Post by blackcrowheart on Oct 18, 2005 14:30:00 GMT -5
Oneida Capitulation Complete
by Doug George-Kanentiio
The October 6 decision by the Oneida Nation of New York, Inc. to not only pay local taxes in Madision and Oneida counties but to meekly abide by all municpal, county and state laws represents one of the most signifcant events in Iroquois history.
For the first time, an Iroquois administration, even one with dubious standing, has violated every principle of the Treaty of Canandaigua by ceding the essence of aboriginal sovereignty across the board in a futile effort to preserve its gambling operations.
The harsh, clear and unambiguous warnings given by the late Leon Shenandoah, our Tadodaho, about how casino gambling would lead us to this fatal situation, one in which we die as an independent people,has now come to pass.
The Oneida Nation as a corporation was fabricated by former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to do exactly what it has done: introduce casino gambling in New York State while bringing an end to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Those conspirators searched for, and found, the weakest link among us and gave them enough rope to hang us all. The US and State officials ignored the protests of the Confederacy and the Oneida people in 1993 by agreeing to recognize an entity called the "Oneida Men's Council" which has no basis in our customs or laws.
Yet that entity effectively siezed pwoer when the other Iroquois nations refused to respond to the calls of the Oneida people for the Grand Council to actively intervene at Oneida and work with them to re-establish a functiong traditionally based governing council.
This inaction gave the "men's council" a free hand to pursue their anti-Confederate agenda and create a police state wihout any protection for the human rights of the Oneida people. Despite many instances when the Iroquois should have come to the aide of the Oneidas over the past decade no concerted action was taken resulting in evictions, prosecutions and overt acts of oppression. The Oneidas repeatedly wanred their Iroquois kin that we would all feel the negative effects of what happened on the 32 acre territory.
Now the vultures have come to roost.
Anyone, whether in Akwesasne, Tonawanda, Onondaga, Tuscarora, Cattaraugus or Allegheny who thinks what is going on in Oneida somehow does not effect them is simply crazy.
Witness the poor Cayugas who thought they had a settlement of at least $250,000,000 only to watch that money turn into smoke when the Oneida Nation of New York lost its case before the US Surpeme Court in March of this year.
Now watch the St. Regis Tribal Council surrender to New York and agree to adhere to every local ordinance, including the payment of local taxes, in its mad rush to secure a Monticello deal.
Don't be fooled: if the local counties now have the authority to tax our resources just how long does anyone think we can maintain what little land we have left? The reservation itself will soon come under legal attack and may well be eliminated as seperate from the counties.
The goal of New York State, our etenral enemy, has always been to rub us out as a people. They almost succeeded after the American Revolution and again in 1838 when the fraudulent Buffalo Creek treaty was enacted into law. But we held on. We did not move to Kansas.
Then, as now, we were pushed to the brink by those among us who were most open to bribes and power. We are repeating that vicious cycle. It is time to do something, anything, to restore sanity to the Oneidas and stop the bleeding.
There is still time, but not much, to stop the Oneida Nation of New York, Inc. from making further concessions. But is there the will?
www.oneidasfordemocracy.org/
www.melanconent.com/portals/oneida/
groups.yahoo.com/group/oneida_aid/
by Doug George-Kanentiio
The October 6 decision by the Oneida Nation of New York, Inc. to not only pay local taxes in Madision and Oneida counties but to meekly abide by all municpal, county and state laws represents one of the most signifcant events in Iroquois history.
For the first time, an Iroquois administration, even one with dubious standing, has violated every principle of the Treaty of Canandaigua by ceding the essence of aboriginal sovereignty across the board in a futile effort to preserve its gambling operations.
The harsh, clear and unambiguous warnings given by the late Leon Shenandoah, our Tadodaho, about how casino gambling would lead us to this fatal situation, one in which we die as an independent people,has now come to pass.
The Oneida Nation as a corporation was fabricated by former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to do exactly what it has done: introduce casino gambling in New York State while bringing an end to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Those conspirators searched for, and found, the weakest link among us and gave them enough rope to hang us all. The US and State officials ignored the protests of the Confederacy and the Oneida people in 1993 by agreeing to recognize an entity called the "Oneida Men's Council" which has no basis in our customs or laws.
Yet that entity effectively siezed pwoer when the other Iroquois nations refused to respond to the calls of the Oneida people for the Grand Council to actively intervene at Oneida and work with them to re-establish a functiong traditionally based governing council.
This inaction gave the "men's council" a free hand to pursue their anti-Confederate agenda and create a police state wihout any protection for the human rights of the Oneida people. Despite many instances when the Iroquois should have come to the aide of the Oneidas over the past decade no concerted action was taken resulting in evictions, prosecutions and overt acts of oppression. The Oneidas repeatedly wanred their Iroquois kin that we would all feel the negative effects of what happened on the 32 acre territory.
Now the vultures have come to roost.
Anyone, whether in Akwesasne, Tonawanda, Onondaga, Tuscarora, Cattaraugus or Allegheny who thinks what is going on in Oneida somehow does not effect them is simply crazy.
Witness the poor Cayugas who thought they had a settlement of at least $250,000,000 only to watch that money turn into smoke when the Oneida Nation of New York lost its case before the US Surpeme Court in March of this year.
Now watch the St. Regis Tribal Council surrender to New York and agree to adhere to every local ordinance, including the payment of local taxes, in its mad rush to secure a Monticello deal.
Don't be fooled: if the local counties now have the authority to tax our resources just how long does anyone think we can maintain what little land we have left? The reservation itself will soon come under legal attack and may well be eliminated as seperate from the counties.
The goal of New York State, our etenral enemy, has always been to rub us out as a people. They almost succeeded after the American Revolution and again in 1838 when the fraudulent Buffalo Creek treaty was enacted into law. But we held on. We did not move to Kansas.
Then, as now, we were pushed to the brink by those among us who were most open to bribes and power. We are repeating that vicious cycle. It is time to do something, anything, to restore sanity to the Oneidas and stop the bleeding.
There is still time, but not much, to stop the Oneida Nation of New York, Inc. from making further concessions. But is there the will?
www.oneidasfordemocracy.org/
www.melanconent.com/portals/oneida/
groups.yahoo.com/group/oneida_aid/