Chapter 10

Robert

As we planned, Kariwase and I will just snuggle and spend the next Two days as family. We will have our time for the rest of our lives. We also will be gone Two weeks for our time after the Nations Gathering has ended.

Know who won the pool? I got the what are you talking about look. I replied do not give me that look, who won the, when will we leave our room pool. Mrs. Ruth said the RSM, but if you had waited 15 minutes it would have been me.

Kariwase persuaded me to join in the afternoon contests. I chose the rifle and pistol. I beat the RSM by One point and Timothy by Three. RSM said this was the first time in Ten years he has not won and next year he will have to break my finger the day I arrive.

Kariwase entered my wedding moccasins in the craft contest and won first place. Our girls also won first place: April for my Gahsdo:wa. I had on for the Color Ceremony and wedding. Sandra for the dress she wore for the opening ceremony. Aleshia won for Isabella cradle board. And Elizabeth won for her bead work on the shirt I wore in the Wedding Ceremony. Mrs. Ruth and Consuela beamed with pride at how well the girls had learned the traditional crafts under their teaching and had to promise to record video lessons for others to learn from their skill.

The night ended with Traditional Ceremonial Dancing competition, Traditional Musical Instruments Competition, and Story Telling. The girls said next year they would compete in the Traditional Ceremonial Dancing and Musical Instruments Competition.

The RSM informed me that tomorrow at 0800 there would be a meeting of The Mohawk Nine Confederate Lords of the Fifty Sachems in council of the Six Nations, and it would take us all of the morning. Traditional dress was the prescribed uniform.

With Kariwase and I snuggling on our blankets we ended our day with love, family, and a little kidding of our newlywed status.

0530 up for a run before breakfast. The RSM and Fifty or so of us including American and Canadian Tribal Police. We stretch then do Four-Six-minute miles. On the last mile the RSM dares anyone to fall-out with if a Forty-Five- and Forty-Seven-year-old can make the pace you Twenty- somethings should be able to keep-up. He and I did a wind sprint the last Thousand meters and harassed the last man across as tail end charley. The Canadian Deputy Tribal Police Chief replied, RSM I expected it of the Yank, but do you have to try and kill us as well. The RSM just laughed and said I told you that soft government job would catch up with you One of these days Mike. We went to shower and then ate breakfast prepared by the women and girls in my life.

RSM Nelson

Robert, I am to escort you to the meeting place of the Nine Mohawk Confederate Lords of the Fifty Sachems of The Six Nations. We meet to hear from Mohawk Nations and Mohawk Associations to learn of conflicts, issues, and problems among the Mohawk Nations, Settlements, and Groups.

Our spread of the Mohawk people groups is currently: Northern New York: Kani n:ke (Ganienkeh) “Place of the flint”. Kana’tsiohar :ke Community “Place of the washed pail” purchased ancestral Mohawk Land. Kahnawake and Akwesasne repossessed ancestral Mohawk Land Miner Lake, New York. Along the St Lawrence in Quebec: Ahkwes hsne (St. Lawrence River Valley-US /Canada) “Where the partridge drums”. Kahnaw :ke (south of Montr al) “On the rapids”. Ka’nehsat :ke (Oka) “Where the snow crust is”. Tiower :ton (Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides, Quebec). Kahnaw?ke and Ka’nehsat?ke. Southern Ontario: Kenht?ke (Tyendinaga) “On the bay”. W hta (Gibson) “Maple tree”. Ohsw :ken “Six Nations of the Grand River”. The Kanien’keh?ka “Iroquois Six Nations Reserve.” The Rotisken’rak hte, also known as the Mohawk Warrior Society. The Kahnawake Warrior Society.