Onondaga
by Ivan Smason
Adjudicators and teachers of the law
Organizers of the Harvest Festival and Midwinter Ceremonials
The Green Corn Festival, the Strawberry Festival and
The Maple Sugar Festival; Keepers of the faith
Ha-wah-ne-u—the Creator—knows it to be true
The Peacemaker knew it to be true
Hiawatha knew it to be true
The False Face Society knew it to be true
Custodial chiefs of the four sacred rituals:
The Feather Dance, Thanksgiving Dance
The Personal Chant and the Bowl Game
Great champions of the lacrosse fields
The People on the Hills know it to be true
The Tadodaho knew it to be true
The Prophet Handsome Lake knew it to be true
Chief Shenandoah knew it to be true
That the treaties of land cession were not proper
To the people of the Ever-growing Tree
The sovereign Bearers of the Grand Central Council Fire
And the sacred wampum beaded belts
The Iroquois Nation knew it to be true
The League of the Haudenosaunee knew it to be true
The Five Nations and the Six Nations knew it to be true
The pale-faced Americans know it to be true
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