8 Episodes | English | Directed by Leila Conners | Produced by Mathew Schmid | Executive Produced by George DiCaprio, Oren Lyons, Roee Sharon Peled, Oliver Stanton, Gayle Kelly
"We are looking ahead, as is one of the first mandates given us as chiefs, to make sure and to make every decision that we make relate to the welfare and well-being of the seventh generation to come...What about the seventh generation? Where are you taking them? What will they have? -- Chief Oren Lyons
​
Eight films recording the Testimony of the Iroquois as they strive to uphold the traditions and the legacy of their people while also protecting their relationship and care for the Earth.
Episodes
EP 1 We are the Haudenosaunee
EP2 The Peacemaker & The Tadadaho
EP 3 Iroquois: Originators of Lacrosse
EP 4 Value Change for Survival
EP 5 Scalp Lock
EP 6 Where the Willows Meet the Waters (Lake Onondaga)
EP 7 Why We Have Come Forward Now
EP 8 Doctrine of Discovery
​
Credit Block
Featuring Chief Oren Lyons & Chief Sidney Hill
Created by the Haudenosaunee
Directed by Leila Conners
Produced by Mathew Schmid
Brought to you by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Executive Producers George DiCaprio, Oren Lyons, Roee Sharon Peled, Oliver Stanton, Gayle Kelly
​
Wampum belts were what the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) created to enshrine and commemorate treaties or historical events. As such, the Haudenosaunee have many wampum belts that are over 1,000 years old and several that commemorate the first contact with the Europeans. Today, the Iroquois are fighting several battles, they are still fighting to maintain their sovereignty with the United States; they are still fighting for recognition as human beings from the Vatican, trying to reverse the Doctrine of Discovery that has been in place since the late 1400s; and they are trying to raise awareness around how humans live on the earth, as their prophecies tell of oncoming disastrous weather due to extreme climate change. It is within this context that this project is born.
The Iroquois are stepping up in the “last stand” to explain the wholeness of their vision of the earth and how humans can live in harmony with the earth to last many generations into the future. They are doing this through this project, the Digital Wampum belt. The narrative of the project as it has emerged has been presented and accepted by the Iroquois.
The narrative includes the need for an understanding about humanity’s stewardship of the earth and the urgency to find solutions to climate change. This needs to be an agreement between this generation and future generations.
The Iroquois are embarking on an historic project about the 500-year history of the Iroquois, their relationship with Europe and America and their prophesies that, if heard, can help us navigate the oncoming changes due to climate change. This series of short films creates the space for the Iroquois to tell their story as they strive to uphold the traditions and the legacy of their people while also protecting the central tenents of their people and their relationship and care for the Earth.