I came across this book quite by accident, when it turned up at the bookstore where I work in NYC. I had never really read anything (other than Joseph Bruchac's juvenile fiction) about the Iroquois, although I had vague memories from my teens of hearing about a "Mohawk Civil War" taking place somewhere "upstate." Reflecting on how odd it was that almost every book I had ever read about Native America focused on nations and issues out west, whilst I remained wholly ignorant of those in my own home state, I decided that here was a book to remedy the situation. (It didn't hurt that the foreword was written by Vine Deloria, whom I greatly admire).

George-Kanentiio, a member of the Mohawk nation and a long-time journalist, begins his book with a discussion of the origins of the Iroquois, moving on to a general overview of the history of the Haudenosaunee (the "People Building the Longhouse"), from the formation of the Six Nations Confederacy through the present day, with particular emphasis on the Mohawk, and the settlement at Akwesasne. Chapters follow that are devoted to the teachings of Ray Fadden-Tehanetorens; various Haudenosaunee land claims; a discussion of the failed 1997 Trade and Commerce Agreement; the dangers of factionalism as evidenced by the 2004 Cayuga settlement with New York; the divisive role of the Oneida in the larger Iroquois picture; and a four-chapter discussion of the conflicts at Akwesasne and elsewhere between traditional anti-gambling Mohawks, and the "Warriors" who supported it. A helpful chronology of this period appears on pages 105-106. The author concludes with an analysis of the current situation.

I found Iroquois on Fire to be an immensely informative book, written in an accessible manner that is not always to be found in academic press titles (of which I have read a fair few). While reading, I was particularly struck by the reality that in seeking to undermine and oppose Haudenosaunee sovereignty, the state of New York has frequently put itself (unofficially) on the side of organized crime - those very people and institutions that in other venues seek to undermine the state. An ironic testament in my mind to the fact that dishonorable behavior is self-destructive and always finds its way back to the wrong-doer somehow...

Given the subject matter, I was expecting a litany of injustices, and I was not disappointed. This book contains some very uncomfortable truths that should infuriate you - which brings me to my final point. In my admittedly limited reading on Native North America, I have had occasion to pick up more than one book by the now-infamous Ward Churchill, and I have always found them to contain useful information and legitimate points (I haven't actually read the essay that stirred up all the controversy, so I cannot comment on that). But I have also been made almost physically uncomfortable by the tone of many of Churchill's books. I recall giving one of his essays to my mother to read, to which her sole response was "Well, he's very angry." I suppose that I have always overlooked his method of expressing that anger because I believed that he had something important to say. But Iroquois on Fire has really helped to clarify this issue for me. It demonstrates that a person can be very angry indeed (and justifiably so), and still express themselves in a more objective fashion, with a more humane and respectful tone. For that, I am grateful to Douglas M. George-Kanentiio.

In conclusion (and I realize that this has been something of an epic), I whole-heartedly recommend this book to everyone, and most especially to those of us living in New York State. I only wish it were more readily available. I was so inspired, particularly by the influence of the Six Nations on our own U.S. government, that I have decided to read the entire bibliography of this book. ( )