Land Claims; Mohawk Style

This is the statement released by the Men's Council of the Great Law Longhouse in Akwesasne.

February 6, 2009

Land Reclamation Position Remains the Same

On January 21, 2009 the Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne released a statement regarding the reclamation of a parcel of land on what has been referred to as the “Hogansburg Triangle”, within the Kanienke territory of Akwesasne. The statement made it clear that the land is and always has been the property of the Kanienkehaka. The people will no longer tolerate anyone else laying claim to this land and interfering with its use. Any attempt to purchase, cede into Federal trust or otherwise transfer title to this land will be rejected and resisted by the Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne. Any financial transactions, including profiteering, bribery, fraud or other pay-off schemes will not be acknowledged as a part or in any way connected to the title to this land, which is absolute and inherent to each generation of Kanienkehaka. The territory of the Kanienkehaka, including Akwesasne, is not established, defined, set aside, reserved or granted for or to the Kanienkehaka by treaty or any other pretended legislation. There has never been a legally binding transfer of Kanienke title, which is specifically vested with the women for perpetual ownership for those faces that will always be beyond the sight of each generation. Although the Kanienkehaka do not currently control or occupy all of their homeland, the Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne rejects any and all of the fraudulent transactions spoken, written or otherwise claimed to suggest anything but our clear and absolute title to the territory of the Kanienkehaka. As with this current reclamation, there is no intention to dispossess anyone of any legitimate personal property or forcibly remove anyone from our lands. The Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne will, however, work diligently with the people to make Akwesasne whole again by addressing those parcels that have been claimed to have been removed or some how carved out from within the community. Efforts to reclaim and reoccupy Onkweh Ohnwe homeland are authorized by a long-standing resolution of the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee to reclaim lands ‘by hook or by crook”. It is the position of the Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne to not simply seek permission to use certain lands under the control and authority of other controlling interests but to assert and affirm the rightful control and historic birthright of the People to their homeland.