OWEHNA'shon: a (The Islands) the HAUDENOSAUNEE
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OWEHNA'SHON:A (The Islands) THE HAUDENOSAUNEE ARCHIPELAGO: "THE NATURE AND NECESSITY OF BIO-CULTURAL RESTORATION AND REVITALIZATION" RORONHIAKEWEN DAN LONGBOAT A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIRMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THE FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO JANUARY 2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-39030-6 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-39030-6 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. •*• Canada ABSTRACT (iv) The writing of this dissertation began with a relatively simple thought in mind. Indigenous languages and cultures are critical to the sustainability of ecosystems, in ways similar to species and habitats that are critical to ecological diversity and sustainability of those same ecosystems. In this shared reality, if endangerment and extinction are common problems, could there also be shared solutions? If endangered isolated species and isolated indigenous languages often share the same characteristics of rareness, fragility, uniqueness and vulnerability to extinction, is it not possible that the techniques developed by ecology for the protection and restoration of species and habitats, might be useful in thinking about restoring and protecting indigenous languages and cultures? Conversely, could the protection and restoration of indigenous languages aid in protecting and restoring biodiversity? That thought held true through a number of comparisons-from the shared concepts of threatened, endangered and extinct, to protection, conservation and restoration; from indicator species for ecological integrity, to language as an indicator of cultural integrity; from the devastating effects of an invasive species or an invasive language, to the continued sustainability of habitats or cultures. Indigenous languages, in turn, reflect traditional environmental knowledge, and affect worldview, or at least shape cultures. As an indigenous language exists within its culture, and that culture exist within its ecosystem, ecological restoration and sustainability then must also include linguistic and cultural restoration. The convergence of indigenous languages within cultures and ecosystems and endangered species within habitats and ecosystems led to a further conclusion. A dialogue between people involved in protecting and restoring endangered languages and those involved in protecting endangered species would indeed be useful. It would be even more useful to understand that for the revitalization of endangered languages, cultures and species, habitats to be effective, it requires an integrated approach to restoring and protecting the ecosystem that harbor them both. The integrated approach would go beyond "strategies" for maintaining and protecting languages, cultures or species and habitats: it would require the creation of effectively restored "islands" in which they would have the opportunity to thrive. We are living in an age of extinctions in species and habitats as well as languages and cultures, and the tide is not turning. Knowing what we need to do falls short of having the will and the wisdom to do it. DEDICATION (v) There are times in one's life that bring satisfaction and great happiness. For those who aspire in academia, completing one's dissertation after years of work is one of those very special times. I want to take this opportunity to reflect upon and to acknowledge that one constant, indefatigable source of love, affection and support, that has given me life and blessed me in so many ways - my mother - who remains my perpetual source of inspiration, guidance and love. She is my first and greatest love. She brought me into this world, nurtured me, fed me, cared for me and watched over me as I grew. She is the one, who taught me what it is to be a real human being. She showed me what responsibility, respect, compassion is and what real love is. It was my mother who showed me, what it means to be concerned for the welfare of others. She taught me not just by talking but also through the actions of her life, to understand that every act has a consequence. Most importantly, she taught me to know a higher power, Shonkwaya'tison "Our Creator". She has always encouraged and supported me, both physically and spiritually. I look back at my life and as a young boy I never wanted to go to school, because I would have much rather stay at home to learn from my mother. She is the one who encouraged me to go to school, she used to say that some day that I would get to see the "big light". Today I not only see, but understand the big light, it is love, the love that I have for her, the love that she taught me to have for others, for all Life, for Creation and the love of Our Creator. That what real education creates for us, a path of unending love for the world around us and above us. My mother, like all of our mothers, sacrifices their lives for us so that we could have life. Everyday, they sacrifice themselves in so many ways so that we can have a better life. She has always been there for me, and now that she is getting older, I will always be there for her. Mother, I dedicate this work to you as a small token of my great love for you, to say thank you for giving me life, for caring for me, for teaching me, for always loving me and most of all, thank you for being my mother. Aketnihstenha tsi nemwe enkononronhkwake (Mother, I will love you forever) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (vi) This dissertation would not have been possible if it were not for the assistance of many teachers, friends and colleagues. We are all fortunate, that there are special people who come into our lives, and one great man, a true friend and brother, is Kayanesenh Paul Williams. Paul gives freely of his immense knowledge. He is always there to help and support the people because of the great love and respect he carries for people everywhere. Without his assistance, knowledge and support, I would not have been able to create this work. For the countless hours he gave selflessly to me: thinking, talking, sharing, editing and continually encouraging me, I will always remain indebted to him, forever thankful that he is my brother and my friend. My life is blessed by having had so many great teachers and friends. I want to recognize and remember my greatest teacher, the late Hadajegrentha (kenha) Jake Thomas. He gave me a foundation of knowledge that to this day, fulfills and directs my life and actions. The knowledge that he unselfishly shared with me, I can say without equivocation, has made me who I am today. He has since passed on, but his memory I will cherish forever. I will remain eternally grateful for him and for the time that we spent together, for what he taught me and for the responsibility he gave to me, to share this knowledge with others. A man who was truly a gift to all aspiring Indigenous academics worldwide is Sotsistowah (kenha) the late Dr. John Mohawk. He was a true inspiration, for his intellectual capacity, his kindness and his sense of humour. John was a great man, his knowledge and understanding of culture and traditions, allowed him to utilize academia to serve the needs of Haudenosaunee and Indigenous peoples globally. He challenged and enriched our thinking about the world, making us think outside the box and back inside the circle and at deeper levels than we have ever thought before. He was a tireless worker for the Haudenosaunee and for Indigenous peoples throughout the world. His unlimited abilities were only surpassed by his great love for our people; now that he has passed through this world, the work that he accomplished continues to enrich and empower us all. The Creator continues to care for the Haudenosaunee, because He has blessed us by giving to us a man called Sakokwenionkwas Tom Porter and his wonderful family. He is a friend, a brother, an uncle and a mentor.