Ray Cook: Mohawk Patriot
I have been asked about my thoughts regarding the passing of Ray Cook, July 14, a man I have know for over 40 years. He was one of the most passionate of writers, a believer in the viability of his heritage as a Mohawk citizen and one committed to a long standing tradition among the Rotinosionni (Haudenosaunee) in that we had a central role to play in the affairs of the world.
The question for Ray, as with all of us who pick up a pen, tap on a keyboard or stand before any assembly was how best to do this. He realized we needed alliances now just as we did in the past.
Ray Cook was a communicator, a carrier of messages, news and ideas. In distant times he would have been trained in the meaning of wampum belts and strings. His talents would have been cultivated from his youth to sharpen his ability to remember events and summarize the decisions of the people. He would be sent across the ancient trails, carrying his instructions in his mind with his wampum strings served as a reminder. He would be welcomed as he entered a town since the people were always eager to hear the latest news or to learn of the activities of their relatives. Since he was a commentator as well I am sure he would also give his opinion as to those events.
During one of our episodic crises -- this one in 1979 -- Ray had the unique idea of promoting unity and diffusing internal tensions by starting the Akwesasne Freedom Radio in a garage at Raquette Point. It did not have much broadcasting range beyond the territories boundaries but it, along with the formation of the Akwesasne Freedom School that same year, was an important event in our history.
Years before CKRK at Kahnawake or CKON here Ray realized that radio could be a powerful means to carry information and provide entertainment which was distinctly aboriginal. He did not have a deep well of Native recordings to choose from but it was remarkable to hear those pioneer artists on the airwaves, performers such as Floyd Westerman, A. Paul Ortega, Willie Dunn, XIT and Redbone. A few years after Ray showed us the way I as part of a small committee which formed the Akwesasne Communication Society and, on October 1, 1984 we went on the air from our original station at the highest point of Kawehnoke in a long house donated by Ray's cousin Lloyd Benedict. By that time Ray was at Cornell taking part in the formation of a Native studies initiative which would see the building of Akwekon House, a Native residency, and the publication of a news magazine of the same name. There is a strong creative current which flows through the Benedict and Cook families and Ray was a part of that heritage. His father was the artist and leader Julius Cook while his uncle was Ernest Benedict founder of the North American Indian Traveling College and publisher of Akwesasne's first newspaper. Both men were deeply influenced by Ray Fadden, the most effective teacher in Mohawk history and whom after Ray Cook was named. Given this heritage how could Ray Cook be anything but an innovator?Ray Cook, Akwesasne Mohawk, co-founder of Native American Journalists Association, Marine Corps veteran dies at 62
— Vincent Schilling (@VinceSchilling) July 20, 2019
Blessings, prayers to the family and friends of Ray Cook, a former editor at Indian Country Today and an icon in the Native Media world.https://t.co/3bi89iya2p
I was with Ray when the Native American Journalists Association was created in 1984. There is a group photo of the delegates to the first convention and, naturally, Ray is standing in the center, his stance one of assurance. I am off to the side, partially hidden by another delegate but pleased to have been asked to attend. Sixteen months later I was asked by his dad and Jake Swamp to take the position of editor of both Akwesasne Notes and Indian Time-it was then that our differences in ideology and methods diverged. I took a firm stance against activities like smuggling and casino gambling. I presented the community with information which led to the ouster of a longhouse sub-chief and three clanmothers. I did not hesitate to publish news which some considered controversial. In time Ray and others believed I was becoming too enveloped by the stories I wrote and far too involved in the physical actions which grew out of those articles. I lacked, he believed, objectivity. My response was that one had a moral obligation to stand for principles which defined us as a people and that information was not benign. As time passed Ray secured a job with the Oneida Nation of New York (ONNY), as an editor of Indian Country Today which the ONNY bought from Tim Giago, the Lakota publisher. The relocation of ICT resulted in an alleged breach of contract and intense bitterness towards the ONNY by Giago. My perception was that no casino cartel should own a newspaper, especially the ONNY which was, and remains, an entity without standing among the Haudenosaunee. I adhered to the Grand Council's decision of May, 1993 when it not only expelled the "men's council" of the ONNY but formally dismissed its so-called 'representative". The purchase of ICT followed a few years later but my editorials were firmly against the ONNY and that resulted in Ray becoming not only its defender but my personal critic. At the annual Native American Journalists Association in Seattle, Washington, in 1999 our differences almost degenerated into a physical confrontation. At a panel about freedom of the press in Indian country the CEO of the Turning Stone Casino and the ONNY was seated as a presenter. I thought this was obscene given that dozens of Oneidas had been severely punished and had their memberships suspended for speaking to the media during a movement to restore traditional leadership in compliance with the Grand Council. When I spoke about my opposition to that person Ray reacted and wanted to "take me outside." This did not happen because others intervened but it did leave a residue of unresolved resentment which often took the form of published condemnations. I would have wished it different but I refrained from making this personal, hoping that we would one day find common ground. Ray Cook died before I could make a lasting peace but I never lost respect for his ideals. He cared for his people and loved his family. He made his peace with the world and I look to the time when, in the spirit world, we may carry on a vigorous debate as to the way things could be.The 30 Founding Members of NAJA, all of us "Co-Founders", at Penn State 1983. Ray Cook in middle w hat, me in dark t-shirt w big hair & moustache, Dan Thompson in between. Actual founder Richard LaCourse far right. Tim Giago & Adrian Louis elected first officers at next meeting. pic.twitter.com/ZFyPvzK2Dn
— alexjacobs (@alexjacobs) July 20, 2019
Doug George-Kanentiio, Akwesasne Mohawk, is the vice-president of the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge. He has served as a Trustee for the National Museum of the American Indian, is a former land claims negotiator for the Mohawk Nation and is the author of numerous books and articles about the Mohawk people. He may be reached via e-mail at: Kanentiio@aol.com or by calling 315-415-7288.
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