Feedback: Stewards of the Haldimand Treaty

Tekawennake
February 21, 2007

I just read in this weeks paper that the "stewards of the Haldimand Treaty" are pressing a 4.5 trillion Notice of Action for the undermining their authority. Now with all due respect, (I have had many conversations and forged a friendship with the Trustees during the beginning stages of the DCE rallies)

I would like to know a few things. First where was Leah Brant, Debrah Springle, Angie Smith and Melissa Miller when I started my actions against DCE? When I had my petition circulating, where were you then? This was back in 2003-2004. Where you were when I stood up in front of Band council and Confederacy alone?

I am a Cayuga Woman, you say it is your place as Mohawk women toprotect the land, why were not there for me when I was 17 and standing up to Henco, Marie Trainer, and numerous federal offices. I was left in this fight alone and now when all the leg work is done you want $3 trillion from my Confederacy?

The only Mohawk women we had on our side was Janie and her sisters and nieces. It angers me to think that I did all this research, and that Dawn, Janie and I did all this leg work and got the lands recognized, now that the Confederacy is able to sit at the table, that these "stewards" are going to step up and say they want money. Why Money? Why would there be a monetary value on the undermining of authority? Why are you breaking a treaty to get money?

You have, in my eyes, stepped into the boat. You aren't naming the Chiefs when you name the Confederacy, your naming the people. I am one of those people, I go to longhouse and I follow my chiefs and clan mothers, I am part of the Confederacy you named.

Do you honestly think after the work i invested into the land claims, the two years of my three year old's life I spent doing research, that I am going to pay you anything for doing nothing? You have to remember that it wasn't the Confederacy that started leasing and selling, it wasn't the Chiefs that allowed squatters it was a Mohawk man by the name of Joseph Brant.

Where do you get off blaming the Confederacy for one man's mistake. You can stay on that side of the river if you choose the Canadian courts to settle your squabbles with the Chiefs. That was our collective agreement according to the Two Row Wampum.

I would like to close this letter with one more question. Have any of you thought about what this action will do to the negotiations? We are going to lose everything if we continue to fight publicly amongst ourselves.

Confederacy is fighting to get this land back, and they have continually maintained that our lands and other issues do not belong in the Judicial system and here you are undermining your own sovereign right for money.this is a disgraceful act and an even more disgusting display of greed. This is going to be a very sad and dishonorable part of our history and to make it more hurtful and wounding, our own people are doing this to us. We need to make a decision to either stand together or stand apart.

Your nation was there when the five arrows were bound together, now you stand as one nation alone. One nation can be broken, standing together we are a powerful force to be rekoned with. Think about what you are doing to our future generations and how history will look back on this action.
donehtoh

Kia iatese
Cayuga Nation, Wolf Clan
Six Nations of the Grand River Territory