All deception and lies
Peter Minuit, a colonist from the Dutch West India Company, acquires the island of Manhattan in exchange for buttons, cloth and trinkets equivalent to the sum of $24.
Story told by Kevin Ka’nahsohon Deer
The Earth is our mother in our Creation story. She gives us all this unconditional love and that gives us all these things from water, to animals, to corn, and beans and squash. Tell me then, what gives you the right to say that you’re going to buy it and that you have the right to sell it?
To me, that’s unnatural. Just like I wouldn’t put a price on my biological mother, I’m not going to put a price on my living mother’s life - Mother Earth. She is invaluable, we cannot put a price on her.
The owning of land is completely arbitrary. The only thing you can truly own is your body. If you want to have dominion over anything, that’s it.
Europeans knew that they didn’t really own the land here. It was all deception and lies about how they’d get the land using tactics like alcohol and Christianity.
There was no money here so when they introduced knives, steel pots, mirrors, guns and all these kinds of stuff, people here were saying, “Hey, how do we get that? Those guns would make it easier for us to go hunting.”
They told us we need money. But we had no money. So, they told us, “Give me your land and I’ll give you this money.” So now begins the process of so-called extinguishment of Aboriginal title to land in question on Turtle Island through fraudulent treaties and unscrupulous land deals.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Akwé:kon' Ka'nikonhrhà:ton Tánon Wanowénhton
Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center
Kevin Ka’nahsohon Deer ROKÁ:RATON
Onkwa'nisténhsera' nen' nè:'e ne Iethi'nisténha Tsi Ionhontsá:te' ne onkwaká:rakon Tsi Tiotonhontsatáhsawe', iotokenstsíhon ionkhinorónhkhwa' tánon ionkhiiá:wis akwé:kon kí:ken nahò:ten' tsi ní:ioht ne ohné:kanos, kontírio, ó:nenhste', tánon' osahè:ta' tánon' onon'ónsera'. Takhró:ri ki', oh nahò:ten' kwah sarihwá:wis nahsì:ron' tsi shninòn:re' tánon' tsi saianerenhserá:ien' nahsatenhní:non'. Ne akerihwà:ke, iah sha'oié:ra' té:ken. Kwah tsi ní:ioht tsi iah ioká:raien' thakheión:ni' ne ake'nistenhsera'ón:we, kwah iah ioká:raien' thakón:ni' ne ake'nisténha' tsi iakónhnhe' - Iethi'nisténha Tsi Ionhontsá:te'. Ieia'tanoronhkó:wa, iah thaón:ton' ioká:raien' aiethiión:ni'.
Kwah teiottenià:tskon ne ónhka iakonhontsakwe'ní:io. Saieròn:ta' khok enwá:ton' ensaienta'onhón:we. Tóka' íhsehre' othé:nen ahsatia'takwe'niióhsten', ne ki' nen' nè:'e.
Ronaterièn:tarahkwe' ne Ratihnakén:ra tsi iah kwah tehonawen'énhne' ne ken' ionhontsá:te'. Ka'nikonhrhà:ton tánon wanowénhton tsi tho nahatí:iere' tsi wahatiié:na' nonhóntsa' kwah onen'tákeri tánon' karihwiiohstónhtshera' wahontenoniónnia'te'.
Iah othé:nen ohwísta' tekaién:tahkwe' ne kèn:'en' sok tsi ó:nen wahatíhawe' à:share', karístatsi kanà:tson, atátken, káhonre' tánon' akwé:kon thí:ken nahò:ten', enhonnì:ron' shos wáhi nón:kwe ne kèn:'en, "Hátskwi, oh ní:tsi entewaié:na' thí:ken? Kwah sénha enwatié:senhste' tsi ní:tsi tewató:rats ne thí:ken káhonre'."
Wa'onkhihró:ri' tsi teionkwatonhontsó:ni ohwísta'. Nek tsi iah othé:nen ohwísta' teionkwaién:tahkwe'. Thò:ne ki' saionkhihró:ri', "Tátion tsonhóntsa' sok éntion' kí:ken ohwísta'." Ó:nen nòn:wa sonterihwahtén:ti' kí:ken iá:ken tethatirihwaríhsions tsi Onkwehón:we ronnonhontsakwe'ní:io ne A'nowarà:ke tsi ka'nikonhrha'tahtsherá:kon ronterihwahserón:nis tánon' onowèn:takon onhóntsa' tehatinonwaiénhtha'.
Translation by Karonhí:io Delaronde