Celebrating Aboriginal Day

Celebrating Aboriginal Day: A Sharing of Words of Wisdom

By Barbara Gray

On June 21, 2006, the Ronathahonni Cultural Center celebrated Aboriginal Day by organizing events for the community at the Mohawk Nation Longhouse. The celebration began at 3 pm with G. Peter Jemison talking about the importance of speaking our language. He reminded everyone that it is our duty, our responsibility, as Onkwehonweh, as people, to keep our language alive.

The language is important to maintain because it contains, within it, the essence, the foundation, of how we as Onkwehonweh understand and interact with the world and each other. Today many of the fluent speakers throughout the confederacy are elderly people, if we do not maintain our languages, it could someday become lost. Our communities need to work on providing opportunities for children, as well as, adults to learn the language, so we can become fluent speaking families.

At 5 pm the Ronathahonni Cultural Center provided a dinner prepared by Joanne Jackson. The dinner was absolutely delicious. People were able to eat, and they even had time to run a few errands before the start of the social.

The social began at 7 pm. The Akwesasne Men's Singing Society sang beautifully. The social was a little different than usual. Throughout the social, Peter Jemison spoke about the Canandaigua treaty and the importance of the Commemorative Celebration.

G. Peter Jemison is of the Heron clan and from the Onondowahgah, People of the Great Hill. He is a faithkeeper, a Seneca from Cattaraugus. He is Director of the Ganondagan Historic site at Victor, N.Y., Chairman of the Haudenosaunee Standing Committee on the Burial Rules and Regulations, and appointed by the President in 2005 to sit on the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. He is also a renown artist, writer, and cultural specialist who is consulted on Haudenosaunee issues.

Andrew Thomas opened the social with the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen (Words before all else). He did this Thanksgiving Address in Cayuga. Soon after the social was opened, a few large white vans arrived. About 65 men and women from the Youth Works group were welcomed.

After a few dances, Peter Jemison stood up holding a replica of the Two Row Wampum. He greeted the people and introduced himself first in Seneca, then in English. He expressed the importance of "people making it come alive," the active participation in our ways of life, the dances, ceremonies, and in the welcoming of our guests. Participating in the social is one way of keeping our culture alive. He expressed his happiness that the Youth Works people were present because it is important to "polish the silver covenant chain," to maintain the mutual respect, peace, and friendship between the Haudenosaunee and the people of the United States.

Peter Jemison gave a background on the Canandaigua treaty, which was eye- opening to those not familiar with the history. He explained that during the Revolutionary War, the Haudenosaunee initially had taken a position of neutrality. However, loyalty to the British crown eventually induced some Mohawk and some Seneca to side against the thirteen colonies. He said Mohawk, "Joseph Brant was raised in the home of Sir William Johnson, his education rooted him differently." This influence helped him to side with the British, even though other Mohawks remained neutral.

"Minister John Dean worked to learn the Oneida language in order to recruit the Tuscarora and some Oneida to side with the American colonies." This was a sad time for the Haudenosaunee because joining sides caused us to fight against each other. "The conflict helped the people who wanted to take Haudenosaunee lands. After the war, the British pulled back to Canada and the Haudenosaunee found its land opened to settlement by the American colonists," he said.

"In 1779, the Continental Congress, on orders of George Washington, Major General John Sullivan set forces against the Six Nations. The Sullivan/ Clinton campaign was ordered to destroy the Haudenosaunee destroying Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga villages. Villages in the Mohawk Valley were burned to the ground. Though few lives were lost on either side, the campaign destroyed upwards of fifty Haudenosaunee towns, along with valuable croplands."

"The 1783 Treaty Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War between the British and the United States, made absolutely no mention of the Six Nations even though we were there and part of the war." After a long period of time George Washington recognized that the newly formed United States needed to enter into a treaty with the powerful Six Nations, it was a political and military necessity.

The Six Nations were notified and asked to meet within Seneca territory, in what today is known as Canandaigua, New York to begin discussions with Timothy Pickering towards entering into a treaty.

In the longhouse, Peter Jemison held up the Two Row wampum explaining how the teachings within this belt were used to form the basis of the Canandaigua Treaty. He explained, "This belt represents our sovereignty, that we are sovereign. There are two rows of purple. One row represents the Six Nations, "it represents our belief that we are equal. We are in our canoe. We have our own laws, traditions, and customs. The other row represents the non-native people. They are in their own boat with their own religion, laws, and customs."

Each nation shall stay within their vessel traveling along the river of life, side by side, but neither shall try to steer the vessel of the other. He said, there are, "three beads between the purple rows. They represent Friendship, Peace, and Forever. With these principles we can live forever, in friendship and peace. This link or joining between the two nations is sometimes referred to as the silver covenant chain." Peter Jemison expressed his happiness that the Youth Works people were present because it is important for them, too, to learn and hear about these treaties and it allows us to "polish the silver covenant chain."

There were numerous council meetings that led up to the signing of the treaty. The Quakers helped facilitate the meetings and drawing up of the Pickering articles. On November 11, 1794, the Six Nations and the United States signed a document, the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty that was meant to create lasting peace and friendship between the two peoples.

Peter Jemison said he is traveling around to all the Haudenosaunee Nations, "Urging the people to know and learn about the importance of the Canandaigua Treaty." He also stressed that the treaty was made between the Six Nations. Therefore, it is important that the Mohawk people and Chiefs be present at this year's Canandaigua Commemorative Celebration on November 11th, 2006."

Peter Jemison brought an invitation to the people of the Mohawk Nation to attend the Canandaigua celebration. He and the and Ronathahonni Cultural Center reminded us of our responsibilities as Onkwehonweh to live according to our traditional teachings, including living in respect, peace, and friendship with all that surrounds us.

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