A Treatise on the Six-Nation Indians

In this lucid lecture‑style work, the author turns his attention to the six original Iroquois nations—Mohawk, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Seneca, Oneida, and Cayuga—tracing their journey from early settlement along the Grand River to their present‑day communities. Drawing on personal visits to the Brant County reserve, he weaves together oral testimony, government records, and contemporary accounts to paint a picture of daily life, land agreements, and the uneasy balance between tribal autonomy and colonial oversight. The narrative is anchored in the author's own reflections on how stereotypes of “revenge” and “mercilessness” have been projected onto both Indigenous peoples and white settlers.

Listeners will discover how the government's land‑cession policies shaped the reserve’s boundaries, the financial trusts set up for each family, and the practical realities of farming, leasing, and occasional land sales among the Six Nations. The author also highlights the subtle ways in which traditional customs adapt to new economic pressures without losing their core identity. By the end of the first act, the treatise offers a snapshot of a community negotiating its past and future amid competing cultural narratives.