The Hill News Land Acknowledgement

By Delaney Smith Last updated Mar 29, 2022

Editor in Chief Delaney Smith acknowledge the history behind and the continued occupation of St. Lawrence University on Indigenous lands. Image Credit: St. Lawrence University.

Established in 1856, St. Lawrence University is among the other historically white and heteronormative institutions that have contributed to colonialism in the United States. It is important that we understand these contributions, both historically and contemporarily. Colonialism is not isolated to a historical context, and we must be mindful of how land is an important factor in the continuation of colonial practices. Acknowledging that our continued occupation of indigenous land undermines our efforts at reparations to their communities is essential and marks the beginning of our communal conceptualization of a torrid reality that we’ve had the luxury of ignoring for so long.

As an institution that not only represents St. Lawrence University but reflects its values and culture, the Hill News has often reproduced colonial rhetoric. It is our prerogative to represent the interests of students and community members, which has largely featured a stream of dominant white voices. While we recognize the value of thoughtful contributions from our white peers who are seeking an inclusive community, we also wish to amplify the voices of those most familiarized with the consequences of colonialism. Furthermore, we’ve initiated the process of diversifying the content of our paper to include international news and have removed the use of gender binaries in our headlines. Namely, we have adapted our oldest column (and crowd favorite) Bachelor/Bachelorette to Bachelorex. This is the first step of many in the decolonization of our content. Today, we are publishing our own land acknowledgment statement to illustrate the means by which we’ve gained our privilege in dominating discourse at St. Lawrence University.

The Hill News editorial board acknowledges St. Lawrence University’s continued occupation of Indigenous lands. In particular, we honor the heritage and existing cultures of the Haudenosaunee peoples, made up of the five distinct nations that many now recognize as the Iroquois confederacy (Iroquois Confederacy (Kanienʼkehá꞉ka /Mohawk, Onyota’a:ka /Oneida, Onondagaono/Onondaga, Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ /Cayuga, Onongawaga/Seneca, and Skarureh /Tuscarora). Of these nations, the Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk) and the Onyota’a:ka (Oneida) are most commonly associated with the land along Kaniatarowanenneh, or the St. Lawrence River.

Federally recognized as the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne lies just 40 miles from the St. Lawrence University campus. The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) is composed of elected leaders from the three districts within Akwesasne: Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island), Kana:takon (St. Regis), and Tsi Snaihne (Snye). According to the MCA official website, the continued preservation of the Kanien’keha (Mohawk) language is a priority for the council. The Akwesasne Library and Cultural Center is a great resource for those looking to learn more about the cultural significance of local Mohawk populations. In fact, the Awkwasasne community has opened its doors to the general public for the purposes of cultural enrichment in several other ways, including the Ronnathahonni Cultural Center, annual Pow-Wows, and Friendship Days. While Mohawk people are known for their generosity in sharing their cultural heritage, they are also renowned for their solidified commitment to reclaiming their land. With a unique position along the border of Canada and the U.S, community leaders have had to be diligent about fighting existing legislation that limits land access.

Similarly, the Oneida have been working to reclaim their ancestral land. Even though members of the Oneida Nation were promised that they would retain their land if they fought alongside the colonists during the American Revolutionary War, more than five million acres of land were stolen from them shortly after. Because of this, many of the Oneida people migrated to Wisconsin when the federal government proposed a treaty that designated 65,400-acres of land for the Oneida Indian Reservation along Duck Creek. For 200 years, the majority of the Oneida nation has resided there. This is a remarkable accomplishment, considering the continued local resistance to their occupation of the land. In 1985, the City of Green Bay, the Town of Hobart, and the Fort Howard Paper Corporation filed a legal suit that challenged the existence of the Oneida reservation. Surprisingly, the supreme court supported the right of the Onedia people to their land. Indian Country Today reported that in 2002, the court officially recommended that $225 million in federal and state funds be supplied for the Oneida Nation of New York to buy back 250,000-acres of their land, with the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin and Oneida of the Thames (Ontario) also receiving $250 million and $25 million, respectively. Unfortunately, the Wisconsin and Ontario Oneida populations were not granted sovereignty rights over their land (as of 2018).

Currently, the people of Oneida nation live under the 1936 Oneida Constitution. The Oneida government includes the General Tribal Council, Oneida Business Committee, and the Oneida Judiciary. Within Oneida Nation, there are three distinct clans: turtle (keepers of the land), bear (healers), and wolf (guiders, pathfinders). The Oneida are matrilineal, which means their family and clan identities come from their mother’s side. For instance, when a man and woman marry, the man will move into the woman’s home. This is a very distinct way of life that falls outside the patriarchal norms that are so culturally salient in the Americas.

The Mohawk and Oneida nations are among many other indigenous populations fighting to preserve their spiritual connection to the land while fostering their current communities. It is a responsibility of non-native inhabitants to amplify the voices of indigenous nations while honoring their continued contributions to the political, economic, and cultural landscapes of the place we all call home. Acknowledging our occupation of indigenous land is only the first step in a series of movements toward land reclamation and productive dialogue. The Hill News staff recognizes the pervasiveness of colonialism in the media and seeks to prioritize publishing a paper that reflects our honesty and integrity. We cannot do so without first honoring the heritage and existing cultures of the Haudenosaunee peoples, who occupy this land both physically and spiritually.

If any of the information above is found to be factually incorrect, we encourage you to email dgsmit18@stlawu.edu so that the appropriate information may be published online. If you are familiar with the history or modern cultural practices of any of the Haudenosaunee peoples, we encourage you to share this information with us. Or, if you are so inclined, write your own piece and allow us to publish it for the campus to enjoy.