The protective nature of municipalities like Caledonia or Brantford may have some believing that it’s pride or love for the land. But that appears to be the furthest thing from the truth.
Municipal employees such as Mayors, Councillors and even Municipal police contribute to the Ontario Municiple Employee Retirement fund. They are banking on their investor’s choices to keep them comfortable in their golden years.
The drive for development becomes much clearer when we understand that municipalities and municipal organizations directly benefit from these strategies. While simultaneously laying claim to land through squatters’ rights.
“Toronto-based Teranet, which has exclusive rights to offer electronic land registration services in Ontario and Manitoba, collects a fee every time a home in Canada’s most populous province and its Western neighbour changes hands or is registered.”
The insidious nature of this tactic paints a wildly different picture than the one that Marc Miller has painted with his performative statement “It’s Time To Give Land Back” made in October of 2021.
On the world forum, this is tantamount to United Nations Convention on the Prevention and punishment of Genocide. The greatest barrier is the departure from rationale thought that death does not have to be swift for it to be Death; One can start slowly and torture can span many generations piece by piece.
Death does not have to be swift for it to be Death; One can start slowly and torture can span many generations piece by piece
Do calls to decolonize the holidays have you uncertain about celebrating the winter seasons, first consider the ancient origins of the winter festivals that are deeply rooted in Onkwehonweneha.
It’s important to know that most ceremonies directly correlate to the moon and stars honouring the natural process of time rather than a specific gregorian calendar date.
Onkwehonwe winter festivals are enduring despite campaigns to convert practitioners to particular religions or, more recently, their capitalization entirely.
Onkwehonwe celebrations have survived these attempts and are still practiced to this day
Rontinonsyonni
It all starts with the Seven dancers and the new moon who announce the new year’s arrival. The Midwinter festival begins five days later with the traditional opening, followed by ceremonies that include the excellent feather dance and stirring the ashes amongst the several ceremony days.
The days are rich in symbolism representative of the renewal of our responsibility to the earth. Singing, dancing and feasting are all reoccurring themes during this time.
Siberian
The colonization of solstice celebrations replaced the female medicine woman referred to as the Deer Mother into a male figure. He donned a version of her signature red and white clothing. However, the female deer retain their antlers and would pull her sleigh in the winter months. She was a medicine woman and would distribute her gifts as she travelled from village to village.
Quviasukvik
Quviasukukvik is the Inuit winter celebration that perfectly aligns with the changing seasons. It is to feed spirits, encourage good hunting and welcome the sun into the new year. The feast, family gatherings and gift exchange are a hallmark of this celebration. When the first settlers observed his festival, it was considered an equal counterpart to the colonized Christmas.
Shalako
The Zuni observe the winter solstice through a series of dances and ceremonies retelling their creation performed by the mediators between the living and the spirit world referred to as the Shalako.
The ceremonies themselves mark the closing of one year and the rebirth of the sun into the next while honouring the principal deities of the Zuni. The feast and ceremony is a community-wide event and now is strictly for nation members.
Revisiting the Christmas Riots
The same people who sought to purify Onkwehonwe festivals within our territory attempted to undo the version of Christ’s mass they had created. The contempt for merry-making arrived in North America with the Puritans in 1620.
Law until 1681
In Massachusetts, the merry-making reached an intolerable level. Christmas started to resemble ancient frat parties; it signalled to the staunch religious politicians to create laws to stop the celebrations altogether.
“For preventing disorders arising in several places within this jurisdiction, by reason of some still observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries, to the great dishonor of God and offence of others, it is therefore ordered by this Court and the authority thereof, that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, upon such accountants as aforesaid, every person so offending shall pay of every such offence five shillings, as a fine to the county.”
Drinking and Debauchery
The behaviour that put the law on the books was none other than an almost two-week drunk and disorderly, aggressive begging and all-out lust-filled indulgence sans the inflated pig bladders.
The law remained on the books for some twenty-two years before it was repealed by the crown of England when religious affiliation changed.
Celebrate what exists Naturally.
So perhaps Desupremification is a far more accurate term when considering how to observe the seasonal changes.
Enjoy and celebrate a wonderful solstice and a brilliant Midwinter!
Several church fires seem to be a point of contention amongst the differing nations, with some calling for them to burn. In contrast, others would much rather see the buildings be turned into homes or deconstructed for other projects. While even still, those who have adopted these religions would like them to be left alone.
If anything, Setting fires to remove what stands in the way of land possession resonates amongst those nations who have seen entire villages destroyed at the whim of the town destroyer.
The Specific villages that made up some of the nations within the Confederacy and those Onkwehonwe Nations residing with us moved across into adjoining territory out of necessity as village after village was burned to the ground.
Sullivans Campaign
An Irish American named John Sullivan spearheaded the campaign after burning anywhere from 40 to 60 Confederacy villages, destroying crops, seed stores and orchards. The cue was given after George Washington had his feelings hurt over divided loyalty. Those who made attempts to escape further persecution by George were then held in Niagara and many died during the harsh winter that followed the bloody summer.
The Grand Council fire was never extinguished and still exist today in Syracuse N.Y. which hardly qualifies as “destroyed”.
Why can’t you just get over it
Onkwehonwe are the Elephants of the human realm. We are tied to our experiences genetically and the living history of our people related to the relationship on the land. Just like trans-generational trauma that filters down through the engagement with family and friends with negative results so does our strength and resistance against assimilation.
Just as much resilience is passed down
Should they stay, or should they go
Balance was more important than anything within the Kayanere:kowa, Women should be the ones who decide what exists within the clearings. Freely and without the influence of any external interference from an assimilation agenda.
Perhaps the time has come to banish all religions from our territory to free ourselves of any and all mind changers. Stomp out any interference within our respective Nations council fires as an obligation and responsibility within the Kayanerekowa.
If you know me well, you know, I like to make analogies of the things I see.
I stopped to take a break from travelling at one of my favourite spots by the river. I noticed that the barn swallows that nest under the bridge have returned, along with the chimney swifts—incredible little birds. I sat watching them come back and forth from their little mud nests high up on the underside of the bridge.
A great blue heron flew by a while later, and the giant bird made the swallows look like mosquitoes; such a big impressive bird can’t help but take our attention away from the little swallows, like eagles and sparrows.
Anyways, the heron had passed, and my attention was back on the swallows; I noticed how colourful, fast and agile they are in the air compared to the lumbering heron.
The heron is large, solid and impressive, but the swallows are colourful, speedy and agile. We all have our purpose, some better suited to one thing than others. The moral of the story is we’re all unique, and No one person is better than the next. Try not to focus on what others are better at than you are; jealousy serves none. Appreciate your worth because that person might be thinking the same about you.
Fish will always be seen as incapable when we compare them to a squirrel in a tree-climbing contest.
Three Mohawks and A Mohican walk into a royal court, and they were made KINGS. They showed up to make sure the Queen was doing right by the Onkwehonwe allies.
Having survived the six to eight-week crossing by ship, The four men would have appeared as beacons of health and strength, the likes that most had never seen. The ensuing fanfare was not enough to allow important matters to be forgotten.
Entertainment bills in their honour
The Queen Anne War was interfering with Onkwehonwe lands and the Kayanerekowa since her accession to the throne in 1702. It was among many in a series of “French and British” wars; in all reality, these wars had nothing to do with Onkwehonwe but were merely happening within our territories.
Queen Anne (L), Kwiter (R)
In 1710 the man who arranged the voyage was Kwiter (Peter) Shuyler, The first official mayor of Albany turned Governor of New York and brother to the official “Mohawk” Translator. He was also a military man, having led several earlier notable battles against the French and their Mohawks.
The Speech written by Mohawks?
To ensure that the spokesmen were equal parts, savage and savant, they were given clothing by a theatrical assistant and offered the finest materials. Royal treatment was bestowed to the guest to ensure success on the British side of the war.
The separation of the Kanienkahaka families as French Allie’s was devastating, and petitions to come home by the Kanyenkahaka families as British Allies caused a great deal of distress for the nation. These efforts further caused tremendous unrest for both warring countries’ statesmen and missionaries alike, who were only vying for territorial assets control.
With all the pomp, circumstance and grave misinterpretations of language, Onkwehonwe survival in peace has always balanced our exception to war.
