The Six Nations family whose daughter is fighting leukaemia has released an official statement. Here it is in it’s entirety.
Press Release
“My name is Wahsonti:io. Deneen Hill is my English name. I am a Mohawk woman of the Turtle clan. Atiaktatie is her father’s name. Teiehkwa is our daughter. We are members of the Rotinonhsion:ni (People of the Longhouse or Iroquois/Six Nations Confederacy). We are governed by our ancient, traditional Kaianeren’ko:wa (Great Law).
As a member of the Six Nations Confederacy I will not have my decisions of healthcare for my child debated and judged in the Canadian judicial system. I have a responsibility to protect the collective rights of my people. The Canadian judicial system does not have the authority to determine our law or practices, which predates the existence of Canada, valid or otherwise.
We have traveled to Seminole territory in Florida to seek additional holistic healing that I feel very much parallels our ancestral practices. We arrived at the Hippocrates Health Institute on Sept 21st for a 3 week intensive healthcare program designed to meet Teiehkwa’s individual health needs.
I had initially went against my beliefs and what I had already known about naturalistic healing and opted for chemotherapy at the McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton Ontario. After 10 days I stopped it due to my conflict and decided to treat her cancer with our traditional medicines from our ancient indigenous knowledge coupled with the practices of nutrition as medicine, plant-based supplements along with other therapies offered at Hippocrates. I and one of her older sisters, Kiley are also in the 3 week program training on the healthcare protocols to continue the care at home. This is a very expensive venture which could not have happened without the support of my family, friends and our Six Nations community of the Grand River Territory.
The Hospital attempted to have Children’s Aid Society apprehend Teiehkwa to be forced back into chemotherapy. They investigated and reported they didn’t have a protection issue with my decision as I had a comprehensive healthcare plan.
I have now been informed there may be an extradition order for my daughter and myself. As a member of the Rotinonhsion:ni/ Six Nations Confederacy people we have dual citizenship on our great continent. The imposed border restrictions do not apply to us as a sovereign people.
I will not have my daughter treated with poison. There many, many testimonials of successful treatment of cancer at Hippocrates and other natural centres that exist around the world. Standard medical care at McMaster Children’s Hospital is nit the only viable option. She has to become a healthy mother and a grandmother. I have chosen treatment that will not compromise her wellbeing and quality of life.
The following letter has been composed by Teiehkwa, in her own words and transcribed by me, her mother. She doesn’t study the English language yet so she needed the assistance the get her words onto paper. The letter that follows are her father and my views.
Seskehko:wa 25, 2014
Teiehkwa niwakhsenno:ten ne onkwehonweneha. Jada Skai Johnson niwakhsenno:ten ne o”tsheronnineha. Kanien’keha:ha niwakonhwentsio:ten. A’no:wara niwaki’tero:ten. Enska iawen:re na’tewakaohseriia:kon. Wahsonti:io iontatiats ne ake’nistenha Atiaktatie ronwa:iats ne rake’niha.
Tewakatonhontso:ni akonhro:ri tsi naho:ten ni:i kanon’tonnion tsi naiawenhake ne tieron:ke. Wakaterien:tare tsi e:so ra:ti ron:nehre aontahonnonhton, nek tsi i:i kaska:neks aontakanonhton.
Iah tha’tewakatonhontso:ni thi:ken ononhkwa wa’onkwatsten Tsi Teshakotitsen:tha. Iah tekeiahre naho:ten konwa:iats, kha:re, wakherihwanon:tonhse ne istenha- chemotherapy. E:so e:so onkonhnhaksate. E:so non:ta onkhsiahontanon:wake tanon onkenonhkwiserenhne. Wakaterien:tare tsi akwe:kon thi naho:ten ronnetas tia:takon, iakoriotha. I:i tanon Istenha e:so teiontiahsenthon.
Tsi nahe shiwakatehiarontie tanon onkenonwakten, Istenha katon Rakeniha wa’onkonnien ne onkwehonweneha ononhkwa. Oska:wakon wahnikoha katon shewentie:rens washakonatken’se:rane iakon:kwe, e:so ienonhkhwatsheraiente:ri. Tho ki nontahe tsi ionkenonhkwatsheranon:tens. Ne ne takwa’ahson ao:wen. Iah nowen:ton tewakonhnhaksa:tha no:nen khnekirha thi.
Istenha iakorihwaron:ken tsi ka:ien ne Florida katiok non:we. O:nenk tsi sakherihwanontonhse a:re naho:ten konwa:iats, ase’ken iah tewa:tons akehia:ra’ne. Hippocrates. E:so ra:ti ronatka:wen ne kenten:ro ne ia:we ken aonta:ke. Ronatiohkowa:nen kentho ne rontetsents tanon tekontsnie, teionksnietie. Ohonteshon:’a ratinonhkwatsheronnia:tha. Tha’tehontetsentshera:te. Otia’ke ionkthara:ni ne akwatonhnhets aorihwa:ke. Tanon otia’ke ionkerihwanonton:ni tsi nikonhnho:ten tanon tsi naho:ten kanon’tonnionkwas. Ratiienthos kentho. To:k nikahehta. Ne iakwaks ne tiohnhekhwen.
Sewatiewenta’onhatie kwah katto:kas. Iah tha’tesewakatonhontso:ni thi iakoriotha ononhkwa. Shonkwaia’tison ron:nis ne ononhkwa ne ne thia’tekahnra:ke ioterihon:ton. Ne ni:i akera:ko.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
September 25, 2014
To whom it may concern:
My name is Teiehkwa in my language. It means She Picks It Up. My English name is Jada Skai Johnson. I am a member of the Turtle Clan of the Mohawk nation. I am eleven years old. My moms name is Wahsonti:io and my dad’s name is Atiaktatie.
I want to tell you myself what I think should happen to my body. I know lots of people are trying to decide what should happen but I want to decide myself.
I don’t want medicine they were giving me in the hospital. I can’t remember the name so I asked my mom – chemotherapy. It made me really really sick. I hurt my belly for lots of days and my hair fell out. I know now that all those things happened to me because poison was being put in my body. Me and my mom cried a lot.
Whenever I was sick before my mom or dad made onkwehon:we medicine for me. They get some themselves in the bush but sometimes they get it from a woman who knows lots about making medicine. They got some from her to help fight the cancer I have. I never get sick when I drink this.
My mom heard about a place in Florida. I had to ask mom the name for that too because i can’t remember -Hippocrates. She got lots of help from lots of people to bring me here. There are lots of doctors and nurses who look after me here. They make medicine out of plants too. There are different kinds of doctors. Some talk to me about my spirit and some ask me how i think and feel about everything. There are people who grow food here in a big garden. We eat all the garden stuff.
Im getting better and I can feel it. I don’t want or need the poison put in my body to fight cancer. The Creator gave us medicine for everything. I want that instead.
Teiehkwa
LETTER FROM PARENTS
Seskehko:wa 25, 2014
Wahsonti:io niionkiats ne onkwehonweneha. Deneen Hill ne o’tsheronnineha. Kanien’keha:ka niwakonhwentsio:ten. A’no:wara niwaki’taro:ten. Atiaktatie niionkiats. I: o:ni Kanien’keha:ka niwakonhwentsio:ten. Teiehkwa niiakohsenno:ten ne shakoien:’a.
Ne ki naho:ten wakhia:ton ne kahawe tsi naho:ten ionkeniianerenhsera:ien nok tsi naho:ten iontiaterihwaien:ni ne ia:we I: eniakenira:ko naho:ten aiakoianerahse ne iakhiien:’a. Tsi nitsi ionkenirihwaieritonhatie, sha’teiakeni’nikon:rare ne akotonhnhets, akawerien:ta, akohnikon:ra nok akoieron:ta.
Sha’akononwakten ne Teiehkwa, wa’kattoke tsi iah nowen:ton tewakatkathon ki n’ohen:ton. Ka:nik wa’onkhrori ne rontetsents tsi takwa’ahson wa’akotien:hahse oksak tsi niioht onkwahsithen. Onkwateronhienhten ase’ken iah nowen:ton tha’tewakatohetston ne onhkak kheiente:ri aiakotienhahse ne takwa’ahson. Wa’khehrori ne rontetsents tsi tiente:ri ne thikanonhkwatsheratenion. Wakatto:ken tsi wahonteno:wenhte. Ohen:ton wenniseratenion e:so wa’tewake:ronhse. Enkerihon ken naho:ten eniakokaron:ni thieiotkontahkhwa? Ia’tekaie:ri ken tsi tiente:ri naho:ten tkaie:ri tanon iaonsakheiatenhawe tsi tionkwanonhsote tanon enkhenonhkwatshera:nonte ne onkwehonweneha toka niken enkheiaterihwatetia:ten ne ateniotatshera?
O:nen nonwa wa’tien:tere’ne tsi wakahsithen’en:ne ne:e se arihon:ni iah kwah thiekenikonraie:ri tsi nahe wakheiatkennisa’ahtene onkweshon’a. Wa’katenien:ten aontakehtahkwe Tsi Teshakotitsen:tha nonkwa ne aonha’a tioianere. Iah nowen:ton kwah tetewaketahkwen. Akweriahsakon nok ake’nikon:rakon onkhro:ri tsi iah ne aonha’a tetioianere tsi nonkwa ne kheien’a akorihwa:ke tanon akota’karitatshera. Wa’katateronhia:kenhte tsi wa’kherakwahse ne iakoriotha tanon karonhiaken:sera nok thieiotkontahkhwa ieia:takon eniakokaronnia’te. Iah ki tho nitsi ni:i tekerihwaka:nere ne, on:kwe aiakotsen’te. Tsi o:nen sonke’nikon:rohte tanon ia’tonsakaien:ta’ne tsi onkwahsithen. Takatahsawen wakesakha ne ohonte ionnia:ton ononhkwashon’a ne takwa’ahson ioterihonte.
Wa’kera:ko ne onkwehonweneha ononhkwa aontston tanon Hippocrates Health Institute ne Florida nonkwa. Teiotokenhton ken:tho ne raotinonhkwa tanon onkwanonhkwa tanon tsi ni:ioht tsi iethitsen:tha n’on:kwe. Thotita:ton ne, ohonteshon’a kanonhkwaientahkwen ononhkwashon’a ne ne takwa’ahson nok thikahnratenion aioterihon:take. E:so rotiianerasten:ni. Nok iah kaneka teka:ien ne on:kwe aieronhia:ken katon ne on:kwe aiakohkara:ren.
Ne ki ne I:i iakhiien:’a. Senha ni iakhinoronhkhwa tsi niioht n’onhkarehson tsi niiohontsa. Iah se thaiakenira:ko tsi naho:ten aiakokaronniate. Ia’tekaie:ri tsi ni:kon ka:ien ne iawenestanion tsi karihwahni:rats ne onkwehonweneha ononhkwa tanon HHI, ne ia:we aontaiakenehtahkwe tsi tionkeniieri:ton naho:ten ionkenirakwen.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
September 25, 2014
My name is Wahsonti:io. Deneen Hill is my English name. I am a Mohawk woman of the Turtle clan. Atiaktatie, Lewie Johnson is her father’s name. Teiehkwa is our daughter.
This letter is intended to express and assert our responsibility to chose what is best for our daughter’s wellbeing. We fulfill this by ensuring a balanced nurturing of her spirit, emotions, mentality and her body.
When Teiehkwa became sick I knew it was something I hadn’t seen before. When the emergency doctors told me it looked like cancer I was in immediately shock. I became so fearful because i had never experienced it with anyone. I told them I knew alternative methods to fight cancer. I heard the disbelief in the response I got. Moving forward from that moment I was extremely conflicted. Do I allow what I know is going to harm her permanently? Do I know what is right and take her home to administer Onkwehonwe medicine and ceremonies?
I went through the motions meeting many people while in the state of shock. I know that now. I tried to convince myself standard medical care would be the best choice. It never settled in my mind and my heart as the right choice for my daughter’s wellbeing and future quality of life. I agonized over the fact that I was choosing poison and pain for her along with permanent damage to her organs. That’s not how I see healthcare. After the shock subsided I became strong enough to stop the chemotherapy and seek out the plant-based medicines that I know could help her fight cancer.
I have chosen Onkwehonwe medicine and Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida. The care here at HHI very much parallels our medicinal practices. They have advanced the use of plant-based medicines to fight cancer and other serious diseases with great outcomes without pain and agony.
This is our daughter. We love her more than anyone in this world. We would not make a choice that would compromise her health or life. There is enough case evidence behind Onkwehonwe medicine and the practices at HHI that we know we have made the right choice.
Wahsonti:io & Atiaktatie
