Two Row and Covenant Chain
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The Two Row wampum TWO ROW WA MPUM RENEWAL CAMPAIGN and the Covenant Chain of Treaties Honor Native Treaties to Protect the Earth 1613 www.HonorTheTwoRow.org 2013 (315) 701-1592 2013 E. Genesee St., Syracuse, NY 13210 1613 2013 The beautiful poster on the right, co-produced by the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign and As long as the grass is green, as long as the waters Syracuse Cultural Workers, is available as a 12” x 36” flow downhill, and as long as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. poster ($15), as a bookmark and a postcard. Order them, along with related products from what is the Two Row wampum? rows of white and two rows of purple beads made from quahog clam shells. One purple row represents the Syracuse Cultural Workers, 800.949.5139 or The Two Row Wampum treaty belt or Guswenta is Haudenosaunee in their canoes and the other repre- www.syracuseculturalworkers.com or. When the Haudenosaunee record of the first treaty between ordering mention “Two Row” and a share of the Europeans (in this case the Dutch) and the Haudeno- sents the Europeans in their ships, each carrying their proceeds will support the Two Row Wampum saunee Confederacy, whose traditional lands extend way of life, culture and government (thus the Two Row Renewal Campaign. throughout most of New York State. The Haudeno- Wampum). They agree in the treaty to travel down the saunee Confederacy (“People of the Long House”, also river of life together, in peace and friendship forever, with called Iroquois by French settlers) consists of the Mo- neither attempting to steer the other’s vessel or damag- hawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tus- ing the shared environment. The parallel lines of purple carora nations. These are all sovereign nations. The beads never intersect, indicating that the Europeans and Haudenosaunee Confederacy issues its own passports the Haudenosaunee will never interfere with each other’s and has never become part of the United States. The affairs. The three rows of white beads represent peace, Onondaga, Cayuga, Tuscarora and Tonawanda Seneca friendship, and forever. The purple rows begin on the left nations also still follow their tradi- after a column of white beads, but ex- tional forms of government and, tend off the end of the belt on the right, unlike other Indian nations, they indicating that the belt remains unfin- are independent of the U.S. govern- ished. This symbolizes that this agree- ment and its Bureau of Indian Af- ment is to last “as long as the grass is fairs (BIA). green, the water runs down hill and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west,” The Two Row Wampum was agreed with each new generation adding to the upon in 1613. This treaty empha- agreement/belt. sizes that the Haudenosaunee and the Europeans are equal but separate 2013 provides us with a wonderful political entities and it establishes a opportunity to mark the 400th anni- framework for them living in prox- versary of the Two Row Wampum by imity and entering into an economic encouraging people throughout New relationship. It outlines an inspira- York State and the U.S. to honor and tional vision of different sovereign renew the treaty’s commitments to peoples living together in friendship friendship, peace and forever and to respecting one another’s sovereignty. and peace on the same land. Onondaga Nation Chief Irving Powless Jr. displays the Two Row Wampum belt. In this way, we aspire to forge new The Haudenosaunee recorded the Onondaga Land Rights forum at Syracuse Stage, ways to live together sustainably in treaty in a wampum belt with three July 12, 2010. Photo: Mike Greenlar. this shared land. Important treaties that built upon why is the Two Row wampum Important? Treaty Violations and the unlawful Taking of haudenosaunee Lands the Two Row wampum The Two Row Wampum treaty is important because it The Haudenosaunee Confederacy origi- Article 6 of the United States Constitution states: “all was the first treaty made between the Haudenosaunee nally occupied nearly 25 million acres Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the au- and Europeans. It is also the foundation upon which in present-day New York State. Cur- thority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law all other treaties between the Haudenosaunee and rently, the six Haudenosaunee nations of the Land.” Three treaties were made between the European settlers and later the US government were own only 94,000 acres among them (see Haudenosaunee and the U.S. government, building on made. Every subsequent treaty was understood to be map to right). In 1790 the U.S. Congress the foundation of the Two Row Wampum treaty. These based on, and to be an act of renewal of the Two Row passed the Trade and Intercourse Act, treaties are still in effect. This is affirmed by the fact Wampum. This was referred to by both sides as a pol- which decreed that only the federal gov- that the Haudenosaunee still receive treaty cloth and ishing the “silver covenant chain” or “chain of friend- ernment could make treaties with native an annuity from the U.S. government every year as ship” between our peoples. nations. This law was specifically passed stipulated in the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. In ad- Throughout the years, the Haudenosaunee have sought to make it clear to New York and other dition, as recently as 2010, the New York Court of Ap- to honor this treaty, even though the US and New York states that they could not negotiate with peals agreed with arguments by the U.S. Department State have not. Chief Irving Powless said in an address native nations for land. Despite this, and of Justice that the Treaty of Canandaigua is still valid. in 1994: despite the treaties described above that Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784): This treaty was made decreed that the boundaries of Haude- nosaunee lands would be respected for- between the newly-formed United States and the “The Haudenosaunee have never violated Haudenosaunee. It affirmed that the Haudenosaunee ever, most Haudenosaunee territory was and the U.S. are separate sovereign nations and it es- this treaty... We have never told you that our illegally acquired by New York State in tablished boundary lines to prevent further encroach- ways are better than yours. We have never the late 18th and early 19th centuries. ment into Haudenosaunee territory. passed a law telling you how to live. There In the case of the Onondaga Nation, New York State pollution of haudenosaunee Lands Treaty of Fort Harmer (1789): This treaty addressed are many things that you do that we do not signed five so-called “treaties” between 1788 and 1822 The illegal taking of Onondaga land was followed continuing disagreements between the two nations, understand... You and your ancestors on the with individuals who had no authority to make such by more than a century of extensive industrial pol- and again re-affirmed that the Haudenosaunee and other hand, have passed laws that continu- agreements. In this way they illegally acquired more lution. This has produced 16 Environmental Pro- the U.S. are separate, sovereign nations. It also reaf- than 97% of the Onondaga Nation's land, leaving just tection Agency (EPA) designated Superfund sites ally try to change who I am, what I am, and the 7,300-acres south of Syracuse where the Nation firmed the boundary lines of Haudenosaunee territo- how I shall conduct my spiritual, political within Onondaga County alone. Onondaga Lake, ries to prevent further loss of land and stated that there currently resides. (New York State later sold most of on whose shore the Haudenosaunee Confederacy would always be peace and friendship between the two and everyday life.” the Onondaga land at a large profit). None of these was founded, is one of the most polluted lakes in nations. “treaties” were ever ratified or approved by the On- the U.S. ondaga Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, or The EPA has found dangerous levels of pes- by the U.S. government. As a result, none of these so- ticides, creosote, polycyclic hydrocarbons, volatile called “treaties” between the State of New York and the organic compounds, lead, cobalt, mercury, and Onondaga Nation are valid. The U.S. Supreme Court polychlorinated biphenyls within the lake. The last has decided that under such circumstances title to the four substances are on the U.S. Agency for Toxic land continues to belong to the original Indian nation Substance & Disease Registry's list of the twenty Original wampum belt commissioned by President George Washington to commemorate the Treaty of Canandaigua in 1794. owner (County of Oneida, New York v. Oneida Indian most toxic substances. Displayed at Onondaga Nation news conference at National Press Club, February 28, 2012. Photo by Sam Hurd. Nation of New York State, 470 U.S. 226 [1985]). Treaty of Canandaigua (1794): This treaty superseded the treaty of Fort Harmer. It also addressed continuing dis- The Haudenosaunee emphasize that ecological stewardship is a fundamental principle of the Two Row Wampum. agreements between the two nations, and yet again re-affirmed that the Haudenosaunee and the U.S. are separate, Throughout the years, the Haudenosaunee have sought to protect their land from environmental destruction and sovereign nations/confederacies. This treaty adjusted boundary lines to prevent further loss of Seneca land and preserve it for future generations. When the Onondaga Nation filed its land rights action in 2005, they wrote: acknowledged the lands belonging to the Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Mohawks.