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The Indian Defense League of America was established on December 1, 1926 to resist further erosion of the rights of Indians in North America. The IDLA was established to guarantee unrestricted passage on the continent of North America for Indian people. Unrestricted passage is considered an inherent right for indigenous people.
SOVEREIGNTY UNDERMINED BY FORCED CITIZENSHIP AND RESTRICTED PASSAGE LEADS TO FORMATION OF THE IDLA
The Canadian government does not recognize these inherent rights, or the Jay Treaty and in the early part of this century moved to dissolve the traditional Iroquois government by an "Order in Council of September 17, 1923. " Additionally, the Canadian Indian Office tried to force Canadian citizenship or "enfranchisement."
Similarly, the U.S. government enacted the Immigration Act of 1924, which under section 13(c) was an exclusionary measure against Asians and North American Indians. Citizenship was also imposed by the U.S. government on Indian people in 1924 and was understood as a violation of our sovereignty. Chief Clinton Rickard asked the question, "how can you be a sovereign nation and be force to be a citizen in a foreign government?" Needless to say, citizenship is rejected by the Haudenosaunee.
Deskaheh, or Levi General, a Cayuga sachem from Six Nations territories on the Grand River, in 1924 resisted this encroachment of our sovereign rights. Deskaheh became ill after an appeal for justice to the League of Nations in Switzerland, and was forced to stay at the home of Chief Clinton Rickard. Due to the restrictions imposed by the Immigration Act of 1924, Deskaheh's traditional medicine man from his home at Six Nations could no longer treat him and when he took the long road home his final words were to "fight for the line," meaning the border. Chief Clinton Rickard of the Tuscarora Nation territories heard those words and dedicated his life to "fighting for the line," through the formation of the IDLA.
The United States and Great Britain formally acknowledged this inherent right by establishing the Jay Treaty of 1794, specifically, article 3, as follows:
Following the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States came the 1814 Treaty of Ghent, which reinstated this inherent right for the Haudenosaunee and all Indian people in article 9, as follows:
These rights are sporadically recognized today by the United States and continue to require IDLA advocacy.
The first IDLA Border Crossing Celebration took place July 14, 1928. This event symbolizes the continuous assertion of our sovereignty as Indian Nations within the recently formed United States and Canadian Nations. The IDLA continues to assist the Haudenosaunee from "getting their horns caught in the wire", and forces the issue of free passage for all North American Indians.
Beverly Hill, President
IDLA ADVOCATES AWARENESS OF RIGHTS GUARANTEED BY JAY TREATY OF 1794 AND REINSTATED BY THE TREATY OF GHENT OF 1814,
It is agreed that it shall, at all times be free to His Majesty's subjects and to the Citizens of the United States, and also to the Indians dwelling on either side of the boundary line, freely to pass and repass by land, inland navigation, into the respective territories and countries of the two parties on the Continent of America (the country within the limits of the Hudson's Bay Company only excepted) and to navigate all the lakes, rivers and waters thereof, and freely to carry on trade and commerce with each other.
No duty of entry shall ever be levied by either party on peltries brought by land or inland navigation into the said territories respectively, nor shall the Indians passing or repassing with their own proper goods and effects of whatever nature, pay for the same any import or duty whatever, but goods in bales or other large packages unusual among Indians, shall not be considered as goods belonging bona fide to Indians.
The United States of America engage to put an end immediately after the ratification of the present treaty to all hostilities with all the tribes or nations of Indians with whom they may be at war at the time of such ratification, and forthwith to restore to such tribes or nations, respectively, all the possessions, rights and privileges which they may have enjoyed or been entitled to in one thousand eight hundred and eleven, previous to such hostilities, against the United States of America, their Citizens and subjects, upon the ratification of the present treaty being notified to such tribes or nations, and shall so desist accordingly, and His Britannic Majesty engage on his His part, to put an end, immediately after the ratification of present treaty, to all hostilities with all the tribes or nations respectively, all the possessions, rights and privileges which they may have enjoyed or been entitled to in One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eleven, previous to such hostilities, provided always that such tribes or nations shall agree to desist from all hostilities against His Majesty and His subjects, upon ratification of the present treaty being notified to such tribes or nations, and shall so desist accordingly.
EACH GENERATION MUST CLAIM THESE RIGHTS
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