Sago! It would be an understatement to say that the Six Nations of the Grand River is in disarray. This once proud and mighty Iroquois reservation that only a couple of decades ago was well respected around the world has become a haven for non-natives seeking to make an illegal living within our borders. Other people; of European and Iroquois descent have taken our inter-tribal name, Haudenausaunee and turned it into a word which stands for greed; deceit and corruption. Our young men and women are hooked on marijuana; cannabis oil and their own images as they walk around caring only for texting and checking their messages on Facebook, TikTok, and other social media outlets.
The children of those people just mentioned have few role models to look up to and cannot even walk to school without being preyed on by evil men in black vans and fancy cars.
There are so many non-native people living among us and making an illegal living on our Home and Native Land that we, the Ongwehoweh, are forced to just sit on the sidelines of life and watch our world decay in front of our eyes.
Back in the sixties when the author and his companions were young and full of life; the only thing we had to worry about was being physically and verbally abused on a daily basis by the unprofessional attitudes and overbearing antics of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who lived right here in the village of Ohsweken. Thankfully, the men in Red Serge were kicked off the reservation in 1967 after the entire detachment lost; “the Fight at the fall Fair”. The Six Nations of the Grand River now have a home grown brand of policemen and female officers to patrol the Rez and keep the peace and yet — peace is one thing that is totally absent on our Home and Native Land.
There are so many vehicles traversing the territory on a daily basis that elderly people, like myself who at 75 years of age, cannot safely walk around the village or go to Tim Horton’s greasy spoon without being almost run down by diesel tractors pulling multiple trailers.
It has been estimated that at least 15,000 cars and trucks pass through the village every day as the drivers use Chief’s Wood Road as a short cut to Brant County or Norfolk County. The motor vehicle traffic never stops. It continues day in and day out, all day and all night and there is nothing that we Ongwehoweh can do about it.
On Thursday, May 18, at 10:30 a.m. 2023 the author took his walker and a sign and sat in the middle of the road in Ohsweken in an attempt to stop the insanity and was chastised by the Six Nation’s Police service and threatened with arrest if he did not get off the road.
The author was told by our police that; “he could not” impede the rights of non-native drivers who have a legal right to Use Our Roads on Our Native Land which we and our posterity are to enjoy forever. The author was also informed that “he could not protest on His Roads on His Native Land”. They told the elderly man to “go sit in the park”. Imagine that! Whose police are they? Obviously not the common, poor people of this reserve.
Things are so bad here in the Grand River valley that the Three Sisters; corn; beans and squash have been replaced by corn whiskey; canned beans and cocaine.
This story could go on and on. However, there is one overarching reason for the difficulties we Ongwehoweh are facing and enduring today. WE have all forgotten God, and have turned our backs to our Heavenly Father and have instead embraced Satan the devil and all the pleasures he has to offer! And for our sins, just like the ancient Israelites, God has set us adrift in the wilderness of life until we learn to repent and seek his forgiveness. The first thing that we Mohawks and others must do after that is Retake our reserve Land; our Water and our Forest; Back Forever. Daneto.
Doug Whitlow
