Presentation by Sara Anderson at the "Ska’nikòn:ra: Indigenous Governance and the Future of Leadership" event on September 22, 2023. The work by Local Contexts ([ Ссылка ]) is referenced.
The title of the event, “Ska’nikòn:ra,” is a Haudenosaunee term, gifted by Mohawk speaker Kawennakon Bonnie Whitlow. The term can be roughly translated to English as “Coming Together with One Mind.” Bonnie describes it as the ultimate expression of unity, and the goal that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy strives to achieve through the application of Kayanere’owa – the Great Law of Peace. It is a term that speaks of coming to consensus and is highly significant in these territories, which were granted to the Six Nations via the Haldimand Tract of 1784. It is the hope of the conference organizer that this title will not only highlight the contents and spirit of this event from an Indigenous perspective, but also honour the nations who have inherited the rights to this land.
This event brought together Indigenous governance knowledge keepers, elders, community members, and scholars to teach about various topics related to Indigenous governance. We thank all of the speakers for their contributions to this conference.
This event was organized to help attendees develop a deeper understanding of the complexities and nuances across contemporary Indigenous governance activities, and to contribute to building the capacity of settler scholars to understand the intricacies Indigenous governance more thoroughly. It is the hope of the organizers that this work will hopefully lead to stronger avenues for reconciliation, genuine collaborations, and decolonizing governance across Turtle Island.
