As everyone returns to work in these few days following our long July 4th weekend, we Americans are recovering from celebrating our 249th Independence Day since the founders signed the Declaration of Independence. What may have escaped notice for many, however, is that our closest sovereign neighbor, and longest existant sovereign friend, did the same with far less fanfare.
I’m not talking about our Canadian friends who celebrate Canada Day on June 1st to commemorate the British North America Act of 1867 but only achieved full sovereignty in 1982. Nor am I talking about America’s neighbor to the south, Mexico, which celebrates September 16th as the start of the Mexican War of Independence and its Declaration of Independence from Spain in 1810. Sorry Cinco de Mayo fans, but that only commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 (followed by the Second Battle of Puebla where the French won and occupied Mexico City.).
The answer for who shares our date declaring self-sovereignty is the Seneca Nation of Indians. The Nation annually celebrates July 4th as its Sovereignty Day, commemorating its ongoing sovereign status within New York’s borders. Long before the Canadians separated from Great Britain or the Mexicans from Spain, the Senecas—and the Hauenosaunee Confederacy to which they belonged—forged their own path attempting peaceful coexistence.
This path governing relations between sovereigns formally began with the 1613 Kaswentha (or Gaswéñdah or Two Row Wampum) treaty with the European newcomers, particularly the Dutch. The Dutch recorded the agreement on paper adorned with three silver chains which the parties jointly called the Silver Covenant Chain of Friendship.
The Hauenosaunee Confederacy, which did not record their history on paper, illustrated the same concept with a wampum belt of alternating purple and white parallel stripes. The first purple band represented Native ships and ways of life while the second represented European ships and ways on the other. The White bands represented three principles on which the treaty was founded: friendship, peace, and the mutual expectation that this treaty would last forever. Each parallel band would continue in perpetuity, traveling alongside one another with neither controlling the other’s course.
The Seneca Nation reaffirmed its sovereignty and equality with the fledgling United States in the 1784 Treaty of Fort Stanwix and reaffirmed their status in the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. With the free exchange of ideas, Americans learned much from the Hauenosaunee Confederacy governance model. Similarly, in 1848, the Seneca Nation of Indians met in a constitutional convention that reorganized their government into a tripartite legislative, executive and judicial branch structure.
With the new structure, Seneca government remained grounded in custom and tradition, which has periodically been codified to cover matters such as court and appellate procedure, business and LLC law, surrogates issues, all incorporating traditional practices. The Seneca Nation’s republican form of government provides structure to their internal operations and promises to protect the rights of both members and non-Natives those who transact business within the Nation.
While the wampum bands have not stayed parallel, steps are being made to return to the spirit of treaties originating over 150 years before America’s birthday. Governor Hochul has taken positive steps including appointing Elizabeth Rules as the Deputy Secretary for Indigenous Nations, budgeting to teach Native history in New York classrooms and apologizing to the Seneca Nation for New York’s operation of the Thomas Indian School where cultural assimilation was practiced beginning in 1875. With a new gaming compact being negotiated after an extended impasse, our Governor and State have a further opportunity to pay respect and repay past debts to our oldest friend and neighbor.
