Syracuse, NY – The New York State Department of Transportation announces the use of the Hiawatha Belt on the bridge reconstruction project over Interstate 81.
T
he Sentinel Heights Road Bridge expands over Interstate 81 near the northern border of the Onondaga Nation. The bridge was torn down in the spring of 2022 and is part of the “CNY Rising” plan. CNY Rising is a strategy to revitalize communities and grow the community.
“When the plan to reconstruct the bridge was approved, we began meeting with the Onondaga Nation about this plan,” said Erin Cole, NYSDOT liaison to the Onondaga Nation. “We worked with the Onondagas before in 2015 for the World Lacrosse Games. Motorists and the people from Onondaga really enjoyed the results.”
In 2015, NYS aided the Onondaga Nation in preparing for the hosting of the International World Lacrosse Championships with new signage. The results were signs on and off Interstate 81 in the Onondaga language.
“We wanted to discuss doing something like this again,” said Cole.
The result of the meetings between the NYSDOT and the Onondaga Nation was to insert a mosaic of the Hiawatha Wampum Belt into the bridge itself.
“The Onondaga is the capital of the Haudenosaunee or the Six Nations,” said Cole. “We agreed that this would best inform the motorists passing through about the history of the area.”
Onondaga Chief Tadodaho Sid Hill agreed.
“It is important for travelers to know about the history of this area,” said Chief Hill. “The oldest democratic government is here. The Hiawatha Belt symbolizes when five warring nations united as one. We called ourselves the Haudenosaunee – The People of the Longhouse.”
The Hiawatha Belt Wampum belt is made of purple and white wampum shells. The belt is named after Hiawatha, a leader who helped the Peacemaker convince the warring nations to live in peace. The five symbols (starting in the east) represent the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca Nations which will be displayed on the Sentinel Heights Road Bridge.
“The center symbol represents the Onondaga and the Tree of Peace,” said Chief Hill. “Under the Tree of Peace is where the nations buried their weapons of jealousy, hatred, and war against each other. And it is here, under the Tree of Peace where all of the nations of the Haudenosaunee come to meet, even till this day.”
The Haudenosaunee has been a model of a democratic government for the early colonists.
“Our ancestors urged the colonists to unite like us,” added Chief Hill. “Benjamin Franklin made publications about our government, we were a part of the Albany and Philadelphia Conventions and in 1988, the 100th US Congress recognized our influence in creating the United States.”
The relationship between the two governments is not coincidental. The Haudenosaunee government consists of three benches working together; the United has three branches. The eagle sits atop the Tree of Peace for the Haudenosaunee, the eagle is the National bird of the United States. The Peacemaker bound 5 arrows together representing strength and unity; in the talons of the eagle are 13 arrows for the United States. The Tree of Peace is a white pine which the needles are bundled together in sets of 5; the United States has 13 pedals of an olive branch. The Haudenosaunee is guided by the principle, Sga•dah hwe’dwayéñ’ ne’ oñgwa’nigoñhä•’ – We are of One Mind; The United States uses a Latin phrase E pluribus unum – Out of Many – One.
“Many people don’t know about this part of history,” said Chief Hill. “Hopefully as people drive by, they will be curious to find out what this symbol is and find out that we are still here.”
“We believe that projects like this are really important,” said Cole. “We hope that everyone will enjoy the finished project.”
Click here to learn more about the Hiawatha Belt and the Onondaga Nation. https://www.onondaganation.org/culture/wampum/
Photos: Erin Cole & Kathy Dwyer