In Memoriam 1992-1997/Emily Christina General

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IN MEMORIAM 1992—1997 99

EMILY CHRISTINA GENERAL 1902—1993

We have been grieved to learn of the passing of Mrs. Emily General, distinguished leader and historian of the Six Nations people. Her strong commitment to the Faith contributed greatly to the respect with which its message was received among Native Canadians.

Please assure the members of her family and the many Canadian Bahá’í's who knew and admired her ofout prayers for the progress of her soul in the Abhá Kingdom.

Universal House OFJustice November 23, 1993

mily General of the Turtle Clan was

born on December 25, 1902, and lived on Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Six Nations is part of the Iroquois League—an alliance formed about 1600 by “The Great Peacemaker,” Deganawidah, a Huron. Emily’s mother, Sofia, was Mohawk, her father, Alexander, Cayuga. She had a sister, Laura, and two younger brothers, Albert (Bert) and Sylvanus.

In July 1930 Emily accompanied a group of chiefs from Six Nations to London, England, to meet a representative of the Crown and to study the Haldimzmd Treaty of1784 which confirmed the sovereign status of‘Six Nations.

Emily was a schoolteacher. In later years she frequently stopped at Bobby’s Grill for coffee and lemon pie after delivering 7796 Hamilton Spectator. One day she was surprised to see a number of people entering the restaurant. When she asked the owner, Bobby Jamieson, the first Bahá’í on that reserve, the reason for this influx, he explained they were holding a Babe“ meeting at the back and invited

her to attend. As a result of stumbling upon this fireside, Emily declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh in 1961. She found His Teachings similar to the teachings of Deganawidah and the Longhouse religion. Grace General, the wife ofa cousin, also became a Bahá’í.

I met Emily briefly at a gathering in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1967, just before my husband, Dan, and I moved to Yellowknife. When we returned to Caledonia, we bought a house just steps away from the Six Nations Reserve. Jeannie Seddon, our Auxiliary Board member then, gave us the responsibility to teach there. That was how I came to know Emily. We became so close she considered me her daughter. I stayed with her For long stretches. Often I would accompany her on her newspaper route up and down those dirt roads. I helped her toss her papers out of her little green Datsun. Sometimes she would say, “One of my pupils lives there,” and proceed to tell me about the family. Several of the people along her route had become Bahá’ís.

Emily Christina GE’IMWII

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Emily imparted her high standards to the Children of the community. She taught them to take pride in their work, to strive for excellence, and to care for one another. She always praised them when they did well. She cared deeply for her people and wanted her property to become a center oflearning and a refuge for all. There, she envisioned children learning how to grow medicinal herbs and becoming stewards of the environment.

Phyllis Lickers, Bobby Jamieson’s widow, remembers how Emily loved to work outside with her plants. “She also liked to think the best of everyone no matter what, and always had something good to say about them—some little gem in their disposition that she would focus on.”

Emily was a sought—after historian. It was important to her that her people retain their history. As well she dedicated herself to bridging the gap between native and nonnative cultures. For example, in the 19305 she and Laura were walking at the back of their farm when they dreamed up the notion of starting an outdoor event. This marked the beginning of the Six Nations Pageant, an annual showcase of Mohawk history and culture. McKenzie Creek ran through her property, and Emily incorporated it into the pageant with portrayals of Characters, such as the famous writer and performer Pauline Johnson reciting poetry from a canoe.

Many requests came for Emily to address nonnative gatherings. In later years Dan and I would take her to these events. She was a great speaker and exerted every effort to help people understand native culture and history.

Emily was extremely direct and open about the Bahá’í Faith. We were a team and travel taught together extensively. She would say, “Come on Helen. I’ll pay your way.” So away we went. We visited many reserves in

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

Ontario and attended meetings of native councils such as the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, Quebec. From meeting with the Iroquois Bahá’ís we branched out to include the Ojibwa at Rama Reserve. She was delighted when we flew to Cape Breton Island to Visit the Mi’kmaq in Eskasoni.

In 1977 Emily, Grace, Melba Loft, and I attended the Intercontinental Teaching Conference in Mérida, Mexico. Before setting out Emily and Grace refused to apply for a Canadian passport. After all, Emily had witnessed the Crown affirm the Haldimand Treaty and her people’s sovereignty. John Sargent recalls approaching Canada’s Department of External Affairs for a letter to present to the Mexican authorities stating they were “citizens of North America.”

We roomed together in Mérida. In the evenings after the conference, we attended firesides at which forty 0r fifty people enrolled as Bahá’ís. Grace said, “Oh my goodness, we will have to form our Assembly when we go home.”

There were seven Bahá’ís living at Six Nations then. I phoned John Sargent and said, “Come home, John. We need you to form the Spiritual Assembly.” I moved in with a friendly lady, Frieda Green, that I met at Grandma’s Restaurant. I could only stay with her during the week, as nonnatives were not allowed to live there permanently. We Formed the Six Nations Spiritual Assembly in February 1977.

Over the New Year holidays of 1979 Emily and I traveled to Silver Creek, Alberta, to attend a Bahá’í native conference. Allison Healy from the Blood Reserve remembers Emily wearing her traditional buckskin dress and explaining the workings of the Iroquois Confederation. “She was a real general, a very inspiring and intelligent woman. She taught us about the power of that matriarchal system, how the

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clan mothers Chose the leaders and would kick them out if they didn’t live up to the women’s expectations."

Emily passed away at the Iroquois Lodge on November 21, 1993. As a teacher and an historian her legacy endures. A Six Nations school has been named after her. But above all her legacy endures through her potent example as a unifier, on and off the reserve.

Helen Kelly