118.) For centuries, the colonizing white researcher PhD's who studied, wrote books and museum reports on the Haudenosaunee people and culture, have practiced the dehumanizing format of never revealing the names of their indigenous "informants". (25 min. read)

For the most part, this racist format is still in use  and is presenting itself as one of the highest forms of insidious colonization of the Haudenosaunee people today.

There is now at least one university that is addressing this issue. But this issue has never been addressed formally in the public forums, to my knowledge. Perhaps only quietly in the halls of academia. It is now time.

This article is intended to start the healing process of this situation.

This subject has been brooch previously in articles 23 and 62. These two articles should be read before addressing this one. This article will be go deeper into the current situation of this insidious colonization of the Haudenosaunee youth, studying in these fields. And the negative effects on the Haudenosaunee people and youth, as a whole.

To begin with, let us look at the formal term of "informant", as currently and historically used by the historians, anthropologists and ethologists and sometimes, lawyers, studying the Haudenosaunee. The following quotes are from AI overview.

A PhD researcher's indigenous “Informant" is:

"a person who serves as a key source of data by providing information, insights, and personal perspectives about a particular culture, community, or historical events to a researcher."

"...an individual possesses specialized knowledge about their own community or culture, and is willing to share their expertise with an ethnographer"

"role of informant offers an 'insiders' (emic) view, helping the anthropologist understand complex, social dynamic, cultural nuances, common language, customs, and observed behaviors that might not be evident to an outsider. They often act as guides or "gatekeepers" facilitating, the researchers access to the community and helping to build trust."

"...while traditional use of the term has become somewhat contentious, and many contemporary anthropologists prefer terms like consultant, collaborate, collaborators, or partners to emphasize the active and respectful nature of the researchers relationship, rather than viewing the individual as a passive subject."

These types of definitions of "informant" go on and on. You can further research this yourself.

For the most part, PhD's of the indigenous peoples field of studies, believe that the Haudenosaunee Longhouse people who carry the cultural knowledge today, are still not capable of writing about themselves and their culture. And these PhD’s would not be able to write anything, if they didn't have "informants". And these informants are paid or receive benefits in some way. That's why they give the information to the researcher. But they still remain for the most part, nameless except for in the field notes. In 2025, many indigenous PhDs are still carrying on this disturbing and dehumanizing tradition. These indigenous PhD's sometimes referred to themselves as "knowledge keepers".

Whenever any other type of book is researched and published, footnotes are used to show who the researcher gathered the information from. And it's denoted on that information in the passage, with a quotient number. And those sources are almost always other PhD's. If the PhD's didn't do this, it would be considered plagiarism by their peers.

This is standard academia practice, except for the  situation of indigenous peoples fields of study. This role of the nameless indigenous "informant", still carries on today, The information taken from the nameless, indigenous "informant", is not considered plagiarism.

This brings us to a number of discussions that many unassimilated Haudenosaunee longhouse people have amongst themselves. That in the past, these paid informants purposefully gave inaccurate and false information to the researcher. This was done by the informant, by purposefully leaving sections of information out and also inserting false information at times. This was done because in Haudenosaunee culture, it is looked down upon to have our cultural material recorded or written down by these white researchers. That is why when Haudenosaunee longhouse people read these books, they know what to take and they know what to leave. They know what has been left out and they know what has been added wrongly. In other words, they are the only ones that know the truth about the cultural subject being written about, because they are the only ones still practicing it today.

Another disturbing event that is happening today, is that there are young indigenous people who are studying these old racist, ethno-history, anthropology and ethnology books and recordings, and believe that they are the real, complete truth. And some of these young people are now disbelieving the longhouse elders and their teachings. 

And we need to remember that these old books were written by racist authors, with the ruin of the Haudenosaunee people in mind. They were used as tools of assimilation. And in this case, it would be correct to describe many of these old books and recordings as "assimilation time bombs". 

And many of the authors of these old racist books disagreed with each other, because of personal jealousies and their own individual indigenous informant(s), who in turn provided the conflicting information.

It is common for the PhD to co-mingle the information that the informant is giving, with their own opinions and then present this mixture as fact.

Recently, the PhD's of some of these indigenous studies have come to realize that their decades, if not centuries of indigenous studies were wrong. This is a major step in the right direction and understood as such. But it must be up to the unassimilated Haudenosaunee longhouse people, as to what information will be given out and what information will not be given out. In other words, the unassimilated Haudenosaunee longhouse people, as s whole, must have complete control. This type of understanding is clearly expressed in the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). Also known as Bill C15 in Canada.

An excerpt from INDRIP's Article 31:

“1. Indigenous Peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literature, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional, cultural expressions. “

Let us also use this United Nations Declaration, as a declaration that the Haudenosaunee people are human beings. The phrase "human" or "human beings" appears no less than a dozen times in UNDRIP/ Bill C15.

Everone moving together in this direction, would be a first step in rewriting the history, anthropology and ethology of the Haudenosaunee people and culture. By simply recognizing the fact that the unassimilated Haudenosaunee Longhouse people are the sole carriers of their culture. Not the PhD's.

The indigenous PhD‘s are now being recognized by the universities and governments as the only “experts” of the Hauudrnosaunee longhouse people.The Haudenosaunee longhouse people can’t be controlled as a whole, so the few indigenous PhD‘s are used to try and control the longhouse people. And this is done through funding and jobs.

And the government’s pressing goal has always been, to assimilate the longhouse people, at all costs.

For centuries, the Haudenosaunee people decided to not tell the white researchers the truth about their culture. This was because it became apparent over time to the Haudenosaunee people, that sooner or later, whatever they tell these researchers, will eventually be used without their concern, knowledge or permission. And eventually this information will be used against the Haudenosaunee people and their beliefs.

As stated in the title of this article, these informants are kept nameless and faceless. As in centuries passed, indigenous people were not considered to be human beings. Many times when these white PhD's wrote books or gave reports to museums on indigenous people, it was classified as "natural science".The indigenous people were grouped into books with subjects like: fossils, minerals, and insects. This is how the white society and PhD's viewed indigenous people, as not being human beings. This form of racism is at times, minimized and explained away as "being invisible during that era". Racism is never invisible to those being affected by it. That's the reason why it's called racism.

Here is quote from UNDRIP's Annex:

“Affirming further that all doctrines, policies and practices based on advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic, or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable, and socially unjust.”

And this dehumanizing format still seems to be in use today, with the indigenous PhD's in these fields. Yes, in order for the students to get their PhD, they may have to complete an "indigenous elder requirement". But nothing of any real importance can be learned during that time requirement. It's impossible to learn very much, if anything, during that short period of time.

Here I will relate a conversation I had with an assimilated Indian woman who told me she came to the longhouse late in life for the first time, in her 40's. She started going to one longhouse and eventually befriended an elderly longhouse woman. She would give the elderly woman rides to the longhouse, and they would go out together periodically for meals. So after a year of doing this, the woman picked up the elderly woman to go to longhouse. On the way there, the elderly woman started telling the younger woman about what they’re going to do today at the longhouse. The younger woman stopped the older woman and said- "oh no, you don't have to tell me. I know what we're going to do today, I remember".The older longhouse woman stopped her and said no, you do not know. You've been going for over a year now to the longhouse and that's good, attending every ceremony. You keep doing that, going to every ceremony, and in 10 years, only then will you begin to understand what it is we do in the longhouse.

Every indigenous PhD I have met has been an assimilated Indian. Except for honorary PhD's. This is because honorary PhD's are usually longhouse people. This has been happening lately. This is a major step in the right direction. This shows that academia is aware of the situation and trying to correct it, in-house. But much more is needed.The dehumanizing past cannot be forgotten. Moving forward is impossible without official recognition and discussion of this situation, in the classrooms of academia.

So this article is not about blame, judging people or looking at people in a negative light. This is just what the situation is. Again, this article is about healing.

This situation is the result and responsibility of the US and Canadian government's centuries old policies of forced assimilation. And because of these forced assimilation policies, these indigenous PhD's usually know next to nothing about their own people and culture. This is usually not of their own decision-making. It is because of the years of forced assimilation policies like the: enfranchisement act, the residential schools, forced religious conversion, the 60s scoops babies, the "band councils" of Canada and the "Bureau of Indian Affairs tribal recognition" in the United States. Again, this is not talking about blame or judging a person. This is the sad, current situation, as it is for the most part. 

And becoming an indigenous PhD is sometimes the only way for these assimilated indigenous people to connect in some perceived meaningful way to their lost culture. Again, the cause of the cultural connection being lost was due to the US and Canadian government forced assimilation policies. Not the individual assimilated indigenous PhD and students studying their own culture through this dehumanizing format.

It is understood that these are very, very heavy subjects to broach. It is hoped that this article will not be taken out of context to create further division. 

This article’s effort is to begin the healing process. It is presented here as a starting point to begin positive and healing discussions. Let us remember that the written word does not belong to the Haudenosaunee. Written words, bring about misunderstandings. Only talking to each other, face-to-face, can the healing process begin.

So how can the current indigenous PhD's and those studying to become PhD's, collaborate with the unassimilated longhouse people, to bring about positive change to this situation. Will a brand new format have to be invented? Can these curriculums of studies continue in the way that they are currently being taught and used? This is just touching on some of the issues that need to be discussed.

The other thing that's occurring now is that the indigenous PhD's, are mainly the only ones who get the government and private funding and leadership positions for indigenous knowledge projects, and programs. Even though these PhD’s don't possess the knowledge and they can only get this indigenous knowledge, from non-PhD unassimilated longhouse people, As the longhouse people are the only ones who are still carry on this traditional knowledge today, because they use it every day. And this knowledge has been carried on and practice continuously, since Creation,

I have heard numerous reports of this very situation occurring.where the longhouse person carrying the traditional knowledge loses out on funding or leadership position, to the assimilated, indigenous PhD. Simply because the unassimilated longhouse person with the knowledge, is not a PhD. 

I also have firsthand experience of this happening, as being the grandson of Tom Longboat. Whenever Tom Longboat documentaries or books are in process, some authors want to consult and gather information from me, that only I possess. All without giving me credit for the information or payment. But credit and payment is always given to the PhD‘s, who were also consulted for the same project. Even though they don't know anything about Tom Longboat.This isn’t about money or getting accolades. It’s just not right. Again, it is recognizing only the PhD as having knowledge that is worth acknowledging. Even though they don't possess the knowledge and must get the knowledge from the unassimilated longhouse person. Again, it's the continuation of the nameless, indigenous "informant", who is still, not viewed as a human being. Still being grouped together with "fossils, minerals and insects", .because they do not have a PhD.

Perhaps the unassimilated, longhouse person carrying the knowledge should be considered equal to a PhD when applying for funding, and for leadership positions of indigenous programs, such as language programs. If they need to be given honorary PhD’s, so be it.

Perhaps the whole PhD field of study of Haudenosaunee people needs to be reimagined. It appears that the only avenue of viability, is for academia to change and update the curriculum of the study of Haudenosaunee people and culture. This type of thinking may be in process.

For the most part, this dehumanizing process, colonization and racism of the "nameless indigenous informant" continues to this day, and the history of this is usually not spoken of. Perhaps this discussion should become part of a new indigenous, higher education curriculum. This should be taught in high schools.

It is understood that this article could be hurtful to many people. I am simply reporting on something that is affecting and harming all Haudenosaunee people. Hierarchy is not our way. We are all one. Equal. All are the same height, like the tree line.

An old long house saying: "if you see someone trying to place themselves above others, you will see happenings."

And this indigenous PhD situation affects all the other indigenous people across the Americas, as well. As I wrote in a previous article, this current situation that is going on with the Haudenosaunee people now, was being inflicted upon the unassimilated indigenous people in South America during the 1970s.

Let us begin this much needed, but perhaps painful discussion, of this centuries old and current situation that the US and Canadian governments and academia have created.

This article certainly did not cover all aspects of the situation, nor was it intended to. As it only touched on some of the present conditions. As always, this is presented as a positive starting point for discussion in your circle. Let us all now, try to roll our minds into one, the best that we can.

This article will be sent to numerous university indigenous study programs. You are encouraged to pass this article on to the indigenous study programs that you know about.