THE SHEEPS IN WOLVES ROBES

By Zig Zag

There are those in the movement ‘who understand the responsibility of being a warrior, who understand what the movement is, and why it is. Just as most people, including most Indians, are trapped within the confusion maintained by the colonizer, so too are many in the Indian movement.

Participating in the struggle for one’s peoples does not free one of the confusion, for decolonizing one’s mind requires inner strength and a commitment to spiritual ceremonies. The movement is full of people who allow their egos, greed and petty power struggles to dominate them.

Personality conflicts between those who would assume to be “leaders” is not uncommon. There are many in the movement who are good with words. They are eloquent speakers for their people. But that is all. By their ‘conduct and how they treat others, one can see they, are good deceivers and manipulators. Many do not see this and are instead mesmerized by how these people look, how they present themselves! and their words.

In truth, they are motivated by their egos and selfishness.

There are many tough warriors in the Movement, fiery talkers who might tell you about really heavy situations they’ve been in. They are false warriors. The false warriors look down on any movement’ work that needs to be done, unless it promises conflict. Of course, if weapons were e ve r used such people would be nowhere to be found. They too are motivated by ego  and selfishness. The false warrior compensates for inner weakness by projecting false’ strength.

Th e r e are also those in the movement who possess a great amount of cultural knowledge. Some may know their language, songs and even ceremonies. They have a great knowledge but instead of using it in a good way, they use it to manipulate and deceive others. It is difficult for many to see through the cultural strength to the spiritual weakness within.

This is the sheep that would assume to run with the wolves. Some even go about raising funds and asking for handouts wherever they go, for their own profit. They are the sheep that despoil the righteousness of our struggle.

By far the most easily deceived are the non-Indian peoples. But Indian people too are drawn in. These deceivers in our midst can be seen through by listening to your heart and not being mesmerized by outward appearances and rhetoric, Yet, even the deceivers who participate in the movement, O~I present themselves to, have the potential to’ see truth and change their ways. Such is the strength that flows from the righteousness of our struggle. It is the Great Mystery, working in mysterious ways, that brings these people to our movement.

In truth, every’ one of us as people play these roles, some more often than others. Just to be a real person is a struggle in itself. A few of the more confused will even be infiltraitors and informants, for police and “intelligence” agencies are always trying to solve the Great Mystery, the essence of our Indian movement. Those who stand and defend the people are to be honoured for what they have done, but we must remember they are also real people. They are fulfilling their responsibilities, which is good, but that is all.”

False heroes, those whose egos are fed by unnecessary or undue praise, contribute nothing to our movement. l must not glorify the warrior or the use of weapons, for this only creates false warriors. Many of our people especially youth, can easily fall victim to their egos and the image of a “warrior” Holding a rifle and engaging the enemy does not mean one is strong; strength comes from within. From one’s spiritual center.

“People must be so dedicated -to the movement that they’re willing to die… to fight against, overwhelming odds, willing to go hungry or starve and out In the cold and do things that are generally considered impossible. These people can be developed and motivated by having a very strong spiritual centre.”  – AIM member in Wounded Knee,

Any, person, under the right circumstances, can find the courage to. stand and fight and those who have stood and fought will know this is true more than anyone else” for they know just how human they are.

Yet being so overwhelmed by the state’s military police forces, and by the conditions which we must survive under, how can we as a movement, as a people, resist the destruction? Aren’t we just a tiny people, overwhelmed even by the settler European population?

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE Empires do not last forever. Every empire falls. From the Roman empire to the British empire. It is natural. Darkness does not last forver. The morning always comes. It’s natural too. Many people look at the way we live today and say “it’s always been like this. n’ But that is not true.

No people in history have ever lived in a time comparable to that which we presently live in. In no time in history was the destruction of life brought to such a level of “effeciency’tthat now there are holes in the sky, that now the weather becomes more extreme and Violent.

At no time in history have people ever endured near-constant visual and audio information and technology. Nor has there been a world humanity so dehumanized and terrorized and so disconnected from their own spirits, as there, is now, There has never been a time when so many were addicted to mind-numbing drugs, or immersed in alchohol. or consumed by materialism.

This is why it will change. Because everything will have to change in order that life can continue. The will of life, the power of life will force this change. We have been told of these things through our ancestors and by our spiritual leaders.

There is great change occurring all around us right now, Think about how much this country called Canada has changed since the standoff at Kanehsatake in 1990. Think about 1995 andthe siege at Gustafsen Lake (Ts’peten) and the killing of Dudley George in Ipperwash (Aazhoodena).

This is not history repeating itself. It is reality, and it’s always moving to a future. Many are uncertain of what that fut,ure will be. During these times of great change, it becomes harder for us as Indian peoples to remain who we are.

Each generation becomes more and more disconnected from the original ways in which we lived. And yet we are still stronger than all the peoples that have left their lands and come here to our lands. Look around at these people. Their confusion is great; they run around aimlessly”, seemingly going nowhere in a hurry. They make up for their lack of life by consuming more and morematerial goods. They make up for their lack of life by watching other’s lives on tv soaps, videos and movies. ‘You can travel all around these lands and it’s all the same: every city is the same; every McDonalds; every mall. Their spirits are dying as they live the lives they have been told to live. Many of our own people are the same way.

We keep telling ourselves “We’re still-here!” after over 500 years of colonization, but we need to look at what this system has done to us, and what it is still doing. “They want to destroy our spirit. They want us to not understand our natural relationship to the earth and our relationship to our’ spirit.

They want us to continue to give respect a nd v a l i d t t y to their forms, of power… ” AnnaMae Pictou Aquash, . Statement to .the court of South ‘Dakota, September 1975

We have to understand that our enemy does not have power, does not have spiritual power. To understand your connection to the spiritual means you understand that ‘you are sacred. To know that you are a sacred being means you know the power of truth; to live in a truthful way means you honor the life you have been given.

That truth is the one thing we have as a movement, as a people. Living truthfully means you are following the path that is meant for you, because it is what is meant to be. It is the same for our movement. It must be based on truth.

We must turn away from the ways of the colonizer, the ways of lies and deception and materialism. Our movement is nothing more than the people who are in it. Use deception, look at others as people to be manipulated or exploited or as sexualobjects and you weaken our movement.

You weaken our ability to carry out our responsibilities to defend the people. Nor will the people move in our circle if we are seen as weak in our conduct, if we do not conduct ourselves in a good way.

We have been indoctrinated by this system and have taken their ways of conduct as our own. We must return to, our ceremonies and medicines.

We need to purify ourselves and find our spiritual powers; our powers which have not been lost only forgotten. It is tight there, in that sweatlodge, in that vision quest, in the song and drum.

It’s their-in our hands, in that tobacco, in that sweet-grass, sage and cedar. It’s In the land, away from the cities. It’s in our dreams only we’re too confused to see what we are being told. The ceremonies .and medicines can clear away that confusion and give us strength. That is their purpose, and that is why our people must return to them. Many will not. There are forces at work at this time that we cannot comprehend. Some of these are manipulations and deceptions from our enemy. Others are erninating from the spiritual, from Wakan Tanka- the Great Mystery.

Those from our enemy are difficult to see clearly because that is the way of deception, yet we know what their goals are and. that is to control and dehumanize all peoples, to further the destruction of life.

Those from Wakan Tanka are not always meant to be understood and analyzed and puzzled over. They just are. One of these forces that we can understand is the great numbers of our youth. At the present time (1997) some 65% of the Indian population will be under 30, some 57% of which will be under 25. This will be a generation that has not been broken by the residential school regimes, and which can learn from the resistance of the 19705 .and from the experiences and knowledge of movement veterans.

They will have the ability to see through the illusions and the new confusions created to dtstract the previous generation. They will have a burning desire for change, just as the previous generation did. They will naturally have a great distrust of present-day. organizations and leaders, including those in the Indian movement. At the same time there is a fighting spirit amongst these youth. Many will involve themselves in defending their people and their territory when such a situation arises.

The movement of youth is of great concern to the Canadian state, because through its analysis it knows that the economic conditions under which these youth will live will be harder, that the situation can change’ very quickly from a situation such as that at Kanehsatake in 1990. This is why the Assembly of First Nations is now pushing a more “militant” and “aggressive” direction AFN chief Ovide Mercredi began in 1995 to talk about civil disobedience, about protests and how this might be the path the AFN will have to take because the government just doesn’t listen.

It is a weak attempt to divert the movement of the youth away. from the spiritual movement, the Indian movement, theresistance. This too is a tactic of colonization, to create false movements which divert and confuse the people. ‘As with everything based on deception, it too will fail.

We have been told of all these things. We are still being told. Vve know what our responsibilities are. we know what truth is. We must begin to live that truth, to find in it the powers of all of Creation that are right here in front of us. It is time to return to our ceremonies, medicines and prayers to purify our hearts and minds. We must remember what true power is; that it is not economic. political or technological:

“True power is natural. A blizzard is true natural power, a tornado and a hurricane and an earthquake. These things of natural power that come from earth are powers that man cannot control.

The federal government does  not wan t us to recognize that as people we carry this natural power within us.” – Anna Mae Pictou Aquash Statement to the court of South Dakota September 1975

Our movement is based on this natural power, its based on the truth of our connection to the spiritual to the Great Mystery. And that is why it, is so seemingly mysterious, and yet so beautiful.

These things that we have forgotten only serve to weaken us and draw us further into the enemy’s confusion. There we have no power, nor do we have any hope for the future or the generations to come. Yet look at how strong our people once were, that in the midst of the destruction and the darkening of their world. They would leave to us the future generations a vision of hope in the Ghost Dance:

The father will descend The earth will tremble Everybody will arise Stretch out your hands We shall live again We shall live again

Twas the Moon of Winter time

Effects of Religion in my Territory

By Johnny Hawke ACTION

‘Twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead                                                                     Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.                                                                   – Huron Christmas Carol by St Jean De Brebeuf

We are now in the season of celebrating Christmas which is really Capitalism in disguise and at its best. Capitalism has exploited a Christian holiday which in turn is a Dictatorship Religion that has exploited the teachings of a prophet of a man named Jesus Christ. During this season of over indulgence I am reminded of the history of my people and this Traditional Wendat Territory where we now reside in and the influence Religion has played upon the oppression of my people and the similarities our people have with the man named Jesus.

This area is one of many where the Christian Religion was first introduced to Turtle Island. This was the Traditional Territory of the Wendat the Anishinabe Ojibways trade partners and allies. Ojibway lived north of Gerogian Bay and relied heavily on the farming industry of the Wendat (Huron) of this area.

Religion causes Huron to loose their Homelands

Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons was a French Jesuit settlement in Wendake, the land of the Wendat, near modern Midland, Ontario, from 1639 to 1649. It was the first European settlement in what is now the province of Ontario. Eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie were martyred.

Established in 1639 by French Jesuits the mission acted as a centre and base of operations for Jesuit missionaries in the region as they worked amongst the Huron. It also provided an example of a functioning European community to the Huron. The mission was built near the Huron settlement of Quieunonascaranas, led by Chief Auoindaon.

The Jesuits preached the Christian Gospel to the Huron, often adapting the story to local customs and symbols. One of the most famous examples of this was the “Huron Carol, a Christmas hymn written by Jean de Brébeuf. A translated version of this song remains popular in Canadian churches to this day.

Iroquois aggression was on the rise. In Iroquois villages Jesuits sexually molesting young girls in Seneca and Mohawk communities. Iroquois also wanted to dominate the fur trade in the northern lands being persuaded by European Influence. When the Huron accepted the Jesuits and Christianity within their communities they became a target of the Iroquois. The weakened Wendat Nation was little match for the strengthened Iroquois who had used their trading alliances with the Dutch to gain firearms.

Eight of the missionaries St. Jean de Brébeuf, St. Noël Chabanel, St. Antoine Daniel, St. Charles Garnier, St. René Goupil, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Jean de Lalande and St. Gabriel Lallemant (1649) were martyred in the Huron-Iroquois wars. They were burned alive at the stake by Mohawk Warriors.

Owing to the proximity of their deaths to Sainte-Marie, the French recovered the bodies of Brébeuf and Lalemant to be buried at the mission.

In 1649, thousands of Huron refugees and a few Jesuit missionaries from Sainte-Marie among the Hurons took refuge during the winter on what is now Christian Island during the Huron-Iroquois wars. The Jesuits called the island St. Joseph Island. With insufficient food, many of the First Nations people starved during the winter. The island’s occupation by Huron Catholics and Jesuits was the basis for its name of “Christian” Island. Specifically, it was named in honour of the Canadian Martyrs.

The Jesuits and most of the Huron refugees left the island and travelled to Quebec in the summer of 1650. The remaining Huron, along with the surviving remnants of the Petun, an Iroquoian group living at the base of the Niagara Escarpment near present-day Collingwood, left the island in 1651. The Petun had suffered serious losses in Iroquois raids in late 1649 and 1650. Their descendants eventually settled in the Detroit-Windsor area. Some were later forcibly resettled by U.S. authorities in Oklahoma.

Religion affects Anishinabe Way of Life

Christian Island is now inhabited by the Anishinabe Ojibway and Pottowatomi peoples of Beausoleil First Nation. Our ancestors were nomadic, traveling from northern Georgian Bay and the United States around Lakes Huron and Michigan. They forced the Iroqouis back south in retaliation of the attacks on their allies the Huron and attempted take over of the Fur Trade in their northern territories. The Ojibway of this area have been defending this area from the Iroquois, British, USA to recent times Ontario Government in the fight for water at Site 41 Elmvale.

The early Canadian government tried to assimilate the Ojibway into the larger society. They encouraged the Beausoleil Band to give up their nomadic ways and traditions and take up Christianity. We settled at Coldwater in 1834-1842 as part of the Coldwater Narrows Reserve. Later the Anishinabe were displaced to Beausoleil Island in 1842, and still later, were displaced to Christian Island in 1856, where we have remained.

During these times from 1700 to late 1800’s Christianity was introduced to the Anishinabe. The Midewiwwin Society became less relevant and eventually driven under ground. Throughout the oppression of Christianity Anishinabe ways of thinking became polluted.

Our People have also been taken away by the Unite and Cathloc Churches put in Residential Schools, stripped of their culture, languages and sexually abused.

Mohawk Warrior Society Louis Hall has this to say on Jesus and others, “Ancients like Socrates, Confucius, Chrishna, Zoroaster, a total of 16 “crucified” saviors were all credited with virgin births. This doesn’t add to their lustre but deducts from it as they tend to be regarded as myths by modern, learned sophisticates.

To say that any historic hero was virgin born and performed supernatural activities is to legendize them and make them unto myths, no service to their names and deeds, but to cast doubts that they ever lived. Deganawidah was born, lived and died and left behind a great instrument of peace as yet unappreciated by a criminal and ignorant mankind.” Louis Hall

Conclusion

Jesus was a man whose teachings were exploited for the gains of a Capitalist Regime, Religion and Government. The man was a rebel who challenged the status quo of the time. Deganiwida was just a man and his teachings were exploited by Capitalist Colonials who made the USA.  Jesus and us Anishinabe have a lot in common however Christianity is something that has been used to oppress us and take our lands and divide us and we have been crucified in the name of Jesus many a times.

Fuck Christmas, Jesus would Rebel against the Status Quo, Smash Capitalism

“Religion is Ego disguised as Humility” – Bill Maher

A Warrior Manifesto

By Louis Karoniaktajah  Hall, Mohawk Warrior Society

Man is born to be free. He has the right to live. He has the right to his own nationality. No one has the right to take away his nationality. No one has the right to force him to join another nation. Every nation has the right to exist and to an area of land for its territory where it can exercise its own system of government and society according to its customs and traditions.

In the Iroquois way, every man is a warrior – lately, the girls and even older women have demanded instructions in the arts of the warriors, handling guns, etc. They mean to have a part of any future armed struggles for survival. As a youth, every Iroquois male is taught the arts of war, so that he’ll be ready to defend his country and his people. This makes it unnecessary for the Iroquois government to have an expensive War Department with its high salaried military echelon of officers of various degrees and ranks. It makes a standing army unnecessary who have nothing to do but sit around waiting for an order to go somewhere and kill some people. After a young Iroquois learns the skills of war, his teacher sends him back to the fields or other occupations.

Every Iroquois is also taught the Great Law so that he’ll know when it is violated. This is necessary because the War Chief and his men are charged with the task of seeing to it that the Great Law is followed which makes every male Iroquois a policeman and it is his duty to stop any crime being committed. There is no need for an expensive police department with a big bunch of men sitting around waiting for a crime to be committed. By the same token every Iroquois is also a fireman, so there’s no need for a fire department.

The Rotiyaner (Chiefs) legislate laws and decide issues in their Council. The War Chief and his men (called Warrior Society by the immigrants from Europe) enforce the Chief’s decisions. The Clan Mothers watch their Chiefs and see to it that no provision of the Great Law is violated. If both the Rotiyaner and the Clan Mothers go against the Great Law or do things which are against the welfare and happiness of the People, the Great Law provides the people have the power to depose them. The power lies with the people, who have to do the fighting and other work to preserve the nation. The Chiefs and Clan Mothers are of the people, elected by the people and are accountable to the people.

It is the function and duty of the Mohawk Warrior Society to defend and protect the people of the Mohawk Nation. Due to the genocidal assimilation policy of Canada, United States and other European governments in America, who mean to speed up the extinction of the Indian race, the Warrior Society has the option to proclaim to the world that the Warriors shall resist by every means, any and all motions to destroy and erase the Mohawk Nation from the face of the earth and that it shall stand on its human rights to exist as a nation, which rights are also guaranteed to all nations of the world by the United Nations. The proposed parliamentary legislation in Canada and the Congressional legislation in the United States to turn Indian lands into municipalities and counties, are acts of aggression against the Indians.

Since it means the oblivion of the Indian race, the destruction of a distinct people, it is also an act of war. The moment the legislation are enforced, the government thereupon declares war on the Indians. It follows that the Indians shall fight . It’s a bad time for the white race in America to start trouble with the Indians. White scientists have created monsters which can be turned against their own people. A condition has developed when even a handful of Indians can cause havoc and create scenes of desolation from one end of the continent to the other. The white man in America has mighty fire power but as a chain is as strong as its weakest link, the white man’s chain of defense has might weak links.

During peacetime and careless moments, the Mohawk Territory was stolen from the Mohawk Nation. This manifesto includes a map of the Ganienkeh (Mohawk) Territory in Canada and the United States. It includes islands in the St. Lawrence River including the Island of Montreal. We, the Mohawk Warrior Society, do now demand that the Mohawk Territory be restored to the Mohawk Nation. Ours is the strongest naturally legal right known to man, aboriginal right.

The Mohawk Nation entertains no such ideas as becoming extinct but has decided it’s time to take back what’s ours and to exercise our rights to have our own government and society on this land of our ancestors, with no interference from any foreign nation or government. The people shall live off the land and the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy known as Gayanerekowa, world’s first national constitution, shall continue as the constitution of the repossessed Mohawk land. The co-op system of economy, a most practical and worthy economic system, used by our ancestors and particularly suited to Indians, shall be used in the repossessed Mohawk Law. We shall grow food on every available acre, keep livestock and preserve the environment. Needed is a lot of land for corn fields, potatoes and other foods, hay fields and grazing land for beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, buffalo and timber land for building materials. Other native nations of Asia and Africa have regained lost lands and human rights. Germany, Italy and Japan, after being unconditionally conquered in 1945, were given back their lands. They were not put on reservations as were the Indians. It’s too unjust! It is time the Indians in America got the same deal. Canada and the United States law claim to the civilized state and proclaim to be progressive countries. Surely, they can afford to restore some of the stolen areas of this huge land to its rightful owners where they, also, can enjoy the good life, instead of being captive nations. No nation should be so deprived it has to live on reservations under the bootheel of foreign nations. Now that the Indians have the ability not only to make peace but also to destroy the white man’s peace, it is time to require Canada and the United States to render real and true justice to the true owners of this land by restoring some of the stolen lands.

Meanwhile, the governments of Canada and the United States are passing legislation to make Indians extinct via forced assimilation. This legal massacre is without equal. This tyranny is on display in full view of the world. The world is a witness. We shall communicate with every nation on earth and their embassies at the United Nations with a request for foreign relations with the countries contacted, even if only on paper. We shall let the whole world be a witness to the victorious struggle of the Mohawk Nation to regain full attributes of nationhood.