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Land Claim
News Haudenosaunee Land Claim |
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| Page 3 Haudenosaunee Land Claims
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Fall 1999
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| acquiring Haudenosaunee lands.
There is much more historical evidence of the Haudenosaunee right to
land as guaranteed under Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution. The state
and federal courts have repeatedly recognized such rights. The fact is,
treaties continue to exist as legally-binding agreements. Our Nations
continue to exist as sovereign entities and our resolve to reclaim what
is rightfully ours has remained strong.
Haudenosaunee Connection to the Land To appreciate our resolve to retain our land, it is essential to understand our spiritual connection to the land. Land is the flesh of our Mother Earth. The land is a living entity that contains a sacred spirit that can assure our survival. The remains of countless generations of our people rest within the Mother Earth, making all of the land sacred to us. We find it difficult to understand why some of our people of the past wanted to part with the land. Under the Haudenosaunee law, Gayanerakowa, the land is held by the women of each clan. It is our duty to take care of the land because from these lands will spring the future generations of the Ongwehonweh, or the Original People. The Chiefs must look seven generations into the future and consider what the generations yet unborn will need, not only to survive, but to thrive. Land is essential to that future, and the land must be extensive enough to be able to provide a productive and wholesome future. Presently, our lands are too small to sustain our communities. Our roots are deep in the lands where we live. We have a great love for our country, for our birthplace is there. The soil is rich with countless generations of the bones of our ancestors. We have a spiritual connection to the land that has been violated. Our Original Instructions tell us that we are to show respect for the Mother Earth, for all life. Our well-being |
depends on the well-being of
the Earth, plants, animals, waters and air. We seek to restore that
health of our environment and thereby restore the health of the people,
so that the coming generations will be able enjoy the same gifts from
the Creator that we enjoy today.
Haudenosaunee Claim to the Land The Haudenosaunee have a legitimate claim to the lands that were taken in violation of the federal laws that were enacted to protect our ownership and use of our land. The treaties we signed with the United States obligate both the federal government and the New York State government to recognize the land rights of the Haudenosaunee. The Canandaigua Treaty of 1794 makes this clear. This treaty was approved by the Senate, on behalf of all the states, and as federal law it became the supreme law of the land. The Haudenosaunee - United States treaties cannot be ignored or thrown aside. The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that we have a legitimate claim to lands taken in violation of the Articles of the Confederation, Trade and Intercourse Act of 1790 and U.S. Constitution. The State "treaties" and other fraudulent deals, none meeting the federal definition of a treaty, resulted in the loss of most of the land once possessed by the Haudenosaunee. Even the so-called reservations, created as permanent homelands for the Haudenosaunee, were reduced, or in some cases eliminated altogether as a result of these illegal and immoral actions. In addition, the fraud, duplicity and coercion employed by the State would invalidate such agreements. Consequently, the lands still belong to the original owners - the Haudenosaunee - because the transactions by which they were supposedly ceded are not legal. This is why the land claims test the honor of the state and federal governments. Any arguments to ratify these illegal deals are simply |
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