1
00:00:00,334 --> 00:00:01,833
Ames.

2
00:00:01,902 --> 00:00:04,937
[cheering & applauding]

3
00:00:04,939 --> 00:00:08,740
Oneida nation on the fertile
farmlands of southwestern

4
00:00:08,743 --> 00:00:12,310
Ontario, on the eastern
bank of the thames river.

5
00:00:12,346 --> 00:00:14,246
It is home to the oneida.

6
00:00:14,248 --> 00:00:16,848
The oneida being one of the
six nations of the

7
00:00:16,917 --> 00:00:20,252
Iroquois confederacy,
the haudenosaunee.

8
00:00:20,321 --> 00:00:22,721
And just to clarify for
people at home who don't know,

9
00:00:22,723 --> 00:00:25,991
Haudenosaunee is the term
coming into more popular

10
00:00:25,993 --> 00:00:29,094
Usage now because it is the
indigenous word as opposed to

11
00:00:29,229 --> 00:00:31,430
Iroquois...
Which is the french word,

12
00:00:31,432 --> 00:00:34,133
So why not use the original?

13
00:00:34,268 --> 00:00:35,868
Iroquois is still
widely used,

14
00:00:35,870 --> 00:00:38,970
But for people like
myself who, you know,

15
00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,605
Really know their shit...

16
00:00:40,674 --> 00:00:42,807
[laughing]

17
00:00:42,843 --> 00:00:44,142
Why not go with
the original?

18
00:00:44,178 --> 00:00:45,944
It's only a couple
of syllables longer,

19
00:00:45,946 --> 00:00:47,245
I had it down pat in
less than an hour.

20
00:00:47,281 --> 00:00:49,147
Haudenosaunee.
No sweat.

21
00:00:49,183 --> 00:00:50,616
I'll be able to spell it
by next week.

22
00:00:50,751 --> 00:00:52,951
[laughing]

23
00:00:53,086 --> 00:00:55,254
When you grow up in a
small town in newfoundland,

24
00:00:55,389 --> 00:00:56,721
You see that people have

25
00:00:56,723 --> 00:00:57,923
A sense of humor
about hard times.

26
00:00:58,058 --> 00:00:59,157
Check, check.

27
00:00:59,226 --> 00:01:01,226
I turned that into a
career and hit the road.

28
00:01:01,228 --> 00:01:03,695
Mr. Jonny harris!

29
00:01:03,697 --> 00:01:05,831
Now I'm on a mission to find
the funny in the places

30
00:01:05,966 --> 00:01:09,234
You'd least expect- canada's
struggling small towns.

31
00:01:09,270 --> 00:01:12,204
Towns that are against the
ropes, but hanging in there,

32
00:01:12,339 --> 00:01:15,307
Still laughing in the
face of adversity.

33
00:01:15,376 --> 00:01:17,643
This is oneida nation
of the thames.

34
00:01:17,645 --> 00:01:29,254
♪

35
00:01:29,390 --> 00:01:33,025
[cheering & applauding]

36
00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,461
Good farmland was what the
oneida were looking for when

37
00:01:36,464 --> 00:01:39,865
They were routed from their
homeland in upstate new york

38
00:01:39,867 --> 00:01:42,134
On the american side
of lake ontario.

39
00:01:42,136 --> 00:01:43,702
And here they settled.

40
00:01:43,837 --> 00:01:47,206
And for decades, life and
farming was going pretty well.

41
00:01:47,208 --> 00:01:51,143
The oneida established a
reputation for cultivation

42
00:01:51,278 --> 00:01:54,980
For growing beans,
squash, corn,

43
00:01:54,982 --> 00:01:59,351
Until the 1930s,
when the indian act was used

44
00:01:59,353 --> 00:02:03,755
To not just kneecap your
economy, but your way of life.

45
00:02:03,757 --> 00:02:06,157
It was made illegal for the
oneida to participate

46
00:02:06,193 --> 00:02:08,293
In commercial agriculture.

47
00:02:08,329 --> 00:02:11,062
It was illegal for you
to sell to outsiders,

48
00:02:11,098 --> 00:02:13,699
Illegal for them
to buy from you.

49
00:02:13,701 --> 00:02:15,133
They could get in trouble
if they got caught.

50
00:02:15,169 --> 00:02:18,002
They could be caught carrying
an ear of "corn-traband".

51
00:02:18,038 --> 00:02:21,907
[laughing]

52
00:02:21,909 --> 00:02:24,509
♪

53
00:02:24,578 --> 00:02:26,311
To learn the history
of the oneida,

54
00:02:26,347 --> 00:02:30,082
I met up with elected to
council at the age of 21

55
00:02:30,084 --> 00:02:33,185
Oneida's benevolent
"doxtator", brandon doxtator.

56
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,254
[cheering & applauding]

57
00:02:36,390 --> 00:02:39,725
Brandon told me about
how in 1838,

58
00:02:39,860 --> 00:02:42,060
The american president
signed in the

59
00:02:42,129 --> 00:02:43,929
Treaty of buffalo creek.

60
00:02:44,064 --> 00:02:47,065
This was part of the american
forced displacement of

61
00:02:47,101 --> 00:02:49,001
Self-governing
indigenous people.

62
00:02:49,136 --> 00:02:51,536
There was a treaty called
the treaty of buffalo creek,

63
00:02:51,539 --> 00:02:55,006
Where they essentially said,
"get out of here,

64
00:02:55,042 --> 00:02:59,011
Convert or die," you know,
and so our people decided to

65
00:02:59,146 --> 00:03:01,913
Sell their lands and get the
heck out of there, you know.

66
00:03:01,949 --> 00:03:04,015
And the oneida
purchased this land.

67
00:03:04,051 --> 00:03:05,951
That's the difference
between this place and

68
00:03:05,953 --> 00:03:07,752
Many indigenous
reservations.

69
00:03:07,887 --> 00:03:10,422
So, it's not reserved
land, right?

70
00:03:10,557 --> 00:03:13,024
It's not held under
trust by the queen.

71
00:03:13,060 --> 00:03:16,828
And that's a really unique
situation amongst all the

72
00:03:16,864 --> 00:03:18,830
First nations
communities in canada.

73
00:03:18,899 --> 00:03:20,398
This place is not a
reservation because

74
00:03:20,467 --> 00:03:22,467
The land was bought
and paid for.

75
00:03:22,469 --> 00:03:24,970
Although with all the
conflicts you've had with the

76
00:03:25,039 --> 00:03:28,373
British crown about what
was promised and what was

77
00:03:28,442 --> 00:03:30,976
Delivered, it's a bit
like a reser-

78
00:03:30,978 --> 00:03:33,245
It's a bit like a reservation
with air canada.

79
00:03:33,247 --> 00:03:34,345
You know what I mean?

80
00:03:34,381 --> 00:03:36,414
It's like, wait a minute,
but I bought that land.

81
00:03:36,416 --> 00:03:37,515
It's paid for.

82
00:03:37,551 --> 00:03:39,050
"yeah, but we didn't think
everybody who bought land

83
00:03:39,119 --> 00:03:40,319
Was going to show up."

84
00:03:40,454 --> 00:03:42,521
[laughing]

85
00:03:42,656 --> 00:03:45,791
So after our community
moved here and settled in

86
00:03:45,926 --> 00:03:48,393
We were very industrious.

87
00:03:48,395 --> 00:03:50,528
Brandon told me that in
the 1930s,

88
00:03:50,564 --> 00:03:53,999
The canadian government
began heavier enforcement

89
00:03:54,001 --> 00:03:56,467
Of the indian act.

90
00:03:56,469 --> 00:03:58,337
We're in the middle of
the great depression.

91
00:03:58,472 --> 00:03:59,972
There's a lot of competition.

92
00:04:00,107 --> 00:04:03,207
Farmers, they're getting
mad that the oneidas are

93
00:04:03,244 --> 00:04:05,376
Out selling them and out
competing them.

94
00:04:05,412 --> 00:04:07,879
And so they went to the
indian agent and

95
00:04:08,015 --> 00:04:11,583
Told him that our, our
cattle all had disease.

96
00:04:11,585 --> 00:04:15,286
People had to hide livestock
from the indian agents

97
00:04:15,322 --> 00:04:17,289
Who enforce the indian act.

98
00:04:17,358 --> 00:04:19,291
Indian agents would come
round to the farms.

99
00:04:19,426 --> 00:04:22,427
And I don't know much about
cows, but I know it is

100
00:04:22,496 --> 00:04:25,030
Likely that they will
be spotted...

101
00:04:25,032 --> 00:04:27,499
[laughing]

102
00:04:27,568 --> 00:04:29,034
Or heard.

103
00:04:29,103 --> 00:04:31,103
[laughing]

104
00:04:31,238 --> 00:04:33,971
Government policies
like the indian act

105
00:04:34,008 --> 00:04:36,908
Wiped out our
community's economy.

106
00:04:36,910 --> 00:04:38,577
But it wasn't just
about farming.

107
00:04:38,712 --> 00:04:40,445
Brandon told me
that the indian act,

108
00:04:40,514 --> 00:04:45,183
It destroyed culture,
language, song, dance.

109
00:04:45,252 --> 00:04:48,854
Indigenous people weren't
allowed to gather to practice

110
00:04:48,989 --> 00:04:51,989
Their ceremonies, you know
it became illegal

111
00:04:52,026 --> 00:04:54,192
Under the indian
act to do so.

112
00:04:54,194 --> 00:04:57,529
Brandon said even a sunrise
ceremony was forbidden.

113
00:04:57,664 --> 00:05:00,165
It was dark times.

114
00:05:00,234 --> 00:05:05,336
Traditional songs and dances
had to be done secretively.

115
00:05:05,372 --> 00:05:08,573
My ancestors had to hide
their ceremonies

116
00:05:08,575 --> 00:05:10,475
Without the indian
agent knowing.

117
00:05:10,544 --> 00:05:12,210
Thinking about
these indian agents.

118
00:05:12,212 --> 00:05:15,313
I don't know, I find something
sort of like tragic and sad and

119
00:05:15,316 --> 00:05:21,286
Also funny about a grown
adult becoming irate at a dance.

120
00:05:21,421 --> 00:05:23,188
[laughing]

121
00:05:23,323 --> 00:05:24,522
Also, this was the thirties.

122
00:05:24,524 --> 00:05:27,125
Like there were some strange
dances happening

123
00:05:27,161 --> 00:05:29,427
At that time, like the
charleston knees.

124
00:05:29,463 --> 00:05:30,962
[laughing]

125
00:05:30,964 --> 00:05:32,230
The indian agent is like,
"don't let me see you

126
00:05:32,299 --> 00:05:34,232
Doing any of those weird
ceremonial dances.

127
00:05:34,234 --> 00:05:35,700
Check this out."

128
00:05:35,703 --> 00:05:37,635
[laughing]

129
00:05:37,705 --> 00:05:40,305
"pretty good, right?"

130
00:05:40,307 --> 00:05:41,973
"but don't you guys dance."

131
00:05:42,009 --> 00:05:45,343
[laughing]

132
00:05:45,478 --> 00:05:46,344
Brandon knows not just the

133
00:05:46,380 --> 00:05:48,547
Importance of elders
in this community,

134
00:05:48,549 --> 00:05:52,517
But also of youth, guiding
oneida into the future.

135
00:05:52,586 --> 00:05:54,252
And he wants to
be a part of it.

136
00:05:54,321 --> 00:05:56,187
He said, you know,
the elders

137
00:05:56,256 --> 00:06:00,592
Hid farming, hid culture.

138
00:06:00,661 --> 00:06:04,262
Our community was in
this mode of survival.

139
00:06:04,331 --> 00:06:07,031
You know, we were just
trying to hold on to

140
00:06:07,067 --> 00:06:09,000
As much as we could.

141
00:06:09,002 --> 00:06:11,670
And now we can
position ourselves

142
00:06:11,672 --> 00:06:14,672
In a space to thrive.

143
00:06:14,708 --> 00:06:17,642
Brandon said older
generations had to focus on

144
00:06:17,711 --> 00:06:21,546
Surviving, and now it's up to
the youth to start thriving.

145
00:06:21,681 --> 00:06:26,050
[cheering & applauding]

146
00:06:29,356 --> 00:06:32,824
♪

147
00:06:32,826 --> 00:06:34,559
When it comes to
historic treaties,

148
00:06:34,628 --> 00:06:37,162
This guy wears the
land title belt.

149
00:06:37,164 --> 00:06:39,264
To find out where
the oneida are

150
00:06:39,399 --> 00:06:41,766
Compared
to where you've "bead"...

151
00:06:41,769 --> 00:06:45,136
I talked to community
lawyer, martin powless.

152
00:06:45,139 --> 00:06:48,340
[cheering & applauding]

153
00:06:48,475 --> 00:06:50,442
Martin is a former defense
attorney who left his

154
00:06:50,444 --> 00:06:52,310
Practice to become
legal counsel,

155
00:06:52,312 --> 00:06:54,546
Policy adviser and
community advocate

156
00:06:54,681 --> 00:06:57,115
For the oneida, by day.

157
00:06:57,117 --> 00:06:59,384
By night, he beads belts.

158
00:06:59,386 --> 00:07:01,453
[laughing]

159
00:07:01,522 --> 00:07:04,121
The wampum belts,
he explained to me

160
00:07:04,158 --> 00:07:07,325
A wampum belt is
a beaded tapestry

161
00:07:07,327 --> 00:07:09,060
With a tale to tell.

162
00:07:09,196 --> 00:07:11,462
Wampum belts are
agreements between nations,

163
00:07:11,498 --> 00:07:14,832
First and foremost, or to
commemorate important events

164
00:07:14,868 --> 00:07:16,668
Or declaration of events.

165
00:07:16,737 --> 00:07:19,471
It's a recall device, almost
like a mnemonic device, right?

166
00:07:19,540 --> 00:07:23,074
It is a visual reminder of
significant events,

167
00:07:23,110 --> 00:07:26,144
Wars, treaties,
agreements.

168
00:07:26,146 --> 00:07:27,312
It's like a river of
knowledge that goes

169
00:07:27,381 --> 00:07:29,213
Between generations, right.

170
00:07:29,249 --> 00:07:31,016
So this is a flow of
information that we

171
00:07:31,151 --> 00:07:32,684
Pass on to the
next generation.

172
00:07:32,753 --> 00:07:35,420
Things both spiritual
and historical.

173
00:07:35,422 --> 00:07:39,090
Like I have a belt, I've got
this white belt that

174
00:07:39,159 --> 00:07:42,627
Tells of my brief history
with taekwondo,

175
00:07:42,629 --> 00:07:44,496
Beautiful white belt,
all white.

176
00:07:44,631 --> 00:07:46,631
[laughing]

177
00:07:46,633 --> 00:07:49,568
I also got a beaded necklace
I got in the dominican that

178
00:07:49,703 --> 00:07:51,303
Tells the story of
how I like to party.

179
00:07:51,438 --> 00:07:53,838
[laughing]

180
00:07:53,841 --> 00:07:56,508
One belt that martin spoke
quite passionately about

181
00:07:56,643 --> 00:07:59,177
Was the two row
wampum belt.

182
00:07:59,246 --> 00:08:01,579
This was from 1613,
treaty of towagonshi

183
00:08:01,615 --> 00:08:04,115
And this is our society,
that's the settler's society.

184
00:08:04,117 --> 00:08:05,750
They're separate but equal.

185
00:08:05,752 --> 00:08:08,386
And it's just two straight
lines against the white.

186
00:08:08,522 --> 00:08:11,389
And he said this represented
an agreement between the

187
00:08:11,458 --> 00:08:14,325
Haudenosaunee and early
european settlers.

188
00:08:14,394 --> 00:08:16,794
And it represented equality.

189
00:08:16,864 --> 00:08:19,130
That's always been our
position that we're not,

190
00:08:19,199 --> 00:08:21,466
We're not your children,
we're your brothers, right.

191
00:08:21,535 --> 00:08:24,235
We go through life
as equal societies.

192
00:08:24,271 --> 00:08:27,138
But there's also the line
of white between the two.

193
00:08:27,207 --> 00:08:30,207
Generally, in wampum belts,
the white symbolizes peace.

194
00:08:30,244 --> 00:08:32,210
It's the white
line of peace

195
00:08:32,212 --> 00:08:34,412
That should exist
between the two.

196
00:08:34,414 --> 00:08:36,815
Just like my mom would put
the white pillow of peace

197
00:08:36,950 --> 00:08:41,152
Between, on long car rides,
between my brother and I.

198
00:08:41,288 --> 00:08:42,754
Between us, so that
we wouldn't interfere.

199
00:08:42,889 --> 00:08:44,689
[laughing]

200
00:08:44,691 --> 00:08:46,558
I've always been
enthralled by wampum belts.

201
00:08:46,627 --> 00:08:48,593
But it wasn't until I was
fifty years old that

202
00:08:48,595 --> 00:08:50,228
I actually had
one in my hands.

203
00:08:50,230 --> 00:08:52,363
It's my belief that these
things need to be handled.

204
00:08:52,399 --> 00:08:56,434
Like touch that,
hold it, feel it.

205
00:08:56,470 --> 00:08:58,570
It's got feeling in it
from the person making it.

206
00:08:58,572 --> 00:09:00,905
It takes feelings from
everybody that handles it.

207
00:09:00,908 --> 00:09:02,374
And you can notice
the weight of it.

208
00:09:02,509 --> 00:09:04,376
I say it has the weight
of history to it.

209
00:09:04,511 --> 00:09:07,112
The original wampum was
reserved for elders and

210
00:09:07,247 --> 00:09:08,913
Preserved in museums.

211
00:09:08,916 --> 00:09:10,715
And that's something that
martin wants to change.

212
00:09:10,850 --> 00:09:12,584
He thinks they should be
more accessible to

213
00:09:12,719 --> 00:09:14,519
The youth as a
teaching device.

214
00:09:14,588 --> 00:09:16,788
And that's why he makes ones
that are not only of his own

215
00:09:16,923 --> 00:09:20,825
Design, but exact replicas
of the original wampum.

216
00:09:20,961 --> 00:09:23,528
The belts are made out
of the utmost of respect.

217
00:09:23,597 --> 00:09:24,829
They're not the original ones.

218
00:09:24,965 --> 00:09:27,165
But I think our people
deserve to have these in

219
00:09:27,234 --> 00:09:28,666
Their hands and
learn about them.

220
00:09:28,735 --> 00:09:31,136
I want to make our children
stronger with this.

221
00:09:31,271 --> 00:09:33,738
When we go off the territory
and they go out and make

222
00:09:33,873 --> 00:09:36,207
Their way in the world, they
got to know who they are.

223
00:09:36,243 --> 00:09:37,274
But when they
know this stuff,

224
00:09:37,311 --> 00:09:39,243
They're going to be
much stronger citizens.

225
00:09:39,279 --> 00:09:41,546
And they'll be able to
handle the stresses

226
00:09:41,615 --> 00:09:42,680
That life gives them.

227
00:09:42,816 --> 00:09:46,651
Making one of these belts
can take 75 to 80 hours.

228
00:09:46,786 --> 00:09:50,522
Very time consuming,
labor intensive,

229
00:09:50,657 --> 00:09:52,791
Careful, careful work.

230
00:09:52,793 --> 00:09:55,694
So hey, martin, are you
finished that belt yet?

231
00:09:55,829 --> 00:09:57,429
"no, keep your pants on."

232
00:09:57,564 --> 00:10:00,832
[laughing]

233
00:10:00,834 --> 00:10:02,934
So usually most nights I'll
sit there and watch jeopardy

234
00:10:02,936 --> 00:10:04,235
And just do my beading.

235
00:10:04,370 --> 00:10:05,537
You know, just the
way to spend the time

236
00:10:05,672 --> 00:10:07,372
Constructively, I guess.
Yeah.

237
00:10:07,441 --> 00:10:10,241
He beads the wampum
while he's watching jeopardy,

238
00:10:10,310 --> 00:10:11,742
But sort of slow going.

239
00:10:11,778 --> 00:10:13,310
Our returning champ
martin powless.

240
00:10:13,347 --> 00:10:15,180
His seven day total
about this much.

241
00:10:15,315 --> 00:10:17,014
[laughing]

242
00:10:17,050 --> 00:10:18,816
[cheering & applauding]

243
00:10:18,818 --> 00:10:26,291
♪

244
00:10:26,426 --> 00:10:29,928
To tell me her "udderly"
amazing story of cows

245
00:10:29,930 --> 00:10:32,730
She was prodded back into the
milking family business

246
00:10:32,799 --> 00:10:35,900
From mother earth farms, I
spoke to angie antone.

247
00:10:35,969 --> 00:10:38,803
[cheering & applauding]

248
00:10:38,938 --> 00:10:41,939
When angie started, she had
zero farming experience and

249
00:10:41,975 --> 00:10:43,675
Decided to learn on the job.

250
00:10:43,744 --> 00:10:46,877
She bought 22
cows from quebec.

251
00:10:46,913 --> 00:10:50,648
It was like a twelve,
twelve hour drive here.

252
00:10:50,651 --> 00:10:53,417
So when they got here,
they weren't happy.

253
00:10:53,453 --> 00:10:55,620
And despite setting up
an electric fence,

254
00:10:55,755 --> 00:10:57,656
They all ran away.

255
00:10:57,791 --> 00:10:59,224
[laughing]

256
00:10:59,359 --> 00:11:01,225
They just busted right
through the fences and

257
00:11:01,261 --> 00:11:02,727
They were gone.
[laughing]

258
00:11:02,862 --> 00:11:05,764
She was shocked, the
cows were clearly not.

259
00:11:05,766 --> 00:11:07,699
[laughing]

260
00:11:07,768 --> 00:11:11,636
This kicked off an oneida
nationwide cow hunt.

261
00:11:11,638 --> 00:11:14,038
[laughing]

262
00:11:14,074 --> 00:11:16,074
They went like
through the bushes.

263
00:11:16,076 --> 00:11:17,842
They hid on us.

264
00:11:17,844 --> 00:11:21,679
We ended up hiring like real
cowboys to come in.

265
00:11:21,814 --> 00:11:23,514
They couldn't catch them.

266
00:11:23,583 --> 00:11:25,917
We couldn't catch them.
Like, they were everywhere.

267
00:11:26,052 --> 00:11:27,652
So I had to put
on social media.

268
00:11:27,787 --> 00:11:29,487
You know,
"please drive safe.

269
00:11:29,622 --> 00:11:31,556
If you see my cows, can
you just give me a call?

270
00:11:31,691 --> 00:11:33,558
It doesn't matter
what time it is."

271
00:11:33,693 --> 00:11:35,894
Everybody was involved
from all over the town.

272
00:11:35,896 --> 00:11:37,661
[laughing]

273
00:11:37,698 --> 00:11:38,997
They set up a hotline.

274
00:11:39,132 --> 00:11:42,467
A ,"where's the beef?" hotline.

275
00:11:42,536 --> 00:11:44,936
We had people calling at two
o'clock in the morning, like,

276
00:11:45,071 --> 00:11:49,340
You know, your cow was on my
front lawn eating our grass.

277
00:11:49,409 --> 00:11:52,343
You know, we seen it
walking down ballpark road.

278
00:11:52,345 --> 00:11:53,745
-[laughing]
-yeah, yeah, yeah.

279
00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:55,480
People call in with tips.

280
00:11:55,549 --> 00:11:57,548
It was a different kind of
cow tipping here in oneida.

281
00:11:57,584 --> 00:11:59,484
[laughing]

282
00:11:59,619 --> 00:12:02,454
It was three weeks they
were on the, on the lam.

283
00:12:02,589 --> 00:12:04,822
[laughing]

284
00:12:04,858 --> 00:12:08,560
She doesn't do dairy like
a typical commercial farm.

285
00:12:08,562 --> 00:12:12,830
Okay, the calves stay with
their moms, if they want to,

286
00:12:12,899 --> 00:12:15,433
Because it's less
stressful for everyone.

287
00:12:15,568 --> 00:12:19,437
The cows also sort of get to
choose their own lifestyle.

288
00:12:19,572 --> 00:12:22,606
Sometimes you get the odd
ones they won't even come in.

289
00:12:22,642 --> 00:12:24,542
They're like, "no, we
don't want to be milked."

290
00:12:24,677 --> 00:12:26,777
She said these cows,
they don't even get milked

291
00:12:26,813 --> 00:12:28,446
If they don't feel like it.

292
00:12:28,581 --> 00:12:30,682
But the idea is less
stress will lead to

293
00:12:30,817 --> 00:12:32,450
A better product, right?

294
00:12:32,452 --> 00:12:34,853
Milk is most delicious,
not when it's cold,

295
00:12:34,988 --> 00:12:36,454
But when it's pretty chill.

296
00:12:36,589 --> 00:12:38,589
[laughing]

297
00:12:38,658 --> 00:12:41,726
Angie doesn't think of her
farming output as

298
00:12:41,728 --> 00:12:43,661
The measure of success.

299
00:12:43,730 --> 00:12:46,097
Rather, she's looking to a
bigger end goal-

300
00:12:46,099 --> 00:12:49,667
Restarting the great farming
tradition here in oneida.

301
00:12:49,736 --> 00:12:53,471
I'm hoping that more of our
young people would

302
00:12:53,473 --> 00:12:56,006
Come in and like
I'm always open.

303
00:12:56,042 --> 00:12:57,675
Come in and
ask me questions.

304
00:12:57,677 --> 00:12:59,343
And I'll tell you like
straight up that

305
00:12:59,412 --> 00:13:03,548
No, it's not easy,
but it can be fun, you know.

306
00:13:03,683 --> 00:13:05,583
She's hiring young people
from the community to

307
00:13:05,718 --> 00:13:08,486
Work on the farm.
She's hoping that you know,

308
00:13:08,488 --> 00:13:09,487
One day when she
has to give it up.

309
00:13:09,622 --> 00:13:11,021
It won't be another
forty-year gap

310
00:13:11,057 --> 00:13:13,490
Until the next
farm sprouts up.

311
00:13:13,527 --> 00:13:15,026
And it's good that the
youth are learning that,

312
00:13:15,161 --> 00:13:17,762
You know what they say give
a youth a glass of milk,

313
00:13:17,764 --> 00:13:19,163
They will drink for a day.

314
00:13:19,166 --> 00:13:24,035
Teach the youth to milk a cow,
they'll have milk,

315
00:13:24,104 --> 00:13:26,570
Well, whenever the cow
feels like, I guess.

316
00:13:26,606 --> 00:13:30,107
[laughing & applauding]

317
00:13:38,184 --> 00:13:41,719
I met with a couple of
women who are reviving this

318
00:13:41,788 --> 00:13:44,922
Community's
linguistic appetite,

319
00:13:44,991 --> 00:13:47,759
Erica elijah and
yehawi ninham.

320
00:13:47,761 --> 00:13:50,861
[cheering & applauding]

321
00:13:50,897 --> 00:13:54,699
Erica and yehawi told me that
they had a similar childhood

322
00:13:54,768 --> 00:13:56,935
Experience with the
oneida language.

323
00:13:56,937 --> 00:14:00,471
We were only taught like
a list of single words.

324
00:14:00,473 --> 00:14:02,974
And so we can't make a
really conversation

325
00:14:02,976 --> 00:14:05,643
Out of learning, 'dog, cat'.
- Yeah.

326
00:14:05,778 --> 00:14:08,012
It was a lot of
memorizing phrases,

327
00:14:08,014 --> 00:14:10,181
And not really understanding
what they meant.

328
00:14:10,183 --> 00:14:12,684
You know, they heard
a lot of words...

329
00:14:12,686 --> 00:14:14,886
Recognized a few of them,
but didn't understand

330
00:14:15,021 --> 00:14:16,654
The bulk of it.
I have that kind of

331
00:14:16,690 --> 00:14:18,856
Conversation with my
accountant every year.

332
00:14:18,859 --> 00:14:20,658
[laughing]

333
00:14:20,694 --> 00:14:22,559
He just talks a lot,
I'm like, "oh, yeah...

334
00:14:22,596 --> 00:14:24,962
Of course, arrears, yes,
please continue."

335
00:14:25,098 --> 00:14:26,764
[laughing]

336
00:14:26,900 --> 00:14:28,166
The thing, is learning
the language now,

337
00:14:28,301 --> 00:14:29,767
You don't need to
worry about getting a

338
00:14:29,903 --> 00:14:31,569
Hard time from the
indian agent,

339
00:14:31,704 --> 00:14:34,105
But you might get a
hard time from your friends.

340
00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,774
Yehawi told me that one day
she was telling them

341
00:14:36,910 --> 00:14:39,176
She had a pain in her arm.

342
00:14:39,212 --> 00:14:41,512
I was trying to tell her
that I had a sore arm,

343
00:14:41,648 --> 00:14:43,448
Which is [speaking oneida].

344
00:14:43,583 --> 00:14:45,816
What I ended up saying-
[speaking oneida].

345
00:14:45,818 --> 00:14:47,919
So that little 'h' sound
instead of saying, 'wug',

346
00:14:48,054 --> 00:14:50,187
I said 'wuk".
And here, she start laughing.

347
00:14:50,223 --> 00:14:53,124
You said, "I have a sore ass."
[laughing]

348
00:14:53,259 --> 00:14:55,927
And she's mortified
because, you know,

349
00:14:55,929 --> 00:14:58,796
She's relatively advanced
in learning the language and

350
00:14:58,865 --> 00:14:59,930
Suddenly it sounds like
she doesn't know

351
00:14:59,966 --> 00:15:01,598
Her arse from her elbow.

352
00:15:01,635 --> 00:15:03,901
[laughing]

353
00:15:03,937 --> 00:15:06,203
There's a lot of great
work being done around the

354
00:15:06,239 --> 00:15:08,472
Community to promote
the language now.

355
00:15:08,541 --> 00:15:11,275
We had this cooking show idea
where we would kind of like

356
00:15:11,311 --> 00:15:13,211
Immerse ourselves the
best way we could

357
00:15:13,346 --> 00:15:15,013
With the language
that we knew.

358
00:15:15,015 --> 00:15:19,083
[speaking oneida]

359
00:15:19,218 --> 00:15:21,886
And they would be doing a
cooking class in oneida and

360
00:15:21,955 --> 00:15:24,222
They would have older master
speakers in case it was

361
00:15:24,357 --> 00:15:25,890
Something they didn't
know how to say.

362
00:15:26,025 --> 00:15:29,627
And so you could tune in and
you'd be making your meal and

363
00:15:29,629 --> 00:15:32,096
Learning the words for the
ingredients in the process.

364
00:15:32,165 --> 00:15:35,766
And you know, practical thing-
important, like numbers,

365
00:15:35,835 --> 00:15:37,635
Numbers is an important
one for cooking.

366
00:15:37,770 --> 00:15:40,037
I don't know why you're sick,
I baked that chicken for

367
00:15:40,173 --> 00:15:42,640
Half an hour at
35 degrees. I don't know.

368
00:15:42,775 --> 00:15:44,909
[laughing]

369
00:15:44,911 --> 00:15:48,012
Also, if you couldn't tune in
that night to do the cooking,

370
00:15:48,014 --> 00:15:50,114
It all exists on social media.

371
00:15:50,183 --> 00:15:53,984
They'll post it on facebook
or youtube or tik tok.

372
00:15:54,020 --> 00:15:56,787
I think that this is the
funnest food feature on

373
00:15:56,856 --> 00:15:59,123
Tik tok, aside from
watching skateboarders

374
00:15:59,159 --> 00:16:00,591
Bruise their plums.

375
00:16:00,727 --> 00:16:03,061
[laughing]

376
00:16:08,802 --> 00:16:14,105
♪

377
00:16:14,107 --> 00:16:16,507
Included in the revival of
tradition in this community

378
00:16:16,642 --> 00:16:19,343
Is a sport,
a sacred game.

379
00:16:19,346 --> 00:16:21,445
I spoke with an
expert in the field,

380
00:16:21,514 --> 00:16:25,216
A man who doesn't get
angry, he gets lacrosse,

381
00:16:25,218 --> 00:16:27,151
Coach ron elijah.

382
00:16:27,187 --> 00:16:29,486
[cheering & applauding]

383
00:16:29,522 --> 00:16:30,621
I didn't know much
about lacrosse.

384
00:16:30,690 --> 00:16:33,925
For me, my introduction to
lacrosse was I think like

385
00:16:34,060 --> 00:16:36,494
Most people across the
country when canada's

386
00:16:36,629 --> 00:16:38,162
National sport was on
a trivia question

387
00:16:38,231 --> 00:16:39,564
We all got wrong.

388
00:16:39,699 --> 00:16:41,366
[laughing]

389
00:16:41,501 --> 00:16:43,634
I was searching for my
identity, like who am I?

390
00:16:43,703 --> 00:16:46,303
Who's, what's my
traditional side?

391
00:16:46,305 --> 00:16:48,239
And a part of
that was lacrosse.

392
00:16:48,241 --> 00:16:51,375
But it is an old sport,
even written english history

393
00:16:51,378 --> 00:16:55,012
Predates it to european
contact by hundreds of years.

394
00:16:55,048 --> 00:16:57,114
Ron said it's even
older than that.

395
00:16:57,183 --> 00:16:59,384
I learned my creation story
and where we came from,

396
00:16:59,519 --> 00:17:01,619
That game was actually
before the earth,

397
00:17:01,688 --> 00:17:03,287
Like before our
creation story,

398
00:17:03,323 --> 00:17:04,988
Lacrosse was
being played.

399
00:17:05,025 --> 00:17:08,459
He said, "this is a game the
haudenosaunee played in the

400
00:17:08,461 --> 00:17:12,063
Sky world and brought
with them to this earth

401
00:17:12,198 --> 00:17:15,399
At the dawn of creation."

402
00:17:15,468 --> 00:17:19,403
Like really old.
I'm talking old.

403
00:17:19,472 --> 00:17:21,739
Like, compared to lacrosse,
the good old hockey game

404
00:17:21,808 --> 00:17:25,242
Is good, but it's not old.

405
00:17:25,377 --> 00:17:27,145
[laughing]

406
00:17:27,147 --> 00:17:29,347
He also said it is
a political game,

407
00:17:29,349 --> 00:17:33,284
That sometimes it was
used to solve disputes.

408
00:17:33,353 --> 00:17:35,486
It was called
the little brother war.

409
00:17:35,621 --> 00:17:37,221
We couldn't decide
sitting down,

410
00:17:37,356 --> 00:17:39,123
We'd have to have
a game of lacrosse.

411
00:17:39,125 --> 00:17:40,424
In fact, he said
the name for

412
00:17:40,493 --> 00:17:42,360
It means,
'little brother of war'.

413
00:17:42,495 --> 00:17:45,496
There's a lot less, you know,
grief and suffering that

414
00:17:45,631 --> 00:17:48,833
Comes with lacrosse, unless
you get hit in la crotch.

415
00:17:48,835 --> 00:17:51,269
-That ball...
-[laughing]

416
00:17:51,404 --> 00:17:53,104
That ball is dense.

417
00:17:53,239 --> 00:17:55,706
[laughing]

418
00:17:55,708 --> 00:17:57,241
There was a little
scrimmage happening.

419
00:17:57,277 --> 00:18:00,744
Ron and I went out and
played for a little bit.

420
00:18:00,814 --> 00:18:04,448
You know, I'm not
very good at lacrosse.

421
00:18:04,517 --> 00:18:07,284
When it comes to lacrosse,
I'm pretty la crap.

422
00:18:07,286 --> 00:18:09,187
[laughing]

423
00:18:09,322 --> 00:18:12,623
Some of the kids that ron
coach are playing in london

424
00:18:12,692 --> 00:18:15,259
On the blue devils.
Some, including his son,

425
00:18:15,295 --> 00:18:17,594
Are playing in college
in syracuse.

426
00:18:17,630 --> 00:18:19,263
Some are competing at the

427
00:18:19,265 --> 00:18:22,333
American junior
college nationals.

428
00:18:22,468 --> 00:18:24,502
You know, they're,
they're good at the game.

429
00:18:24,637 --> 00:18:26,270
I had no one to look up
to when I was,

430
00:18:26,272 --> 00:18:28,673
When I was these guys' age.
I had no heroes for lacrosse.

431
00:18:28,808 --> 00:18:29,941
I didn't know anybody.

432
00:18:29,943 --> 00:18:32,410
And now these guys,
their cousins,

433
00:18:32,412 --> 00:18:34,679
Their older brothers, they
got heroes that are doing it.

434
00:18:34,814 --> 00:18:35,613
They're going to be pros.

435
00:18:35,748 --> 00:18:37,414
They're going to
be at the next level.

436
00:18:37,450 --> 00:18:39,550
So it's gonna just
blow right up.

437
00:18:39,586 --> 00:18:42,019
And it's just awesome
pride for our community.

438
00:18:42,155 --> 00:18:44,755
And they respect the game,
something that evan said,

439
00:18:44,757 --> 00:18:46,090
Evan john said.

440
00:18:46,159 --> 00:18:48,359
Proud of it 'cause
it's our game, and...

441
00:18:48,494 --> 00:18:50,561
It's a medicine game
to us, so, yeah.

442
00:18:50,563 --> 00:18:53,096
He said, "this
game is medicine."

443
00:18:53,133 --> 00:18:54,532
I was, like, oh, yeah,
right, 'cause you know,

444
00:18:54,601 --> 00:18:56,567
You're playing and exercising
and getting healthy.

445
00:18:56,569 --> 00:18:59,303
And he said, "no, no,
it's like for our elders,

446
00:18:59,305 --> 00:19:00,237
It's medicine."

447
00:19:00,306 --> 00:19:01,071
You're playing
for your elders,

448
00:19:01,141 --> 00:19:02,507
People that can't
play no more.

449
00:19:02,642 --> 00:19:04,342
It brings them good energy
to see us out there.

450
00:19:04,477 --> 00:19:06,543
And we're just fulfilling
like a tradition.

451
00:19:06,579 --> 00:19:08,379
That thought was in my
mind then, you know,

452
00:19:08,514 --> 00:19:11,182
This idea that you know,
I'm thinking about revival

453
00:19:11,251 --> 00:19:14,385
Of tradition and of
language, connectivity.

454
00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,722
You know, lacrosse seasons
and farming and medicine.

455
00:19:18,758 --> 00:19:23,260
And I'm thinking about all
this and then it struck me...

456
00:19:23,296 --> 00:19:25,663
And it hurt,
that ball is dense.

457
00:19:25,665 --> 00:19:29,500
[laughing]

458
00:19:29,502 --> 00:19:31,468
-Good game.
-Nice, thanks.

459
00:19:31,504 --> 00:19:33,370
That was awesome.

460
00:19:33,439 --> 00:19:37,274
♪

461
00:19:37,410 --> 00:19:39,343
A cultural revival, I suppose
you could say

462
00:19:39,478 --> 00:19:40,945
Is what's been
happening here.

463
00:19:40,947 --> 00:19:42,646
Lacrosse made a comeback.

464
00:19:42,715 --> 00:19:44,815
So too the oneida language,

465
00:19:44,851 --> 00:19:47,351
Though my knowledge of it
is surely in arrears.

466
00:19:47,353 --> 00:19:49,620
[laughing]

467
00:19:49,656 --> 00:19:52,156
It's a language here that
few could speak and

468
00:19:52,225 --> 00:19:54,291
Even fewer taught it.

469
00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:56,527
In a place where a cow
might just go on the land,

470
00:19:56,529 --> 00:20:00,163
Perhaps though the indian
agent won't spot it.

471
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,300
Elders hid a flame,
let it flicker so small,

472
00:20:03,369 --> 00:20:06,370
That agents of change
couldn't find it.

473
00:20:06,505 --> 00:20:09,773
And it's returning as a blaze
on the banks of the thames

474
00:20:09,809 --> 00:20:11,809
And in the hearts
of the oneida.

475
00:20:11,944 --> 00:20:13,377
Thanks for coming
out everybody.

476
00:20:13,512 --> 00:20:15,046
You've been great.

477
00:20:15,048 --> 00:20:16,714
It was so lovely to be here.
Thank you.

478
00:20:16,783 --> 00:20:20,184
[cheering & applauding]

479
00:20:20,319 --> 00:20:22,286
It brought a lot of the
important parts of our

480
00:20:22,288 --> 00:20:25,256
Community and it's
rebuilding pride in us and

481
00:20:25,391 --> 00:20:26,724
I think our people
really need that.

482
00:20:26,859 --> 00:20:29,193
Oneida has so many
opportunities and is

483
00:20:29,328 --> 00:20:32,196
Positioning itself in such
a good way that, you know,

484
00:20:32,331 --> 00:20:33,597
It's exciting to be here.

485
00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,732
[laughing]
it was a lot of fun.

486
00:20:35,768 --> 00:20:37,668
It was really good, yeah.

487
00:20:37,737 --> 00:20:40,071
♪

488
00:20:40,073 --> 00:20:43,307
Feels like home.

489
00:20:43,309 --> 00:20:45,609
There you go,
shoot that. Oh, hit the post!

490
00:20:45,678 --> 00:20:47,744
I didn't realize I
got the pass!

491
00:20:47,780 --> 00:20:50,547
A lot of oneidas, we either
laugh or cry about things.

492
00:20:50,617 --> 00:20:52,416
And he brought out the
positive side of that,

493
00:20:52,418 --> 00:20:56,620
So I was very happy that
he was so respectful of,

494
00:20:56,656 --> 00:20:58,822
You know, the issues that's
pretty sensitive to us,

495
00:20:58,858 --> 00:21:00,791
But it was presented
really nicely.

496
00:21:00,827 --> 00:21:02,693
[speaking oneida]

497
00:21:02,695 --> 00:21:04,828
It's two thumbs,
two thumbs up.