Onondaga Nation

People of the Hills

Cooking with Ashes

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Nixtamalization is the process where corn is cooked in an alkaline solution (hard wood ash in our area) to break down the outer shell, or endosperm. This process comes from Mesoamerica. "Nextli” is a Nahuati word, spoken in Central Mexico, meaning ashes."Tamali" is maize dough. This process works on other grains as well. Not only does this process soften the food and make it … [Read more...] about Cooking with Ashes

Land Rights Reaction

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The news of the dismissal of our land rights case September 22, 2010 stung.   Reading the words of U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence E. Kahn were to me, a biting dose of unwelcome reality.  The decision states:  “The profoundly disruptive nature of the Onondaga Nation’s claim in readily identifiable throughout its Amended Complaint.”  And further, “Sherill, Cayuga, and Oneida … [Read more...] about Land Rights Reaction

Celebrating 216 Years of the Canandaigua Treaty

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Oñgwaweñna by Tsadeyohdi Canandaigua always makes for a wonderful and enlightening day trip and traveling to the town takes about an hour and a half by car from the Onondaga Nation Community. The historic Canandaigua experience will rekindle a time from the past that shows the strength of our ancestors and their relationship with a young United States. Every November 11th a … [Read more...] about Celebrating 216 Years of the Canandaigua Treaty