Now it’s ours
Samuel Champlain surveys Onkwehón:we land. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Kevin Ka’nahsohon Deer
If you understand the rationale for the Doctrine of Discovery, when pope Nicholas V in 1452 and pope Alexander VI in 1493 declared the papal bulls, they essentially said, “When you come to the New World, there’s no Christians here. Get rid of them. Do whatever you want because they are not full humans like us, and we are superior to them. So, take the land because God is on our side.”
They said it is Terra Nullius - uninhabited land. So now begins the idea of superiority and dominance over Indigenous people.
That’s right in Genesis. Pick up a catholic bible and read genesis, what does it say after God created men? “So therefore, ye shall be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the world and have dominion over everything.”
In the old country, that was misinterpreted because they don’t see themselves as being with creation, but instead as being above or apart from creation. Because they were ousted from the garden, this idea of separation was born.
After our people got a little bit educated and understood the monetary system and became infatuated with gold, silver and money, along with all that it entails, then we get into the 1700s where the concept of ownership is starting to affect people’s minds. The idea that land can be bought and sold is in direct conflict with our creation story, which states that the Earth is our mother and she is sacred so she cannot be bought or sold. The ultimate goal of the European mindset was to make a treaty and have Aboriginal land titles be extinguished on paper with measly trinkets given in exchange.
So, Europeans at that time and their descendants today can run around and claim, “Hey, we made this deal, we gave you a little bit of money and you surrendered title to the lands in question so now it’s ours.”
I don’t care how much you say this is Canadian or American land. Natural law says that it will never be. The only ones who can claim ownership are the future generations coming. All we have is stewardship. To love it, enhance it, maintain and preserve it for all time to come.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ì:'i Nòn:wa Tsonkwá:wen
The Prince of Wales and his entourage pass through Kahnawake on August 29, 1860, in a painting by Frances Ann Hopkins. (Courtesy: Ross Montour)
KEVIN KA’NAHSOHON DEER ROKÁ:RATON
Toka' sa'nikonhraién:ta's tsi niwaterien'tò:ten ne Doctrine of Discovery, shahnirì:wenhte' ne arihwawa'konhkó:wa Nicholas V 1452 shiiohserá:te' tánon' arihwawa'konhkó:wa Alexander VI 1493 shiiohserá:te' ne arihwawa'kónhkó:wa rorihwénhton, otokèn:'en wahnì:ron', "Nó:nen entéhse' Onhontsasè:ke, iah káneka tehón:ne's ne Rotirihwiióhston. Ísi' ia'sheia'tón:ti. Enhsanónhton' tsi nénhsiere' ase'kénh iah otokèn:'en ón:kwe thahatiia'tò:ten' tsi ní:ioht nì:'i tánon' teiethiiarahsi'taken'seráhkwen. Iahà:shawh ki' nonhóntsa' ase'kénh shonkwarihwawà:se' ne Rawenní:io."
Wahnì:ron' tsi Terra Nullius í:ken - iah teiaonkwè:tare' onhóntsa'. Thò:ne ki' tontáhsawen' tsi niwaterien'tò:ten ne tahshakonarahsi'takèn:serahkwe' tánon ahshakonatia'takwe'niióhsten' Onkwehón:we.
Kheh Tsi Tiotáhsawe' Kahiatonhserá:kon tkahiá:ton'. Ia'tè:sehk teieiahsontáhkhwa' kahiatonhseratokénhti tánon' sewennahnó:ten Tsi Tiotáhsawe', nahò:ten' kahiá:ton ohnà:ken Rawenní:io shahshakoia'tísa' nón:kwe? "Thò:ne', enhshwatsirowáhnha', ensentiohkowáhnha', tánon' sheia'tò:rarak nonhontsakwé:kon tánon' satia'takwe'niióhsten norihwakwé:kon."
Ne onhontsakaiòn:ne, wa'thatinéra'ke' kí:ken ase'kénh iah tho ní:tsi tehonnonhtónnionskwe' tsi ronwatiia'tíson', nek khé:ken è:neken ratí:rate' tóka' ni' tehonatekháhsion ne kahsa'ánion'. Tsi é:ren ronwatiia'tenhawíhton tsi kahéhtaien', thò:ne tontón:ni' tsi niwaterien'tò:ten ne tewatekháhsion.
Ohnà:ken tsi ostón:ha wahatihiatonhseraientéhrha'ne' tánon' wahoti'nikonhraién:ta'ne' tsi niwatenoniò:ten ne ohwísta' ne ontionkwe'ta'shòn:'a tánon' tontáhsawen' wa'thotiren'kén:ni' ne ohwistanó:ron, kahwistarà:ken tánon' ohwísta' tekontenrótie' akwé:kon tsi nikarihò:ten's kontihá:wi, thò:ne ki' 1700 shiiohserò:ten's ionsétewawe' kwah tokèn:'en' í:wehre' tahoti'nikonhraté:ni' tsi ó:nen wahoti'nikòn:rata'ne' tsi niwaterien'tò:ten ne kaientáhtshera'. Kwah teiotì:niote' tsi niwaterien'tò:ten' ne onhóntsa' aiehní:non' tánon' tsi tiotáhsawe' onkwaká:ra' tsi nè:'e wathró:ris onkwa'nisténhsera' nà:'a ne Iethi'nisténha Tsi Ionhontsá:te' tánon' tho niió:re iethirihwakweniénhstha' néne iah thaón:ton' aiontatia'tahní:non' tóka' ni' aiontatenhní:non'. Kwah nè:’e ronnéhrhahkwe ne Ratihnarà:ken tsi nihoti’nikonhrò:ten ne ahonterihwahseronniahtsherón:ni' ne akarihwéntho' kahiatonhserà:ke tsi onkwehón:we ronnonhontsakwe’ní:io eh karátie' ken'k niwaterì:wa's iontkahthóhtha' taietewatá:ton'.
Thò:ne ki' ne Ratihnarà:ken, tho shitkahá:wi tánon' raonaterè:sera' nòn:wa, ákte'k sahatitákhe' rotirihowanahtonhátie', "Hátskwi, wa'titewanón:waienhte' kí:ken, ostón:ha wa'kwahwíston' tánon' wesewate'wén:tehte' tsi tsonhontsakwe'ní:io ne ken' ionhontsaténion, ì:'i nòn:wa' tsonkwá:wen."
Iah othé:nen tekatsterístha' tsi niiotkà:te' ensewèn:ron' tsi Koráhne tóka' ni' Wastonhronòn:ke ionhontsaténion ne kèn:'en. Sha'oié:ra kaianerénhsera' wá:ton tsi iah nonwén:ton eh thakénhake'. Nek ronónha tahatikonhsontóntie' enwá:ton' enhonnonhontsakwe'niióhake'. Nek nì:'i tsitewatonhontsanónhnha'. Ne ieiotkontáhkwen' aietewanó:ronhkwe', iaietewahsónteren', aietewa'nikòn:rarake' tánon aietewanónhstate'.
Translation by Karonhí:io Delaronde