Ohsweken Genealogy Society

02/02/2026

Just a reminder that due to Valentines Day our meeting this month is a week earlier. So, our meeting will be this coming Saturday 1-4 at Woodland Centre. We will be having a talk on the life of Phoebe Alberta Johnson. See everyone then.

01/11/2026

Happy 2026 to everyone. We had our first meeting of the new year, and it was so great to see old faces and new. A special thank you goes out to Mika and Laura from the Survivors Secretariat for helping to digitize pictures for those who brought them. It was a busy day, and we got some more pictures mounted on Bristol board for our May event, and helped some more people with their family searches. We still need your stories, whether they be traditional ones, family ones, or memories of “grandma’s teachings”. I look forward to our next meeting Feb 7, a week early because of Valentines Day. See everyone then.

12/27/2025

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At the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Museum in Massachusetts, you’ll step into a vivid Wampanoag village scene that shows daily life as it looked long before modern times. You see wetus, tools, fishing gear, weapons, baskets, and clothing that explain how people lived, worked, hunted, and raised families on Cape Cod. The exhibits focus on real skills and daily routines, not myths. A powerful section called “400 Years Ago,” created by the tribe in 2020, tells the story of the Mayflower landing, which happened just 24 miles north of here. You learn how the first years of English settlement deeply changed Wampanoag life. The story is told from a Wampanoag point of view, showing survival, loss, and strength. You leave with a clear picture of a people who are still here today.

12/23/2025

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In the mid-1700s, when European powers fought for control of North America, there was one voice they could not ignore, a Mohawk diplomat named Hendrick Theyanoguin of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

He represented a people who had governed themselves for centuries under the Great Law of Peace.
He carried not just his own authority, but the authority of an entire Confederacy, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and later Tuscarora, united long before the United States existed.

When Hendrick entered a treaty council, colonial governors expected compliance.
Instead, they met a diplomat who understood their politics better than they understood his.

He reminded them of past promises.
He exposed contradictions in their documents.
He spoke openly of broken agreements and lands taken without consent.

At one council, when British officials claimed they sought “friendship,” Hendrick rose and answered:

“You say you are our father, but we have always considered the King to be our brother.
Fathers take land from their children. Brothers share it.”

The room fell silent.

He demanded fair trade terms.
He insisted on boundaries.
He rejected treaties written to confuse or distract.
And he reminded the British that the Haudenosaunee were not subjects. They were allies.

His words shaped policy far beyond the longhouse councils where he first learned to speak.
British officials rewrote treaty language because of him.
Colonial governors reported to London that negotiations were impossible without Mohawk consent.
Even Benjamin Franklin later studied Haudenosaunee diplomacy while drafting ideas for federal union.

Hendrick died in 1755 fighting alongside the British at the Battle of Lake George, keeping a promise he had made as an ally, not as a subordinate.

But his influence did not die with him.

The treaties he negotiated, the protocols he defended, and the political balance he maintained shaped relations between Native nations and colonial powers for decades.

He proved something rare in his time.

That a single voice, if rooted in an ancient, sovereign tradition, could stand before empires and not bend.

12/09/2025

There has been a last minute change to our venue location fit this coming Saturday’s meeting. Instead of the Woodland Centre, we will be meeting in the dining room at the Mohawk Institute. For those requiring handicap access, there is a ramp and elevator. Sorry for any inconvenience.

12/09/2025

The Christmas season is here, and our December meeting is this coming Saturday the 13th. I will be bringing craft supplies, and hopefully people will be bringing copies of family pictures they wish to share at our upcoming genealogy event in May, and we will be mounting them for display. I will be wonderful to share the season with all our relatives past and present. We will also be offering help to anyone wishing to write a family memory or story for the same event. Of course we will still be sharing our genealogy information, as well. It will be a busy day. See everyone then.

11/18/2025

Turtle Island Prophecy.

11/18/2025

Shared for someone:

I traveled to Richmond, VA for a presentation on 11-7-2025. While there I met Powhatan Owens. He stated he was adopted by a Chickahominy couple. His birthdate is April 10, 1948. He was told he was from Akwesasne but could be Six Nations. The first photos are of Powhatan. The last one was his biological father, he never knew his name. Does anyone recognize his dad or have any information about his lineage?

11/09/2025

It was another interesting meeting with more fascinating stories. Just when you think you know the history, something new pops up. I’m always amazed at how little indigenous history has been taught. More pieces of understanding about who our ancesters were are answered . Thank you to our speaker, Roberta Hill.

11/07/2025

Tomorrow, Saturday, Nov 8, is our next meeting and we will be having a guest speaker talking about the Lady Willingdon Hospital. It should be very interesting. I look forward to seeing everyone then.

10/31/2025

Anyone want to join me?

🪶 Learn the Language, Connect to the Culture!

Join us for an Introductory Mohawk Language Class — perfect for beginners who want to explore the beauty, history, and cultural significance of the Mohawk language.

📅 November 12 – December 11, 2025
🕙 Wednesdays & Thursdays | 10 AM – 12 PM
📍 Six Nations Polytechnic – Achievement Centre Classroom, 2160 4th Line Rd., Ohsweken, ON

✨ Expect:
✅ Beginner-friendly lessons
✅ Basic words, greetings, and everyday conversation
✅ A supportive and welcoming environment

💥 This is a FREE, IN-PERSON event!

Reserve your spot today!
📱 Text: 519-757-5989
📧 Email: angel@snpolytechnic.com

10/22/2025

Someone needs our help.