by:
Adam Zaremski
Behind a wire fence and surrounded by
construction vehicles, peace stands outside Cassety Hall.
The Native
American Student Organization and United
Student Government planted an Eastern White Pine
Sept.16 to commemorate New York state Indian Day. The
event was funded by USG.
The pine is a symbol of peace and unity
to the Six Nations
Iroquois Confederacy, a union of six Indian tribes
including the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca
and Tuscarora nations. The tree is reminiscent of
the first treaty agreed upon in 1692 that recognized the
Great Law of Peace among the groups
The Great
Law of Peace is an oral tradition and constitution,
which is reported by the Web site, www.sixnations.org,
to be the oldest charter still used. It describes the
duties of the Grand Council and how the native tribes
will solve disputes between each other and continue the
peace.
To celebrate the dedication of the tree,
NASO, along with Lori
V. Quigley, a linguistics professor at Buffalo State
College, had Al George, a Native American, come down and
give a short talk. He spoke in his native language
to the 20 people who attended the event before explaining
what he said.
“I asked thanks. I asked
thanks to the grass and the trees. I also asked thanks
to the animals and the thunder that rolls from the west
that tells them when to go to sleep for winter,” George
said. “This is a good thing planting this tree. It
brings health and hope to those who respect it.”
Quigley was appointed to the National
Advisory Council on Indian Education by President
Bush in 2004. She is set to serve a five-year term
as vice-chair of the council.
NASO is a student
funded group that promotes the cultures of the Native
Americans on campus and in the community. The BSC Office
of Institutional Research Web site shows that in spring
2005, 43 Native American undergraduates attended BSC,
while another nine were graduate students.
Adam Zaremski can be contacted at
sligum13@netscaspe.net
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