National Day of Action 2008
Chief Florence Phillips in Ottawa on May 29th
Speech from Chief Florence Phillips,
Mohawks of Akwesasne
May 29, 2008,
Ottawa
In September of 2007, 143 countries of the United Nations approved the adoption of a declaration that recognizes, “the right of indigenous families and communities to retain shared responsibility for the upbringing, training, education and well-being of their children, consistent with the rights of the child.”
Unfortunately, Canada was not one of the 143 countries to accept ‘Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’.
This is unacceptable to me as a First Nations leader, a First Nations Grandmother, a First Nations Mother and as a women in Canada.
For most Canadians, Canada is seen as a wealthy, bountiful, and structured country. But Canada’s refusal to accept the basic rights of First Nations people reveals a side of it that belongs in the past.
I don’t believe that all of the people in Canada support that government decision.
I have been on Council for nine years and in that time I have had the opportunity to meet the Former Prime Minister of Canada, many Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Assistant Deputy Ministers for Canada.
I know that all of these people are elected officials, just as I am. They are just as committed as we are to helping our communities.
The one thing I realize we have in common – is – we are all human.
And, as humans we each have love, hopes, dreams, and most of all – we all dream of a better Canada, just as we dream of a better appreciation and existence within Canada.
Physically, I know they attend meetings as much as we do; they travel as much – or more – as we do, so I know that they know the physical toll it takes to be out there helping our communities every day.
The people of the Haudenausaunee respect the strength of our Women, and our traditional form of government empowers women as ‘Clan Mothers’ to select our Chiefs.
It took Canada many years to recognize the rights of its women – but today they have – there has even been a Canadian Woman Prime Minister.
Our people recognize that our common strength starts at birth.
We watched our Children grow and identified the strengths they had to contribute to the community and we nurtured that strength.
For decades, Canada took that responsibility away from us as they forced our children into residential schools. Now, Canada can atone for its wrongs by signing the ‘Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’.
Again, it is hard for me to believe they would not sign – because – the commonality is we are human and equal.
As First Nation leaders, we are elected to be responsible for communicating the major issues facing our people – Poverty, loss of our language, fairness in aw as well as practice, and education.
As women, we are not only inherently responsible for communicating these issues, but we are inherently responsible for doing everything and anything we can do to address them.
I am here as a First Nations’ leader and as a First Nations woman to say that I do not accept the poverty and prejudice that our children are still facing.
I should be able to speak this in my native language and our children should be able to understand what I say, just as the French Canadian or other parents speak their language and dream of their children understanding.
Canada has a long history of grief to accept and over come. They are sometimes pulled by media exploits and those who are self indulgent. But I also see they are strong in the same way that we are strong.
When the Haudenausaunee (Iroquois) open our meetings, and community gatherings we give thanks to everything that brings life every day. The first reference is always to the ‘People’. The ending is always “let us bring our minds as one”
…(Tho niion tonhak ne on kwa ni kon rah).
In modern time in Canada, there are many times that our minds are as one:
When we sit in a theatre and cheer on the hero we are of one mind;
When we care for our husbands and aging parents we are of one mind;
When we love our children, we are of one mind;
When we want to pass on the wonderful customs and traditions of our grandparents we are of one mind.
When we send our young men and women in search of peace we are of one mind.
There are many other ways we are of one mind.
I have had the opportunity to observe Canadian leadership and I have has the privilege to meet many of them who hold the same ideas of strong communities.
Together, I know we can build a country of proud young people who can carry on the heritage we leave to them.
Canada, we can work together to teach them to do it with courage, respect, honour – and in peace.
Tenneh Tho.
