Kenneth Atsenhaienton Deer, this year鈥檚 Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiative (ISCEI) Indigenous Knowledge Holder, will present听two public talks听on campus this week.听
The first takes place Tuesday, Oct. 22, and is titled听A Haudenosaunee Perspective on the Development of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 know how [] was created, then I don鈥檛 think you appreciate it,鈥� said Deer, a member of the Bear Clan from the Mohawk community of Kahnaw脿:ke who has been active with the United Nations Human Rights Council for more than 30 years.
鈥淭o some it鈥檚 just words on a page, but I think it鈥檚 important to know the struggle 鈥� the really long struggle 鈥� to get that text. And how amazing and strong it actually is 鈥� stronger than people ever thought it would be.
鈥淵ou can read about the Declaration, but I think it鈥檚 important to hear from people who were actually involved in it, and what it took,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to tell the stories.鈥�
On Friday, Oct. 25, Deer will deliver a lecture on听Haudenosaunee Diplomacy.
鈥淭he Haudenosaunee have a rich cultural history; we were quite the diplomats. There鈥檚 an interest now in peace-building, and what Indigenous people can teach. So I鈥檒l try to explain the history of our diplomacy: what it is and how we use it today.鈥�
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A week on campus
In all, Deer will spend a week on campus sharing his work through academic events, community presentations and interactive workshops.
His diverse background makes him ideally suited to serve as this year鈥檚 ISCEI Indigenous Knowledge Holder. In addition to his involvement at the United Nations, he has also served as an education advisor, newspaper publisher and secretary of the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just my good fortune to have had a series of careers and a lot of life experience,鈥� said Deer. 鈥淚鈥檝e gotten to use it and share it, and it鈥檚 helped me help others.鈥�
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From the South Shore to Switzerland
Deer鈥檚 first career was in education. He began as a high school counsellor and went on to serve as director of the Kahnaw脿:ke Survival School and a founding member of the First Nations Education Council.
Soon afterward, he got involved in governance of the Mohawk Nation at Kahnaw脿:ke, and in 1987 he began representing the Haudenosaunee at UN events in Geneva. That led to a stint as a negotiator during the early days of the 1990 Oka crisis, after which he founded听The Eastern Door, Kahnaw脿:ke鈥檚 award-winning newspaper.
鈥淥ur community needed a newspaper. We needed information, and there was a lot of misinformation out there.鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know anything about newspapers, but I figured, 鈥楢ll you have to do is tell the truth. What鈥檚 so hard about telling the truth?鈥� 鈥�
He would go on to earn an honorary Doctor of Laws from Concordia University in 2015 and teach a course in International Development at 海角社区. He continues to serve as a frequent guest lecturer, providing students with an Indigenous perspective.
鈥淎ll those things I was involved in were at the cutting edge of government and education and community development,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s a young man it wasn鈥檛 my goal; it just happened that way.鈥�
Deer remains active with the UN 鈥� he just returned from yet another Geneva trip 鈥� but he hopes his talks will inspire others to pick up the torch and replace him.
