Welcome to the NOON e-newsletter for October 2023. Enjoy, and please share widely!
This month, we are spotlighting Indigenous leadership to address the climate crisis. From here on Onondaga homelands to around the globe, Indigenous Peoples and Nations have for several decades been speaking out about climate change: naming its roots in colonialism and the dominant extractive economic paradigm, calling out the false solutions offered by many world leaders, and identifying alternative paths toward a world of climate justice. Here is an excerpt from “The Ice is Melting in the North: Statement to the UN Peace Summit” by Oren Lyons at the 2000 UN Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders (available as a pamphlet from NOON).
Oren Lyons, faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation, and Audrey Shenandoah, Onondaga Nation clanmother, represented Indigenous Peoples of North America at the UN Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, August 28-31, 2000. The following is taken from Oren Lyons’ statement made to that gathering.
Leaders of the World:
Neyuwenha-skanoh [Thank you for being healthy]. I bring you greetings from the Indigenous peoples of the north and the great Turtle Island, now called North America. I bring you the most urgent message brought to our annual gathering of traditional elders and youth by a runner from the north, from Greenland: The ice is melting in the north. He informed us that some 15 years ago they noticed trickles of water coming down the sheer face of Glacier Mountain. That trickle has grown to a roaring river of ice water pouring out of this mountain into the Atlantic Ocean. He informed us that Glacier Mountain has lost 4,000 feet of ice in these past few years. And the melt continues to accelerate. This is an alarming message that requires your absolute attention.
Leaders of the World:
We are a collective voice of indigenous peoples. We have joined this great mission for peace. We add our presence in support of this great effort for reconciliation between peoples and nations. We agree that there must be parity and equity between rich nations and poor nations; between white people and people of color and rich people and poor people with special attention to women, children and indigenous peoples. We, in our collective voices, add to this that there must be a reconciliation between people and the natural world, between nation states and the forests that sustain us; between corporations and the resources that they mine, the fish that they catch and the water that they use.
Leaders of the World:
Indigenous nations and peoples believe in the spiritual powers of the universe. We believe in the ultimate power and authority of a limitless energy beyond our comprehension. We believe in the order of the universe. We believe in the laws of creation and that all life is bound by these same natural laws. We call this essence the spirit of life. This is what gives the world the energy to create, procreate and becomes the ponderous and powerful law of regeneration, the law of the seed. We in our collective voices speak of this to remind you that spirit and spiritual laws transcend generations. We know because this has sustained us. Religions and spirituality are vital to survival and moral law. It is faith that has sustained our human spirit through our darkest hours. It has sustained our human spirit in crisis, during the times we suffered through the grinding measures of inexorable persecution that have spanned generations and continue today. Yet here we are today, adding our voices to this plea for sanity in leadership and responsibility to the future generations whose faces are looking up from the Earth, each awaiting their time of life here.
Leaders of the World:
Peace is dynamic and requires great effort of spirit and mind to attain unity. Leaders of peace must step forward and take responsibility for a paradigm change away from current lifestyles and materialistic societies. The human species has become the most voracious and abusive consumer of Earth’s resources. We have tipped the balance of life against our children and we imperil our future as a species.
Leaders of the World:
Despite all of our declarations and all of our proclamations, no matter how profound they may be, the ice is melting in the north. We see the acceleration of the winds. We see the fires that are raging in North America. And, we see that the sun’s rays that provide us with light, energy and the very essence of life now are causing cancer in people, blinding animals and killing the plankton and krill of the sea. This is only the beginning and already we are helpless. We will now see the real spiritual powers that govern the earth.
Leaders of the World:
There can be no peace as we wage war upon OUR MOTHER, THE EARTH. Responsible and courageous actions must be taken to realign ourselves with the great laws of nature. We must meet this crisis now, while we still have time. We offer these words as common peoples in support of peace, equity, justice and reconciliation. As we speak, the ice continues to melt in the north.
Dahnato [now I am finished]. Neyawenha [thank you].
Further Resources on Indigenous Peoples’ leadership to address the climate crisis:
Hoodwinked in the Hothouse: Resist False Solutions to Climate Change by the Indigenous Environmental Network
Indigenous Youth Fight Big Oil & Gas Worldwide | “Powerlands” & the Diné (Navajo) Nation
Indigenous Peoples and Climate Justice by Kyle Powys Whyte
Upcoming Events:
Haudenosaunee Stories with Amanda Tarbell
Saturday, October 28, 2pm at the Iroquois Museum. Howe’s Cavern, NY.
Join this talented Mohawk storyteller for a variety of scary and entertaining tales for all ages.
Narrative Sovereignty & Climate Action
Friday, November 3, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Salt City Market, 484 S Salina St, Syracuse, NY 13202
Narrative sovereignty is a key component of equitable, ethical, and effective responses to the consequences of a changing climate.In this free and public event, Ahmed Badr and Ruth Łchavaya K’isen Miller (Curyung Tribe of Dillingham) use poetry, music, and visual art to demonstrate and advocate for narrative sovereignty in the pursuit of environmental justice. They explore the ways in which sovereignty takes different forms and expressions across their respective communities. Food provided. Presented by Environmental Storytelling CNY.
Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community 30th Anniversary Celebration – Fundraising Event
Saturday, November 4, 2pm at at the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community
This Fall marks Kanatsiohareke’s 30th anniversary! To help us celebrate, Skidmore College is hosting a major fundraiser for the Kanatsiohareke community on Saturday, November 4 at the Zankel Music Center in Saratoga Springs. The event starts at 2:00 pm with film screenings and discussion by Mohawk filmmakers, followed by a concert featuring Haudenosaunee dancers, speakers, storytellers and musicians. All proceeds will go to Kanatsiohareke. Come join us to celebrate this major milestone, and help us continue Kanatsiohareke’s work to revive traditional Mohawk and Haudenosaunee culture, languages, lifeways and wisdom back in their original homeland.
Stonecarving Demonstration by sculptor Tom Huff (Seneca-Cayuga)
Saturday, November 4 from 10am-4pm at the Iroquois Museum. Howe’s Cavern, NY.
Tom is highly accomplished with alabaster and soapstone but equally creative with mixed media and found object assemblage. He is deeply connected to the ancientness of stone and considers it a living material with communicative properties. His sculptures run the gamut from graceful, highly polished stonework to witty mixed-media statements addressing stereotypes, politics, and cultural traditions.
Saturday, November 4, 10:30-1:30 at the Marcellus Free Library, 32 Maple St, Marcellus, NY 13108
Free and Open to the Public. Registration required. Register here.
Witness to Injustice is a unique three-hour interactive group educational experience. It uses an experiential, participatory model to share the disturbing history of what Indigenous Peoples have experienced through colonization with a focus on the experience of the Onondaga Nation and other Haudenosaunee Peoples. The program seeks to foster truth, understanding and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States; especially in the territory stewarded by people of the Onondaga Nation and other Haudenosaunee peoples. The program is facilitated by Onondaga Nation citizens and non-Indigenous allies. Witness to Injustice is a project of Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation / Syracuse Peace Council.
Learn more here about Witness to Injustice, or reach out via email. Check out a short video overview of the program.
How to be an Ally to Indigenous Peoples
Thursday, November 9, 6:30 pm at the Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse
Learn concrete ways to work as an ally to Indigenous Peoples and about the work of Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON). This program is designed for people who feel a responsibility to work towards Indigenous justice, and want to explore how to live and act in solidarity with our Indigenous neighbors. This is a particularly good followup to participation in a Witness to Injustice program.
Presenters: Andy Mager is a cofounder of NOON and has worked in solidarity with the Onondaga Nation for several decades. He is the coordinator of peace and justice publisher Syracuse Cultural Workers. Sarah Howard is a member of NOON and the national Indigenous Solidarity Network and works for the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at SUNY ESF as well as for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation.
Canandaigua Treaty Day Commemoration
Saturday, November 11 at 2pm, Treaty Rock, Canandaigua
The annual commemoration serves to “polish the chain of peace and friendship” between the Hodinöhsö:ni’ (Six Nations Confederacy) and the young United States. The treaty was signed by Colonel Timothy Pickering—official agent of President George Washington—and sachems from the Six Nations Grand Council. It signified peace between the two and recognized the sovereignty of the other as distinct nations to govern and set their own laws.
Ray Smith Symposium: Indigenous Resilience, Climate Change, and the Environmental Humanities
November 12-13, 2023 at Syracuse University
Rethinking the means and ends of climate policy and solutions through the Indigenous lens.
We invite you to hear from internationally renowned Indigenous knowledge keepers as they examine environmental problem-solving and natural resources management from an Indigenous perspective. Speakers will discuss a range of topics, including conservation and biodiversity preservation, fire management, arctic climate change, and water rights in the American West. The two-day symposium will feature lectures, a panel discussion, catered luncheon, student poster presentation, and dinner reception featuring Haudenosaunee performance art.
Thanksgiving Circle of Peace and Hope
Thursday, November 23, 10 am
Willow Bay, north shore of Onondaga Lake
On Thanksgiving morning, Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation gather with Onondaga people each year on the shore of Onondaga Lake. We come together to express thanks for the goodness of the Earth and to each other for our ongoing friendship, working side-by-side in peace and friendship for healing, justice, and environmental restoration. You are invited to join us.
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Plowshares Craftsfair and Peace Festival
Saturday, December 2, 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday, December 3, 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
Nottingham High School, 3100 E Genesee St, Syracuse, NY 13224
Plowshares is Central New York’s premiere multicultural craftsfair, featuring over 120 local craftspeople and community organizations.
A beautiful community of activists, conscientious consumers and fair traders gather for a weekend of commerce and communing at the Plowshares Craftsfair and Peace Festival. Plowshares is an opportunity to step into the kind of world we’re working so hard to create: a place of justice, of peace, of compassion, of environmental sustainability. Plowshares is a labor of love that comes together thanks to the help of many volunteers. Full details at https://peacecouncil.net/plowshares. Plowshares is the largest annual fundraiser for the Syracuse Peace Council.
Admission is $2-5 sliding scale (more if you can, less if you can’t)
Under 16 or Over 65 free
Masks are preferred and encouraged for everyone’s safety – and will be available.
The Religious Origins of White Supremacy: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Christian Discovery Conference
Opening event Friday, December 8, 6-10 pm at the Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center
The main conference will take place on the Syracuse University campus Dec. 9-10. Its main sponsor is the Henry Luce Foundation, which awarded the University a three-year grant to examine and challenge the theology and legal theory of the Doctrine of Christian Discovery.
National experts on racism, white supremacy and religious extremism will participate in the conference, as part of important global conversations that challenge the ongoing impacts of fifteenth-century Vatican policies on Indigenous, Black and brown people. Register here.
Monthly Events:
NOON Steering Committee Open Meeting. Next meeting Tuesday, October 24, 7-8:30 PM. Please contact Lee Cridland, Peace Council Staff, for more info.
Online Events:
The Colonial Urge to Commodify the Climate Crisis: Uplifting Real Solutions by Indigenous Climate Action
Indigenous News:
Onondagas see moral victory in international panel taking on land claim rejected by courts
The Winnemem Wintu won land back for their tribe. Here’s what’s next.
States opposed tribes’ access to the Colorado River 70 years ago. History is repeating itself.
Three California Tribal Nations Declare First U.S. Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area
The National Park Service’s efforts to protect Quitobaquito Springs almost destroyed it
Solidarity Economy Shorts #1: Land Liberation With Nuns & Nones
‘We were not consulted’: Native Americans fight lithium mine on site of 1865 massacre
Places to Visit:
Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center, 6680 Onondaga Lake Pkwy. Liverpool, NY 13088. Skä•noñh is a Haudenosaunee Cultural Center focused on telling the story of the native peoples of central New York. Now open from 10am-4pm Wednesday-Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturday.
Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community, 4934 State Highway 5. Fonda, NY.
Ganondagan State Historic Site, 7000 County Road 41 (Boughton Hill Road) Victor, NY 14564. Bark Longhouse open May-October.
Seneca Iroquois National Museum, 82 W Hetzel St. Salamanca, NY 14779.
Iroquois Museum, 324 Caverns Road. Howes Cave, NY 12092.
About Us:
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) is a grassroots organization of Central New Yorkers which recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the traditional government of the Onondaga Nation. A program of the Syracuse Peace Council, NOON supports the right of Indigenous Peoples to reclaim land, and advocates for fair settlement of any claims which are filed. We are always looking for more folks to join our work in Central New York. Learn more here.
NOON works on the territory of the Onondaga Nation,
Firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
We express our deep gratitude to the Onondaga Nation for caring for these lands, waters, and all our fellow beings since time immemorial.
We offer heartfelt apologies for the terrible violence that colonizers have carried out against the Onondaga People and Nation, including theft of land and attempted genocide. We are thankful for their perseverance and survival. We commit ourselves to working in solidarity with the Onondaga Nation to protect their sovereignty and create a shared, sustainable future for all life.
NOON Announcements is a communications vehicle to share information about the work of Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation. It is a low volume list, typically involving several messages per month. For further information about NOON’s work, see www.peacecouncil.net/noon.
Preview YouTube video Indigenous Youth Fight Big Oil & Gas Worldwide | “Powerlands” & the Diné (Navajo) Nation
Indigenous Youth Fight Big Oil & Gas Worldwide | “Powerlands” & the Diné (Navajo) Nation
