Dear Editors,
The Kanienkehaka were the first to accept the Kaianerekowa, where are they? Iakonkwe, those who hold the family titles are not allowed to speak because as it is no longer the way and those fighting for a little parcel of land called “reserve” relinquish the territory, because it is the families that hold that relationship. So everyone everywhere on every “reserve” are fighting to be “Mohawk” under a foreign system, when the true way is through families. Those who are pushing and fighting for this “Mohawk law” do so at the relinquishment of their own identity.
It is not “Mohawk” identity they are fighting for but to be part of the foreign government they follow and want to be recognized by them. I recommend that it is families, as in the Kanianerekowa (identity), that are the ones who had made a treaty relationship with foreigners, not any one who follows “indian or tribal act.” So now people must provide their connection to one of the original families, or have shown that they were adopted and therefore promote the Kaianerekowa.
Where is this happening, who is showing their right to speak and make decisions using clan family identity? For the most part clan families are being ousted and replaced by caucus’ as hand holding has taken families under foreign protection to be ousted later. Let’s talk about those who have been Royaner and were not full-blooded, yet signed deals and made decisions, so where does blood come from onekwensa? It came from their clan family.
The reason this is going on everywhere is families are not strong enough, we have not built our arrows back up, but allowed those with no voice (no clan family) to make decisions. We were not stupid as we struggled to build our families back up through adoption only to be replaced by blood quantum as those with no voice in decisions took over as we became less and they became more, which in all honesty, erases the families permanently.
So do we hold the treaties with no clan family? No we do not, this is why those who have no voice will make decisions for the original families to their end. This is what we should call an extinction process which has been embraced and accepted by those who are “Mohawk” on reserve.
Konwahseti Iontiats
