Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

The Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge, established in 2011 as an educational entity, held a public information session at the Tsi Tetewatatkens Center on Saturday, April 26.

The gathering was intended to give concerned Akwesasronon background as to the Institute’s goals, its current status and the pending return of land at Kahon:ios (Cohoes Falls) on the Mohawk River north of Albany.

Composed of nine board members from the Onondaga, Mohawk and Oneida communities along with three individuals from Syracuse, Jamesville and Long Island, the Institute was designed to provide instruction in the discipline of traditional aboriginal knowledge in areas such as the fine arts, the social sciences and in law and environmental studies.

Present at the session were six members of the Institute’s governing board joined by a few dozen community members. The meeting was opened by Kevin Deer of Kahnawake with Tim Thompson of Wahta serving as moderator.

Mr. Deer gave a detailed explanation as to the philosophies which have formed the basis for the Institute’s work. He summarized his personal commitment as well as a number of stories in which he told of his life’s journey from his teenage years to his current work as a principal at the Karonhianohnha Mohawk Immersion School at Kahnawake. He emphasized the need to embrace each other as Onkwehonweh and to use our ancestral teachings to spread the words of our Peacemaker.

Mr. Deer was followed by Mr. Thompson, the former president at the First Nations Technical Institute at Tyendinaga and a nationally recognized expert on aboriginal education. Thompson highlighted the movements towards the creation of the HIIK which was 20 years in the making. He said the actual land grant was for 28 acres on the north shore of the Mohawk.

Doug George-Kanentiio of Akwesasne used a power point show which explained the HIIK’s goals and guiding vision and followed that with a summation of the history of the Kahon:ios region and why it was important to all human beings. He said the HIIK was but a continuation of the dreams of Canasatego, Shenandoah, Ely Parker, Jake Thomas and Jake Swamp, all of whom were teachers and advocates for a common place of learning.

Akwesasne elder Judy Swamp provided the assembly with information as to how the Tree of Peace Society turned over the Kahon:ios project to the HIIK with John Kim Bell of Kahnawake, an advisor to the Brookfield Renewable Energy Company, playing a vital role.

Tom Square gave a number of important ideas as to how the Mohawks could initiate a series of actions regarding the transfer of land back to Native possession while Roger Jock was emphatic about using Kahon:ios in a manner which could bring real benefits to the Mohawk people. He said that while he and Mr. Square were at trial in Albany he went to Kahon:ios for reflection and from that he took renewed strength.

Joanne Shenandoah of Oneida, a HIIK board member, encouraged the people to learn more about the HIIK goals and Kahon:ios specifically while Sheldon Gibson, Onondaga and a member of the board, expressed his gratitude for the hospitality of the Mohawk people.

A special lunch was prepared by Ceci Francis while printed information was made available to the attendees.