I don't know how we're going to squeeze 500 years into 10 minutes, but we'll give it a try.
This has been a long-standing issue ever since the Europeans first arrived here in our part of the world, the world that we call Turtle Island. This is not something new. It didn't start with the imposition of the Indian Act. It goes way beyond that. Way beyond means the imposition of the cultural beliefs, the language, and all the other things that have been brought here and have been imposed on us.
We're amazed we're still here. We still speak our language. We're still able to talk about the things that our ancestors passed on to us and made sure that we did not forget so that the coming generations would also not forget. That's what makes it a very challenging time for us in a period in which we need to again remind some fresh faces, some new faces who have come into government, about what's happened, and in particular, more specifically about Kahnawake.
We consider you younger brothers and sisters because we've been here for countless ages. Even recent research into archeology and findings on the Island of Montreal show that we go back 12,000 years. We didn't come from New York State and places like that, as they claim. There was no New York State back then. In any event, we just want to make it clear about our presence here today. This is not the first time for me. I was first elected in 1970, then 1978, and I retired in 2004. I came back again last year. It's been a long time. From that time until now, it's been the same struggle.
Previous to my being on council, previous to my being born back in 1949, there was a problem back then also, and our community has fought very selfishly for the jurisdiction, for the need to establish what we believe is our way of identifying our people, and our way of allowing people to reside among us in our community. It's always been a very controversial issue. It's been a fight.
One of the things I'd like to raise is the fact that this government is talking about nation to nation. Nations don't impose their will or their ways or their thinking on other nations. If we are to allow that to happen, then we do it of our own free will, and we have not. We will not be persuaded to do otherwise, although it causes us some very uncomfortable situations. We've been accused of racism. We've been accused of all kinds of things. Because of the fact we've had to take this stand, that's what we have to do. We have no choice. That's our goal, to be able to maintain the stand, if you will.
I have to be very blunt and up front about it: no committee, no provincial or federal government, no court is going to impose its will on us. That comes not just from me and my fellow chief here, Kahsennenhawe. It comes from the community. That's the stand we have. That's why we're here to provide you with this information. It's not necessarily to ask you for anything to help the circumstances, but perhaps your understanding and your co-operation is what's needed. Even if you can't co-operate, then at least understand.
I would like to have Kahsennenhawe take it from here and give you some insight into more specific issues.