By the early 20th century, Haudenosaunee communities, and Indigenous communities across Canada, were witnessing an intense series of attacks on their historic institutions by the Canadian government.  Through a series of laws, policies, and various forms of intimidation and violence, the Canadian government sought to assimilate Indigenous peoples, secure their lands, and eliminate their sovereignty.

Indigenous communities across the country responded in different ways to these elimination tactics. In Six Nations of the Grand River– a Haudenosaunee community in Southern Ontario– the hereditary Confederacy Council, understanding the Canadian government’s actions as a direct attack on their self-determination, responded by leading a series of national and international appeals to gain recognition of their sovereignty. To do so, they selected Levi General, with the hereditary title Deskaheh, to travel to the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to be their public spokesperson between 1923 and 1925.

Deskaheh weaves the profound story of General’s travels and is the result of an Indigenous youth mentorship program at McMaster University, which empowers Indigenous youth to create digital animations that bring Indigenous histories to life for public education.