The Negotiations Sandbox

Earlier this year (2006) the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) lent their support to a pamphleting campaign to educate townspeople along the Grand River as to the truth behind the thefts and swindles behind the loss of most of the lands deeded to “the said Mohawk Nation and such others of the Six Nation Indians” in 1784 (see map). The education campaign later evolved into the reclamation of a 130-acre building site in Caledonia and after the police raid of April 20th, evolved still further into the blockades on Highway 6, the Highway 6 by-pass and the railway line.

Under pressure from the community, the band council stepped back from the issue and voted on April 16th to support the Haudenosaunee in leading the negotiations. The Haudenosaunee, which was never asked to support the reclamation at Tsyonennohkarà:ke (Douglas Creek) and which doesn’t support the highway and railway barricades, now has the task of trying to negotiate a settlement.

At a meeting of the Haudenosaunee a week ago, one royaner (chief) commented, “We’re not professional protestors.” At the meeting of the Haudenosaunee this past Saturday (May 6th), another royaner made the point: “We’re not professional negotiators, either.”

In April, the Haudenosaunee appointed a committee of five chiefs (two Kanyen’kehá:ka [Mohawk], two Ononta’kehaka [Onondaga] and one Konyokwehaka [Cayuga]) to lead the negotiations. On Saturday, Tekarihoken (Kanyen’kehaka Royaner Allan ?McNaughton) reported on the negotiations to date and asked for more help. The Haudenosaunee then agreed to re-affirm the original appointments and added the names of two more Konyokwehaka royaner.

When he stood to announce that the Haudenosaunee had come to ska’nikonrat (one mind) on the issue, Ononta’kehá:ka Royá:ner Pete Sky expressed his misgivings about the rotiyanerehson being involved in negotiations by comparing the talks to children playing in a sandbox. He said it was inappropriate for the title-holders of the Haudenosaunee to be negotiating with representatives of the provincial and federal governments, pointing out that the Haudenosaunee’s ties are with the Queen, and her representative in Canada, the Governor-General. He alluded to the fact that the governments pick lawyers and trained, professional negotiators to “kick sand in your face.” He hinted that the Haudenosaunee should itself appoint a team of trained and professional negotiators to go into the sandbox, with the rotiyanerehson on the sidelines providing guidance.

He ended by warning the negotiators to be careful, to keep from having sand kicked in their eyes, that they might see clearly. But with the decision made to re-affirm the negotiators’ appointment, these people, he said, must be supported.