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June 19, 2013 5:00 pm
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 13, 2013
For More Information – Lindsay Speer, Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, 315-383-7210 or 315-475-2559
Liverpool, NY— A day-long educational and cultural festival – the main Syracuse event for the statewide Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign – is set for Tuesday, July 2 from 12 noon to 9 pm at Willow Bay on the north end of Onondaga Lake. Onondaga paddlers launch that morning from the Onondaga Nation on a 14 day trip to Albany, NY. At the Inner Harbor, non-native allies will join them to paddle in two rows across Onondaga Lake, landing at the festival at Willow Bay, bringing to life the imagery of the Two Row Wampum belt. The symbolism represents the ability to live side-by-side in peace and friendship, respecting each others’ distinct ways of life and sovereignty, recognizing a joint responsibility to care for the environment.
“While the main paddling journey for this year-long campaign is from Albany to New York City down the Hudson River,” notes event organizer Terry Eckert, “we’re excited that Central New Yorkers will have the opportunity to see this 400 year old treaty brought to life here in our community and to learn about the importance of this founding agreement of peace and friendship. Our family-friendly event will offer many ways to appreciate and learn about this culture and history.”
The festival will feature presentations by Tonawanda Seneca educator Jamie Jacobs, ecologist and author Sandra Steingraber, Jake Edwards of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs, Onondaga Nation General Counsel Joe Heath and others. The diverse musical performers include Daygots, Cornbred, Colleen Kattau, Akuma Roots and the Gunrunners. The Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers will lead participatory social dancing and the free event includes children’s activities and stories, Haudenosaunee artisans, native foods and more.
Hickory Edwards, of the Onondaga Nation Kayak and Canoe Club, has spent the past five years reviving the use of his peoples’ ancient waterways. He will lead both the paddle from Onondaga to Albany and then the longer trip from Albany to New York City on July 28-August 9. “Our ancestors made this great agreement on our behalf 400 years ago. Now is the time for us to think about the people living in the next 400 years.”
Partial support for the July 2 Festival is provided by CNYArts. To learn more, call 315-701-1592 or visit www.HonorTheTwoRow.org.
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The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign is a joint project between native and non-native peoples to raise awareness of the first treaty between the Haudenosaunee and European settlers, created 400 years ago this year. It explains how to coexist together in peace and friendship, and the shared responsibility to take care of the environment. The project was officially endorsed by the Haudenosaunee Grand Council of Chiefs in January, 2013 and involves people from all six Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) nations. The Haudenosaunee are also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The campaign is co-sponsored by over 85 organizations statewide.
Onondaga Nation clanmother Wendy Gonyea and Two Row Campaign Coordinator Andy Mager were interviewed on Native Web Radio out of Victoria, British Columbia on June 11. The half hour show is hosted by Mohawk poet and activist Janet Rogers. Give a listen.
For only $20 you can proudly wear this beautiful t-shirt, or give it to a friend. Discounts are available for Two Row paddlers. They’re available in natural (pictured above), purple and moss. All shirts are organic cotton and the purple ones are a blend with recycled plastic bottles! You can get them at our office, 2013 E. Genesee St. as well as at many upcoming events:
Monday June 3rd- Sunday June 9th
6/9/2013 “Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign” (SculptingEarth) – [blog]
…it felt so right to walk on the land and paddle across cayuga waters for three days and three nights learning about, spreading awareness around, and living the way of the two row wampum treaty. And the plants and animals seemed to agree. Three blue herons flew over us as we paddled the first day. And two foxes ran along the edge of the railroad tracks…The cows on the farms stood at attention and watched us, every single one of them following us with their big brown eyes, saluting our cause it seemed. The animals were saying yes. This is right. Walk together. Paddle together. For peace and harmony.
6/9/2013 “Letter: Share and Protect the Environment” (Times Union)
6/7/2013 “Two Row Wampum Celebrates 400 Years of Friendship” (The Citizen) – On the front page!
“This stuff concerns everyone,” said Dan Hill, council member of the Heron Clan, a Cayuga Nation group. ‘It wasn’t just one side out there today, it was everyone together.”
Hill said that a presence on the water during the event was important because one of the most significant aspects of the centuries-old treaty is a commitment to sustainability and protecting nature. The Cayugas also wanted to show future generations the importance of preserving the environment that surrounds them.
6/7/2013 “400 Years: Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign” (WAMC) – [extended version on audio]
In Lyons’ words, “As long as the grass grows green, water flows downhill, and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the wampum belt has meaning.”
Lyons is among a group of advocates who won’t let the Two Row Wampum belt become a “lost artifact.”
6/5/2013 “Journey Commemorates 400-Year-Old Treaty” (YNN)
6/5/2013 “Two Row Wampum Campaign Marking 400th Anniversary of First Haudenosaunee Treaty” (Ithaca Times) – On the front page!
“The importance of it is for both vessels to understand what’s happening with the environment, with the neglect of the environment, and also with the honoring of the treaties,” said Edwards. “The native peoples in North America are suffering because of broken treaties. So this is a wakeup call to the American people to persuade their governments to start honoring the treaties.”
6/4/2013 “Paddlers Launch Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign” (Ithaca Journal)
June 2013 “Sharing the River of Life” (NYS Conservationist) – Written by Aya Yamamoto, organizer, educator and paddler for the Two Row Wampum Campaign.
The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign is a grassroots educational campaign encouraging United States citizens to honor native treaties and protect the Earth. The campaign seeks to unite neighbors on themes of justice and environmental healing for the good of all future generations, using the Two Row Wampum as a model.
Ithaca residents have taken it on themselves this spring to organize local demonstrations of support for the Two Row Wampum, including a float in the Ithaca Festival parade on 5/29, and their own paddle and walk from Stewart Park in Ithaca to the Cayuga SHARE Farm near Union Springs over three days.
The sun shone brightly on the first day, and Cayuga Lake was calm and inviting. Eight canoes and kayaks, as well as one paddleboard launched from shore. An equal number of walkers departed from Stewart Park after a morning gathering that attracted a crowd of 45 supporters, many of whom would join the walk or paddle at some point over the journey, or volunteer as ground crew.
The paddlers passed by the salt mines, saw two foxes, and three blue herons. The water stayed clear, and glassy calm the entirety of the first day. The walkers sang all the way up the hill on Route 34!
In the evening, some people returned to Ithaca to give 
statements in
support of the resolution being considered by the Ithaca Common Council. It passed unanimously, as it did in the City of Albany and the Town of Croton on Monday evening.
The second day began with a downpour and never quite stopped raining. That did not dampen spirits however, and the paddlers and walkers continued on their journey. The paddlers in particular reported it being a special experience out on the lake in the mist and the rain, where no boundary existed between water and sky.
I only planned on recording the walkers for a short bit as they headed out of Meyers Point Park, but found myself carried away and up the hill by the good spirits, drumming, and singing of the walkers. Even though we were walking along a busy rural highway, the act of slowing down and walking allowed me to see the world around me more clearly. I had time to study the front yards and fields, and to engage in conversation with the other walkers. It was very peaceful. Time ran on a natural scale again. Three miles and the equivalent of 40 flights of stairs later, I reluctantly departed. Among many experiences, I apparently missed horses and cows dancing to Craig’s drumming.
The walkers and paddlers arrived well ahead of schedule (spurred on by the promise of being dry, no doubt) at the Friends Meeting House in Poplar Ridge. There was yet another evening of good food, dancing, and good conversation.
The meeting in the Quaker Meetinghouse was very powerful, and even though it was a friendly crowd, they asked very pointed questions, seeking answers to the questions their neighbors often asked among themselves, although never directly to the Cayugas.
Dan Hill emphasized the need to be in dialog with each other. All the answers are not known, and they can only be worked out by talking. This is where the links of peace, friendship, and respect in the Two Row Wampum can guide us. Dan also emphasized the need to work together to protect the environment on which we all depend, citing fracking as a very real threat to all of us.
Friday morning was gray but the rain held off. That didn’t stop Dan and Donna from wanting to get wet, it seems, as they swamped their canoe halfway through the paddle, getting back in from a stop on shore!
The crowd at Wells College cheered as the paddlers rounded the point. Soon after, the drums of the walkers could be heard. Side by side they arrived at the boathouse at Wells College, to be greeted by the college President, Lisa Marsh Ryerson. Vic Munoz, Wells College professor and organizer of their First Nations and Indigenous Studies program, organized a lovely reception in the boathouse.
Everyone said it was a powerful experience, a chance to get to know each other and our different cultures, develop friendships, and deepen relationship with Cayuga Lake. And of course, good food always helps to bring people together. John said this may be the first walk/paddle that he came back from where he may have gained weight!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 5, 2013
For More Information
Lindsay Speer, Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, 315-383-7210 or 315-475-2559
Albany Common Council and Croton Town Board Both Unanimously Approve
Resolution of Support for the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign
Albany, NY—The Albany Common Council and the Croton Town Board both unanimously passed resolutions in support of the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign on June 3, 2013. Both are based on the draft resolution created by the campaign at the urging of supporters along the Hudson River. A similar resolution will be considered by the Ithaca Common Council this evening. Other governments considering the resolution include the Towns of Rosendale, Stony Point, Williamsville, and Woodstock, and the Ulster County Legislature.
The resolutions join the Two Row Campaign’s call to expand other practices and policies to protect the environment. They call on their citizens to build positive and respectful relations with their Native neighbors and with all Native Peoples. They also call on New York State to renew and polish the Covenant Chain established by the Two Row Wampum Agreement and to work cooperatively with the Haudenosaunee and all Native Nations to redress the injustices which have occurred. Finally, they call on the United States government to fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“I am happy and proud to support the Two Row Wampum campaign to remind us of the 400 year history of agreements between Native Peoples and the federal government,” stated Albany Common Council Member Dominick Calsolaro. “Many of these agreements have not been fulfilled and it is necessary to bring attention to the issue of a lack of effort by the government to fully implement the terms of treaties.”
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The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign is a joint project between Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation and the Onondaga Nation to raise awareness of the first treaty between the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and European settlers, created 400 years ago this year. It explains how to coexist together in peace and friendship, and the shared responsibility to take care of the environment. The project was officially endorsed by the Haudenosaunee Grand Council of Chiefs in January, 2013 and involves people from all six Haudenosaunee nations. The campaign is co-sponsored by over 85 organizations statewide. To learn more visit www.honorthetworow.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 3, 2013
For More Information
Lindsay Speer, Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, 315-383-7210 or 315-475-2559
Hon. Barbara Smith (518) 436-1279
Albany, NY—The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign comes to the Capital region on June 5 with a talk at Russell Sage College by Onondaga Nation Turtle Clan Faithkeeper, Oren Lyons. He will also participate in a press conference at 1 pm at Albany’s City Hall with Common Council Member Barbara Smith, regarding the resolution of support being considered by the Albany Common Council on June 3, 2013.
The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign is a joint project between native and non-native peoples to raise awareness of the first treaty between the Haudenosaunee and European settlers, created 400 years ago this year. It explains how to coexist together in peace and friendship, and the shared responsibility to take care of the environment. The project was officially endorsed by the Haudenosaunee Grand Council of Chiefs in January, 2013 and involves people from all six Haudenosaunee nations. The Haudenosaunee are also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The campaign is co-sponsored by over 85 organizations statewide.
The resolution being considered by the Albany Common Council expresses support for the year-long Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign. It recognizes the tarnishing of the relationship over the past 200 years, and calls for a renewal and polishing of the Silver Covenant Chain, the traditional basis of diplomacy between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch, English and Americans. The resolution joins the Campaign’s call to keep fracking out of New York State, and calls on the United States government to fully implement the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Albany Common Council Member Barbara Smith explained, “The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign honors a significant historical event when the indigenous Haudenosaunee people and European immigrants made a commitment to peacefully coexist with respect for each other and for the earth they shared. This model of cooperation continues to inspire us today.”
“I am happy and proud to support the Two Row Wampum campaign to remind us of the 400 year history of agreements between Native Peoples and the federal government,” stated Albany Common Council Member Dominick Calsolaro. “Many of these agreements have not been fulfilled and it is necessary to bring attention to the issue of a lack of effort by the government to fully implement the terms of treaties.”
“As Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, we have learned that honoring the Two Row Wampum Treaty -particularly the part that talks about commitment to not interfere in each other’s internal affairs – provides a good basis for working respectfully with the Onondaga Nation,” explained Andy Mager, Project Coordinator for the campaign. “Together, we are keeping fracking out of our area, benefitting all of us.”
“We’re looking for a healing,” explained Jake Edwards, of the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs. “It’s not that complicated. It starts with respect, and honor of our Mother Earth, for all of us to survive, for all of us to carry on… that’s where it starts. And if we work together, we can bring that healing to our Mother, so that we are all at peace.”
Capital Region events include:
The paddlers will take thirteen days to complete their journey, stopping in communities along the way. A large gathering will be held on August 3rd in Beacon, NY, also with the Dakota Unity Riders. The paddlers will land at Pier 96 in NYC on Friday, August 9th and make their way to the United Nations in honor of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. To learn more visit www.HonorTheTwoRow.org.
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An updated schedule of Two Row Wampum Campaign events has just been published. It includes a detailed schedule of the trip down the Hudson as well as events leading up to it.A brief photo essay by photographer Andrew Courtney, of the recent visit of Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign enactment committee members to Croton Point Park, which will be our campsite on August 6th.
The Two Row Campaign is gaining increasing media attention. Recent articles were published on Alternet, in the Auburn Citizen and the journal Minding Nature. Andrew Epstein’s piece in Alternet highlights the environmental aspects of the campaign. The Auburn Citizen article (west of Syracuse) focusses on the upcoming paddle and walk from Ithaca to the Cayuga Farm on June 5-7. The May 2013 issue of Minding Nature includes an article on the Two Row Campaign as well as a lengthier piece by Two Row Campaign education coordinator Jack Manno about the Great Law of Peace as a model for global leadership.
To assist with additional publicity and media work on the campaign, contact our publicity coordinator Lindsay Speer, 315-383-7210.