John Mohawk facts for kids
John Mohawk (born August 30, 1945 – died December 13, 2006) was an American historian, writer, and social activist. He worked to help Native American communities and promote their cultures.
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Early Life and Education
John Mohawk was a member of the Seneca Nation, one of the groups that make up the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. He was born into the Turtle clan on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation in western New York State.
He went to Hartwick College and earned a degree in history in 1967. Later, he continued his studies and received a Ph.D. from the University of Buffalo.
His Important Work
John Mohawk was a very important thinker and leader for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Nations. He helped connect traditional Native American ways of thinking with national and international communities. He was deeply rooted in the traditional Seneca Longhouse culture, where he was a skilled singer and speaker.
He worked as a writer, journalist, researcher, and lecturer. He was an expert in how culture helps communities grow and develop. John Mohawk was also an activist who spoke out about keeping indigenous (native) cultures alive. He was a strong traditionalist, meaning he believed in following old customs. He was also a social activist, working for fairness and change, and a negotiator in conflicts.
For example, in 1983, he helped solve a disagreement between the government of Nicaragua and the Miskito people. He also acted as a peace guide during difficult situations between Native traditionalists and government groups in North America.
Helping Native Communities
John Mohawk helped start several organizations that supported Native American people both in the U.S. and around the world. These included:
- The Indigenous Peoples Network
- The Emergency Response International Network
- The Seventh Generation Fund
- The Indian Law Resource Center
- The Iroquois White Corn Project
He worked very hard to bring back traditional Native farming methods and healthy foods, like Iroquois white corn. He also supported the "Slow Food" movement, which encourages eating local, traditional, and healthy foods.
John Mohawk was a journalist and a long-time editor and writer for important Native American publications like "Akwesasne Notes," "Daybreak," and "Indian Country Today." He also directed the Center for Indigenous Studies at the Center of the Americas at State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo, New York.
Books and Writings
John Mohawk wrote several books, including:
- The Iroquois Creation Story: John Arthur Gibson and JNB Hewitt's Myth of the Earth Grasper
- Utopian Legacies: A History of Conquest and Oppression in the Western World
- The Red Buffalo
- Thinking in Indian, a collection of his essays published after he passed away.
He also helped edit Exiled in the Land of the Free with Oren Lyons. He was the main writer for A Basic Call to Consciousness, a very important book from the Haudenosaunee Grand Council (around 1976-77). This book explains how traditional ways can guide political action for indigenous people. It is considered one of the most important early documents for international indigenous activism.
Awards and Legacy
John Mohawk received honorary doctorates from several universities. He also won journalism awards from the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA). Beyond his professional achievements, he was a father, grandfather, teacher, and mentor to many generations of Native American people. He helped shape many activist scholars and was known for his generosity.
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