November 8, 1997

Watkwanonweraton/Greetings,

On October 28, 1997, the Women's Council of the Longhouse released a statement determining their position on the Archer Daniels Midland Project proposed by the Canadian Band Council. After much thought and deliberation, the Women announced that they could not support the proposed ADM project due to violations of a policy adopted by the Women of the Longhouse in 1989, which describes certain principles for economic development. The Women have stated that the ADM Grain Storage Facility is a totally unacceptable project, and therefore development must be halted.

In response to this statement and, the War Chief and his Men (Warrior Society) are hereby announcing that we will support and enforce the Women's decision and put an end to this unsanctioned industrialization of the Kahnawake Territory. We will do so by any means necessary. The Rotiskenrakehte/Warrior Society will continue to promote the sovereign integrity of our Nation through the principles of Peace, Power, and Righteousness by enforcing the Gayanerekowa (The Constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy).

We would also like to thank the young people of Kahnawake for assuming their responsibility to warn the people of the impending calamity as prescribed in the Gayanerekowa. We wish you to continue to be so concerned with the welfare of the Nation and its future generations. In closing, we leave you with an excerpt taken from Article IV of the 1794 Canadaigua Treaty:

"We shall resist by every means any aggression, any violations of the treaties, any disturbance of our people, in the free use and enjoyment of our land, any usurpation of our sovereignty, any encroachment and oppression. We pledge that the noise will be heard from one end of the earth to the other."