Original Peoples Ongwehonwe Productions

Our Organization

Friends of Ganondagan

What is the name of your solution?

Original Peoples Ongwehonwe Productions

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

Promoting Indigenous Self-Actualization through digital media and an Indigenous cultural lens.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

In what country is your solution team headquartered?

• United States

What type of organization is your solution team?

Nonprofit

What specific problem are you solving?

There is a lack of Indigenous representation and voices in digital media exposing a vital need for Indigenous content, representation, and storytelling for the exchange and sharing of cultural knowledge, teaching practices, and authentic conversations with and between community members. Haudenosaunee and Indigenous peoples belong to distinct tribal nations that have been shaped by resistance and resilience. 

As a result of colonization, boarding schools, Christian indoctrination, and cultural genocide, Haudenosaunee traditional knowledge has been acutely disrupted resulting in cultural degradation, high rates of substance abuse, suicide, low self-esteem, and physical and mental health issues within our communities.

What is your solution?

It is through the sharing of traditional Haudenosaunee knowledge and authentic Indigenous representation that our communities can heal, strengthen, and continue to share the message of peace in relation to each other and the natural world. 

Digital storytelling through the Original Peoples Ongwehonwe podcasts and videography provides a platform to meet our youth where they are by providing accessible Haudenosaunee teachings, knowledge based learning through an Indigenous lens. Thereby ensuring the perpetuation of culture and self determination by accessing and utilizing media platforms readily available to Haudenosaunee young people and adults living on and off tribal lands.

The Original Peoples Ongwehonwe Productions will create space and a platform of thought and exchange where Indigenous voices are amplified, and knowledge holders are invited to share cultural teachings and stories which then develops a new generation of Haudenosaunee knowledge holders. Perpetuating Haudenosaunee oral tradition and Indigenous self-actualization can be accomplished by knowledge sharing through podcasts, videography, reels, social media, virtual meeting platforms and other digital forms. These resources will be available to stream and be accessible online along with cataloged material that support a methodology of three ways of knowing and understanding Haudenosaunee Culture (oral, written, and archeological sources), thus providing a place for further investigation, open for debate and to broaden understandings. 

Podcasts and videography through an Indigenous lens will share stories and cultural teachings featuring Haudenosaunee and Indigenous peoples, reminding our neighbors that we as a people are resilient, resourceful, and adaptable. the Ongwehonwe (Original) People are not relegated to history books, we are contemporary, we are real, and we are present. Through podcasts and videography listeners/viewer will connect to Indigenous culture and be introduced to networks of Native people engaging in exciting and innovative means of defining Traditional Practices and Teachings. Haudenosaunee and Indigenous youth will learn how Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island navigate the world we share and how they combine traditional teachings and practices along with western notions of Science, Technology Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM.)  This will allow them to envision themselves in broad and diverse fields as they see representation in all walks of life; Artists, Activists, Agriculturalists, Athletes, Musicians, Entrepreneurs, Academics, Science and Technology, Health and Human Services, and more. Through self-actualization, Haudenosaunee and Indigenous young people will become connected to the world as future leaders and stewards of the Earth.

Which Indigenous community(s) does your solution benefit? In what ways will your solution benefit this community?

The Original Peoples Ongwehonwe Productions focuses on benefitting Haudenosaunee communities first, and more broadly all Indigenous peoples. Locally we aim to serve - Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora Nations. This includes Haudenosaunee people living on and off territories across North America including the Seneca territories at Tonawanda, Allegany and Cattaraugus  (NYS/US), Oneida Nation (NYS/US), Oneida Nation (WI/US), Oneida Nation of the Thames (CA), Onondaga Nation (US) Mohawk territory in Akwesasne (US & Canada), Six Nations of the Grand River (Canada), Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory (Canada), Kahnawa:ke Mohawk Territory (Canada), Kanein:ke (NYS/US), and Tuscarora Indian Reservation (US).  Our reach will include Haudenosaunee community members living on and off tribal lands and will benefit Indigenous and First Nations people who live within the United States and Canada. 

The Original Peoples Ongwehonwe Productions podcasts, videography and digital media grows and develops broader Indigenous community self esteem as accessibility to first person story-telling opens a space for Indigenous peoples to share their journeys of self-actualization and resiliency. Oftentimes, these stories challenge the western ideals of competition, consumerism and capitalism as to become Indigenized, one must learn to actualize by recognizing their place, role and responsibilities within nature. Indigenous representation and voices are paramount in instilling a sense of worth and value within young people who may struggle with identity, mental health and well-being. Listeners and viewers will be confronted with traditional values and teachings centered around traditional and contemporary thoughts relating to the current world. Young people will learn that their culture is important and is valued, in a world that too often tells them the opposite. For non-Indigenous peoples, this digital platform will provide vital accurate Indigenous representation, so that they can have an informed Indigenous World view and understand that we are still here and thriving.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

I'm a member of the Seneca Nation, Wolf Clan I was fortunate enough to grow up with a father active in the Longhouse tradition as a Faith keeper. I grew up having access to Haudenosaunee Elders, culture bearers, language speakers and educators, historians, anthropologist, artists, activists, medicine botanists, agriculturists, hunters, athletes, and others. I have connections within the Haudenosaunee growing up at Ohi:yo (Allegany Seneca Nation and at Ganondagan. As a father of four children living away from our community I am interested in creating a space where my children can gain access to a broad spectrum of cultural practitioners and teachers. I feel it is important that my children are afforded the opportunity to learn about traditional practices and teachings as a way to bring balance to their lives, the outside is motivated by competition and capitalism as opposed to living in harmony with the natural world and seeing objects and species as relatives and not commodities. 

My experience supporting the Haudenosaunee and Indigenous communities includes my role as the former Executive Director for the Haudenosaunee Nationals, the only Indigenous lacrosse team to compete on an international level. I worked with athletes under 19 years of age, from Haudenosaunee and Indigenous communities helping them grow and develop culturally and as athletes. I witnessed a limited amount of cultural knowledge and understanding beyond their identity as a lacrosse player. I worked to instill cultural knowledge and pride, helping them understand sovereignty and traditional Haudenosaunee values. As a team we traveled under our own Haudenosaunee passports in the face of tremendous adversity. 

As the Director of Akwe:kon (All of Us) house at Cornell University, the first university residence hall in the dedicated to celebrate North American Indigenous Heritage, I worked to help students navigate academia through cultural programming centered around Haudenosaunee and Indigenous teachings. I helped to introduce students to culture and provided opportunities to deepen their understanding, serving as a bridge. Many students did not grow up on Native territories and for those that did, many did not experience cultural teachings. 

Currently I serve as Cultural Liaison at Ganondagan continuing the work of supporting Haudenosaunee and Indigenous communities, developing, and sharing resources, connecting community folks with cultural resources, and programming to deepen their cultural knowledge. Realizing the benefits of  digital communications, social media, podcasts, and social platforms I am  provide access and accessibility for those living on reservation or off territory. As a result of cultural genocide and the effects of residential boarding schools many Haudenosaunee and Indigenous peoples have not grown-up learning about their culture. For many, this is a source of shame. Having the opportunity to access cultural teachings through podcasts, videography and digital media challenges the gatekeepers and allows for an inclusive way to access one's cultural knowledge. We have strong ties to Ganondagan State Historic Site, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Seneca Nations of Indians, and other Haudenosaunee communities. These relationships provide access to Haudenosaunee traditional and cultural knowledge, material culture and primary source materials. 

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

• 3. Good Health and Well-Being
• 4. Quality Education
• 10. Reduced Inequalities
• 16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Please share details about why you selected the stage above.

Currently the Original Peoples Podcast Ongwehonwe has 38 episodes with approximately 700 followers focusing on Haudenosaunee teachings, Indigenous traditional and pop culture, Indigenous artists, performers, and others taking Haudenosaunee/Indigenous peoples out of history books and contemporizing Indigenous voices through the arts, language, sports, culture, history, and traditions. More than 50 videos/short documentaries with 1.84K followers have been created sharing Haudenosaunee culture, values, traditions, and contemporary life. Through an Indigenous lens, Haudenosaunee artists, culture bearers, knowledge keepers, performers, re-enactors, and others share about history, culture, traditions, cooking, food systems, language, sovereignty, traditional and contemporary arts, music, sports, and dance. 

Funding and thought partners are needed to take Original Peoples Ongwehonwe Productions to the next level. We want to expand Indigenous voices and storytelling through community outreach by identifying Indigenous community partners that can help engage young people who could become content creators as interviewers, videographers, editors and storytellers. Tapping into young perspectives will open up and guide the creative process of creating new ways to make cultural teachings accessible and engaging. This then creates a generation of new perspectives and curiosities that can then shape and create innovative ways of learning and sharing Indigenous knowledge. 

We envision a youth component, directly mentoring Haudenosaunee youth, having them take the lead researching, developing questions, interviewing contemporaries, learning technical aspects of creating podcasts, videography and other expressive forms of digital content. We want to encourage young people to utilize Zoom, Microsoft Teams and/or other virtual meeting platforms to  connect with Indigenous youth and peoples across the country and beyond borders to exchange information, ideas and thoughts. The goal is to grow and create global connections informed by Indigenous culture, tradition and practices.

Why are you applying to Solve?

Seneca and Haudenosaunee principles are informed by the Gayaneshä’go:wa:h (Great Law of Peace) which encourages; Sgëno, Ga’hasdehshä, and Ga’nigöiyo:h (Peace, Power and the Good-Mind) which directly align with Solve's initiative of building a more sustainable, peaceful, and equitable future for all. The Seventh-Generation philosophy takes into consideration those who are not yet born but will inherit the world, considering how present-day decisions will impact descendants. We are taught to respect the world as we are borrowing it from future generations. Keeping Haudenosaunee cultural practices and languages alive is essential, language and culture have been significantly altered and threatened through colonization and yet the people still remain resilient and driven to thrive. Haudenosaunee people are here today, reclaiming their cultural traditions and still practicing their ways and finding new ways to share and grow the culture. This is a result of over 500 years of resiliency, resourcefulness, innovation, and adaptability. As we look to our future, we know that it is by embracing and innovating through technology that we will reach our younger generation, serve our community living across Turtle Island and ensure the continuation of our cultural traditions and values. Haudenosaunee/Indigenous values offer a counter perspective and world-view that aims to avoid ecological and societal down-fall. A generational knowledge gap exists and threatens the continuation of certain teachings and practices. Our Solve solution is an innovative intergenerational knowledge driven use of technology and resources from an Indigenous perspective for Native peoples, who reside both on and off territory, understanding that living on territory doesn't automatically mean you are culturally aware and connected to your community.  Through Indigenous voices controlling the narratives and correcting historical wrongs, providing access through a digital format we create an equitable space where Indigenous peoples have access to authentic cultural teachings and the resources to investigate, debate, and challenge traditional academic research. 

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

• Financial (e.g. accounting practices, pitching to investors)
• Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
• Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design)

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Ansley Jemison (Onödowá'ga:'/Seneca, Wolf Clan)

Please indicate the tribal affiliation of your Team Lead.

Onödowá'ga:'/Seneca Nation, Wolf Clan

How is your Team Lead connected to the community or communities in which your project is based?

I am Onödowá'ga:' a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, Wolf Clan. I grew up at Ohi:yo Seneca Allegany territory. My upbringing was rooted in the Longhouse tradition. I spent my formative years living at Ganondagan, in Victor, NY, the site of a 17th Century Seneca town and a thriving agricultural village, where there once was 150 Seneca Bark Longhouses and over 4500 Seneca people who lived peacefully there almost 350 years ago. Growing up I was surrounded by culture bearers and knowledge keepers. I had and continue to have access to Seneca elders, culture bearers, Haudenosaunee knowledge keepers, Indigenous anthropologist, activists, athletes, philosophers, artists, botanists, and language speakers. I continue to have deep connections within the Seneca and Haudenosaunee communities as well as strong relationships with Indigenous peoples globally including communities in Central and South America and the Māori communities of New Zealand.