Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

After the wars had passed across Turtle Island, the Haudenosaunee fires were almost out, meaning everyone stopped doing their ceremonies, until a Seneca leader by the name of Skaniatariio received a message from the Kaieri Niionkwetake (4 Messengers) to start doing our ceremonies and stay away from mind changers (alcohol) and everything will be fine. After hearing the message, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy considered this to bring our Nations under one roof again and a good message for the people to hear. The Confederacy sanctioned it to be done every year. As our community ceremonial fires grew, some longhouses will be done one year; other communities will hear it the following year. This year, it is Akwesasne’s turn to hear the Message.

The Ceremonial fires throughout the Haudenosaunee Confederacy will come together from September 28 to October 2, 2014 to rekindle the spiritual fire for the leadership and people of Akwesasne. This will start on Sunday around 2:00pm with the host Nation (Mohawk Nation) greeting all the other delegates from the other Nations throughout the Confederacy. The visitors will sit on the Wolf and Turtle side of the longhouse. Akwesasronon and all other Mohawk Communities will sit on the Bears and other clans side of the house. The host Nation will ask for the invitation wampums to be returned from the delegates that are present. Each fire has a speaker who tells how many delegates have travelled to Akwesasne. Then a formal hand shaking is done to welcome the visitors. Everyone breaks for supper and a social is performed to entertain our guests for the evening.

After the speaker is done on the first day, the closing is done. Then they do Ostonwakowa, and everyone breaks for lunch. After lunch, everyone heads back into the longhouse, where the opening is done. A speaker is selected among the delegates to go over the highlights of what was said in the morning. Then the people are asked to hold the wampum and make amends to our creator. Then after everyone is finished, a closing is done. Everyone eats supper and then social is done that evening again for our visitors. This will be the same format for the whole Kariwi:io convention.

On the second day the speaker talks about the ceremonies. There is a revision done to the ceremonies, and explains in details how they are to be done, the 3 sacred dances and all the other ceremonies. On the third day he talks about what is going to happen to mother earth if we continue on this path. On the fourth day he speaks about the punishers land and the creators land. It is up to you what path you want to take.

On the Fourth day, after the speaker recites the last day of Kariwi:io, the only thing different for this day a speaker is selected among the delegates to recite everything that has happened during the 4 days of Kariwi:io. Then someone from the host nation repeats and confirms what the delegate has stated back to them. The delegates are handed back their Katsista (ceremonial fire wampum), the closing is done and the delegates are released to head back home to get ready for the next Kariwi:io ceremony in another longhouse among the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

This is an open invitation for all onkwehonwe participate.

Thanehtho (that is all)