On Monday, leaders of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and U.S. government officials will gather in Canandaigua, New York, to mark the 230th anniversary of the historic Treaty of Canandaigua of 1794. This treaty, signed between the United States and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, included The Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk Nations continue to symbolize peace, sovereignty, and the preservation of native land rights.

The treaty was signed by Colonel Timothy Pickering, acting on behalf of President George Washington, and by chiefs representing the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee. The document aimed to establish peaceful coexistence and protect Haudenosaunee lands from American encroachment. It has remained in force for more than two centuries and is recognized as a binding agreement under Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which considers treaties to be the supreme law of the land.

An important aspect of the treaty includes Article 7, which establishes guidelines for resolving disputes between the Haudenosaunee and non-Native individuals in each other’s territories. This provision was part of the treaty’s pragmatic measures aimed at fostering a lasting partnership based on mutual respect and support.

Despite the intent of the treaty, the history of relations between the United States and the Haudenosaunee has been fraught with difficulties, including violations of its terms. Through a series of illegal transactions, New York State took all of the Cayuga Nation’s land, leaving them landless for 217 years until the nation repurchased portions of their ancestral lands in 2011.

The Treaty of Canandaigua remains an emblem of Indigenous resilience and a reminder of the U.S. government’s commitment to fulfilling its promises to Indigenous nations. As Haudenosaunee leaders and supporters gather, the ceremony will honor an enduring diplomatic legacy, calling for the continued recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and rights to ancestral lands.

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