This summer, the World Games Committee announced the teams to play in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Nationals were suspiciously absent. Players/leaders such as Lyle Thompson and Cody Jamieson have eloquently stated why the Nationals should be included. Their actions and words initiated a movement that has ignited other organizations to rethink why the Nationals weren’t included and how to rectify that. Then on September 7, 2020, the Nationals accepted the World Games invitation to play after Team Ireland dropped out of the tournament for the Nationals.
But the Nationals couldn’t exist without the continued efforts of all Haudenosaunee Councils to remain sovereign.
At Onondaga this is truly evident. The Onondaga people have consistently rejected the notion of changing from our traditional chiefs to become a “tribal” or switch to an elective government. The Onondaga have remained steadfast despite the many efforts by the United States and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to change us.
Our first treaty with our white brothers is called Gä•sweñta or the Two Row Wampum. In this treaty, we agreed that our way of life, customs, and governing is equal to our white brothers. We agreed that neither will try to steer the other’s vessel as we travel down the river of life together in peace. We are Equal. We are Brothers. Then in 1794, the newly founded United States rekindled this government to government relations with the Haudenosanee with the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty.
But sometimes, the United States needs reminding of our treaties together.
In the late 1800’s, the United States offered the Onondaga money and land to move to Kansas if we agreed to dissolve our treaties with the United States, the council refused. In 1924 the United States attempted to declare that all natives are now citizens of the United States, the council said we cannot accept this as we are citizens of the Haudenosaunee. In 1934, the United States said that natives can practice their religion if they dissolve their traditional government, the Onondaga council again, refused. In 1971 the Department of Transportation declared imminent domain through the territory of the Onondaga, the council rejected this notion as the nation is not a part of the United States. In 1983, AIM activist Dennis Banks sought asylum in the Onondaga Nation territory and the FBI wanted access to extradite Dennis, the Council declined. This past spring in 2020, the United States offered the Onondagas money as a part of the Cares Act as a remedy to the COVID-19 pandemic. The council again refused as all of these actions were not conducted in a government to government fashion that was agreed upon in the Two Row Wampum and later in the Canandaigua Treaty.
So at the Onondaga Nation, the council, clan mothers, and faithkeepers continue. The council fire of the Onondaga and the Haudenosaunee continues to burn. But it is not always easy and it requires a lot of ever vigilant work from the Onondaga community.
My late mother said it best, “It’s hard being sovereign. But I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Neither would I. Go Nationals!