Thanksgiving Circle and Other NOON News
It’s November and NOON is once again looking forward to our Circle of Peace and Hope, held each year on Thanksgiving Day. This year it will be November 24th at 10 AM in the Willow Bay Picnic Area on the north side of Onondaga Lake here in Syracuse, NY. Whatever the weather, this event draws about 50 hardy individuals to share thanks for the goodness of the Earth, and for our ongoing friendship, working side-by-side in peace and hope with Indigenous people. If you can’t join us in person, please consider joining in spirit by taking a few minutes to reflect on your own wishes for Peace and Hope.
In October, approximately 200 people gathered to celebrate a successful Indigenous Peoples Day, which was organized by NOON and Women of Italian and Syracuse Heritage (WISH). The gathering featured speeches, films, dance, informational tabling, as well as Onondaga crafts people and food vendors. Over 40 of the attendees signed up to be added to our listserv, which is nearing almost 3150 members. The planning committee worked very hard over a period of months and created a very successful event.
In December, NOON will again be working with the leaders of the Onondaga Nation, Onondaga Nation School (ONS) and Lafayette School District to advocate for more capital funding for the school building. As part of the historic treaty relationship between the Haudenosaunee and the United States, the US was responsible for providing healthcare and education to Indigenous communities. New York State now has that responsibility. Public school buildings in New York State are owned by their school district. However, three schools are located on Indigenous Nations; the Onondaga Nation School is one of those schools. NYS is responsible for maintaining the buildings and for budgeting funds each year to maintain these Indigenous schools. The school buildings have been terribly underfunded for decades, leaving them with major facilities problems – crumbling brick walls, poorly functioning heating and cooling systems, dangerously degraded concrete, inadequate security and fire protection and much more. While some progress was made last year during the state budgeting process to increase funding, the Onondaga Nation School did not receive adequate funding. It is still in great need. NOON will renew its advocacy to get the funding to bring the ONS building up to acceptable standards.
Witness To Injustice is an ongoing NOON program. It is a participatory education exercise to foster truth, understanding, and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. WTI now has a new coordinator, Cecelia Elm, Onondaga. Workshops are currently offered either in-person or via Zoom. Interested in hosting a Witness to Injustice program? You can contact Cecelia to discuss scheduling a presentation. Download the brochure.
We continue to support Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ’ (Cayuga traditional council) and the Halftown Must Go campaign in whatever way we can. We have shared requests with our local listserv for donations to help Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ’ residents, contacted US officials to request they take action and assisted in a successful fundraiser. For background on the issues and ways to help, check out the Halftown Must Go website or NOON’s September Newsletter.
And as always, we continue to monitor opportunities to advocate for Onondaga Lake, the Onondaga Nation’s Sacred Lake, whenever the need arises.
NOON is a campaign sponsored by the Syracuse Peace Council, the oldest local, autonomous, grassroots peace and social justice organization in the United States. It operates with a skeletal staff supported by many volunteers. Carol Baum, the staff member who has worked with and supported NOON for years, has decided to retire from her position. She will continue to work with NOON as a volunteer. Lee Cridland, one of two new Peace Council staff members, will be working with and supporting NOON and our efforts. We look forward to getting to know and to working with Lee.
We continue to welcome new Steering Committee members. Anyone is welcome to join our currently Zoomed meeting and participate in any activity that interests them. Generally our Steering Committee lives in the Central New York area.
NOON is open to sharing and assisting other organizations in their efforts to support Indigenous Peoples, their concerns and issues. Please feel free to contact us by responding to this newsletter.
NOON acknowledges that we are on the territory of the Onondaga Nation, council fire of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
We are thankful for their stewardship of our environment.
EVENTS:
11/11- Canandaigua Treaty Commemoration. The annual commemoration serves to “polish the chain of peace and friendship” between the Hodinöhsö:ni’ (Six Nations Confederacy) and the United States. The treaty was signed in 1794 by Colonel Timothy Pickering—official agent of President George Washington—and sachems from the Six Nations Grand Council, and signified peace between the two and recognized the sovereignty of the other as distinct nations to govern and set their own laws.
Luncheon and speaker presentation are sold out. This year’s 228th anniversary of the historic, federal Canandaigua Treaty of 1794 Commemoration will take place at 2 PM on the front lawn of the Ontario County Courthouse. The Ontario County Courthouse is located at 27 N Main St, Canandaigua, NY 14424. There is a free public parking lot just beyond the Ontario St & Pleasant St intersection. 2:00 PM Commemoration of Canandaigua Treaty. Lawn of the Ontario County Courthouse, 27 N. Main Street, Canandaigua, NY. 3:00 PM Original Canandaigua Treaty and presentation at the Ontario County Historical Society, 55 N. Main Street, Canandaigua, NY. 4:00 PM Commemoration concludes
Hodinöhsö:ni’ Art Show, (scroll down) Ganondagan’s 6th juried art show will open to public on Saturday, November 19th, the last day to view the show will be on Saturday, November 26th. Applications and details to come!
NOON Thanksgiving Circle of Peace, 10 AM, Thanksgiving Day, November 24th, Willow Bay, Onondaga Lake Park.
Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center After a period of being open only to scheduled group tours, the Center has reopened its doors to the public for walk-ins! Skä•noñh is now open from 10am-4pm Wednesday-Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturday.
Mohawk Cultural Tours – Immersive, Indigenous Cultural Tours Hosted by Experts
Virtual Programming- Ten Minute Teachings – Ganondagan
Virtual Tours – Iroquois Indian Museum
Virtual Tours and Educational videos – Seneca Iroquois National Museum
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MONTHLY:
NOON Steering Committee Open Meeting, Next meeting November 15th, 7-8:30 PM, virtual. Since new people often have a lot of questions and you will need contact info for the virtual meeting, we recommend contacting Lee Cridland, Peace Council Staff, or Sue Eiholzer, NOON Volunteer, before the meeting.
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FYI:
To aid you in focusing, articles are arranged by topic and coded for length (S – short, M – Medium, L – Long) with a designation for Video and/or Audio.
History
Archaeologists find evidence of Wampanoag site atop Coles Hill in Plymouth – L w videos
“Our people made it”: Otoe-Missouria descendants welcomed back to Nebraska, 200 years after being forced out – M w audio
History of American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program at Cornell University – L
Unearthing Native American history on an island in Southern Maryland – L
Resources
Sovereignty and Outdoor Spaces Guide
Northern California authors offer book picks in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day
Environment
The Guardians of the Future – M
GIFTS OF THE LAND – video
Culture
Hiawatha Belt and Sentinel Heights Rd bridge over Interstate 81 – S
Sports
Indian Horse: Canadian film connects hockey and Indigenous issues – video
Arts
‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ has gone from surprise hit to juggernaut bestseller – M
Art installation on SU quad honoring Haudenosaunee contributions unveiled on Indigenous Peoples’ Day – M
Ernie Paniccioli Photo Archive – S
Dancing on Mother Earth – video
Onondaga Nation Newsletter
Anyone interested in subscribing to the Onondaga Nation’s monthly e-newsletter can email nonewsletter@gmail.com with your first and last name. One request per email address please.
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NOON RESOURCES:
Because the Syracuse Peace Council office is closed during the pandemic, contact Lee Cridland so she can arrange to get them to you.
The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code film is premised on Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, a book based on two decades of research by Shawnee, Lenape scholar Steven T. Newcomb. Available to borrow. Contact Lee Cridland via email or phone 315-472-5478
Standing on Sacred Ground Videos. Each of the 4 episodes is 60 min. Pilgrims and Tourists, Profit and Loss, Fire and Ice and Islands of Sanctuary. If you have a group of friends or know an organization that would like to view any of these films, please contact Lee Cridland phone 315-472-5478.
In addition NOON has organized dozens of educational programs over the past 20 years which are available on line at SPC’s You Tube Channel. Fifteen years ago we coordinated the historic series Onondaga Land Rights and Our Common Future. Check out the videos here.
WITNESS TO INJUSTICE: UNRAVELING HISTORIC NATIVE & U.S. RELATIONS. This inter-active group exercise is a 2 hour teaching tool that uses participatory education to raise awareness of the history of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States. Through the use of meaningful quotes, and blankets that represent part of Turtle Island (the Western Hemisphere), we explore this shared history that most people rarely learn in traditional settings. We engage in a conversation about the European colonization of Turtle Island in order to deepen our understanding of the denial of Indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout U.S. History. NOON is offering this exercise to groups, organizations, schools and churches. A good will offering to support NOON’s work is appreciated. If you would like additional information or to schedule a time for a presentation, contact Cecelia Elm.
