He buried the weapons of war beneath the Great Tree of Peace and he united our people under the leadership of the Council of Chiefs who were told to follow the laws and protect the Great Tree of Peace and our people who are sheltered there. We do not have a word for warrior. The men are called Hodiskengehdah. It means all the men who carry the bones, the burden of their ancestors, the ancient ones on their backs. The Onondaga Council of Chiefs issue this communique on sovereignty because the word has been invoked in the current situation in Akwesasne and because the Council of Chiefs at Akwesasne have requested a statement and because a request for legal clarification of treaty law was requested by a representative of the gambling establishments.
Sovereignty lies with the people.
Issues affecting the Nation or Nations must come before the people and that there must be an unanimous decision by the Council of Chiefs before an issue can be sanctioned. Every person has a right to peace and tranquility on his or her lands. The Haudenosaunee Lands are lands held in common, one of the few places left in Indian country exercising that aboriginal right. Therefore, consent of all the people is required before changes can occur that will affect the lives of the people. If they do, and they did not get the consent of the Council of Chiefs then they themselves have violated the sovereignty of the Mohawk people by bringing into sovereign Mohawk territory non-Indian people as business partners.