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 | Dear Relatives,
With 2026 now at the halfway point on the so-called modern calendar, current distractions from what’s really happening include the fireworks tents in every parking lot and every wide space along the highway and back road, selling explosives that terrorize our neighbors, pets and livestock. Nothing says, “Happy Anniversary!” like the blasts of mortar barrages all around to celebrate the founding of the United States.
Real history be-damned, while criminals and cowards create divisions and chaos among us by multiplying the number of distractions daily, like the algae in the National Mall’s Reflecting Pool.
This country was built on the blood of our ancestors. That history would be all but forgotten, if not for those of us who will never forget, never stop teaching it to our children and grandchildren.
We begin our perilous journey through time at the beginning with a lesser-known document of 27 grievances, with the final grievance describing our ancestors as “merciless Indian Savages.” As written in this piece from The Atlantic magazine:
“The most famous text of the Revolution culminates not with an idealistic wish but with a derogatory indictment, legal as well as moral. The drafters drew upon nascent doctrines of international law and made England’s incitement of “Savages” the ultimate unjust act against a “Free and Independent” people. In this so-called Age of Reason, Native Americans were charged with having none at all. They were not only lawless but also irrational, incapable of self-governance, and lacking moral capacity.”
Despite the fact that the Framers of this constitutional republic spent considerable time with Haudenosaunee leadership, learning their form and function of government that kept the peace, allowing all of the member tribes within the Confederacy to thrive and prosper for 1000s of years, before the Euro-patriarchy’s invasion of our homelands. Franklin, Jefferson, and others noted in their writings that at no time in history – Greek, Roman, or any other – was there a more perfect form of democracy. A democracy they had struggled to imagine before seeing it in practice among the Haudenosaunee.
“The Senate recognized the influence of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy on the construction of the Constitution in a resolution read on September 16, 1987, that noted, “the original framers of the Constitution, including most notably, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, are known to have greatly admired the concepts, principles and governmental practices of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Whereas the confederation of the original Thirteen Colonies into one republic was explicitly modeled upon the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the Constitution itself”
Those facts, and personal relationships with the Framers, included one of the wrongly venerated first president’s first acts of the newly formed government: sending out two of his generals to lay waste to Seneca lands, destroying farms, corn-cribs and livestock, to either kill all the people, or bring them to their knees. It was a scorched earth campaign to punish them for siding with England in the quest for territory and supremacy. On a battlefield close to the southern border of New York State, Gen. Sullivan slaughtered over 1700 Seneca people at the Newtown Battlefield, near Elmira, NY, who were defending themselves from this new government’s first official act of genocide.
From that time to this day, the atrocities, exploitation and genocide continue across our lands, with impunity. We will continue to fight for the rights and respect that are due us.
For more Indigenous history from the past 250 years – both, inspiring and tragic – we encourage you to access Indian Country Today’s current collection of essays and articles. We have written similar content here and here, but why reinvent the wheel when some of the best examples of Indigenous journalism are already available on their website, ICTNEWS.org.
Despite history, and distractions pouring out from the current administration, our staff and community members in the month of June continued working to empower Indigenous Peoples, our partners and allies. That work provided everything from historical knowledge that informed us, thereby avoiding past missteps, strengthening our skills and bolstering our resolve to act together, with strategies based on cultural, spiritual, and practical examples that serve all, not just the few.
The volume of historical and current information offered here, in light of the celebrations across the land, are meant to remind everyone: the creation of this government is marked by a litany of hypocrisy, violence and stark realities that overshadow the lofty ideals that most people believe we’re upholding to this day.
That’s not to say there haven't been positive changes to laws and the system’s structure, over the past 250 years. The problems, however, have resurfaced with a vengeance that many of us struggle to come to terms with – all while we work to reverse, rebuild, strengthen and codify the rule of law, preventing the return of state-sponsored abuses.
Not too long ago, we trusted that once the wrongs were righted, we could move on. However, nothing that threatens the corporate/government consolidation of power, ever seems over. In our work moving forward, we must ensure we aren’t relying on the better angels of a new generation of leadership.
We hope you enjoy what we offer in this volume of our monthly Newswire. Please take what you’ve learned to contribute to your efforts to create ways for your family and community to thrive and prosper.
Until next time, be well and safe in the struggles and triumphs.
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| | Spring Growth, Community Connections, and Caring for the Land
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Spring always keeps us busy at the IEN Teaching Garden, and this year was no exception! From planting, weeding, watering, and caring for the gardens to welcoming visitors and hosting community events, the season was full of opportunities to learn, connect, and celebrate our relationships with the land and one another. Click here to read more.
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| Perspectives from the Sacred Waters Gathering
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The four-day Sacred Waters Gathering, co-hosted by the Pueblo of Isleta and the Restoring Balance Collaborative (RBC), brought together Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders, environmental practitioners, and youth... The gathering focused on strengthening Indigenous-led approaches to water stewardship, climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, and community health through shared knowledge, relationship building, and collaborative action. Click here for lots more...
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| | Busy June for the KIITG Team
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The Keep It In The Ground team has been working at a relentless pace to build momentum across multiple fronts. We hosted a webinar featuring Joey Peltier of Mukqua and Leanna Goose of Rise and Repair- sharing the specific dangers posed to the sacred grounds of the Pipestone National Monument.
At the same time, we’ve been conducting a full-scale media blitz, making appearances on KILI radio out of Porcupine, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Reservation, appearing twice on KLND radio out of Fort Yates, North Dakota, on Standing Rock, and joining Robert Pilot’s show twice here on Native Roots Radio in the Twin Cities. Find all this and more - click now.
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| ICYMI
News and More from Across Turtle Island
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Custer’s scouts: traitors or warriors of duty?
150 years after Little Bighorn, advocates say Crow and Arikara scouts were devoted to their people, not the U.S. military Click here to read more.
Charles Curtis - NYTimes - By Mitch Smith
He was a man of consequence and contradiction. In an era when Washington was almost monolithically white, Curtis ascended to the vice presidency without forsaking his Indigenous heritage, even as he advanced policies that have aged poorly in the eyes of many Native Americans. Click here to read more.
The Wall the Tohono O’odham Don’t Want
Trump threatens Native sovereignty in Arizona. Click here to read more.
AMERICA 250: A step-by-step guide to Indigenous erasure
The missing and crucial truths not in America’s history books that redefined tribal nations and Native peoples 250 years after the country’s founding... Click here to read more.
Pipestone quarry: Proposed pipeline raises concerns
“Nothing quite like Pipestone, it’s unique,” said Mark Kennth Tilsen with the Indigenous Environmental Network. Across the land, indigenous practices center on the carved pipes that come only from here. Click here to read more.
Mysterious 'cold blob' in the Atlantic is a sign of the Gulf Stream weakening — and that's bad news for the US East Coast - The Atlantic's enigmatic "cold blob" has once again been linked to a weakening of key ocean currents and a devastating climate tipping point. Click here to read more.
Understanding Algorithmic Bias and Its Impact on Indigenous Communities - Information is a Relation, Not a Commodity:
In the modern era, information flows rapidly and shapes much of our daily experiences. Yet, it is vital to recognize that information itself is not merely a commodity to be collected, bought, or sold—it is a relationship, a dynamic connection between data, context, and people. This understanding is especially critical when examining the role of artificial intelligence (AI) systems and the phenomenon known as algorithmic bias. For Native Americans, who have distinct cultural identities and historical experiences, the implications of biased algorithms reach far beyond abstract technical issues; they touch upon communal sovereignty, cultural preservation, and social justice. Click here to read more.
For more timely news, event announcements, calls to action and more that's happening across Turtle Island and beyond, engage with us on our social media channels:
You make it possible for us to do what we do by sharing our newsletters, webpages, and social media posts - keep up the good ways of being and we'll see you on the trail!
IEN Staff & Management
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