Akwesasne Notes

Akwesasne Notes was a North American Indigenous journal published from 1969 to 1992 in the Akwesasne (St. Regis) Mohawk reservation, which straddles the United States–Canada border in New York State. It was one of the first English-language pan-Indian periodicals produced by contemporary Native North Americans for Indigenous and natural peoples, as its subtitle declared. Though it operated with modest financial and organizational resources—partly relying on volunteers who traveled to Akwesasne—it became the best-known voice of a young and often radical generation of Native Americans during the 1970s. At its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was formally published by the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs and reached a circulation of up to 100,000 copies, gaining recognition across the American continent and beyond, including among readers and translators in Poland. The journal's editorial line combined traditional wisdom and knowledge of Indigenous peoples of both Americas with the views of contemporary Native philosophers and activists such as Vine Deloria Jr., John Mohawk, and Winona LaDuke. It embraced ecological currents—including deep ecology—leftist, often anti-capitalist and anti-corporate perspectives, and egalitarian and anti-racist values, all grounded in the conviction that the existence, diversity, and defense of Indigenous cultures are values to be actively supported and widely disseminated. Breaking through information blockades and stereotyped Eurocentric reporting, Akwesasne Notes extensively covered current struggles of Indigenous peoples against racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious discrimination, persecution of minorities, and violations of historical treaties and human rights. It reported on the Alcatraz and Wounded Knee occupations, Cree protests at James Bay, the suffering of Indigenous peasants in Guatemala and Nicaragua, and the genocide of the Aché in Paraguay and Indigenous inhabitants of East Timor. The publication also distributed alternative publications, ethnic music recordings, Indigenous propaganda materials, and traditional Iroquois handicrafts. Akwesasne Notes ceased publication in 1992 after 135 issues across 23 volumes, as changing social moods in the United States, transformations in Native movements and organizations (such as NCAI, AIM, and W.A.R.N.), the rise of new professional Indigenous periodicals, and local tensions in the border community of Akwesasne led first to declining relevance and circulation, then to closure. Former editors later produced two volumes of a new series, Akwesasne Notes: A Journal of Native and Natural Peoples (1995–1997), and other Mohawk socio-cultural publications such as Native Americas, but could not replicate the original's success amid increased competition from new Indigenous and non-Indigenous media.

Akwesasne Notes was founded in 1969 in the Akwesasne (St. Regis) Mohawk reservation, which spans the United States–Canada border in New York State. It emerged as one of the first English-language pan-Indian periodicals produced by contemporary Native North Americans for Indigenous and natural peoples, as its subtitle proclaimed. The journal was published with variable frequency, usually as a quarterly, and was formally issued by the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs. Despite modest financial and organizational backing—partly relying on volunteers who came to Akwesasne—it became the most prominent voice of a young and often radical generation of Native Americans during the 1970s. At its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Akwesasne Notes reached a circulation of up to 100,000 copies and was known across the American continent and beyond, including in Poland, where participants of the PRPI (Polish Movement for the Defense of Human Rights) read and translated it. Subscribers included not only Native Americans engaged in the struggle for their rights and the defense of their cultures but also Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural, educational, and socio-political organizations and institutions, Indian support groups, and sympathizers in many countries. The socially committed editorial team often sent the journal free of charge to poorer readers and Indigenous prisoners. The journal's editorial line combined traditional wisdom and knowledge of Indigenous peoples of both Americas with the views of contemporary Native philosophers and activists such as Vine Deloria Jr., John Mohawk, and Winona LaDuke. It embraced ecological currents—including deep ecology—leftist, often anti-capitalist and anti-corporate perspectives, and egalitarian and anti-racist values, all rooted in the conviction that the existence, diversity, and defense of Indigenous cultures are values to be actively supported and widely disseminated. Breaking through information blockades and stereotyped Eurocentric and pro-American media reporting, Akwesasne Notes extensively covered current struggles of Indigenous peoples of both Americas (and other Indigenous peoples) against racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious discrimination, persecution of minorities (including women and children), and violations of historical treaties and human rights. It reported extensively on the Alcatraz and Wounded Knee occupations, Cree protests at James Bay in Canada, the suffering of Indigenous peasants during civil wars in Guatemala and Nicaragua, and the genocide of the Amazonian Aché in Paraguay and Indigenous inhabitants of East Timor. It also distributed alternative publications, ethnic music recordings, Indigenous propaganda materials (posters, stickers, etc.), and traditional Iroquois handicrafts. Akwesasne Notes published until 1992, releasing a total of 135 issues across 23 volumes. Its closure followed changing social moods in the United States, transformations in contemporary Native movements and organizations (such as NCAI, AIM, and W.A.R.N.), the emergence of new professional Indigenous periodicals (and later radio stations and internet services), and local tensions in the border community of Akwesasne itself. These factors led first to a decline in relevance and circulation, and then to the journal's closure. Former editorial staff later prepared two volumes of a new series, Akwesasne Notes: A Journal of Native and Natural Peoples (1995–1997), and other Mohawk socio-cultural publications such as Native Americas, but amid increased market competition from new Indigenous and non-Indigenous media, they could not replicate the original's success.

• 1995

  Former editors launch a new series, Akwesasne Notes: A Journal of Native and Natural Peoples, running until 1997.

• 1992

  Akwesasne Notes ceases publication after 135 issues across 23 volumes.

• 1980

  At its peak in the late 1970s and early 1980s, circulation reaches up to 100,000 copies.

• 1970

  Publication continues through the 1970s, becoming the best-known voice of a young and often radical generation of Native Americans.

• 1969

  Akwesasne Notes founded in the Akwesasne (St. Regis) Mohawk reservation.

A pan-Indian journal giving voice to Indigenous and natural peoples, combining traditional wisdom with contemporary Native activism, ecological, leftist, egalitarian, and anti-racist perspectives.

• Akwesasne Notes quarterly journal

  The main periodical, published with variable frequency (usually quarterly) from 1969 to 1992.

• Akwesasne Notes: A Journal of Native and Natural Peoples

  A new series published in two volumes from 1995 to 1997.

• Native Americas

  A later Mohawk socio-cultural publication produced by people associated with Akwesasne Notes.

1. 1Akwesasne Notes – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Akwesasne Notes – Wikipedia (Polish)pl.wikipedia.org
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