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Free to be Mohawk
Indigenous Education at the Akwesasne Freedom School
By Louellyn White UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS
Copyright © 2015 University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Publishing Division of the University
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8061-5324-7
CHAPTER 1
The Haudenosaunee
Humans exist in a context of nature and not vice versa. Everything we ever had, everything we have, everything we will ever have — our health, our good looks, our intelligence, everything — is a product not of our own merit but of all that which created our world. That which created our world is not society but the power of the universe.
— (Mohawk 2005, p. xviii)
Among Indigenous peoples around the world, storytelling is a method for teaching history, values, beliefs, and life skills. "Stories hold the key to the traditions, the rituals, and the social ways of Indigenous peoples. They passed on messages about loyalty, respect, responsibility, honesty, humility, trust, and sharing" (Maclean and Wason-Ellam 2006, p. 9). Indigenous stories also hold tremendous power: "They create people, they author tribes. ... Creation stories, as numerous as Indian tribes, gave birth to our people" (Howe 1999, p. 118).
The guiding principles for the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois (the confederacy of Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora people), are found within the stories of creation and the Great Law of Peace. Other stories that comprise the foundation for a Haudenosaunee worldview include the Ohenton Kariwahtekwen (the Thanksgiving Address) and the Karihwi:io (the Code of Handsome Lake). These narratives express stories and cultural history with the "power to transform." Choctaw scholar LeAnne Howe (2002, 1999) calls the rhetorical space that holds such narratives "tribalography." Tribalographies relate origins, legends, and tribal history, and they connect to our contemporary lives. Haudenosaunee tribalography provides the cultural foundation for the Haudenosaunee way of life as well as the curriculum at the Akwesasne Freedom School (AFS). When such Indigenous stories are incorporated into the curriculum, they provide students with meaningful and transformative learning opportunities that are culturally based (Maclean and Wason-Ellam 2006).
In a sense this book is a tribalography of Mohawk people in the community of Akwesasne, as it weaves traditional stories and sociopolitical histories together and gives voice to community members who tell their own stories and share their own memories. The telling of Indigenous stories gives voice, honor, respect, and acknowledgment to our ancestors and serves as an act of empowerment and critical pedagogy. The AFS engages students in the telling of tribal traditional stories from the perspective of Haudenosaunee peoples, empowers students to reconnect with these stories and traditions, and therefore challenges Western education in which Indigenous epistemologies have been largely ignored.
The narratives of Indigenous peoples have been threatened by colonialism, Western religious indoctrination, and Western ideas of education. The history of the Haudenosaunee has been wrought with war, disease, land theft, and displacement. The community of Akwesasne has evolved from that history into one of complex political and geographical systems, and against long odds it has managed to perpetuate the tribalography of the Haudenosaunee. This tribalography begins with a great epic narrative: the Creation Story.
Creation Story
In the distant past, all the earth was covered by deep water, and the only living things there were water animals. There was no sun, moon, or stars, and the watery earth was in darkness. Sky Beings lived above the great sky dome. A tree of life grew there in the cloud world, where it shaded the councils of the supernatural beings. One day the Great Chief became ill, and he dreamed that if the tree were uprooted he would be cured. He further commanded that his pregnant wife, Sky Woman, look down at the watery darkness. He told her to follow the roots of the tree, and to bring light and land to the world below.The animals of the sea saw Sky Woman as she fell from the sky world. Waterfowl rose to cushion Sky Woman's descent with their wings. Beaver dove to find earth to make dry land for Sky Woman. But Beaver drowned and floated lifelessly to the surface. Loon, Duck, and others all tried and failed as well. Finally Muskrat tried, and came back with a paw-full of dirt that would spread and grow. He placed the dirt on Turtle's back where Sky Woman landed. The dirt on Turtle's back grew and became the earth.
Time passed and Sky Woman gave birth to a daughter. The daughter grew rapidly, and when she reached maturity a man visited her. He placed two arrows on her stomach, one tipped with chert and the other not. The daughter in turn bore twin brothers. The left-handed twin was Sawiskera (Mischievous One) and the right-handed one was known as Teharonhiawako (Holder of the Heavens). The left-handed twin forced himself out through his mother's armpit, killing her in the process. Corn, beans, squash, and tobacco grew from her body, and she became one with the earth. Teharonhiakwako created animals, medicine, and flowers, while Sawiskera created the thorns on the rose bush and the mountain lion to kill the deer his brother created. After much fighting the brothers decided to divide the world in half. The nighttime would belong to Sawiskera, and Teharionhiawako would get the daytime. The Onkwehonwe (Original People) were created by Teharionhiawako out of red earth and were to watch over his creations on Earth. Black soil, tree bark, and saltwater were used to create other beings. Teharionhiawako told the beings that he was to be called "Sonkwaiatison" (The Creator) and that they were to be respectful of one another and all living creatures. He instructed the people to appreciate each other's differences and to share the world.
The Creation Story illustrates the worldview of the Haudenosaunee as oneof duality, in which balance must be adhered to between opposing forces. Teharonhiawako represents generosity, peace, and harmony, while Sawiskera tempts us with greed and tests us with fear and darkness. Balancing this duality of opposing forces of human nature rests on an individual's choices to live with a "good mind."
For the Haudenosaunee, the original instructions from the Creator are to live in balance, peace, and harmony while expressing gratitude for all living beings. By living one's life according to these instructions, one accumulates orenda — the spiritual force or power that flows in all things and connects us to all life and to the earth itself, the moon, sun, stars, wind, and spirits. Orenda is a balance of light and dark, good and "evil." By following the original instructions and accumulating orenda, one moves toward becoming fully Mohawk, fully Onkwehonwe, fully human. The idea of orenda and how it manifests through the Akwesasne Freedom School is discussed more fully in chapter 6.
Central to the Creation Story is the power of women as life givers and sustainers, as illustrated by Sky Woman. This story has cultivated an attitude of respect and gratitude to all women throughout Haudenosaunee history. Female elements are also found in the story of the "three sisters" that sprung forth from Sky Woman's body: corn, beans, and squash, which are sources of nutrients and vitality. Tobacco, which also grew from her body, is still used by the Haudenosaunee as a means for prayers to be carried skyward to the Creator.
The Creation Story is not a mere "myth" but illustrates the Haudenosaunee vision of the relationships and interconnectedness among all living things. "From the time we first hear this story as children through the voices of our own mother and grandmother we are given direction and understanding of our place in the world and our relationship to the other elements of creation" (HETF 1998, p. 2). This cultural foundation is an essential element in developing a strong identity as Haudenosaunee. The Creator gave responsibilities to the Onkwehonwe that have been passed down for many generations and are essential for survival; these responsibilities "help to set the framework for our cultural thinking" (HETF 1998, p. 2). With an understanding of where we come from we can better plan for where we are going and take comfort in who we are. We can look skyward and see the place where our ancestors have returned.
The Ohenton Kariwahtekwen
During the time of Creation, when Skyholder (Creator) returned to the earth, he instructed the original people to conduct ceremonies and to be thankful for having life. He told them to be grateful for the earth, the sun, grandmother moon, the thunder beings, and all other life forms. He instructed them that giving thanks in this way brings all of our minds together as one (Mohawk 2005; Rice 2013). As with many elements of Haudenosaunee tradition, there are several versions of the Ohenton Kariwahtekwen. The central theme of giving thanks runs through all, while the ordering and specific details may vary slightly. An excerpt taken from a school brochure (Akwesasne Freedom School, n.d.) reads:
Onkwehshon:a (The People)
May we now gather our minds as one and give one another greetings and thanks that we are gathered here in good health and in peace (all agree).
Iethinistenha Onhwéntsia (Mother Earth)
May we now gather our minds together as one and greet and give our thanks to our mother the earth for all that she gives us so we may live.
Ohnekashon:a (The Water)
May we now gather our minds together as one and turn to the spirit of the waters of the world. With oneness of mind, we now send our thanks to the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and purifying our lives.
Kariota'shon:a (Animal Life)
May we now gather our minds together as one and give our words of greetings and thanks to the animals.
Okwire'shon:a (Trees of the Forest)
May we now gather our minds together as one and give greetings and thanks to the trees of the forest for the fruits we eat, for the shade in summer, and for the shelter of our homes.
Ohontehshon:a (Green Plants)
May we now gather our minds together as one and give greetings and thanks to the plant life for giving us food and medicine.
Otsi'ten'okon:a (Bird Life)
The creator instructed the birds to sing upon the arrival of each new day, and to sing so that all life will not know boredom. With one mind we now greet and thank the bird life.
Ratiwe:ras (Grandfather Thunders)
The creator instructed the grandfather thunders to put fresh water into the rivers, lakes, and springs to quench the thirst of life. So with one mind we give our greetings and thanks to our grandfathers.
Ehtsitewahsti:a Kiehkehnekha Karahwkwa (Our Eldest Brother the Sun)
We are the younger siblings and our brother sun shines the light so we may see and radiates warmth that all life may grow. We now with one mind give greetings and thanks to our eldest brother the sun.
Iethihsotha Ahsonthenehka Karahkwa (Our Grandmother the Moon)
Our Creator placed her in charge of the birth of all things and made her leader of all female life. All babies of all nations are born by her orchestration. May we now gather our minds into one and send our greetings and our thanksgiving to our grandmother the moon.
Shonkwaia'tison (Our Creator)
Our creator made all of life with nothing lacking. All we humans are required to do is waste no life and be grateful daily to all life. And so now we gather all our minds into one and send our greetings and our thanksgiving to our maker, our creator.
The Ohenton Kariwahtekwen is a central and foundational Haudenosaunee teaching. It conveys appreciation for all living things, recognition of the human relationship with the natural world, and concomitant responsibility to live on the land respectfully. The Ohenton Kariwahtekwen helps people achieve "onemindedness" and is a "preamble to our [Haudenosaunee] way of life, our society" (Thomas 1992, p. 10). It calls for a gathering of minds and a unification of thought and belief in our interrelatedness. What one does affects all others, and we must live our lives according to what is best for all. For the Haudenosaunee there is no separation of this philosophy from daily life. An expression of Haudenosaunee culture that has guided its people since time immemorial, the Ohenton Kariwahtekwen reminds us of how to live our lives in a good way.
The Peacemaker and the Great Law of Peace
Haudenosaunee "tribalography" continues with the coming of the Peacemaker, the formation of the Great Law of Peace, and the founding of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. As the founding constitution and guiding principle of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Kaianerekowa's (Great Law of Peace) message of peace and how to live as a responsible Haudenosaunee have been passed down and carried out for many generations. Although the date of the original founding of the confederacy varies among scholars, it is thought to be long before the coming of Europeans. Although no one knows for certain, the dates for the founding of the confederacy are thought to fall somewhere between 1142 and 1451 or later (Mann and Fields 1997; Snow 1994; Tooker 1978).
It was the Peacemaker who provided the original Five Nations of the confederacy — the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas — with the Kaianerekowa. The Creator sent the Peacemaker to end warfare and bloodshed among these peoples. The Peacemaker came into being when a Huron mother, who had never been touched by man, became pregnant. As a child he demonstrated superior abilities and was tested by some in his village who didn't believe he had been bestowed with supernatural powers. His grandmother tried to burn him when he was an infant because she thought he was evil. After he went unscathed, she next tried to drown him. Again he reappeared intact. Years later, when he was a young man, villagers threw him over a waterfall only to see him surface in perfect condition. Finally he was accepted for his abilities and his message of peace. Once he reached adulthood he left his home on the Bay of Quinte, now part of the Tyendinega Mohawk Reserve located on the north shore of Kaniatari:io (Beautiful Lake), now Lake Ontario. The Peacemaker created a stone canoe for the trip that was able to carry him to the other side of Lake Ontario where the Mohawk people accepted his message of peace. Traveling over the course of many years, the Peacemaker eventually reached a village called Ganondagon (White Town). Once a capitol of the Senecas, it is located about twenty miles southeast of present-day Rochester, New York. While in Ganondagon, the Peacemaker met a woman, Jikonsasay, who accepted his message of peace. In turn she became the head clan mother whose duty was to confer with the council of clan mothers on matters to be brought before the Grand Council (Mann 2010). Jikonsasay is still known as the Mother of Nations for her role in promoting peace and unity. Her body is buried near Ganondagan (George-Kanentiio 1993, 2003; Ryle 2002, p. 11).
With the help of Hiawatha, a great orator, the Peacemaker spread the message of the Great Law of Peace throughout all of Haudenosaunee territory — to the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Senecas, and Cayugas — and thus the confederacy was formed (GeorgeKanentiio 1993). The Peacemaker used a quiver of arrows to demonstrate the importance of peace between nations. He demonstrated how one arrow could break easily but five held together in a bundle could not break. Therefore, he said, in unity you will find strength. He then had each of the five nations bury their weapons of war under a white pine tree, which became known as the Tree of Peace (Ryle 2002). The original Tree of Peace was planted in Onondaga territory, where the council fire of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy has burned ever since. The Onondagas came to be known as the Keepers of the Central Fire.
In the Great Law of Peace, as instructed by the Creator, the Haudenosaunee found a way to live in peace and unity. This message was woven into a belt made of wampum and the story has been passed down over the centuries through oral tradition (see fig. 1). In the Hiawatha Belt pictured in figure 1 there are thirty-eight rows of wampum. White wampum beads signifying the unity of the confederacy connect the symbols. The white tree in the middle symbolizes the Onondaga Nation and is reminder of Haudenosaunee loyalty to the Great Law. The belt, read right to left, symbolizes the journey of the Peacemaker through Haudenosaunee territory. The squares represent, in order, the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Cayugas, and the Senecas. The colors of wampum hold particular significance for the Haudenosaunee: "The color white symbolizes purity and keeping of evil thought from the minds of the Sachems while in Council. Peace, charity, love and equality shall surround and guard the Confederacy" (Barnes 1984, p. 52).
The original instructions of unity and peace structure the social, political, and spiritual aspects of Haudenosaunee life. Passed down through oral tradition and committed to memory, instructions on choosing chieftain positions, duties and responsibilities of the people, the matrilineal clan system, use of wampum, procedures for ceremonies and adoptions, songs and prayers, and what to do in case of warfare — all are provided in the Great Law:
These words constitute a new mind, which is the will of Tharonhiawako, the Holder of the Heavens. There shall be Righteousness when men desire justice, Health when men obey reason, Power when men accept the Great Law. These things shall be given form in the Longhouse, Kanonsionni, where five nations shall live as one family. In Unity there is power, these are the people of the Hotinonshonni. Their voice shall be the voice of the Great Law. All men shall hear this and find peace. (Barnes 1984, p. 62)
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Free to be Mohawk by Louellyn White. Copyright © 2015 University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Publishing Division of the University. Excerpted by permission of UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS.
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