Just days ago, Powell and I posted some reports from the Mohawk nation. I thank Powell for researching a "Western" news reporting source on these events which have to do with border security and the sovereignty of a nation that has recognition in our earliest colonial laws in the form of treaties which we all know are held to be as high a law as the Constitution itself.

Sadly, like much of the literal body of Constitutional law these treaties with these sovereign nations have not been respected. But this doesn't mean that these nations, these people don't still exist. They do. And they continue to demand redress according to the very law of the treaties struck between our USA and their Turtle Island.

And like our Constitutional law, their law is extensively codified and referred to by scholars, but it isn't written in a phonetical symbolic language like ours is, it's written in a pictographic language in something we call "more than money". It's written in Wampum belts. And many of these belts have their counterparts in our National Archives and the Smithsonian Institution.

So as you hear "Two Row Wampum" and hear references to The Great Law, as you hear from Mohawk and Iriqios and their northern cousins among Algonquin, Wabenake and many others, understand that these people have a part of our history, our birth as a nation recorded. Because they were there. They were involved. Their models of government influenced our own and our making of treaties, of Wampum, was made together in a new understanding between peoples.

Many in the patriot movement are bothered by the "new teaching of cultural diversity" when we don't want to admit that modern American is cultural diversity incarnate. And the Wampums state that we can all be Native Americans now. So this isn't just some "indian bullshit" or mysticism or hokus-pocus. Much of this is very contemporary history. Much of The Great Law was written in the colonial period. So at the very least, to all of us, this represents a different perspective on the same events we all share as our common history now. So I feel deeply that these things, these understandings and events are of great relevance to all of us today. I feel that these teachings can inform us or in-form us to deal with our challenges today. So before you get bitched out be the elders, I wanted to give you some foundation so you don't feel like you are being attacked. So you don't feel like you are on the outside. Because in fact, you are on the inside. If you want to be. And I can tell you more about how it relates to your history.

The "Liberty Tree" concept came from the Tree Of Peace. This is pretty contemporary history. The Great Law states a location of a Tree Of Peace where militarism was renounced and treaties were made between many nations. Subsequent treaties almost always invoke this promise. In very legalistic fashion.

When Wampums were made, among these are the things that were recorded in very legalistic fashion. So below follows a very legalistic pleading. In sharing this with you, it's my hope that we as a people evolve a greater understanding not only of our own history and obligations, but a deeper understanding of sovereignty and what individual rights and self-determination means. And I pray for our nation and our nations, that we grow in love and understanding.

Below follows the pleading from Mohawk:

AKWESASNE:  CANADA FORCIBLY HOLDING CIVILIANS A WAR CRIME

MNN.  June 5, 2009.  Canada continues to prepare and initiate aggression against the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne in violation of international treaties, agreements and assurances.  Canada is carrying out ill treatment of civilian residents on the illegally occupied territory of the Haudenosaunee.

No matter where the Canada-US border is relocated, it is still on Onwehonwe land.  The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority is making money out of illegally leasing out our land for the border facility.  According to the Jay Treaty 1794 between the U.S. and Britain, the border is meant for the colonists.  Not us.  Some suggest it be relocated somewhere in Europe.  If the colonists block the bridges to our community every time they want to scare or control us, is it time to build our own? 

Mohawks are being held hostage on Cornwall Island by Canada and the U.S. until we agree to let the gun toting border guards roam around the middle of Akwesasne.  The Minister of Public Safety won't talk to us.  Why?  In the meantime boats and barges are shuffling kids, food and other necessities to us. 

THE TWO ROW WAMPUM AGREEMENT

The basis of the relationship between us and the colonists is the Kaianereh'ko:wa, the Great Law, which embodies the Two Row Wampum Agreement.  U.S. President George Washington agreed to the principle that our canoe and their sailing vessel are to travel side by side.  Each contains our people, language, form of government, laws, culture, traditions and ceremonies.  In our canoe are all the lands and resources of Great Turtle Island that the natural world has vested in us.  Accordingly we can only deal with the U.S. President or the Queen on any issue between our nations.  

These principles were implemented in the Treaty of Canadaigua 1794, Article VII.  There can be no interference with our birthright to travel and conduct commerce anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. 

The women are the progenitors of the soil of Great Turtle Island, the caretakers of the land, water and air. 

In 2003 a grandmother was going through the Cornwall Island checkpoint in the Indian lane.  She was waved through.  It was recorded on the CBSA video.  Later she was charged with running the border and arrested.  She put forward the following notice to the Queen for a dismissal of the bogus charge:

1.Stop breaching the peace.  You are inflicting genocide upon us and our future posterity.

2. Our relations are based on equality and mutual respect as affirmed by the Kaianereh'ko:wa, our constitution.  Our relations with the colonists is defined by the Guswentah, the Two Row Wampum, also known as the Covenant Chain. 

3. We are the trustees of all of our land for the future generations of our People, including the part upon which your corporations and subjects are squatting. 

4. Your colonial successor states and corporations have carried out rape, pillage and pollution.  With your protection the squatters are stealing our resources and poisoning our land, water and air almost beyond repair.  They will soon kill themselves and injure our future generations.

5.Your justice system protects the squatters to keep the stolen property.  It incriminates us or kills us to stop us from making our demands for restitution and protection from the crimes of your agents.  To negotiate you must come to our table and talk to us.  Your one-sided decisions are not legal.
The demand is that:

6. You recognize that all your transactions as null and void, and that you must cease your illegal operations against us immediately.

7. You respect our inherent right to our land; and that our children will be born free from your bondage. 

8. You deal with us, the true Ongwehonwe, on a nation-to-nation basis and stop using your unlawfully imposed tribal and band councils.

9. You respect the rule of law that comes from Creation.  Foreigners such as you and your corporate entities respect the Indigenous law of our land.  You cannot legislate over or judge us.

For 500 years we have resisted your brutal efforts to eliminate us and impose your unnatural institutions on us.  Your claims to jurisdiction over us, our land and resources are delusional.  We find you guilty of:  genocide; violations of our freedom and our inherent right to self-determination; theft of our lands and resources; and destruction of our environment.   Your subjects and corporations are inflicting ruthless violence on us.

You are hereby ordered to relinquish all your stolen money, trusts, lands, rights and possessions that were made or stolen from us and our lands.   You must disband all your foreign corporations and all foreign laws.  We shall return to the original legal nation-to-nation relationship between us, the land owners, and you, our visitors.  Your money was created from exploiting us, our land and our resources.  Restitution must be made to the Indigenous people of Great Turtle Island.

Canada and the US are bound by international treaties on the laws of aggression.    Last week UN observers came.  They made a report.  Now it's time for the Security Council to resolve this issue.  The Mohawks of Akwesasne need protection from the US, Canada and anyone else who wants to use us or take advantage us.   We don't want a platoon of armed guards in the middle our neighborhood.  The UN must stop them.  These armed belligerents stationed around us the NYS Police, Cornwall City Police and whoever else is behind them - must be removed immediately.

Kahentinetha MNN Mohawk Nation News, www.mohawknationnews.com kahentinetha2@yahoo.com  Go to MNN BORDER category for more stories;

Contact Rotiskenrakete 514-269-1400.  N. Benedict 613-551-5421 613-938-8145 nbenedict@akwesasne.ca, go to www.akwesasne.ca.  Chief Wesley Benedict 613-551-2573; Larry King 613-551-1930; Chief Joe Lazore 613-551-5292.  

Supporters may send comments to:  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace, London, SQ1A UK; President Barack Obama, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ Comments: 202-456-1111, Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461; The Governor General of Canada, M. Michaelle Jean, 1 Rideau Drive, Ottawa info@gg.ca; Alain Jolicoeur, President, CBSA, Ottawa, ON K1A 0L8, 613-952-3200, 613-957-0612; General inquiries CBSA-ASFC@canada.gc.ca; Lance Markell, District Director, Northern Office ?? Customs, St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa Ont. K1G 4K3, CBSA 613-930-3234, 613-991-1214, General inquiries CBSA-ASFC@canada.gc.ca; Secretary Janet Napolitano, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528, Operator Number: 202-282-8000, Comment Line: 202-282-8495, Jayson P. Ahern, A/Commissioner, U.S. Customs, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20229 Chief Counsel (202) 344-2990; Marco A. Lopez, Jr., Chief of Staff, U.S. Customs, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20229; Prime Minister Stephen Harper; House of Commons, Ottawa, harper.s@parl.gc.ca; Hon. Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, House of Commons, Ottawa; Hon. Robert Douglas Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, 284 Wellington St., Ottawa, ON K1A 0H8; Attorney General of Ontario, 720 Bay St., 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5G 2K1; Hon. Yvon Marcoux, Minister of Justice and A.G.O., Louis-Phillipe-Pigeon Bldg., 1200 Rue d l'Eglise, 9th Floor, St. Foy G1V 4M1; Hon. Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs, 10 Wellington St., Hull, Que. K1A 0H4 Strahl.c@parl.gc.ca; Premier Dalton McGuinty, Province of Ontario, Queens Park, Toronto ON; Premier Charest, Province of Quebec, Legislature, Quebec City; British High Commission, 80 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5K7; Canadian Human Rights Commission, 344 Slater St., 8th Floor Ottawa, ON K1A 1E1; United Nations, 405 E 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017; The Hague, Anna Paulownastraat, 103, 251 BBC, The Netherlands; Coalition for the International Criminal Court, c/o WFM, 708 3rd Ave., 24th Floor, New York, NY 10017
Supporters of Mohawks:  MPs Jean Crowder, Indian Affairs critic crowdj@parl.gc.ca ; Anita Neville nevila@parl.gc.ca ; Marc Lemay lemaym@parl.gc.ca ; Sen. Nancy Green; Sen. Gerry St. Germain;