SIX NATIONS YOUTH RALLY 2008

2 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

We only got 2 days left - so hold your breath!!!!

It seems to us organizers that this Youth Rally is becoming a HUGE event - w/more and more people helping us, bringing people out, contacting us about the event DAILY.

So we are REALLY excited and can't wait to see all those people who read our blogs....lol...

The detailed schedule we have so far for the 3 days are:

Friday July 11th
8:00 - 9:00 am - Opening Thanksgiving Address, Tobacco Burning
9:00 - 4:00 pm - Set up
4:00 - 9:00 pm - Hip-hop / Rock Concert

Welcoming by Bill Montour
Presentation by Delegation of Six Nations Youth
Derek Miller on DJ
The Breaking Wind
The Blues Brigade
Mainline
Jace Martin
Happy Frejo
Last Nation
Julia Jamieson & Michael Dean Hajas
Loathing in Paradise
Quanche
Infra Red
Wasun
Tasha/Wayne Anderson & others
Falyan Johnson
K’B Young Anitafika
Aquilla

Saturday July 12
“Where We Stand Today”

8:00 - 9:00 am - Opening Thanksgiving Address, Tobacco Burning
9:00 - 10:00 am - Orientation/Introductions
10:00 - 10:30am - Presenter Linda Poweless
10:30 - 11:00am - Discussion of Linda’s topic
11:00 - 11:30am - Ruby Montour
11:30 - 12:00 pm - Discussion on Ruby’s topic
12:00 - 1:00 pm - Lunch Break
1:00 - 2:00pm - Separate men and women to discuss traditional roles

- Mens Fire leading men’s discussion
- Andrea Thomas leading women’s discussion

2:00 - 3:00pm - Jessica Yee / Discussion with both men and women
3:00 - 5:00 pm – Elders vs. Youth Lacrosse game/ Native Women’s Association of Canada Presentation
5:00 - 6:00 pm - Dinner Break
6:00 - 6:30 pm - Kelly Curley
6:30 - 7:00 pm - Question and answer period
7:00 - 7:30 pm - Iyanna Maracle
7:30 - 9:00 pm - Social done by Tyendinaga Mens Youth Group

Arts Tent:
12:00 - 9:00pm - On-going Creation of Youth Mural with Guest Artist

Sunday July 13
“Action: Where We Are Going From Here”

8:00 - 9:00 am - Opening Thanksgiving Address, Tobacco Burning
9:00 - 12:00 pm - Discussion of ACTION (Statement, Youth Centre, etc.)
12:00 - 1:00 pm - Lunch Break
1:00 - 2:30 pm - Community Healing Ceremony
2:30 - 3:00 pm - Jordan Miller
3:00 - 4:00 pm - March for Youth Center -- Chiefswood Park to Veterans Park
4:00 - 4:30 pm - Presentation at Veterans Park

- Tahnee Wilson
- Heather Watts
- Melissa Elliott
- Presentation of Check by Six Nations Police
- Dinner

4:45 - 5:15 pm - Load Buses from Veterans Park to the Woodland Cultural Centre
5:30 - 8:30 pm - Woodland Cultural Centre

- Documentary “Dish With One Spoon”
- Optional Guide Through Museum

8:30 - 9:00 pm - Load Buses to Come Back to Cheifswood Park

Arts Tent:
11:00 - 12:00 pm - Julia Jamieson’s Hip-Hop Dance Workshop
9:00 - 3:00 pm - On-going Creation and Finalization of Youth Mural

HOWEVER - WE STILL NEED:

Financial Donations:

Make cheque payable to:

The Delegation of Six Nations Youth
Royal Band of Canada
4th Line - Chiefswood Rd.
Iroquois Village Plaza
P.O. Box 279
Ohsweken, ON N0A1M0
Phone (519) 445-4141 Fax (519) 445-4772
Bank Account Number: 01144-5063714

Drop off Locations for Donations/Supplies:
Woodland Cultural Centre
184 Mohawk St.
Brantford, ON N3T 5V6
Phone (519) 759-2650 Fax (519) 445-8912

Wesley Elliott
RR#2 1890 Fifth Line Rd.
Ohsweken, ON N0A 1M0

ALSO - we have been meeting everyday for a while now - so if you want to meet w/us for suggestions, to help out, for donations, for sponsorship or anything else, just stop by Social Services 6pm everyday from now until the Rally --- or come on by to the Cheifswood Park on Friday when we're setting up!

A big Nia:weh Kowa to everyone that's been helping us put on this HUGE, INSPIRING, EMPOWERING, INNOVATIVE, AMAZING event!!!!!!!!!!!!

PREFORMERS, SCHEDULE, AND UPDATES!!!

2008-06-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here are the updates on what's been goin on - who's gonna be there and all that jazz...

Friday, July 11th, 2008
Hip-Hop/Rock Concert 4-10pm:
SO FAR (ie. this is not everyone who's gonna be there)
Derek Miller on DJ
The Breaking Wind
The Blues Brigade
Mainline
Jace Martin
Happy Frejo
Last Nation
Julia Jamieson
Loathing in Paradise
Quanche
Infra Red
Wasun
Tasha/Wayne Anderson & others
Falyan Johnson

Saturday, July 12, 2008
Elders Vs. Youth Lacrosse Game 3pm
- To sign up and show the Elders what ya got, just contact us

Traditional Social 7:30pm
- Tyendinaga Mens Youth Singing Group will put on this Social for all the Youth and Elders

Sunday, July 13 2008
March for a Youth Centre 1pm
- Takin' a stand and raising our voices on the one resource that has been needed in this community for decades...

Community Healing Ceremony 4pm
- Traditional Ceremony to heal the community as one

Ongoing Discussions/ACTION:
- Leadership/Change
- The Great Law
- Violence
- Land Claims
- The Environment
- Healthy Living
- Traditional Roles
- Racism
- Pride
- Etc....

Art Tent
- For all those artists out there - we got u covered w/supplies - soap stone, paint, spray paint (for Graffiti art) - and a huge MURAL to paint by Youth for the Community

Elders Tent
- We got some really cool elders comin down to support the Youth - but if you know anyone who you think would be cool w/talkin to the Youth - contact us or just bring em along! This will be the place to listen and talk to some of the communities finest Leaders...

==========================

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SOOO... Basically anything you guys wanna do, we got u covered

BUT - if you know of any cool speakers, performers, Bands, Rap artists - or especially if u know anyone who could sponsor this Huge endeavor then CONTACT US!!!!

delegationofsnyouth@hotmail.com
519-754-5209

OR Facebook message us!!

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OUR MEETING IS TONIGHT @ 6pm at the Social Services Building - so don't be shy - come and take a stand and DO SOMETHING!

If you can't make it tonight then we will be meeting on Saturday @ 10am at the Six Nations Library - so make it if u can!!!

XOXO
see you all there!!

The Reality of our Future Generations - A call to action

2008-06-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

As many of you know there is a massive political movement happening on Six Nations, the key line being “For our ‘future generations’”. In my opinion, this ideology and concept has almost lost its meaning in the crossfire of discussions being held. Don’t get me wrong I love that there is discussions going on, but I pose a serious statement: any land or financial compensation that is gotten will go to waste unless there is a social movement equal to that of the political one.

For example, take a look at our past:

A young boy is called into the principal’s office only to find that his sister is there, he is then forced to have sex with her while the principal watches and masturbates.

A young boy is placed in solitary confinement for attempting to escape.

A young boy dies and his body is buried, his parents are not notified.

These are all real events that occurred in residential schools; possibly a similar event occurred to a relative of yours. All of the children have one thing in common: they were prohibited to practice their ceremonies. They were punished for speaking the language. If the children did not experience sexual, emotional, or physical abuse first hand, then they witnessed it.

Now, these are our parents and grandparents. And therein lies the problem: would you be able to raise your children in a healthy productive manner if you were one of these students?

Our people are hurting weather you recognize it or not. The works of the government has affected you on an every day, social, and personal level. As a result, our community is broken, lost and directionless. It's not our fault. However, we are to blame if we allow this cycle to continue.

Although we are one of the most economically stable aboriginal communities in Canada, we are faced with a significant amount of other problems. Everybody who’s ever been out knows how intense drugs and specifically coke is raging throughout our community. We all hit the bottle more than we should. We all have trouble with how to cope. We all have been in or witnessed an extremely unhealthy partner relationship. We all have some degree of self esteem issues. We have all experienced sum form of discomfort and discontent with the education system. We all want to become more knowledgeable in our traditional ways.

This is the current reality of our future generations right now.

This is what we are fighting against.

And no matter how much money we get from these negotiations, it will mean nothing to our People, because to me, the answer to our healing lies in the Youth. This is where the tarnish of our spirit was created and this is were it needs to be cleaned. We need a place in which we can permit our children to grow as an individual so we are able to grow as a community. Once we begin to raise our children right we will prosper and begin to meet our full potential. It will take a lot of work but once the ball is rolling it'll get easier as it picks up speed.

So how do we do this? Well there is already an event that is taking place, which seeks to fulfill this void for the Youth – the Six Nations Youth Rally that is being planned for July 11-13 at Cheifswood Park. Here we are looking to finally start healing these wounds and build our community through the Youth. Hopefully, together we can inspire, involve and empower ourselves and all the other Youth in the Community. We can unify. Not only through discussions and ceremony, but through action.

So, you we really believe in the Future Generations, then I challenge you to come to the Six Nations Youth Rally to support, teach and most importantly listen to your future generation.

Whether you’re a Youth, Elder, Mohawk, Cayuga, Longhouse, Christian or whatever, let's all stand up together and put a face to the future generations our leaders speak so much of and finally DO SOMETHING!

I will see you all there.

Tahnee Wilson
Six Nations Youth
Delegation of Six Nations Youth

Update - Meeting June 4th

2008-06-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

There was a quite a few new faces at the meeting this week. We were joined by a representative from New Directions and a few other awesome youth. It was a short meeting but we accomplished a couple of things:

- We are now, with the help of New Directions, reaching out to any and all Six-Nations based (and urban-native-based) organizations that can assist us in the organizing, implementation, funding or any other aspect of this event. So if you know of any organizations contact us or come to the meetings every Tuesday at 6pm at the Social Services Building in Ohsweken.

- We are also still searching for BIG names (bands, performers, artists, etc.) to come out and support the youth at this Youth Rally. -- SO if you know any, contact us or contact THEM and THEN contact us (it'll save us a lot of work...lol...)!!

- Dakota Brant also informed everyone that there will be a Spaghetti Fundraiser on FRIDAY JUNE 6TH FROM 6-8PM AT THE VETERANS HALL for the Spirit of the Youth UNITY RUN 2008. So come on out if you want some good food and lots of fun!

Again, the meeting was kept short as a lot of people couldn't make it this week and there were other meetings people had to attend, but we are going full-ahead at next week's meeting so JOIN US!!!

Update -- May 27th Meeting

2008-05-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

There was only a few of us at the meeting but the main things we are looking at right now are:

1. Preparing our Budget for the event to start applying for various funding
2. Getting more big names (Bands, Artists and speakers) to come to our event and donate their time for the youth
3. Partnering up with different community and youth-based organizations on Six Nations to make this event a community effort.
4. Finally starting to put info on this event out into the community through our own media outlets.
5. Getting more youth and elders to come to our meeting so that we can accomplish our goals more quickly (and it doesn't fall on only a few people's backs)

So if anyone has any info on any of these speaking points or can help out in any way - email us at delegationofsnyouth@hotmail.com or call at 416-662-5438 (ask for melissa) OR you can get us on our facebook group/event page!

What Help Do We Need?

2008-05-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

The only way we, the Delegation of Six Nations Youth can even hope to put on this Youth Rally is through the assistance of the Six Nations community at all levels of planning and implementation of it. It is apparent that we need the assistance of our community - this HAS to be a community effort!!

Donation/Support Needed List

Immediate Needs:

MONETARY DONATIONS
COMPANY SPONSORS
Delegates from community organizations/ businesses to ATTEND MEETINGS (every Tuesday @ 6pm at the Social Services Building)
ACTIVE PROMOTION OF RALLY to Youth AND Elders (through mass distribution of flyers, word of mouth, media coverage, etc.)

Supplies:

Water
Food (canned, meat, potatoes, catering services, etc.)
Art Supplies (Soap stone, large canvas, spray paint, tempera paint, paint brushes, markers)
Large Canopy Tents
Tables
Tobacco (and other traditional medicine)
Poster board, flip charts, paper, pens, pencils, etc.
Wood (for Sacred Fire)
Walkie-Talkies
Flashlights

Interactive Speakers/Workshop Coordinators on Issues:

Leadership(change)
Healthy Living
Non-Violence
The Great Law and other Haudenosaunee Traditions
Land Claims
The Environment
Traditional Roles (Men & Women, Elders & Youth, etc.)
Education
Pride
Racism
Bullying

Volunteers:

Elders
Cooks
Security
Parking
Registration
Clean-up personal
Assistants for Art & Elders Tents

AND ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING ELSE!

***We especially need organizers and workshop coordinators -- so if you can't do it, find someone who can and COME TO OUR MEETINGS:

EVERY TUESDAY @ 6PM AT THE SIX NATIONS SOCIAL SERVICES BUILDING IN THE BOARD ROOM!

or contact us at:
delegationofsnyouth@hotmail.com
416-662-5438 (ask for Melissa)

The Delegation of Six Nations Youth

2008-05-27T12:56:00.001-07:00

The Delegation of Six Nations Youth is really just a group of youth have been advocating for a the involvement and inclusion of youth in Six Nations since creation in early 2007.

Some of the things we have done so far are:

A protest and toll-booth last summer (2007) on the National Aboriginal Day of Action (June 29th) on Highway 54. While on the hwy - we handed out copies of our statement and collected donations for the building of a MUCH need Youth Rally for Six Nations.

Our Statement read:

Delegation of Six Nations Youth

On this June 29th, we the Delegation have decided to take action and collectively voice our concerns regarding our territory. These are our major concerns. We ask you to read them, internalize them, and DO SOMETHING!

1. Abuse programs do NOT get to the root of the problems in our community.
2. Loss of connection to the Earth.
3. YOUTH CENTRE!!!
4. Misinterpretation of traditional roles.
5. No solid base for Youth Empowerment
6. The dominant educational system blocks cultural knowledge
7. Education should not be viewed as a weapon, but as a tool.
8. Hate and resentment should NOT be passed down to our generation. It is immature and stunts our growth!
9. Native funding is designed to avoid the problem rather than solve it.
10. The effort should be made to support Youth in cultural endeavors.
11. Factionalism is against the Law. The Great Law! We need to get past exclusive mindsets and fill the seats of the Confederacy!
12. Parents need to take the initiative to all their children to be put in situations where culture is available.

YOU SAY YOU STAND FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS, WELL, HERE WE ARE! PLEASE LISTEN TO OUR CONCERNS AND HELP US STAND FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS!

- As well, this year, at a joint meeting between Six Nations Band Council and Confederacy Council, the Delegation of Six Nations Youth developed another hand-out was developed and distributed to the leaders with one main message:

WHERE DO OUR PRIORITIES LIE??? A new Bingo Hall is being built on Six Nations while a Youth Centre is still on the back-burner.

NOW we are planning this Youth Rally to get ALL Six Nations Youth on board to start getting our concerns heard in the community and FINALLY build a Youth and Elders Centre!!!

Indigenous Youth Declaration

2008-05-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

This it the Youth Declaration that was created at the International Indigenous Elders Summit 2004 which was held on Six Nations territory. This was the last time that Six Nations Youth came together with other indigenous youth to make a statement to the world - AND LOOK WHAT HAS SINCE HAPPENED! It has been carried across Turtle Island with the Six-Nations-based youth group: Spirit of the Youth Working Group and their Unity Run (2005-2008). It was also presented at the United Nations in 2007 at the “UN International day of the Worlds Indigenous People” and at the Fourth Annual Youth Assembly. In 2008 it was presented to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

INDIGENOUS YOUTH DECLARATION
KINDLING THE FIRE

We as Indigenous Youth have gathered on Haudenosaunee territory for four years to share our achievements and future prospects on peace and unity. We are the seventh generation and we accept the responsibility for the prosperity of the future generations and of our Mother Earth. Our Ancestors look to us to repeat the words that once fell on deaf ears and to stand strong as one. As our leaders have done before us, we as Indigenous Youth unify in order to rise to the challenge of continuing to wipe the tears of all nations. The Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island wish to reach our goals and to share with the world, peace and unity. We will continue to collectively gather all peoples to push our motion forward. The following statements call for immediate action. Our collective minds and hearts herby declare the following a living document;

The Voices of the Youth

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call for our voice to be recognized and respected as equals.

We call for effective and active participation at all gatherings and councils to network, debate and to contribute to decisions on all matters affecting us and our communities.

Education

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call historical truths to be told;

All books that are used in the education system must be rewritten to include the stories of Indigenous peoples, written from the perspective of Indigenous voice.

Indigenous Peoples have the choice to provide education which serves our best interests to preserve our culture for the coming faces.

Indigenous youth must be educated in the rights we have as people

We will create educational, social and recreational programs and opportunities to promote, encourage, and maintain healthy traditional lifestyles, which nurtures our talents whether they be traditional, artistic, athletic or academic.

All programs must be supported by our communities, elders, states, and international institutions.

Protecting/Preserving Language

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call for opportunities for our children to learn their native language as their original language.

We call for more high quality programs be created and that funding be allocated to revive our Indigenous Language.

We call for language programs to be made available to all Indigenous peoples whether they live off or on territories.

Treaties

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call for that each and every one of our treaties be honoured.

We call for all negotiations and discussions between governments and nations be fair and respectful.

We will assert jurisdiction over our lands and resources.

Discrimination

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call for the discrimination against Indigenous Peoples to not be tolerated.

We call for all government policies, acts and laws which discriminate against Indigenous Peoples be abolished immediately.

We call for all internal discrimination against youth, elders and groups of people within our communities to stop immediately.

We call for all external discrimination against any other race, religion or culture to be stopped immediately.

Respect of Our Culture

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call for unrestricted access to our traditional, historical artifacts whether they are in museums, private collections or any other possession.

Our traditional ceremonies must be recognized and respected by governments, school boards, business owners and the greater society as equal to other religious holidays and practices.

We will not allow our culture and tradition to be defined by outside or foreign influences.

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call for media to highlight the positive aspects of Indigenous culture rather than perpetuate stereotypes.

We call for all news reports relating to Indigenous peoples to accurately represent our perspective.

Media black-outs cannot be tolerated.

We call for governments and international forums to support Indigenous created media bodies.

Colonization

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island refuse to be subject to any form of colonization.

We refuse to allow all previous effects of colonization to pass onto the next seven generations. All hate, resentment and anguish ends now.

We must reestablish the connection between the youth and the elders and work towards unity.

We forgive all peoples who have damaged our culture, lands and our people.

We ask that all peoples of Mother Earth join us in this healing.

Our Mother Earth

We as Indigenous Youth of Turtle Island call for that our Mother Earth be protected at all costs.

We call for unrestricted access to sacred sites. Sacred sties must be maintained in their natural, original state.

We call for all environmentally destructive behaviors to stop immediately. The health and well-being of our people and our ceremonies is dependent on the well-being of our Mother Earth.

We as Indigenous peoples need to re-establish our connection to the land.

We need states and multinational forums and organizations to assist and join us in reconnecting and healing all life.

As guardians we implore ourselves to take action to protect, preserve and restore Mother Earth and all creation.

We as Indigenous Youth are going to apply to these statements to our personal lives, communities, and world to the best of our ability and look for others to do the same.

spiritoftheyouth@hotmail.com
www.myspace.com/spiritoftheyouth
melissa_elliott04@hotmail.com

YOUTH RALLY?!?!?!

2008-05-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

It is a widely known fact that more Youth need to be educated, included and empowered within Six Nations and all Indigenous communities. Especially with the many land claim issues, the negotiations, the lack of youth centre, the violence and drug related deaths and other issues within our community --the education, organization and empowerment of Six Nations Youth is all the more needed.

Therefore, the Delegation of Six Nations Youth ARE OFFICIALLY PLANNING FOR A SIX NATIONS YOUTH RALLY 2008!!!!!!

The Six Nations Youth Rally 2008 is a youth organized and run event that will occur between July 11-13, 2008 at Chiefswood Park.

It has a couple of purposes:

1. To start the process of building a Youth Centre on Six Nations with the support and vision of ALL the Six Nations Youth.

2. To involve, inspire, and empower all the youth up to start making positive change and getting involved w/the stuff happening on Six Nations.

3. To get the youth together, have fun, cause some havoc and call for Unity and the inclusion of the Youth voice on Six Nations!

WHAT ARE WE DOING?
A Hip-Hop/Rock Concert

Elder vs. Youth Lacrosse Game

Traditional Teachings

March for a Youth Centre

Creation of a Spray-Paint Mural

Surprise Guests

Free Food (like always)

& MORE!!!

Haudenosaunee Youth Prophecy

2008-05-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

Jake Swamps gave this message at the United Nations Cry of the Earth Conference, November 22, 1993:

"I am going to talk about the symbol of the Tree of Peace as it relates to what it was prophesied in the time when our Peoples in those times were destroying one another through the use of weapons and warfare. When the Peacemaker completed and he saw the leaders, he asked them to stand in a circle with joined hands, and with the Tree in the center.

He told them that one day, this would happen: somewhere, from some direction, a people will come. And they will bring with them sharp objects, and then they will start to chop at the roots of Peace. The Tree will weaken for a time. And then the Tree will start to fall.

It will fall on the joined hands of the leaders. And he instructed them to be strong when that time arrives. ‘Do not lose your grip’ he told them, ‘For if you do, the Peace will never return.

For in those times when you are burdened by its heaviness and its weight, there will be a great many children born. And when they observe you in pain, of the burden that you have carried, they will move forward and they will help you to raise the Tree of Peace again.’"

http://oneprayer.org/leon_shenandoah_cry_of_the_earth.html

- This is a prophecy about the Haudenosaunee Youth helping our leaders to stand the Tree of Peace upright again.

Though this Rally isn't going to solve everything, it is one large step towards upraising the Tree of Peace. Let us bring unity once more!