The tenor of inter-Nation diplomacy between locales of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Delaware Nation has reached a significant milestone through the continued exercise of longstanding traditions. These bodies politic share a unique and complex history, shaped by political and legal harmonization through traditional Longhouse systems and, in the context of the Delaware Nation, the Big House known by its Lenape name, Xingwikaon, which serves as the original seat of the Nation’s government. Among the traditionalists of these Nations, the Delaware are regarded as the Grandfathers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy because of their longstanding diplomatic role in maintaining intertribal peace, supporting the enforcement of the Great Law of Peace, also known as the Kaianere’kó:wa, and serving as the symbolic central rafter of the Confederacy. The expansion of European colonialism into their ancestral territories, however, fundamentally altered these deeply rooted relationships for centuries.
During 2026, specific Mohawk and Oneida Clans of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy publicly challenged the Bureau of Indian Affairs domestic trust system and the imposition of foreign legal frameworks. Citing the traditional codification of the Great Law of Peace, they referenced Wampum #58, which states that any Sachem or Tribal citizen who submits to the laws of a foreign body thereby alienates themselves from the traditions of the Great Law. The traditionalists within these Oneida and Mohawk Clans affirmed their commitment to maintaining the Kaianere’kó:wa while explicitly rejecting the administrative management of their tribal affairs by the United States. Through these actions, they articulated key aspects of their political and legal status that they believe are essential to preserving the stability and integrity of the Great Law of Peace.
These developments resonated throughout a number of Eastern Woodlands tribal bodies, including the Sand Hill Band of Raritan Lenape and Cherokee Indians, which has also formally rejected institutional frameworks established through the United States federal system. Seeking to reestablish the traditional relationships that historically guided interactions between the Delaware Nation and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Principal Sachem Dr. Ronald Yonaguska Holloway, Minister of International Affairs for the Federation, personally extended official Sponsorship from the Sand Hill Band of Raritan Lenape and Cherokee Indians to Kanerahtiio, also known as Roger Jock, of the Rahstawenserontha (Bear Clan Family); Kawenniiosta Jock of the Orenrenhkowa (Wolf Clan Family); and Latiskalaketi of the Sonohse:’s Turtle Clan of the Oneida Nation. Through this official Sponsorship, each of these Clans activated FANA Observer Status and began the formal process of induction into the Federation.
Following deliberation by the Federation’s Ahtuskou, or Chiefs Council, the Turtle Clan of the Oneida Nation, together with the Wolf Clan and Bear Clan Families of the Mohawk Nation, unanimously completed the accession process and were formally admitted as Member Nations of the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas (FANA). According to the Federation, this consolidation of sovereign systems represents an unprecedented development among Indigenous governing bodies and advances FANA’s stated mission of providing leadership and serving as the collective voice for the development of the mass unification of the Aboriginal Tribes and Nations of the Americas.
Welcoming the newly admitted Member Nations on behalf of the Federation, H.E. Ambassador Gerren O’Neill stated: “The Federation of Aboriginal Nations of the Americas proudly welcomes the Turtle Clan of the Oneida Nation and the Bear and Wolf Clan Families of the Mohawk Nation as Member Nations of our Federation. Their accession reflects a steadfast commitment to the preservation of traditional governance, diplomacy, and the enduring principles of the Great Law of Peace. We are honored to stand alongside them in strengthening Indigenous unity across the Americas and look forward to advancing our shared mission through mutual respect, cooperation, and Nation-to-Nation relations.”
The Federation stated that the admission of these Member Nations further reinforces its commitment to fostering traditional diplomacy, strengthening Indigenous sovereignty, and expanding meaningful alliances among the Aboriginal Nations of the Americas for future generations.
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