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In their homelands in what is now New York state, the Iroquois have assumed a prominent role in public debate as residents of the region seek ways to resolve multibillion-dollar land claims. The initial dispute over territorial title has grown to encompass gambling, treaties, taxation, and what it means to claim Native sovereignty. Written from an Iroquois perspective, Iroquois on Fire is an in-depth study of the historical and social issues raised during the Iroquois' long struggle over disputed territorial titles. Douglas M. George-Kanentiio, a member of the Mohawk Nation and an activist for Native American claims, details the history of his nation from initial contact with the Europeans through the casino crises. As a key figure in the events of the last two decades, he uses his personal story to highlight issues of public interest: the land, family and community, geography, federal interference in tribal affairs, religion, political activism, land use/claims, and connections to organized crime. Though the story he tells is important in and of itself, it is rendered even more so because the interaction between New York and the Iroquois will surely affect the ways in which other states and the Natives who live in them address similar issues.… (more)
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George-Kanentiio, a member of the Mohawk nation and a long-time journalist, begins his book with a discussion of the origins of the Iroquois, moving on to a general overview of the history of the Haudenosaunee (the "People Building the Longhouse"), from the formation of the Six Nations Confederacy through the present day, with particular emphasis on the Mohawk, and the settlement at Akwesasne. Chapters follow that are devoted to the teachings of Ray Fadden-Tehanetorens; various Haudenosaunee land claims; a discussion of the failed 1997 Trade and Commerce Agreement; the dangers of factionalism as evidenced by the 2004 Cayuga settlement with New York; the divisive role of the Oneida in the larger Iroquois picture; and a four-chapter discussion of the conflicts at Akwesasne and elsewhere between traditional anti-gambling Mohawks, and the "Warriors" who supported it. A helpful chronology of this period appears on pages 105-106. The author concludes with an analysis of the current situation.
I found Iroquois on Fire to be an immensely informative book, written in an accessible manner that is not always to be found in academic press titles (of which I have read a fair few). While reading, I was particularly struck by the reality that in seeking to undermine and oppose Haudenosaunee sovereignty, the state of New York has frequently put itself (unofficially) on the side of organized crime - those very people and institutions that in other venues seek to undermine the state. An ironic testament in my mind to the fact that dishonorable behavior is self-destructive and always finds its way back to the wrong-doer somehow...
Given the subject matter, I was expecting a litany of injustices, and I was not disappointed. This book contains some very uncomfortable truths that should infuriate you - which brings me to my final point. In my admittedly limited reading on Native North America, I have had occasion to pick up more than one book by the now-infamous Ward Churchill, and I have always found them to contain useful information and legitimate points (I haven't actually read the essay that stirred up all the controversy, so I cannot comment on that). But I have also been made almost physically uncomfortable by the tone of many of Churchill's books. I recall giving one of his essays to my mother to read, to which her sole response was "Well, he's very angry." I suppose that I have always overlooked his method of expressing that anger because I believed that he had something important to say. But Iroquois on Fire has really helped to clarify this issue for me. It demonstrates that a person can be very angry indeed (and justifiably so), and still express themselves in a more objective fashion, with a more humane and respectful tone. For that, I am grateful to Douglas M. George-Kanentiio.
In conclusion (and I realize that this has been something of an epic), I whole-heartedly recommend this book to everyone, and most especially to those of us living in New York State. I only wish it were more readily available. I was so inspired, particularly by the influence of the Six Nations on our own U.S. government, that I have decided to read the entire bibliography of this book.