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United Nations New York City, USA - Haundensaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy citizen delivers introduction & statement for world review.

Given today, Thursday, May 22, 2003, at 11:00 a.m. by: Aiikowili'os, Danielle Schenandoah-Patterson, of the Onyota' "Ka Oneida Wolf Clan Haudenosaunee Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy.

Thank you all for coming. I would first like to read a brief prepared statement after which, I will be happy to answer questions.

On behalf of the Onyota'a:ka Oneida "People of the Standing Stone" who are part of the Haudenosaunee, I extend greetings to all elders, women, men, children and Nations of the World and respectfully thank them and you for permission and opportunity to speak TRUTHS about a very grave situation currently taking place within Haudenosaunee Territory, now known as Central New York.

I am a citizen of the Oneida Haudenosaunee,  which is part of and better known as the Iroquois Six Nations Confederacy. The Haudenosaunee Peoples are governed by the "Great Law of Peace", brought to the Haudenosaunee by the "Peacemaker", some say as long as 900 years ago. There is a 400 year of history - 'government to government' history - between the Haudenosaunee and the U.S. right here in New York State.

The European Colonists being impressed with the Democratic ideals and practices of the Haudenosaunee, copied the government structure of the Haudenosaunee when they formed their own new nation called the United States after winning independence from British rule with the assistance of the Oneida People, now known as the Consititution of the United States of America.

The Netherlands, France, England, United States and the Haudenosaunee enacted an agreement called the "Gus-wen-ta" or the "Two Row Wampum Treaty" which bound the Europeans and the US to respect the sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations, clearly stating that: All parties are to never interfere in one another's government. I am here to call attention to the current willful breach of that treaty by the U.S. Federal Government agency the Bureau of Indian Affairs and New York State.

Many People do not realize that American Indian land or reservations are "foreign soil" within the boundaries of the United States of America.   As such, people have been lead to believe we are American Citizens instead of American Indians - living within own aboriginal homeland.  Our land is foreign and our government and laws are independent from US Law.  Centuries of traditional values handed down from generation to generation provided us with the ways of our internal government, which is based upon democracy of the Iroquois"Great Law", there is no seperation of church or state.

In fact, in 1977, representatives of the Haudenosaunee traveled to Geneva Switzerland with Haudenosaunee Passports and were recognized throughout the World and the UN as a Sovereign Nation.  Our Nation's Representatives traveled to United Nations Headquarters then in order to deliver messages to the Non-Governmental Organizations conference on "Discrimination Against the Indigenous Populations of the Americas".

This week, myself, along with many other indigenous peoples attending the UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous People reported and in seeking assistance to find possible solutions for the current and ongoing struggles facing the Native people due to the United States Policies pertaining to our people.  Currently there is  no  process or procedure for emergency situations entitled to our Native peoples which has had enormous impact upon the native people in  various conflicts that have turned into horrible situations.   There is no other avenues for native people standing up for the rights of our people, land, cultural survival, except using the federal court systems which U.S. Congress enacted the 1968 ICRA,  which have been exercised & exhausted to no avail with no justice or assistance to address the human, civil, religious and constitutional rights of the native people.

I myself have been made homeless and driven from my sovereign homeland, the Oneida Territory of the Haudenosaunee, by an individual who was forced upon the Oneida People by appointment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the US Government.   As an INDIAN citizen of the Haudenosaunee Nation, I have come to seek Political asylum and help from the United Nations. 

In 1993,  the US government violated those historical Treaties between my Nation and Peoples and the Two Row Wampum Treaty by rejecting the decision of the Traditional Leaders of the Haudenosaunee and appointing a man called Ray Halbritter as my people's 'representative'. This was engaged by the BIA  OVER THE WRITTEN OBJECTIONS of the Haudenosaunee Leaders and Oneida Wolf Clan Mother whom the U.S. swore to honor and respect.

Just LAST OCTOBER 2002, I was seized and put in handcuffs by the thugs hired by this US imposed dictator, who entered my all native community consisting of women, elders and children, although the "Oneida Indian Nation of New York Enterprises, Nation Police are U.S. citizens who should be held accountable for violating and engaging in criminal actions against our people.  I was  driven 7 hours from the Oneida Indian Territory and imprisoned in a US prison where I was separated from my three children for 3 days until I was flown back to Oneida Territory in the Casino funded jet to stand 'trial' before the dictator's appointed NON-Oneida judges where in this tribal court, Halbritter has final say over all judges decisions and appeals.

AND WHAT WAS MY 'CRIME'?   I spoke out against this US appointed dictator - and for that, I was sentenced to have my home destroyed and made a refugee from my homeland and was imprisoned , threatened with more imprisonment in US prisons until I gave this dictator permission to demolish my own privately bought home although it met all New York State safey housing codes.   I stand here before you homeless and a refugee from my Haudenosaunee Homeland - being driven to seek aid from New York State until I can get asylum and assistance from the UN because I and my family are victims of the US policies against Indigenous Peoples.

I come here today to bring attention to the situation taking place not only within Haudenosaunee Territory but throughout the Indigenous People's within the borders of the country called the United States.   Dictators appointed and funded and supported by US Policies are being permitted and allowed to make arbitrary arrests followed by forced removal from our aboriginal homelands and demolition of our privately owned homes and other human, civil and religious rights violations all because such actions further the US policy of perpetrating cultural genocide against the Indigenous Peoples. 

Over the past TEN Years ever since the BIA designated Halbritter as 'representative', with the financial backing and encouragement of the US government.  Ray Halbritter has been permitted to cast out ALL Traditional Leaders of the Oneida Nation and replace them with his own appointed people who rubber stamp his dictates.  Ray Halbritter created his own 'private' Non-Oneida 'army' called the "Oneida Police" and appointed his own hired non-Oneida judges, former NY federal judges, who enforce his laws applying European concepts,  such as telling me the key to my release from prison and keeping my children was to turn over my home.  Within 24 hours my home was demolished.  That same judge then gave the order to have my children removed from me because I was then homeless.  

Overnight, hundreds of years of Treaties, Traditional governance and leadership principles were tossed into the refuse and replaced by a US appointed puppet who immediately ousted the Traditional leaders and appointed himself as 'leader' and 'Chief Executive Officer' of the Casino Cartel he called the People of the Turning Stone.  This done in one phone call from Senator Boehlert to President Clinton with a promise to give Clinton his NAFTA vote if Clinton would re-instate Halbritter after his removal by our Traditional ways.

The US appointee Halbritter and his self created 'government' are now negotiating to sell the Oneida People into bonded slavery to work 'casinos' in order to collect revenues for the State of New York.  New York Governor Pataki will veto any increase in the income taxes upon wealthy non-Indians BUT rushes to enter into 'gaming compacts' with Sovereign Indigenous Nations in order to have these Nations become 'tax collectors' for him by sharing 'revenues' from casinos.

The sovereign Nations are being tricked to give up land claims and heritage for the illusion of wealth to come from casinos - however, that wealth is not shared by ALL MEMBERS of that Nation - ONLY THOSE LIKE HALBRITTER who have been forced into power by the US policies. 

The Indian Nations in order to maintain the 'rights' under these new Treaties called 'compacts' must WORK THE CASINOS and collect tax revenues from the LOW and MIDDLE Income people who frequent these gambling business SO THAT Pataki does not have to increase income taxes on the more wealthy.  These Casinos are nothing more than a deception for shifting income taxes from the wealthy onto the low and middle income using the Indian Nations as the 'tax collector' for the State - all at the sacrifice of Sovereignty of the Indigenous Nations.

Because I and others spoke out against Halbritter and his US backed seizure of power, which was in reality was a US backed coups against the Haudenosaunee, Halbritter used his new powers to strip me and others of any and all rights to participate in the functions of the Oneida Nation. 

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy does not recognize Halbritter or the puppets appointed and employed to serve with him.  Because Halbritter does not practice a traditional or elective form of government, there is no process to remove him.

I am here to carry the message of the Great Peacemaker who 900 years ago, by example, brought the Haudenosaunee together through PEACE - no matter what he suffered at the hands of his People, the Great Peacemaker chose a POWERFUL Peaceful response.  Even though my mother has been brutalized by Halbritter's private thugs - even though my home has been destroyed by his US backed followers - even though I have been imprisoned and my children separated from me using the very homelessness created by Halbritter as the grounds - and even though many others of my family and extended family face the same - WE SPEAK FOR THE TRUTHS OF THE PEACEMAKER and petition the United Nations to intercede against the US policies aimed against our sovereignty and traditions - on behalf of myself and the Haudenosaunee - and for ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WITHIN the borders of what is known as the United States.  Please Take Me IN!  I am a political Refugee seeking Asylum.  Please allow me to establish a way for all Traditional people of this great land to have a voice against their suffering.

I am still here! We are still here! Ny'weh, Thank you. Do'Nay To