Indian Nation to File Petition at Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Demonstrate with Historic Belt Commissioned by George Washington
WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, April 15, members of the Onondaga Nation, a treaty-recognized sovereign Indian nation with homelands in upstate New York, will file a petition against the United States with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Since 1788, 2.5 million acres of land have been stolen from the Onondaga Nation by New York State, and the failure of the domestic court system has left the Nation with no choice but to seek assistance for human rights violations from the international community. Chiefs from the Onondaga Nation and supporters will demonstrate in front of the White House in traditional dress and with a historic wampum belt commissioned for the Nation by President George Washington to signify peace and friendship while ratifying the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua.
The Nation is not seeking evictions, monetary damages or a casino. Instead, it is asking to continue a healing process between themselves and others who live in the region, and for a ruling that would allow the Nation to continue its role as an environmental steward of the land it once conserved for centuries.