awareness that there is only one single form of treatment as of today that has been scientifically validated to work with this pernicious and otherwise inevitably fatal disease. This treatment is chemotherapy.
Over the last few months I have not spoken about this troubling situation, it is very very sensitive and one close to my own training and expertise. Since I have no formal involvement in either case, it has been my decision to keep my opinions to myself. That all changed with the release of new information about the treatment that these children have been subjected to. My training is in specialized medicine from McMaster University, the hospital facility which has assessed both girls and has recommended what is today standard treatment. I have also had a role in assessments for the Children's Aid Societies in Southwestern Ontario, and testifying in Court as an expert witness.
Alas, the matter has become politicized and any disagreement with the decision of not only the parents of the girls, but large segments of the New Credit and Six Nations communities, inevitably leading to charges of "racism" and "cultural insensitivity".
The real clash here is between superstition and modern medicine, pure and simple - which has recently been clarified when we learn that "traditional healing" really means relying on the "expertise" of a quack.
In both cases the parents of the girls decided that they would withdraw consent to treatment, and opt for "traditional healing". The age where a child is allowed to take control of their own care and treatment is 18, so an 11 year old child is under the legal care of the parents, and if the latter fail to place their children's needs first and foremost, the "state" in the form of the Children's Aid Society (CAS) must step in and, if necessary, apprehend the child to meet the litmus test of, "what is in the best interests of the child".
So, to complicate the matter, there is a clash between Western values and aboriginal viewpoints - right? No, that is incorrect. It involves a situation where the parents of both girls have been told that if their daughters continue with the, admittedly unpleasant, rounds of chemotherapy, then the girls would have a 90 to 95% chance of a total cure. So it is almost a guarantee that with the guidance of expert oncologists, the children have a very high chance of full recovery. What if the parents don't accept this wisdom built of years of medical practice standing on the foundation of modern science? Unfortunately the course will be downward, with possible temporary remission, but eventual relapse and death. The latter could come soon if the children are withdrawn from McMaster's treatment recommendations.
What is important to understand is the nature of "traditional healing". What does it entail? No one has given a clear outline of the programme that will bring about healing. Does it involve aboriginal wisdom about the property of herbs and other plants? How sure can anyone be that this regimen will work? What is the probability of success? Is it near the 90 to 95% chance that chemotherapy offers?
Apparently, as has been recently revealed, the so called "traditional" treatment is actually an "alternative" treatment. It does not even come up to the standards of naturopathy where legitimate practitioners know their limitations - and acute lymphoblastic leukemia is one of them. A Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) investigation found that a "doctor" from Florida had visited the Six Nations community twice (and to packed audiences if the video is in fact from those visits). He convinced the audience that when the doctors in "Toronto" fail, then people come to him. So what are his credentials? In fact he is a doctor of nothing. His "clinic" is a message establishment which also offers raw vegetable foods, intravenous vitamin C, cold laser light therapy - and that is about it. The "qualifications" of the clinic's "doctor", and the treatment administered is shown in the video here. What is crystal clear is that this "center", the "Hippocrates Health Institute" in Florida is "a centre that focuses on nutrition and naturopathic therapy" and as such, has nothing to do with "traditional healing" just quackery and snake oil sales where the bottom line is money - $18,000 to be specific. Someone without any formal credentials makes phony claims of success and goes unpunished, and like the doomsday cults when the day passes and the world does not end, he and they will come up with some rationalization and keep going because the rational mind has been suspended in the service of false hope - the idea that some "organic" treatments are superior to what modern medicine has to offer.
The video reported that the little girl from New Credit went through the three week programme, returned to the home of her parents, and is now in critical condition. This is positively criminal when a few months back, physicians could hold out an over 90% chance that there would be a full recovery. Alas, the girls fate has been sealed due to ignorance and ineffective action.
How could any rational clear thinking individuals be led down the garden path by such charlatans? Unfortunately at Six Nations there seems to be a susceptibility to proposals of this kind. Some recent examples include the acceptance of the unproven technology of an entrepreneur from Nova Scotia to "disintegrate" not just incinerate the mounting piles of garbage at Six Nations. The billowing clouds of noxious fumes have led to a moratorium on this unproven technology, but it is apparently being revived in the hope that some miracle will emerge. Then there is the hoaxer who convinced a substantial part of the community that children were murdered at the Mohawk Institute (a residential school that closed in 1970) and their bodies stuffed in mass graves. The hoaxer even found bone (later proven to be animal), and members of the community used ground penetrating radar to explore the area for the "bone pits". There were never any such murders - common sense would tell you that there would have been no way to keep that sort of thing a secret. The school is on the doorstep of Brantford, and is situated on Reserve land. I found the burial records from the Mohawk Chapel which is across the street from the school, and there were entries for children who died while at the Mohawk Institute and the burial entries gave names, ages, Reserves, and the fact that the children were from the Mohawk Institute. Finally, most people by this point have seen the light and the hoaxer is no longer welcome on the Reserve. So for whatever reason, there is a large segment of the Reserve community willing to believe in quackery, which would never fly in surrounding communities where reliance is placed on individuals who have a proven track record and the expertise to provide solid verifiable information. Thus people in say Caledonia are less likely to be "taken in" by false beliefs and to be time and again disappointed when the scammers show their true colours.
In the present case the community has rallied around the families of the two girls and fund raisers have provided money to fly the families to Florida for what was supposed to be "traditional healing" but was in fact just another fly by night scheme that will result in the death of two young girls who had put their trust in the adults of the community including their parents - ignoring the concerns of the medical establishment in Ontario.
When I was trained and certified it was made clear to me that above all else a practitioner must take into account "the best interests of the child". This is also in the standards of practice and in the law which governs the actions of the Children's Aid Society (CAS). The Brant County CAS has been told that they are not welcome at Six Nations, and that due to complaints (what CAS does not get complaints since they apprehend children from unfit parents) Six Nations would be forming their own child protective services. This plan is totally without any coherence, and puts the CAS in the position of having to do their job (and they are mercilessly criticized if they don't act promptly), and are expected to be able to do this work from Brantford rather than Ohsweken on the Reserve. So the Brant County CAS is in a tenuous position. Perhaps this is why they have backed away from the whole situation and will not apprehend these two girls in need of protection. They know that the community would come together to ensure that the apprehension never occurs, so the CAS has washed its hands of the matter, forcing McMaster to take them to Court to ensure that they do their job. By the time that it all wends its way through the Court process nature will likely have taken its grim course here and the "problem will have been resolved".
The question will always remain. What would the outcome have been in the CAS had apprehended both girls while there was still a window of opportunity for the chemotherapy to work? You can't wait months then intervene. The child needs to be in treatment immediately upon diagnosis - there is no other rational interpretation of the facts. Thus the parents decided what is best for their children, despite the fact that is obvious to all of us in the medical field, that the parents decisions are bad and that the children will pay the ultimate penalty for their failing to carry out parental obligations. The Reserve communities will not lay the blame at the doorstep of the parents - the community is clearly playing the role of enablers where they have put up barriers such that everyone except the professionals at McMaster is afraid of offending, and appearing to be "culturally insensitive". This is not about culture, it is about physiology. The only way to reestablish a homeostatic balance in the bodies of these girls would be to follow the only reliable plan that has a reasonable chance of success - chemotherapy.
Since the parents opted to go their own way and find "alternative methods", the death of their children will likely weigh heavily on their shoulders for the rest of their lives. How can one live with the knowledge that their poor decisions played the key role in the demise of their own children. The community saw fit to rally around these parents and so must also accept the responsibility for the decisions. It is all so painful, so sad. Vulnerable children who must of necessity rely on the best judgment of their parents and other adults, and being profoundly let down by them - even if well intentioned.
In addition to the parents and the Six Nations and New Credit communities as seen here and here, also "blame" can be directed at the Courts as seen here, and particularly here with the Courts decision to dismiss McMaster's case and permit the parents to continue with whatever form of treatment they deem appropriate. Furthermore the role of the Brant County Children's Aid Society, as seen here and here needs to be carefully considered.
To this day I still stand by my training and would consistently act "in the best interests of the child". Since in this case it is a simple matter of following the treatment with a proven track record, we do not even enter any sort of gray area. It is cut and dried and there is no need to be "culturally sensitive" about the primary regimen, although it would be entirely appropriate to encourage the parents and community to combine true "traditional healing" with what world wide modern medicine has to offer, which is precisely what the eminent much respected Six Nations scholar - physician Dr. Oronhyatekha (Peter Martin, 1841-1907), recommended in such matters. See here and here for his life story.
A very recent article, which echoes exactly what I have maintained in the present posting was penned by a reporter for the CBC and can be found here. The obvious need to focus on "the best interests of the child" is clearly stated in this article. So many people seem to have lost sight of this very basic premise in the fields of child welfare and medicine.
Alas superstition reared its ugly head and reason and rationality goes out the window - even in 2014 - and two precious children will be adversely impacted by this predilection. Also just as apparent, there is a double standard in dealing with "aboriginal" and non - aboriginal children. The parents of the former get a free pass to do anything or nothing as they see fit to provide life saving therapy to their children. However the latter group would come under the CAS rules, the child would be apprehended, and the parental rights suspended until the child has finished the treatment required to save their lives. A 90 plus percent chance versus a zero percent chance. This should be a no brainer to everyone involved who has the vaguest understanding of statistics and probability. Sad, sad, sad.
Edited: 15 November 2014.
Update: 11 December 2014. Recent information on the controversy relating to the scam artists posing as healers has come to light. The parents of the Six Nations and New Credit girls, and communities, have turned their backs on proven science and modern medicine in the unwarranted expectation of obtaining a "cure" for the two girls with leukemia from a quack who is exposed as a total fraud here.
DeYo.
Over the last few months I have not spoken about this troubling situation, it is very very sensitive and one close to my own training and expertise. Since I have no formal involvement in either case, it has been my decision to keep my opinions to myself. That all changed with the release of new information about the treatment that these children have been subjected to. My training is in specialized medicine from McMaster University, the hospital facility which has assessed both girls and has recommended what is today standard treatment. I have also had a role in assessments for the Children's Aid Societies in Southwestern Ontario, and testifying in Court as an expert witness.
Alas, the matter has become politicized and any disagreement with the decision of not only the parents of the girls, but large segments of the New Credit and Six Nations communities, inevitably leading to charges of "racism" and "cultural insensitivity".
The real clash here is between superstition and modern medicine, pure and simple - which has recently been clarified when we learn that "traditional healing" really means relying on the "expertise" of a quack.
In both cases the parents of the girls decided that they would withdraw consent to treatment, and opt for "traditional healing". The age where a child is allowed to take control of their own care and treatment is 18, so an 11 year old child is under the legal care of the parents, and if the latter fail to place their children's needs first and foremost, the "state" in the form of the Children's Aid Society (CAS) must step in and, if necessary, apprehend the child to meet the litmus test of, "what is in the best interests of the child".
So, to complicate the matter, there is a clash between Western values and aboriginal viewpoints - right? No, that is incorrect. It involves a situation where the parents of both girls have been told that if their daughters continue with the, admittedly unpleasant, rounds of chemotherapy, then the girls would have a 90 to 95% chance of a total cure. So it is almost a guarantee that with the guidance of expert oncologists, the children have a very high chance of full recovery. What if the parents don't accept this wisdom built of years of medical practice standing on the foundation of modern science? Unfortunately the course will be downward, with possible temporary remission, but eventual relapse and death. The latter could come soon if the children are withdrawn from McMaster's treatment recommendations.
What is important to understand is the nature of "traditional healing". What does it entail? No one has given a clear outline of the programme that will bring about healing. Does it involve aboriginal wisdom about the property of herbs and other plants? How sure can anyone be that this regimen will work? What is the probability of success? Is it near the 90 to 95% chance that chemotherapy offers?
Apparently, as has been recently revealed, the so called "traditional" treatment is actually an "alternative" treatment. It does not even come up to the standards of naturopathy where legitimate practitioners know their limitations - and acute lymphoblastic leukemia is one of them. A Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) investigation found that a "doctor" from Florida had visited the Six Nations community twice (and to packed audiences if the video is in fact from those visits). He convinced the audience that when the doctors in "Toronto" fail, then people come to him. So what are his credentials? In fact he is a doctor of nothing. His "clinic" is a message establishment which also offers raw vegetable foods, intravenous vitamin C, cold laser light therapy - and that is about it. The "qualifications" of the clinic's "doctor", and the treatment administered is shown in the video here. What is crystal clear is that this "center", the "Hippocrates Health Institute" in Florida is "a centre that focuses on nutrition and naturopathic therapy" and as such, has nothing to do with "traditional healing" just quackery and snake oil sales where the bottom line is money - $18,000 to be specific. Someone without any formal credentials makes phony claims of success and goes unpunished, and like the doomsday cults when the day passes and the world does not end, he and they will come up with some rationalization and keep going because the rational mind has been suspended in the service of false hope - the idea that some "organic" treatments are superior to what modern medicine has to offer.
The video reported that the little girl from New Credit went through the three week programme, returned to the home of her parents, and is now in critical condition. This is positively criminal when a few months back, physicians could hold out an over 90% chance that there would be a full recovery. Alas, the girls fate has been sealed due to ignorance and ineffective action.
How could any rational clear thinking individuals be led down the garden path by such charlatans? Unfortunately at Six Nations there seems to be a susceptibility to proposals of this kind. Some recent examples include the acceptance of the unproven technology of an entrepreneur from Nova Scotia to "disintegrate" not just incinerate the mounting piles of garbage at Six Nations. The billowing clouds of noxious fumes have led to a moratorium on this unproven technology, but it is apparently being revived in the hope that some miracle will emerge. Then there is the hoaxer who convinced a substantial part of the community that children were murdered at the Mohawk Institute (a residential school that closed in 1970) and their bodies stuffed in mass graves. The hoaxer even found bone (later proven to be animal), and members of the community used ground penetrating radar to explore the area for the "bone pits". There were never any such murders - common sense would tell you that there would have been no way to keep that sort of thing a secret. The school is on the doorstep of Brantford, and is situated on Reserve land. I found the burial records from the Mohawk Chapel which is across the street from the school, and there were entries for children who died while at the Mohawk Institute and the burial entries gave names, ages, Reserves, and the fact that the children were from the Mohawk Institute. Finally, most people by this point have seen the light and the hoaxer is no longer welcome on the Reserve. So for whatever reason, there is a large segment of the Reserve community willing to believe in quackery, which would never fly in surrounding communities where reliance is placed on individuals who have a proven track record and the expertise to provide solid verifiable information. Thus people in say Caledonia are less likely to be "taken in" by false beliefs and to be time and again disappointed when the scammers show their true colours.
In the present case the community has rallied around the families of the two girls and fund raisers have provided money to fly the families to Florida for what was supposed to be "traditional healing" but was in fact just another fly by night scheme that will result in the death of two young girls who had put their trust in the adults of the community including their parents - ignoring the concerns of the medical establishment in Ontario.
When I was trained and certified it was made clear to me that above all else a practitioner must take into account "the best interests of the child". This is also in the standards of practice and in the law which governs the actions of the Children's Aid Society (CAS). The Brant County CAS has been told that they are not welcome at Six Nations, and that due to complaints (what CAS does not get complaints since they apprehend children from unfit parents) Six Nations would be forming their own child protective services. This plan is totally without any coherence, and puts the CAS in the position of having to do their job (and they are mercilessly criticized if they don't act promptly), and are expected to be able to do this work from Brantford rather than Ohsweken on the Reserve. So the Brant County CAS is in a tenuous position. Perhaps this is why they have backed away from the whole situation and will not apprehend these two girls in need of protection. They know that the community would come together to ensure that the apprehension never occurs, so the CAS has washed its hands of the matter, forcing McMaster to take them to Court to ensure that they do their job. By the time that it all wends its way through the Court process nature will likely have taken its grim course here and the "problem will have been resolved".
The question will always remain. What would the outcome have been in the CAS had apprehended both girls while there was still a window of opportunity for the chemotherapy to work? You can't wait months then intervene. The child needs to be in treatment immediately upon diagnosis - there is no other rational interpretation of the facts. Thus the parents decided what is best for their children, despite the fact that is obvious to all of us in the medical field, that the parents decisions are bad and that the children will pay the ultimate penalty for their failing to carry out parental obligations. The Reserve communities will not lay the blame at the doorstep of the parents - the community is clearly playing the role of enablers where they have put up barriers such that everyone except the professionals at McMaster is afraid of offending, and appearing to be "culturally insensitive". This is not about culture, it is about physiology. The only way to reestablish a homeostatic balance in the bodies of these girls would be to follow the only reliable plan that has a reasonable chance of success - chemotherapy.
Since the parents opted to go their own way and find "alternative methods", the death of their children will likely weigh heavily on their shoulders for the rest of their lives. How can one live with the knowledge that their poor decisions played the key role in the demise of their own children. The community saw fit to rally around these parents and so must also accept the responsibility for the decisions. It is all so painful, so sad. Vulnerable children who must of necessity rely on the best judgment of their parents and other adults, and being profoundly let down by them - even if well intentioned.
In addition to the parents and the Six Nations and New Credit communities as seen here and here, also "blame" can be directed at the Courts as seen here, and particularly here with the Courts decision to dismiss McMaster's case and permit the parents to continue with whatever form of treatment they deem appropriate. Furthermore the role of the Brant County Children's Aid Society, as seen here and here needs to be carefully considered.
To this day I still stand by my training and would consistently act "in the best interests of the child". Since in this case it is a simple matter of following the treatment with a proven track record, we do not even enter any sort of gray area. It is cut and dried and there is no need to be "culturally sensitive" about the primary regimen, although it would be entirely appropriate to encourage the parents and community to combine true "traditional healing" with what world wide modern medicine has to offer, which is precisely what the eminent much respected Six Nations scholar - physician Dr. Oronhyatekha (Peter Martin, 1841-1907), recommended in such matters. See here and here for his life story.
A very recent article, which echoes exactly what I have maintained in the present posting was penned by a reporter for the CBC and can be found here. The obvious need to focus on "the best interests of the child" is clearly stated in this article. So many people seem to have lost sight of this very basic premise in the fields of child welfare and medicine.
Alas superstition reared its ugly head and reason and rationality goes out the window - even in 2014 - and two precious children will be adversely impacted by this predilection. Also just as apparent, there is a double standard in dealing with "aboriginal" and non - aboriginal children. The parents of the former get a free pass to do anything or nothing as they see fit to provide life saving therapy to their children. However the latter group would come under the CAS rules, the child would be apprehended, and the parental rights suspended until the child has finished the treatment required to save their lives. A 90 plus percent chance versus a zero percent chance. This should be a no brainer to everyone involved who has the vaguest understanding of statistics and probability. Sad, sad, sad.
Edited: 15 November 2014.
Update: 11 December 2014. Recent information on the controversy relating to the scam artists posing as healers has come to light. The parents of the Six Nations and New Credit girls, and communities, have turned their backs on proven science and modern medicine in the unwarranted expectation of obtaining a "cure" for the two girls with leukemia from a quack who is exposed as a total fraud here.
DeYo.
It is Time to "Repurpose" the Dysfunctional and Disintegrating Hereditary Confederacy Chiefs Council
The following posting was triggered by two events that have occurred this month. The first is the work stoppage at the Cayuga bridge ordered by the Hereditary Council at Six Nations. The second is an assessment of the recent state of the depleted Hereditary Council in an Editorial in "Two Row Times" where the writer expresses the hope that young people will step forward to stand in the shoes of those towering figures from a bygone era (one that is slowly slipping away).
The writing has been on the wall for many years. Despite the fact that today the Hereditary Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC), whose "authority" is only symbolic, is a mere echo of the once powerful 50 hereditary chiefs of the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, it has survived - if only in a form that would be unrecognizable to their ancestors. It is a mere shadow of its former self, but it persists in the face of mounting evidence that it should have folded a long time ago to allow the Reserve to operate as a modern community. Instead it is little more than a lot of "sound and fury", a thorny entity that attracts militants and ner do wells to its "causes" by billing themselves as the "true" representatives of the Six Nations community.
The HCCC and its "operatives", including the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI), have found numerous ways to disrupt the lives of people on the Reserve (by derogating the role of the legitimate governing body, the Elected Council), and the surrounding communities. The latter have been forced to endure the theft of land owned by local residents who have valid title deeds to their property, accompanied by assaults. Also there have been acts of vandalism including wanton destruction, arson, trespass, work stoppages, road blockades, extortion of money from land developers and wind turbine "green energy" companies, and numerous other behaviours that have made life miserable for local residents and corporations in Haldimand County and beyond. Within their own community, they have shown a complete lack of transparency, and a total disregard for anyone's views but their own. A mini North Korean state with a non - elected leader(s) whose authority is total and whose will cannot be questioned. Thus many at Six Nations would foist upon the rest rule by a group of poorly educated dictators accountable to no one but their own mothers or aunties (Clan mothers). How is this even a remotely reasonable proposition in 2014? Who would voluntarily allow themselves to be duped into accepting governance that does not have room for their own concerns, only the agenda of the "in crowd"? That is precisely the problem on so many other Reserves as we learn how chiefs and their families are running the Reserves as personal fiefdoms to enrich their own kin, and toss the rest to the winds of fate.
Historically, the governing body of the Six Nations dates to the 15th Century (date unknown, but likely pre - Columbus) when, tired of a state of perpetual warfare (which often involved genocide, capture of prisoners, torture, and cannibalism), the leaders of the day listened to the Peacemaker Deganawida (a probable Wyandot / Huron) who with Hayonwagtha (a Mohawk) convinced the peoples of what is today Upstate New York to metaphorically bury all of their weapons under the great tree of peace and give up fighting with each other. This did not encompass "outsiders" who were fair game for all. Ironically, during the 1640s and 1650s, the Five Nations committed a series of unparalleled acts of genocide which included the almost complete destruction of Deganawida's people, the Huron. The Five Nations were so effective and universally feared because the Confederacy they established worked - at that time and that place - although it was a serious menace to all outside the Confederacy. It is a leap of faith to assume that what worked 500 years ago during the North American Stone Age, would be an effective form of governance in an age of instant electronic communication, where the complexities of today had no parallel in bygone eras.
Reality set in during the Revolutionary War of 1776 to 1784 when the council fire at Onondaga (near present day Syracuse NY) was covered over and for all intents and purposes, the Confederacy was disbanded, its traditional structure in tatters. Attempts to revive this system of governance at the Grand River settlement were shaky at best since, for example, many of the hereditary chiefships went vacant since there was no suitable candidate to fill the position. Some titles that were at one time filled, went insolvent since there was no one eligible to assume the title. Many titles had candidates available only in the USA. A solution was to "borrow" chiefs and the system of chiefs and clan mothers became chaotic and arguments broke out over who was "the most eligible".
The Hereditary Council was abolished as the legally recognized body representing Six Nations in the year 1924 - the year often being heard as a rallying cry of "look what the government took away from us", the truth is more mundane. In the years before 1924, the Federal Government was having increasing difficulty in communicating with this governing body due to cultural practices which did not mesh with the need to make immediate decisions and to supply information promptly (so that transfer payments could be made). However, even more frustrated were those at Six Nations who had a good education and / or were wealthy farmers. This group was frustrated at every turn by the Hereditary Council and they emphasized the inappropriateness of having a group of what they saw as arbitrarily selected individuals, often with a poor education, put in positions of authority where nothing got done and decisions were arbitrary. This cluster, led by the "Dehorners Association" and other "progressive" groups of largely Christian members, petitioned the Federal Government to install an elected system. Ultimately the Indian Department saw the wisdom of the request (although it was resisted for some time), and used their powers under the Indian Act of 1876 to create an elected body that became what is today the Six Nations Elected Council. This is the only legitimate governing body at Six Nations - the Hereditary Council have kept a shadow council since 1924.
It is important to cite sources. The most comprehensive book to outline the traditional system among the Six Nations is, William N. Fenton, "The Great Law and the Longhouse: A Political History of the Iroquois Confederacy", Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998. An excellent source for information the League / Confederacy of the Six Nations, and on this period in Reserve life are two articles by Elizabeth Tooker, "The League of the Iroquois: Its History, Politics, and Ritual" (pp. 418-414) and "Iroquois Since 1820" (pp. 449-465), and most particularly Sally Weaver, "Six Nations on the Grand River, Ontario" (pp. 525-536) all in Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 15: Northeast, ed. Bruce G. Trigger, Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution, 1978.
Probably the best book to outline the demoralizing decline that had set in by the late 1800s, as reflected in the Council Minutes of the time, is a book by John A. Noon, "Law and Government of the Grand River Iroquois", New York, The Viking Fund Inc., 1949). By the mid 1900s the internal decay is well documented with examples in the book by Annemarie Shimony entitled, "Conservatism Among the Iroquois at the Six Nations Reserve", Syracuse, Syracuse University Press, 1994 (originally published,1961).
For a contemporary work, sympathetic to the current Six Nations perspective (blaming the British for "Colonialism", and the focus on 1924), is Andrea Lucille Catapano, "The Rising of the Ongwehonwe: Sovereignty, Identity, and Representation on the Six Nations Reserve", ProQuest, 2008 (see here for a pdf copy).
Until recently the shadow hereditary council only had a role in cultural - ceremonial functions, and in criticizing the elected system and its officers. Now they want to toss out the Elected Council and reestablish the dysfunctional hereditary system and have full rein to reap the "rewards" of extorting money from land developers and corporations involved in wind and solar energy - and the power to keep all of the transactions opaque so that only those who know their clan have access to the information. Since this would exclude the majority of the people residing on the Reserve, it is a wonder that they have as much support as they do. Perhaps many cannot see that if the HCCC got its way, the average resident at Six Nations would be the ultimate loser if the hereditary council replaced the elected one.
The situation (decay, internal dissention) is, if possible, worse today. There is real concern that despite all the bluster by the HDI and the spin coming from the HCCC, the whole system is ready to disintegrate. A recent article described the effects of the back to back deaths of both Chief Peter Skye, and activist Arnold Douglas, seen in an Editorial in "Two Row Times", 12 November 2014, p. 8. Here, following the deaths of these two important figures in the traditional life at Six Nations, the Editor states,
In fact, a goodly number of wonderful, but aged, men and women may not be with us in 10 years time. What then? As we speak, there is no one on the Seneca bench at the Longhouse, and that has been the case for more than a year. The Mohawk bench is sparsely occupied, and that has been the case for some time now as well.
When one scans the horizon over Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, are there any dedicated men and women willing to take on the enormous weight of leadership as Chiefs and Clan Mothers?
Who among the young of today are ready, willing and able to step up to the plate and seek out elders and learn the old ways? Unfortunately the answer to that question is pretty grim, unless there are many hidden, waiting in the wings ready to be tapped on the shoulder. So there is a real concern that there will be no suitable candidate ready to fill the traditional (although never in practice) 50 chief's chairs. There may not even be enough young people who don't have the clan ties linking the past to today to take over the roles needed to be filled.
Today the clan system is in disarray. The Clan to which my family belongs is Bear but the position is now held by a member of the Ball Clan. Since there was never a Ball Clan among the Mohawk, this situation makes a mockery of the once viable system. Also today, most at Six Nations do not know their Clan, inherited only one way - from their direct maternal line. So there is a real problem with the Confederacy Council in that today and tomorrow the number of correctly filled positions continues to diminish with no hope for remediation. Why should a group of pretend chiefs rule at Six Nations? Why would anyone wish to consider this a legitimate situation with the ability to deal with the immense destructive factions at Six Nations, and to have the knowledge of the modern world to interface with Federal Government in order to address even mundane topics such as sewage disposal. Extorting more money from land developers and "green energy" companies will not address those topics, only line the pockets of the few while the rest are in the dark and without a say in how things are run. That would not last long as people would demand to be heard, and the claim by the Director of the HDI that Six Nations members should speak with their chiefs is absurd since most don't know their clan let alone their lineage (in the Mohawk Bear Clan there are 3 lineages) or owachira.
Despite the obvious fact that the HCCC is on the doorstep of collapse, they and their supporters behave as if all is well and that they are in a position to assume the duties of managing the intricate duties of running the Reserve - which may be totally unrealistic - but that does not in the least deter them. This group, particularly the HDI, claim authority to enact the provisions of the fraudulent "Nanfan Treaty of 1701" which in their minds gives them entitlements to "accommodation" (payola and the right to hunt) across Southwestern Ontario. The second "document giving authority" is the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784 which initially gave the Six Nations the right to "occupy" (not ownership of) six miles on each side of the Grand River - although every last acre of this land except that which remains within the bounds of the present day Reserve had been surrendered to the Crown who own or owned title to the land, including the present day Six Nations Reserve). The land outside the present Reserve had been surrendered, alienated, ceded by 1848 with the ceding of the Burtch Tract lands as shown in the Council Minutes of the time which includes the signatures of upwards of 48 chiefs. Facts have never stood in the way of the HCCC and their enforcement and extortion wing the HDI, the later bolstered by advice from a non - Native legal representative (a licensed lawyer in Ontario) who sensed the smell of money in the air, and they have forged ahead as an unholy alliance of bullies making absurd claims and demands.
For some reason the Six Nations community contains the seeds of its own destruction housed within. If they are allowed to germinate by permitting the Confederacy to take over governance, this would result in the growth of a self - destructive force which would lead to internal implosion and the demise of the community as we know it. Reverting to an autocratic inherited authoritarian rule would provide fertile ground for the "seeds of destruction". Autocratic inherited governments such as one finds in North Korea are economic disasters where human rights are subverted to keep the establishment in power. While most societies who are "successes" have long dispensed with inherited governance, some have not and we need look no further than Great Britain, the English Crown, to see a modern version of an inherited order and its role in governance. While England may have an inherited establishment including landed gentry with the Monarchy at the top, this group has nothing more than ceremonial functions. It gives a sense of continuity with the past without disrupting the future of the country. The power lies with the English people, in its parliament which is elected in a democratic fashion - there is really no other system that will work in any modern democracy. Since Six Nations have since 1664 had a special relationship to the Crown, should all not look to this entity for guidance? However some at Six Nations want to turn back the hands of time to a romanticized era and re-install an inherited council, when their only hope lies in an effective Elected Council. If the HCCC were to usurp the role of the Elected Council it would be an unmitigated disaster, and could potentially result in the disbanding of the Reserve and dispersal of the community. Is it worth the risk?
It is my sincere hope that the HCCC can play a role at Six Nations, not in the capacity of a "shadow cabinet" bent on usurping the role of the legitimate Elected Council, but in other ways. Perhaps their focus to return to emphasizing the Longhouse way with all its ancient rituals and customs which can show the young people that there is continuity from pre - Columbian times to today. This message is being lost, especially on the young people, who will see the HCCC as a militant group tilting at windmills Don Quixote style. They need to find their niche within the fabric of the community, but not by aligning themselves with radical elements and non - Native "support" groups. They can teach by example that the old ways, including the language and culture, are worth preserving - and they are the font of knowledge in this area.
DeYo.
The writing has been on the wall for many years. Despite the fact that today the Hereditary Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC), whose "authority" is only symbolic, is a mere echo of the once powerful 50 hereditary chiefs of the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, it has survived - if only in a form that would be unrecognizable to their ancestors. It is a mere shadow of its former self, but it persists in the face of mounting evidence that it should have folded a long time ago to allow the Reserve to operate as a modern community. Instead it is little more than a lot of "sound and fury", a thorny entity that attracts militants and ner do wells to its "causes" by billing themselves as the "true" representatives of the Six Nations community.
The HCCC and its "operatives", including the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI), have found numerous ways to disrupt the lives of people on the Reserve (by derogating the role of the legitimate governing body, the Elected Council), and the surrounding communities. The latter have been forced to endure the theft of land owned by local residents who have valid title deeds to their property, accompanied by assaults. Also there have been acts of vandalism including wanton destruction, arson, trespass, work stoppages, road blockades, extortion of money from land developers and wind turbine "green energy" companies, and numerous other behaviours that have made life miserable for local residents and corporations in Haldimand County and beyond. Within their own community, they have shown a complete lack of transparency, and a total disregard for anyone's views but their own. A mini North Korean state with a non - elected leader(s) whose authority is total and whose will cannot be questioned. Thus many at Six Nations would foist upon the rest rule by a group of poorly educated dictators accountable to no one but their own mothers or aunties (Clan mothers). How is this even a remotely reasonable proposition in 2014? Who would voluntarily allow themselves to be duped into accepting governance that does not have room for their own concerns, only the agenda of the "in crowd"? That is precisely the problem on so many other Reserves as we learn how chiefs and their families are running the Reserves as personal fiefdoms to enrich their own kin, and toss the rest to the winds of fate.
Historically, the governing body of the Six Nations dates to the 15th Century (date unknown, but likely pre - Columbus) when, tired of a state of perpetual warfare (which often involved genocide, capture of prisoners, torture, and cannibalism), the leaders of the day listened to the Peacemaker Deganawida (a probable Wyandot / Huron) who with Hayonwagtha (a Mohawk) convinced the peoples of what is today Upstate New York to metaphorically bury all of their weapons under the great tree of peace and give up fighting with each other. This did not encompass "outsiders" who were fair game for all. Ironically, during the 1640s and 1650s, the Five Nations committed a series of unparalleled acts of genocide which included the almost complete destruction of Deganawida's people, the Huron. The Five Nations were so effective and universally feared because the Confederacy they established worked - at that time and that place - although it was a serious menace to all outside the Confederacy. It is a leap of faith to assume that what worked 500 years ago during the North American Stone Age, would be an effective form of governance in an age of instant electronic communication, where the complexities of today had no parallel in bygone eras.
Reality set in during the Revolutionary War of 1776 to 1784 when the council fire at Onondaga (near present day Syracuse NY) was covered over and for all intents and purposes, the Confederacy was disbanded, its traditional structure in tatters. Attempts to revive this system of governance at the Grand River settlement were shaky at best since, for example, many of the hereditary chiefships went vacant since there was no suitable candidate to fill the position. Some titles that were at one time filled, went insolvent since there was no one eligible to assume the title. Many titles had candidates available only in the USA. A solution was to "borrow" chiefs and the system of chiefs and clan mothers became chaotic and arguments broke out over who was "the most eligible".
The Hereditary Council was abolished as the legally recognized body representing Six Nations in the year 1924 - the year often being heard as a rallying cry of "look what the government took away from us", the truth is more mundane. In the years before 1924, the Federal Government was having increasing difficulty in communicating with this governing body due to cultural practices which did not mesh with the need to make immediate decisions and to supply information promptly (so that transfer payments could be made). However, even more frustrated were those at Six Nations who had a good education and / or were wealthy farmers. This group was frustrated at every turn by the Hereditary Council and they emphasized the inappropriateness of having a group of what they saw as arbitrarily selected individuals, often with a poor education, put in positions of authority where nothing got done and decisions were arbitrary. This cluster, led by the "Dehorners Association" and other "progressive" groups of largely Christian members, petitioned the Federal Government to install an elected system. Ultimately the Indian Department saw the wisdom of the request (although it was resisted for some time), and used their powers under the Indian Act of 1876 to create an elected body that became what is today the Six Nations Elected Council. This is the only legitimate governing body at Six Nations - the Hereditary Council have kept a shadow council since 1924.
It is important to cite sources. The most comprehensive book to outline the traditional system among the Six Nations is, William N. Fenton, "The Great Law and the Longhouse: A Political History of the Iroquois Confederacy", Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998. An excellent source for information the League / Confederacy of the Six Nations, and on this period in Reserve life are two articles by Elizabeth Tooker, "The League of the Iroquois: Its History, Politics, and Ritual" (pp. 418-414) and "Iroquois Since 1820" (pp. 449-465), and most particularly Sally Weaver, "Six Nations on the Grand River, Ontario" (pp. 525-536) all in Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 15: Northeast, ed. Bruce G. Trigger, Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution, 1978.
Probably the best book to outline the demoralizing decline that had set in by the late 1800s, as reflected in the Council Minutes of the time, is a book by John A. Noon, "Law and Government of the Grand River Iroquois", New York, The Viking Fund Inc., 1949). By the mid 1900s the internal decay is well documented with examples in the book by Annemarie Shimony entitled, "Conservatism Among the Iroquois at the Six Nations Reserve", Syracuse, Syracuse University Press, 1994 (originally published,1961).
For a contemporary work, sympathetic to the current Six Nations perspective (blaming the British for "Colonialism", and the focus on 1924), is Andrea Lucille Catapano, "The Rising of the Ongwehonwe: Sovereignty, Identity, and Representation on the Six Nations Reserve", ProQuest, 2008 (see here for a pdf copy).
Until recently the shadow hereditary council only had a role in cultural - ceremonial functions, and in criticizing the elected system and its officers. Now they want to toss out the Elected Council and reestablish the dysfunctional hereditary system and have full rein to reap the "rewards" of extorting money from land developers and corporations involved in wind and solar energy - and the power to keep all of the transactions opaque so that only those who know their clan have access to the information. Since this would exclude the majority of the people residing on the Reserve, it is a wonder that they have as much support as they do. Perhaps many cannot see that if the HCCC got its way, the average resident at Six Nations would be the ultimate loser if the hereditary council replaced the elected one.
The situation (decay, internal dissention) is, if possible, worse today. There is real concern that despite all the bluster by the HDI and the spin coming from the HCCC, the whole system is ready to disintegrate. A recent article described the effects of the back to back deaths of both Chief Peter Skye, and activist Arnold Douglas, seen in an Editorial in "Two Row Times", 12 November 2014, p. 8. Here, following the deaths of these two important figures in the traditional life at Six Nations, the Editor states,
In fact, a goodly number of wonderful, but aged, men and women may not be with us in 10 years time. What then? As we speak, there is no one on the Seneca bench at the Longhouse, and that has been the case for more than a year. The Mohawk bench is sparsely occupied, and that has been the case for some time now as well.
When one scans the horizon over Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, are there any dedicated men and women willing to take on the enormous weight of leadership as Chiefs and Clan Mothers?
Who among the young of today are ready, willing and able to step up to the plate and seek out elders and learn the old ways? Unfortunately the answer to that question is pretty grim, unless there are many hidden, waiting in the wings ready to be tapped on the shoulder. So there is a real concern that there will be no suitable candidate ready to fill the traditional (although never in practice) 50 chief's chairs. There may not even be enough young people who don't have the clan ties linking the past to today to take over the roles needed to be filled.
Today the clan system is in disarray. The Clan to which my family belongs is Bear but the position is now held by a member of the Ball Clan. Since there was never a Ball Clan among the Mohawk, this situation makes a mockery of the once viable system. Also today, most at Six Nations do not know their Clan, inherited only one way - from their direct maternal line. So there is a real problem with the Confederacy Council in that today and tomorrow the number of correctly filled positions continues to diminish with no hope for remediation. Why should a group of pretend chiefs rule at Six Nations? Why would anyone wish to consider this a legitimate situation with the ability to deal with the immense destructive factions at Six Nations, and to have the knowledge of the modern world to interface with Federal Government in order to address even mundane topics such as sewage disposal. Extorting more money from land developers and "green energy" companies will not address those topics, only line the pockets of the few while the rest are in the dark and without a say in how things are run. That would not last long as people would demand to be heard, and the claim by the Director of the HDI that Six Nations members should speak with their chiefs is absurd since most don't know their clan let alone their lineage (in the Mohawk Bear Clan there are 3 lineages) or owachira.
Despite the obvious fact that the HCCC is on the doorstep of collapse, they and their supporters behave as if all is well and that they are in a position to assume the duties of managing the intricate duties of running the Reserve - which may be totally unrealistic - but that does not in the least deter them. This group, particularly the HDI, claim authority to enact the provisions of the fraudulent "Nanfan Treaty of 1701" which in their minds gives them entitlements to "accommodation" (payola and the right to hunt) across Southwestern Ontario. The second "document giving authority" is the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784 which initially gave the Six Nations the right to "occupy" (not ownership of) six miles on each side of the Grand River - although every last acre of this land except that which remains within the bounds of the present day Reserve had been surrendered to the Crown who own or owned title to the land, including the present day Six Nations Reserve). The land outside the present Reserve had been surrendered, alienated, ceded by 1848 with the ceding of the Burtch Tract lands as shown in the Council Minutes of the time which includes the signatures of upwards of 48 chiefs. Facts have never stood in the way of the HCCC and their enforcement and extortion wing the HDI, the later bolstered by advice from a non - Native legal representative (a licensed lawyer in Ontario) who sensed the smell of money in the air, and they have forged ahead as an unholy alliance of bullies making absurd claims and demands.
For some reason the Six Nations community contains the seeds of its own destruction housed within. If they are allowed to germinate by permitting the Confederacy to take over governance, this would result in the growth of a self - destructive force which would lead to internal implosion and the demise of the community as we know it. Reverting to an autocratic inherited authoritarian rule would provide fertile ground for the "seeds of destruction". Autocratic inherited governments such as one finds in North Korea are economic disasters where human rights are subverted to keep the establishment in power. While most societies who are "successes" have long dispensed with inherited governance, some have not and we need look no further than Great Britain, the English Crown, to see a modern version of an inherited order and its role in governance. While England may have an inherited establishment including landed gentry with the Monarchy at the top, this group has nothing more than ceremonial functions. It gives a sense of continuity with the past without disrupting the future of the country. The power lies with the English people, in its parliament which is elected in a democratic fashion - there is really no other system that will work in any modern democracy. Since Six Nations have since 1664 had a special relationship to the Crown, should all not look to this entity for guidance? However some at Six Nations want to turn back the hands of time to a romanticized era and re-install an inherited council, when their only hope lies in an effective Elected Council. If the HCCC were to usurp the role of the Elected Council it would be an unmitigated disaster, and could potentially result in the disbanding of the Reserve and dispersal of the community. Is it worth the risk?
It is my sincere hope that the HCCC can play a role at Six Nations, not in the capacity of a "shadow cabinet" bent on usurping the role of the legitimate Elected Council, but in other ways. Perhaps their focus to return to emphasizing the Longhouse way with all its ancient rituals and customs which can show the young people that there is continuity from pre - Columbian times to today. This message is being lost, especially on the young people, who will see the HCCC as a militant group tilting at windmills Don Quixote style. They need to find their niche within the fabric of the community, but not by aligning themselves with radical elements and non - Native "support" groups. They can teach by example that the old ways, including the language and culture, are worth preserving - and they are the font of knowledge in this area.
DeYo.
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