NYC Proclamation in support of the Two Row Wampum
The sovereign nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois or “People of the Long House”) lived sustainably in the region that now includes most of New York State for many hundreds of years before the arrival of European colonists; and
WHEREAS: In 2013, the Haudenosaunee together with their non-Native allies have chosen to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Two Row Wampum Treaty, the first agreement between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and European settles; and
WHEREAS: New Yorkers and others in the wider region greatly benefit from the many contributions of the Haudenosaunee and other Native peoples in culture, environmental understanding, political philosophy and spiritual awareness; and
WHEREAS: The Two Row Wampum Treaty began what was intended to be a Covenant of Friendship symbolized by a silver chain linking our peoples together through a series of agreements with the Dutch, British, French and the United States of America. The Haudenosaunee have consistently and repeatedly sought to uphold the Two Row Wampum as the basis for relations among nations living in peace and friendship; and
WHEREAS: On September 13, 2006, the United National General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a resolution long-championed by the Onondaga Nation, which recognizes the “urgent need to respect and promote the inherent rights of indigenous peoples which derive from their political, economic and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies, especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources”; and
WHEREAS: The Haudenosaunee and other native people have persistently maintained their spiritual and cultural practices and, in some cases, their traditional governing structure despite long-term efforts to subvert those practices. The Haudenosaunee have consistently sought diplomatic means to resolve problems with neighboring governments and peoples; and
WHEREAS: The people of the City of New York and the Haudenosaunee can both benefit from a mutual collaboration and friendship to protect the environment on which we all depend. Everyone benefit from a respect for the culture, spirituality, and way of life of the Haudenosaunee and of New Yorkers while travelling on their own mutual paths through life; now therefore
BE IT KNOWN: That I, Rosie Mendez, Council Member of the 2nd District, is proud to join the Haudenosaunee in honoring
The Two Row Wampum Treaty
in commemoration of its
400TH ANNIVERSARY
and its ongoing efforts to protect the Earth for current and future generations.
Signed this 17th day of July in the year Twenty Thirteen.
_____________________________
ROSIE MENDEZ
Council Member, 2nd District
Manhattan
_____________________________
GALE A. BREWER
Council Member, 6th District
Manhattan
_____________________________
DANIEL R. GARODNICK
Council Member, 4th District
