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Akwesasne

(Land where the partridge drums):

Special People in a Special Place

Akwesasne is home to a strong, viable Mohawk Community

The Mohawks of Akwesasne have become accustomed to the media and public attention that is generated over the issues which emanate from our unique geographical location along the St. Lawrence River. Some have called us the most stubborn Native Community in North America, not only for our enduring commitment to our Ancient Mohawk Territories and Resources, but also for the strong positions we maintain over the Aboriginal Rights of our Community and our Kahniakehaka (Mohawk) Nation. On a Community level we persistently battle to maintain the integrity of this Mohawk Community amid external government interference.

Akwesasne borders the countries of Canada and the United States of America; the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec; and the American State of New York. Despite the apparent difficulties of this multi-jurisdictional location, this Mohawk Community of about 13,000 Peoples, has learned how to maneuver effectively, to make the best that we can of our situation. Despite the negative media coverage concerning the use of some of our People in unrestrained cross-border enterprise, our People have been able to create an honorable, and viable Mohawk society and an strong economic base for its People.

Over the past ten years, dynamic changes have provided this Mohawk Community the opportunity to responsibly manage their Infrastructure, Health and Social Services, Judicial and Law Enforcement System, Environment and Conservation, and Housing and Economic Initiatives.

At a time when the Government of Canada is advocating Partnerships and Native Self-Government, Akwesasne is well on its way, using its own initiative. We are ready to responsibly manage our internal structures, our numerous Human and Natural Resources, and to build a viable Sustainable Economy.

Our People have many gifts, talents, knowledge, experience and expertise in a wide spectrum of fields and interests. We have the will, desire, ability and enthusiasm to work toward a Common Community Vision.

We look to other Nations to see what new relationships and partnerships can be established that will help us both attain our Visions for the Future Generations of our respective Peoples.

Akwesasne Community Profile The Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne is located within the Ancient Homelands of our Ancestors, which our People have occupied and used since time immemorial. Our People have a deep attachment to the Land and to the Natural Resources within its bounds, and are inextricably tied to all the Elements of Creation within this Aboriginal Territory.

Location: The Mohawk Community of Akwesasne is composed of scenic Islands within the magnificent St. Lawrence River and Mainland within the St. Lawrence River Valley. The Community is composed of four residential districts which include: • Kanatakon/St. Regis Village and Tsi Snaihne/Chenail Districts situated within the Quebec portion, • Kawennoke/Cornwall Island District situated within the Ontario portion, and • Tekaswenkarorens/Hogansburg within New York State.

The Territory is approximately 26,000 Acres in land mass, or about fifty square miles in total area. The Territory is accessed by a system of International Bridges, Highways and Waterways that cross the St. Lawrence River, and connect the Mainlands and several of the Islands. The St. Lawrence River serves as one of the natural division lines between Canada and the United States.

The Akwesasne Community is located in close proximity to major Canadian Centres being located about sixty-five kilometers Southeast of Ottawa, Ontario, and seventy-five kilometers West of Montreal, Quebec.

Transportation Routes: The Akwesasne Territory has direct access to New York State Route 37 on the U.S. portion of the Territory which leads directly to major Interstate Highways, giving us direct routes to urban centers such as New York City as well as the Eastern Seaboard and other American Markets. On the Canadian portion of the Territory, the Akwesasne International Highway, which is a major international route, is only 7 kilometers from the Trans Canada Highway at route 401. Akwesasne has a network of approximately 100 kilometers of Highway, side and access roads which lead to other major transportation arteries.

Akwesasne is also in close proximity to air, water, and inland transportation systems. Two airports are within easy access. The Canadian National Railway system is at our doorstep as well as the St. Lawrence Seaway deep-craft waterway, with deep water ports.

Hydro: Within the Ontario portion of the Territory at Kawennoke/Cornwall Island, the electrical power is supplied by Cornwall Electric. The Quebec portion is supplied by Hydro Quebec, and the New York portion of the Territory is serviced by Niagara Mohawk Power of New York State.

Water and Sanitation: Akwesasne has a Waterline Network within the residential districts of the Community, and plans are underway to upgrade the system for commercial development.

Population and Labour Force: Akwesasne is a Community of 13,000 People. With commitment over several years to Higher Education, Advanced Skills Training, and the development of our Human Resources, the People within this Community cover a wide spectrum of fields and interests. Our People have numerous talents, gifts, experience, skills, and expertise that is utilized within Akwesasne and is shared with others.

International Trade Potential: Akwesasne is contiguous to both Canada and the United States. This unique geographic location could be further utilized to enhance the economy of this Community. It is our intention to explore new external trade, financial and commercial opportunities that can be developed in a manner which is consistent with our Community Vision. It is our intention to utilize the skills and the expertise of our People in a meaningful way.

The Akwesasne Community Economic Development Strategy, a document which was completed in July of 1997 and accepted by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, recommends economic diversification and the exploration of the opportunities offered through International Trade. We look forward to the possibility of seeing this through to implementation and toward developing a brighter future for the Akwesasne Community. The Akweasne Community is ready to explore new initiatives, new ideas and new ventures, and to develop Trade Relations with other Nations.

How Fire Came To The Six Nations
A Mohawk Legend
Often, around the fire in the long house of the Iroquois, during the Moon of the Long Nights, this tale is told. Three Arrows was a boy of the Mohawk tribe. Although he had not yet seen fourteen winters he was already known among the Iroquois for his skill and daring. His arrows sped true to their mark. His name was given him when with three bone-tipped arrows he brought down three flying wild geese from the same flock. He could travel in the forest as softly as the south wind and he was a skilful hunter, but he never killed a bird or animal unless his clan needed food. He was well-versed in woodcraft, fleet of foot, and a clever wrestler. His people said, 'Soon he will be a chief like his father.' The sun shone strong in the heart of Three Arrows, because soon he would have to meet the test of strength and endurance through which the boys of his clan attained manhood. He had no fear of the outcome of the dream fast which was so soon to take. His father was a great chief and a good man, and the boy's life had been patterned after that of his father. When the grass was knee-high, Three Arrows left his village with his father. They climbed to a sacred place in the mountains. They found a narrow cave at the back of a little plateau. Here Three Arrows decided to live for his few days of prayer and vigil. He was not permitted to eat anything during the days and nights of his dream fast. He had no weapons, and his only clothing was a breechclout and moccasins. His father left the boy with the promise that he would visit him each day that the ceremony lasted, at dawn. Three Arrows prayed to the Great Spirit. He begged that soon his clan spirit would appear in a dream and tell him what his guardian animal or bird was to be. When he knew this, he would adopt that bird or animal as his special guardian for the rest of his life. When the dream came he would be free to return to his people, his dream fast successfully achieved. For five suns Three Arrows spent his days and nights on the rocky plateau, only climbing down to the little spring for water after each sunset. His heart was filled with a dark cloud because that morning his father had sadly warned him that the next day, the sixth sun, he must return to his village even if no dream had come to him in the night. This meant returning to his people in disgrace without the chance of taking another dream fast. That night Tree Arrows, weak from hunger and weary from ceaseless watch, cried out to the Great Mystery. 'O Great Spirit, have pity on him who stands humbly before Thee. Let his clan spirit or a sign from beyond the thunderbird come to him before tomorrow's sunrise, if it be Thy will.' As he prayed, the wind suddenly veered from east to north. This cheered Three Arrows because the wind was now the wind of the great bear, and the bear was the totem of his clan. When he entered the cavern he smelled for the first time the unmistakable odor of a bear: this was strong medicine. He crouched at the opening of the cave, too excited to lie down although his tired body craved rest. As he gazed out into the night he heard the rumble of thunder, saw the lightning flash, and felt the fierce breath of the wind from the north. Suddenly a vision came to him, and a gigantic bear stood beside him in the cave. Then Three Arrows heard it say, 'Listen well, Mohawk. Your clan spirit has heard your prayer. Tonight you will learn a great mystery which will bring help and gladness to all your people.' A terrible clash of thunder brought the dazed boy to his feet as the bear disappeared. He looked from the cave just as a streak of lightning flashed across the sky in the form of a blazing arrow. Was this the sign from the thunderbird ? Suddenly the air was filled with a fearful sound. A shrill shrieking came from the ledge just above the cave. It sounded as though mountain lions fought in the storm; yet Three Arrows felt no fear as he climbed toward the ledge. As his keen eyes grew accustomed to the dim light he saw that the force of the wind was causing two young balsam trees to rub violently against each other. The strange noise was caused by friction, and as he listened and watched fear filled his heart, for, from where the two trees rubbed together a flash of lightning show smoke. Fascinated, he watched until flickers of flames followed the smoke. He had never seen fire of any kind at close range nor had any of his people. He scrambled down to the cave and covered his eyes in dread of this strange magic. Then he smelt bear again and he thought of his vision, his clan spirit, the bear, and its message. This was the mystery which he was to reveal to his people. The blazing arrow in the sky was to be his totem, and his new name - Blazing Arrow. At daybreak, Blazing Arrow climbed onto the ledge and broke two dried sticks from what remained of one of the balsams. He rubbed them violently together, but nothing happened. 'The magic is too powerful for me,' he thought. Then a picture of his clan and village formed in his mind, and he patiently rubbed the hot sticks together again. His will power took the place of his tired muscles. Soon a little wisp of smoke greeted his renewed efforts, then came a bright spark on one of the sticks. Blazing Arrow waved it as he had seen the fiery arrow wave in the night sky. A resinous blister on the stick glowed, then flamed - fire had come to the Six Nations!

What is the Great Law of Peace?
The Great Law is the founding constitution of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy. It is an oral tradition, codified in a series of wampum belts now held by the Onondaga Nation. It defines the functions of the Grand Council and how the native nations can resolve disputes between themselves and maintain peace.

The Peace Maker travelled among the Iroquois for many years, spreading his message of peace, unity and the power of the good mind. Oral history says that it may have taken him forty some years to reach everyone. Born of a Huron woman who was still a virgin, the Peace Maker, grew rapidly and one day announced that he had to journey forth to deliver a message from the Creator. He selected a white stone canoe to carry him to the Iroquois as proof of the power of his message. But he was met with much skepticism and the men that he came across refused to listen to him. After Jikohnsaseh rejuvenated his spirit, he continued and was able to persuade fifty leaders to receive his message. He gathered them together and recited the passages of the Great Law of Peace. He assigned duties to each of the leaders. To honor the role of Jikohnsaseh, he selected women as the Clan Mothers, to lead the family clans and select the male chiefs.

Women were given the right to the chief's titles and the power to remove dissident chiefs. Jikohnsaseh, by hearing of her actions, taught me to respect women and honor their role. Women are the connection to the earth and have the responsibility for the future of the nation. Men will want to fight. Women know the true price of war and must encourage the chiefs to seek a peaceful resolution

. The Peace Maker then established clans among the Haudenosaunee as a way to unite the Five Nations and as a form of social order. It is said that after he had assembled the leaders together around the Tree of Peace, he bestowed Chieftainship and clan affiliation on the fifty men who stood in a circle. He would assign clans based upon the order of animals that he saw that day. Some say that he sent each chief out into the woods and would report back on the first animal that they encountered, and that animal became their clan. A clan is a group of families that share a common female ancestry. Members of one clan are considered relatives and intermarriage in the same clan is forbidden. Clans are named after animals that have special assistance to the people - water (turtle, eel, beaver); land (bear, deer, wolf), sky (snipe, heron, hawk) Clanship identity is very important to the Haudenosaunee.

The Great Law is like a Great White Mat of Law upon which the Chiefs sit as they deliberate on the affairs of the nations. Burning before the assembled chiefs is the council fire, called "the great light," that never dies as long as the people believe in the Great Law. The kindling the council fire, considered sacred in that it purifies the words of those assembled, obligates the Chiefs to speak the truth. Also holding a council only in the daylight is another cultural mechanism to assure clear thinking. Meeting held at night are considered inappropriate and meant for foster dissent.

The Chiefs were to use the power of their mind to reason, to figure out what was best for the welfare of the people. The three main principles of the Great Law of Peace are: Righteousness (Good News), Civil Authority (Power), and also Mind (Reason) and the welfare work." We are to view the chiefs like a circle of standing trees, supporting the Tree of Peace that grows in the middle. They help to keep it from falling over. With each Chief was to be a helper, to keep the Chief standing tall.

Take the word Gaihwiyo, which has been translated in this document to mean righteousness. It's meaning is more like a wholesome doctrine that is good to be heard, because it teaches ethical behavior and communal values. But it also denotes the idea of justice, of being right because of the customs, manners, beliefs and ritualistic summations of the past experiences of the people. It is putting words into action.

The hardest part of the Great Law is to understand the meaning of the concept of peace. Peace is not simply the absence of war. In the Iroquoian mind, peace is a state of mind. Power, which can easily be thought of as military strength, but more appropriately, it means that one heart, one mind, one head, and one body allowed the Confederacy to remain united in the face of many enemies. Certainly, historians have painted a picture of the Iroquois as cruel expansionists. Iroquois fighting power was legendary. So the question arises: how can the Great Law promote peace if one of the conditions is to have power over weaker nations? Power can be the united strength of the Confederacy, standing together, negotiating together. Unity of action allowed the Iroquois to enjoy great success in dealing with the warring colonial powers.

But there is also a different kind of power in the Iroquoian universe. Each individual has a base spiritual power. As you go through life as Haudenosaunee, experience different things, learn more, comprehend more and tap into other forms of spiritual power, your own spirit grows as well. The old timers called it orenda. Everyone is thought to have it to some degree. It effects how we do things. Good minds have strong orenda. So the ultimate power of the Great Law rests in how well the individual person develops their sense of self, but develops that sense in regard to the well-being of the others, in the clan, in the village, in the nation and in the Confederacy of the Six Nations.

There have been several written versions of the Great Law, called Gawyehnehshehgowa. Today, no one version is preferred over the other and many traditional leaders feel that none of the written versions have all of the known oral history included. In examining the written versions the following common elements of the story of the Great Law of Peace become evident:

1) The Birth and Growth of the Peacemaker A boy is born to the virgin daughter of a Huron woman. Ashamed and depressed, the grandmother tries to destroy the baby three times, until she is told in a dream that the boy is destined to bring forth a good message from the Creator. He grows rapidly and is honest, generous and peaceful.

2) The Journey to the Mohawks The Peacemaker leaves in a white stone canoe for the land of the Mohawks where he finds war, killing, destruction and cannibalism. He announces that he is there to deliver a message from the Creator that war must cease.

3) Jikonsahseh Accepts the Message The Mother of Nations takes in the weary Peacemaker and feeds him. He explains the principles of Peace, Righteousness and Power and the concept of the longhouse as a metaphor for the Great Law. She accepts the message, and in doing so, women are given priority in the League as Clan Mothers.

4) Ayenwatha Converts to Peace Looking into the smoke hole of a house, the Peacemaker sees a man carrying a human body to the cooking fire. About to eat the flesh, the man appears into the pot but sees the face of the Peacemaker and is magically transformed. The Peacemaker teaches him to bury the body and eat deer meat instead. The antlers of the deer will be symbols of authority. The former cannibal, Ayenwatha, accepts the message of peace.

5) Peacemaker proves himself to the Mohawks To prove his power, the Peacemaker sat in a tall tree that was chopped down into a deep ravine but emerged unharmed. The Mohawk chiefs accept the message.

6) The Confrontation with Tododaho An evil and deadly wizard of the Onondaga with a twisted body and snakes for hair, blocked the path to peace. Tododaho made it so that the chiefs could not gather, making the waterways tip over their canoes.

7) Ayenwatha'''s Daughters are killed A witch, Osinoh, transformed into an owl and killed the daughters, casting Ayenwatha into a deep depression.

8) Ayenwatha Leaves Onondaga He left his home at Onondaga and became lost in his sorrow. He "split the sky" heading southward.

9) Ayenwatha invents wampum Using either twigs, bird quills or shell beads, Ayenwatha makes strings of wampum that he hangs across a suspended wooden pole in an attempt to sooth himself.

10) Ayenwatha institutes protocols He visits a Mohawk community and is given a honored seat as a chief. He teaches them to make a signal fire at the edge of the clearing to announce the arrival of a peaceful visitor, how to make wampum, and how to use the wampum strings to deliver messages. He leaves to continue his search for consolation.

11) The Peacemaker Condoles Ayenwatha Using 8 of the 13 wampum strings made by Ayenwatha, the Peacemaker removes the pain and suffering of Ayenwatha and restores his mind so they can bring forth the message of the Creator. The Peacemaker decides that wampum will be used to carry that message.

12) Emissaries seek out Tododaho The Peacemaker sends transformed animals - crows, bears, deer - to locate Tododaho.

13) The Cayuga, Oneida and Seneca Join The two messengers visit the various nations as well as several visits with Tododaho. The other nations accepts the message. Tododaho still refuses.

14) Hai Hai - The Peace Hymn With the combined power of all the assembled leaders who had accepted the message, the two messengers lead a procession, singing a magic song to soothe Tododaho. The song thanked the League, the Great Peace, the Honored Ancestors, the warriors, the women, and the families. Tododaho shouted his objection as the procession approached his encampment.

15) Tododaho is Transformed With all of the other chiefs assembled, the Peacemaker promised to give Tododaho a central position in the Confederacy and to make Onondaga the capital for the Grand Council. He finally accepted the message and the messengers combed the snakes from his hair, straightened his body and dressed him properly. Tododaho became a man of peace.

16) The Circle of Chiefs The messengers established the chieftainships as the protectors of peace. They were given instruction about what it takes to be a good chief. They announced the roll call of chiefs by nation and clan. The protocols for selecting chiefs, operating the council, and the role of the Clan Mothers was described. Warnings of the future were given. Deer antlers were placed on the heads of the chiefs, a wing fan to sweep dirt away from the council fire, and a pole to flick creatures away from the fire. The League was completed.

17) The Cultural Metaphors The Peacemaker established the symbols of the Great Law. The longhouse has five fireplaces but one family. Wampum will record the messages. The Tree of Peace was planted in the center of the circle of chiefs. An eagle was placed on top to watch out for enemies. The White Roots of Peace stretched out across the land. The weapons of war were buried under the Tree. A meal of beaver tail was shared. Five arrows were bound together. The council fire was kindled and the smoke pierced the sky. These are all symbols of power that comes from the unity of peace.

18) The Protection of the League Laws for adoption, emigration and rights of individuals and nations were established to allow those who seek peace to join. Warring nations would be given three warning they would be subdued.

19) The Condolence Ceremony The same procedure used on Ayenwatha will be used when a chief dies in order to console the mourners and reaffirm life. This Requickening Address will maintain the stability and mental health of the Chiefs and the Confederacy.

20) The Peacemaker Departs The message delivered and the Confederacy completed, the Peacemaker leaves but announces that in a future time of strife he will return. He also asked that his name not be used except in special cases.

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