Introduction

INTRODUCTION

In 1992, the Haudenosaunee sent a delegation to the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to spread the words of the Thanksgiving Address, the philosophy of our people. This delegation reminded the entire world we have a responsibility to act as caretakers of the natural world.

Following the Earth Summit, the Haudenosaunee held a Grand Council to discuss the environmental degradation of our communities. In accordance with the Kaianserakowa (Great Law of Peace) the Grand Council agreed and passed, based on Haudenosaunee protocols and cultural beliefs, to establish the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force (HETF).

The Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force is composed of delegates (Haudenosaunee leaders, environmental technicians, and scientists) chosen by each of the Haudenosaunee Nations. These individuals are committed to identifying environmental problems in their communities and working to find solutions to them.

Over the next two years, the HETF worked collectively to put together a document called Haudenosaunee Environmental Restoration: An Indigenous Strategy for Human Sustainability (HERS). In 1995, the HETF presented the Haudenosaunee Restoration Plan to the United Nations at the Summit of the Elders. It was among the first comprehensive responses by an Indigenous Group to Agenda 21, Chapter 26.

Since the Summit of the Elders, the HETF has been working to implement the strategies outlined in the Haudenosaunee Restoration Plan. Much of the work for the past three years has focused on setting up an infrastructure for the organization.

In 1999, the HETF published the book Words That Come Before All Else: Environmental Philosophies of the Haudenosaunee. This 160-page book draws from the Thanksgiving Address and Haudenosaunee Creation Story to present a traditional outlook on our relationship with the natural world.

The HETF presently administers a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to assist the Cayuga, Tuscarora, and Tonawanda Seneca Nations as they develop environmental programs.