Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

By: Minnie Garrow

February 5, 2013

In May, 1997, a peaceful protest to the NYS Interim Agreement with the Haudenosaunee was held in Onondaga Territory. The People opposed the whole agreement but notably: “II. Stamping of Cigarette Product – A. Interim Period Stamping and D. The Haudenosaunee Stamp.”

II. STAMPING OF CIGARETTE PRODUCT

A. Interim Period Stamping. During the period of the Agreement, the Haudenosaunee agrees to authorize its licensees to sell only packs and cartons of cigarettes containing the State of New York Tax Exempt Stamp. The State of New York agrees to provide the Haudenosaunee with adequate Tax Exempt Stamps to cover that quantity of cigarettes owned by the Haudenosaunee and housed on the Nation territory as of April 1, 1997. So that the State may know who many Tax Exempt Stamps the Haudenosaunee will need, the Haudenosaunee agrees to provide the State of New York with a full accounting of the quantity of cigarettes owned by the Haudenosuanee and housed on the Nation territory as of April 1, 1997. This accounting shall be provided to the State, in full, within two business days of the effective date of this Agreement.

D. The Haudenosaunee Stamp. The Haudenosaunee stamp will be a stamp that is designed by the Haudenosaunee, provided that the stamp shall not be similar (either in design or color scheme) to any stamps used by any states, Indian Nations, or foreign nations, or any political subdivision thereof, bordering on New York or by any low-tax or no-tax states, foreign nations, or any political subdivision thereof. The Haudenosaunee agrees to obtain the Haudenosaunee stamps from the vendor with which the state has its stamp production agreement (which is currently the Meyercord Company) and to affix such stamp to all unstamped cigarettes imported to or sold within the boundaries of the Haudenosaunee territories. In recognition of the need to eliminate “bootlegging” and the use of fraudulent Haudenosaunee stamps, the Haudenosaunee agrees to use equipment leased or purchased from the vendor with which the State has its stamp production agreement when affixing the Haudenosaunee stamps to the product. The vendor has the right to share all information pertaining to this Agreement with the State of New York.

Here we are folks! Fifteen years later. Has anything changed? 1. The State and its People (Non-Indian and Indian alike) still hate us and our belief in The Great Law of Peace and the Creator who gave it to us; and 2. Their NYS tax schemes have been working for fifteen years and are almost completed within our ranks.

What I remember most was the beaten elderly women, their hair and clothes disheveled, bloody young People and Men handcuffed, being led to the paddy wagons.