Intro to Indigenous studies week 3

How are decisions made?

• Everyone is consulted including children

• Clanmothers collect the opinions of
  their people and bring it to the chiefs’
  council. The clanmother tells the chief
  the opinions of the people. Then the
  chiefs work together to gain
  “sgaihwa:t”(one matter/ one thought/
  one mind) on the matter at hand.
  

  
  

Seating at the grand council

Older Brothers - Seneca keepers of the West. Mohawk keepers of the East. Deal with defense.

Younger Brothers - Cayuga & Onieda. Gentle nations, dealing with social issues.

Fire Keepers - Onondaga - Nutreal, acts like a judge and oversees the council fire.

What is traditional hereiditary govenment?

• Pre dates colonialism

• Hereitary, not through family but through clan.

• Not hierarchical

• Monarch style. Child is selected with gifts and groomed.

• Must know language, work hard, do the right thing.

Band coucil chief

• Administrators of federal dollars on reserves

• Elected

• Not many people vote

• Children and teens can’t vote

How does Haudensaunee traditional government work

• Older brothers (Seneca, Onondaga, Mohawk) brings up an issue

• All tribes go back and discuss it.

• The Younger Brothers will present their opinions on the matter- they are
  more the educators, social workers, take care of the inside of the house

• All nations deliberate sperete again

What does the spirt of Wasase represent?

• Originally a Rotinoshonni (Haudenosaunee/Iroquois) war ritual, also known as the Thunder Dance. It symbolized unity, strength, and action in defense of the people and their lands.

• It’s a spiritual and political movement that blends Indigenous ways of being (“Onkwehonwe attitude”) with collective action to challenge white settler control over Indigenous peoples and territories.

• Decolonization — undoing the impacts of colonization.

• Reclaiming Indigeneity — restoring language, culture, and land.

• Resistance — standing firm against Eurocentric values and systems that erase Indigenous distinctiveness.

Onkwehonwe and what does being Onkewonew mean?

The original people. 

1. Confronting the disconnection
• 2. education on the cause of the disconnection (ID 120!!!)
• 3. confronting the FEAR, SHAME, GRIEF,
DISGUST, ANGER that comes from understanding colonization.
• 4. Reclaiming one’s mind and spirit
• 5. Healing, connection, understanding,
compassion (for self and others)

How can I be an ally or accomplice in this struggle?

• Listen to and learn directly from Indigenous voices and communities.

• Amplify Indigenous perspectives in conversations, school, and work settings.

• Challenge racist or colonial attitudes, policies, and practices when I see them.

• Follow Indigenous leadership instead of speaking over or for them.

• Move from passive support (allyship) to active participation (accompliceship).

What can I do to support Indigenous sovereignty and move barriers that continue colonial oppression?

• Acknowledge that the land I live on is Indigenous territory.

• Support land-back movements and Indigenous-led initiatives.

• Advocate for fair policies in education, child welfare, housing, and environmental protection.

• Support Indigenous businesses, artists, and knowledge keepers.

• Push back against systems that uphold colonial power and inequality.

What steps can I take in my own decolonizing journey?

• Learn the true history of colonization and treaties in Canada.

• Read and engage with Indigenous authors, films, and teachings.

• Reflect on how I benefit from colonial systems and privilege.

• Unlearn Eurocentric ideas about knowledge, power, and success.

• Respect and make space for Indigenous ways of knowing, language, and ceremony.

• Keep asking how I can use my education and voice to support Indigenous resurgence.

What were the 5 things that the settles bring to trick Indigenous peoples according to handsome lake?

1. Anything that alters the mind. Drugs

2. Fiddle (So they stop using water drums and cultural instruments.)

3. Black book (Bible)

4. playing cards (gambling)

5. decayed leg bones (disease)

When did Columbus arrive?

1492

Who was the first Indigenous peoples that were contacted?

Taíno

Columbus landed on the Taino people’s shores in what is
presently known as the Bahamas on October 12, 1492

What was popal Bull?

• Christian European nations had the right to “discover,” claim, and take control of lands not already ruled by Christians.

• Non-Christian peoples (like Indigenous peoples in the Americas, Africa, and elsewhere) were considered “heathens” who had no legal ownership of their own land.

• It gave explorers like Christopher Columbus permission — and even a religious duty — to claim lands for their monarchs and convert the people there to Christianity.

Terra Nullius 

Terra nullius is a Latin term that means “land belonging to no one.

- The idea that if christian don’t live on the land then it’s owned by noone and christians can take ownership of it.