Deskaheh

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Deskaheh, also known as Levi General (Grand River, Ontario, 1873 - Tuscarora Reservation, New York, 1925), was a Haudenosaunee statesman noted for his persistent efforts to get recognition for his people. Raised and educated as a traditional Cayuga, he became a Cayuga "chief" and assumed the name Deskaheh. He departed for Geneva, Switzerland to speak at the League of Nations in 1923 using only a passport from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. At the League of Nations, he presented "The red man's appeal for Justice," and reminded European colonizers of the new world of their obligations under the two row wampum, the most significant pact made between the Iroquois and Europeans. Despite receiving the support of some nations, British influence was too strong for a realistic chance at effecting change in the League of Nations, and he returned home to the Western hemisphere.

On the 7 October, 1924, the RCMP dissolved the traditional government of the Six Nations, stealing important documents and wampums and declaring an immediate election to displace the traditional government. Soon thereafter, Deskaheh died on the Tuscarora Reservation near Buffalo, NY, after giving his famous last speech [1].