I had a good conversation with a American Anthropologist in Akwesasne. He was a very intelligent gentleman that couldn’t get over the fact that we were still fighting on after all we’ve been through. He said we are definitely still the warrior people portrayed in the history books in his study of live cultures.
As we were talking there was a heated meeting going on nearby about letting the Canadian Border guards carry government issued side arms on Cornwall Island. This was at 11pm Sunday night. The deadline was midnight that same day and the general consensus was ‘No Damn Way!’
Border guards harass the Mohawk people of Akwesasne already without guns. What are they going to do if the CBSA are armed? We remember our peace treaties and wampum agreements – but it seems that our once ally Canada suffers from short term memory loss and down right amnesia.
The Canadian military wanted to use us Mohawks and dispose of us after use. They were about to get squashed between the French in the north and the Americans in the south. But we saved the crown again. Then we came to rest in the Mohawk Village in Brantford to act as a buffer to protect canadian soldiers in lower Canada.
The thing they can’t seem to get is that we’re nobodies disposable pawns of warfare. We’re the living breathing voice of our earth mother and anyone that thinks they run nature or tell the four winds what to do are arrogant fools. The earth owns us. As we clarified our position again and again. This time on Cornwall Island at 11:55 pm., five minutes before CBSA Border Services evacuated their post and walked off the job.
There was five hundred angry Mohawks outside hollering. That’s how we roll. This particular night was no different and the powers that be knew it. I told the guys out there ‘I’m down for whatever. It’s your show. I’m just visiting.’ I was always told you let the community members lead in any kind of direct action – out of respect because they have to live there after your gone home so you must tread lightly.
We did get the backhoe out and a big excavator was on sight ready to go it we chose to dig in if the situation started to get tense. I noticed an Akwesasne plain clothes police officer I had seen around taking mental notes of the crowd.
Everyone was standing around and listening to the Great Mohawk Orator Jake Swamp. Everyone was looking forward the spy was looking backward. I noticed these things its my job as a Mohawk Wolf. It’s also not my first time around the dance floor. I’ve been on a couple jobs here and there.
At the end of the day our so called allies relented, saying they would not arm their border officers. But they will keep pushing for sure. It’s against our great peacefulness to bring weapons on to our territory that could harm life. Friends don’t do that.
If it is our job as men to carry the burden of peace then so be it. If we have to fight it’s our job to protect our future children’s inheritance. We have made it this far. If we were going to go anywhere we would have been gone a long time ago.
I told my anthropologist friend and he whole heartedly agreed. The Great Creator wouldn’t have went through all that trouble of sending Tekanawita to the Mohawks if we were going to just get swept away with the influx of foreign blood.
The weak will get absorbed but the true warrior families will live on. There is no mercy in natural law when winter comes. Better be ready. And when the maple sap starts flowing you better have your rubber boots and bucket ready. Wakiro!!
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