This indispensable and unique volume is at once a history of and a pathfinder for the future of the Great Law, the governing principles behind the long-standing Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Focused on the Duck Creek Oneida people of Wisconsin, Seeds of Tomorrow draws together a wide range of tribal voices, from elders and community members to young people and academic experts. This collection chronicles the history of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy's revolutionary governing principles, outlines the current state of tribal government, and proposes a vision for a political future that draws on traditional Indigenous practices and knowledge. This guide toward stronger sovereignty, revitalized community ties, and a healthier and more self-determined future based on traditional structures of governance is indigenization in practice: a model not just for Duck Creek Oneida but for Indigenous nations everywhere.
Rebecca M. Webster is an associate professor of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth and a citizen of the Oneida Nation. She is the author of Our Precious Corn: Yukwanenste and In Defense of Sovereignty: Protecting the Oneida Nation's Inherent Right to Self-Determination. Lois Stevens is an assistant professor of First Nations studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a citizen of the Oneida Nation. Her research is motivated by her roles as an Oneida mother, educator, and community member.
Preface Introduction Chapter 1. Kayanlasla?ko?wa (Great Matters): The Traditional Governing Structure of the Oneida People Chapter 2. Oneida Perseverance Through Removal, Allotment, Boarding Schools, and the Indian Reorganization Act Chapter 3. Designing the Future: Healing and Oneida Communities Chapter 4. Rekindling Our Fire and Extending the Rafters Chapter 5. Oneida Nation: Shifting Governance on the Duck Chapter 6. Restoring Our Clans: Honoring the Past, Renewing for the Future Chapter 7. Clans in Contemporary Contexts Chapter 8. Rebuilding Our Nation Together Chapter 9. Who Are You Bringing Along? An Indigenous Approach to Mentorship Chapter 10. Holding the Flame: Onondaga, Tuscarora, and Tonawanda Seneca Governance in Continuity Chapter 11. What It Can Look Like in Modern Times Chapter 12. Removing the Barriers: Overcoming Challenges to Government Restoration Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Contributors Index
"This book powerfully amplifies traditional knowledge, highlighting the intellectual contributions and governance wisdom of multiple generations of Indigenous people and demonstrating their applicability to contemporary challenges. Timely and important." - Megan Minoka Hill, Harvard Kennedy School
