Ignorance, arrogance or intimidation? First, let’s put the simple facts out there: in all of the legalese, questions of fairness, who is regulating who, what is permitted and what is
John Karhiio Kane, Mohawk, a national expert commentator on Native American issues, hosts “Let’s Talk Native…with John Kane,” Visit: <strong>letstalknativepride</strong> and join <strong>fb.letstalknative</strong> follow <strong>@letstalknative
Ignorance, arrogance or intimidation? First, let’s put the simple facts out there: in all of the legalese, questions of fairness, who is regulating who, what is permitted and what is
As the sun set on 2016, the world trembled in anticipation of what the Trump era of U.S. national politics would bring. Meanwhile at the New York State level, Governor
There is probably no greater threat of extinction to Native peoples than the measure of those people by the irrelevant, scientifically false and prejudicial use of blood quantum or pedigree
Now that the NYPD has literally been caught on video choking a man to death for defying the most oppressive taxation scheme in the United States and then exonerated itself
On June 2, 2014, every “member” of the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI) received a letter from his/her President announcing the launch of the Seneca Nation’s new Enhanced Tribal Identification Card (ETC) program.
There is little question that what the white man found when he washed up on our shores was a free and fearless people. But rather than learn our ways and study how a people could live without kings, queens, courts and prisons or slavery, discrimination and class warfare, the church – the very thing that created many of these institutions and practices – was relied upon to spread all of it to a free world.
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) wrapped up its 13th session this week. Thousands of representatives of UN member states, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs) as well as approved participants from academia and the media. The latter was how I got in. For two weeks hundreds of speakers offered statements and interventions, many of them coming from the Native people of Turtle Island.
After spending the week in New York City attending the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and listening to dozens of speakers offering their interventions to the nearly 2,000
Well, now that everyone can feel better about their battle and stance on unacceptable racism in the wake of giving the old “what’s for” to Donald Sterling, the racist owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, we can all go back to settling in with the institutional racism that keeps Daniel Snyder, the equally racist owner of the NFL’s Washington R-word, warm and safe at night. I know “spic,” “wetback,” chink” and the R-word still can appear in print but if the N-word can’t, then, in my book neither can the R-word.
On May 12, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will begin its 13th session at the United Nations in New York City. The session will run for two weeks and cover a broad range of topics.
The event is not open to the public. Only confirmed and registered NGO and IPO representatives are allowed to participate. However, as a UN accredited member of the media, I will be there, too. Yeah, that’s right. Two Row Times columnist and radio show host John Kane will be there having the conversations that may or may not be welcome.
I have to begin my column this week by stating up front that I am Haudenosaunee. I support traditional governance based on the Kaianerehkowa and a culture grounded with the Ohenton Karihwatehkwen (Words Before All Else) and the Tiohateh (the Two Row Wampum). I must emphasize that it is traditional governance I support rather than “traditional government.”
As this column hits the press, thousands are gathering in Washington, DC to take a stand against the Keystone XL Pipeline. During a week that a decision was expected out of the Obama Administration on this issue, the Reject and Protect call to action will set up camp near the White House and tell the President to reject the pipeline. As it turns out, an announcement just came from the White House that the Administration has decided to kick the can on this decision for what seems like the tenth time.
During the past week I have had more conversations about “decolonization” than I have had in my whole life. As I mentioned in one of my Facebook conversations, I am not entirely comfortable with the expression.
Three years ago a couple of “Let’s Talk Native…” regulars and I made the trip to Albany to try to get some straight answers to a couple of simple questions. Matt Hill, Paul Delaronde and I met with New York State Senator George Maziarz, Republican from the 62nd Senate District of New York, to see if a State Senator could get an answer to a question that the State’s tax department refused to give us. We sat with the Senator and first queried him on his position on Native-to-Native trade and the State’s authority over our commerce and our manufactured goods.
One of the biggest challenges for any people is broad participation in the issues that affect everyone. And when you stop and think about it, there is very little from the smallest ripples in a family to major calamities in a community that occurs without impacting others.