Iroquois on Fire: A Voice from the Mohawk Nation

by Douglas M. George-Kanentiio

Overview

In their homelands in what is now New York state, Iroquois and their issues have come to dominate public debate as the residents of the region seek ways to resolve the multibillion dollar land claims against the state. This initial dispute over territorial title has grown to encompass gambling, treaties, taxation, and what it means to claim Native sovereignty in a world experiencing fantastic technological change. New York's influence is such that the experiences of Iroquois interaction with the state will surely affect how Natives and other states deal with similar issues. This is an essential volume for those wishing to better understand these issues, written from an Iroquois perspective by someone who has taken an active role in tribal affairs and who is dedicated to preserving the philosophies of his people.

Douglas George-Kanentiio, a member of the Mohawk Nation and an activist for Native American claims, details the history of his Nation from initial contact with the Europeans through to the casino crises. As a key figure in events of the last two decades, George-Kanentiio uses aspects of his personal story to highlight issues of public interest: the land, family and community, geography, federal interference in tribal affairs, religion, political activism, land use/claims, and connections to organized crime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275983840
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/30/2006
Series:	Native America: Yesterday and Today
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Douglas M. George-Kanentiio was born and raised on the shores of the Kaniatarowanenneh (St. Lawrence) River on the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. An award-winning writer and jourbanalist, he has served the Mohawk Nation in numerous capacities, including as a land claims negotiator, a co-founder of Radio CKON, and the editor of the news jourbanal Akwesasne Notes. He is the author of the books Iroquois Culture and Commentary and Skywoman: Tales of the Iroquois. From 1996 to 2002, he was a member of the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian. He once had the honor of bearing the Olympic torch. He resides on Oneida Territory with his wife, the singer Joanne Shenandoah.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword
Foreword
Vine Deloria
1 Origins
2 Akwesasne
3 Ray Fadden-Tehanetorens
4 Land Claims
5 Trade and Commerce
6 The Cayuga Decisions: A Call to Action
7 Oneida
8 Akwesasne Collapse
9 The Warriors
10 The Fight
11 The Aftermath
12 Out of the Ashes
Appendix Statement of Doug George-Kanentiio
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Huston Smith

"One of the most arresting assertions that has recently come my way is, 'tell the truth and justice will take care of itself.' That points directly to the importance of this book. The egregious injustices Native Americans have suffered are obvious to everyone who has looked into the matter, and they have been fueled by distortions of history. Douglas George-Kanentiio's meticulously researched book is the most formidable effort to set the record straight that I have seen. I fervently hope every library in this land will stock it and that thousands will add it to their private libraries."

Leslie Lo Baugh

"Iroquois on Fire is a profound and courageous work…. In this book, the author has set the stage for those with the courage and honor to no longer be passive observers or victims, but instead to take the stage and write the future. I recommend this book to all who can read."

Wilma Mankiller

"Iroquois on Fire presents an extraordinary description of the struggles, conflict and determination of traditional people to maintain the oldest democracies on this land now called America. The author is a journalist whose life has been personally impacted by some of the conflicts described in the book. Therefore, he offers a remarkable account of contemporary Iroquois issues from his first hand experience."

Editorial Reviews

George-Kanentiio, a Mohawk jourbanalist, tells from firsthand experience what forces have conspired to pull the Iroquois apart as a culture, a confederacy, and within each component nation. Christianity and the hegemonic policies of the US and Canada are to blame, but also the greed of Iroquois individuals. Rather than heeding the Code of Handsome Lake, developed in the 1800s, or the modern wisdom of Ray Fadden, some Iroquois in the 1980s sought personal wealth and local autonomy through gambling operations….In 1990, when Mohawks, including the author and his relatives at Akwesasne, tried to stop casinos in their territory, self-proclaimed warriors met them with violence, to which they responded in kind. Two men died. The author was accused and acquitted in one count of second-degree murder. The book's warning is heartfelt and compelling. Highly recommended. General and undergraduate collections.” —Choice

“In well-crafted chapters George-Kanentiio traces the history of Akwesasne from when the Mohawks were independent, free-spirited peoples to the present community torn apart by internecine conflict and seriously affected by environmental degradation. He is especially effective in explaining how the Mohawks were dispossessed after the American Revolution.” —American Indian Quarterly

“[W]ill learn about Native Americans and their issues and gain new perspectives on the history of the Americas' first human inhabitants. Iroquois on Fire: A Voice from the Mohawk Nation explores details of the Iroquois multibillion-dollar land claims against the state of New York. The story is written from an Iroquois perspective by a man who is a member of the Mohawk Nation. George-Kanentho is actively involved in tribal affairs and dedicated to preserving the traditions of his people. He uses aspects of his personal story to highlight issues of public interest, such as the land, family and community, geography, federal interference in tribal affairs, religion, political activism, land use/claims and connections to organized crime.” —Multicultural Review

“[A] disturbing book that will cause a stir….Former Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller calls Iroquois on Fire an extraordinary description of the struggles, conflict and determination of traditional people….If you are interested in contemporary issues among Native Americans, this book gives them to you, intimately and with passion.” —Connecticut Post Online

From the Publisher

“Former Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller calls Iroquois on Fire ‘an extraordinary description of the struggles, conflict and determination of traditional people.’ . . . If you are interested in contemporary issues among Native Americans, this book gives them to you, intimately and with passion.”—Connecticut Post Online

Connecticut Post Online

“George-Kanentiio, a Mohawk journalist, tells from firsthand experience what forces have conspired to pull the Iroquois apart as a culture, a confederacy, and within each component nation. Christianity and the hegemonic policies of the US and Canada are to blame, but also the greed of Iroquois individuals. . . . The book's warning is heartfelt and compelling. Highly recommended.”—Choice

Choice

“Iroquois on Fire is a profound and courageous work.... In this book, the author has set the stage for those with the courage and honor to no longer be passive observers or victims, but instead to take the stage and write the future. I recommend this book to all who can read.”—Leslie Lo Baugh

Leslie Lo Baugh