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A 130-year-old Indigenous longhouse is leading the charge toward energy independence for an Ontario community — and showing how their cultural values can fuel the future.
The project, led by the Cayuga Nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River, aims to reduce reliance on energy sources such as propane for heat and power by integrating clean energy solutions with their cultural traditions.
The Sour Springs Longhouse, built in 1892, is an important ceremonial site for the Six Nations community in southwestern Ontario.
In 2022, the community undertook a three-phase renovation, which includes energy-efficient retrofits, the installation of a 24-kilowatt hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) system, and the construction of a low-carbon seed storage facility.
But first, it was a challenge to ensure community and traditions were properly considered.
Haudenosaunee governance
“I saw a ton of gaps with consent, especially consent that included our traditional governance system and our hereditary clan system,” said Serena Mendizabal, managing director at Sacred Earth, the organization leading the initiative in her home territory.
Mendizabal explained that existing clean energy projects sidelined the governance systems and cultural values of Indigenous communities. She was involved in a project where Hydro One sought an injunction against the community, threatening criminal charges if protests against the recommissioning of a transmission line continued.
Their council argued that the project moved forward without proper consultation and tried to bypass their traditional governance by working with elected councils, which they believe do not represent the entire Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
This gap in community engagement and consultation led to the creation of a sustainable restoration plan for the Sour Springs Longhouse that helped ensure Indigenous cultural practices and governance were considered.
"This is the first project of its kind, using our governance system and our hereditary system outside, engaging our families in a way that is more intimate than what we’ve seen previously," said Mendizabal. During the consultation process, for example, the community discussed a number of issues, including whether to retrofit its historic longhouse building with solar panels. Ultimately, the community decided to place them in the adjacent field to respect cultural protocols and traditions.
"I've been brought full circle, and I really understood what is a just transition, and it really meant going back to our traditional ways of governance and our way of knowledge, and putting that at the forefront of all the work that we do," said Mendizabal.
The project is governed by the principles of traditional Haudenosaunee leadership. Around 15 community members, from youth to elders and including faith keepers, chiefs, and clan mothers, were trained in solar installation and maintenance and worked side-by-side to build the system. Reserve Power, a local contractor from Six Nations, assisted with the installation.
“One of the biggest pieces is just being more independent and self-sustaining. How do we support our community?” said Julie Bomberry, Cayuga clan mother who participated in the project. “Making sure that we’re actually not only implementing these solutions, but investing in our community members and our young people, as well to hopefully build career pathways.”
To address any concerns about the environmental impact of the solar installations on the land, the core team educated the community about how solar energy works and the benefits of reducing reliance on propane and promoting sustainability.
Last summer, the first phase — a 24-kilowatt hybrid solar PV system — was installed. It now powers the longhouse and adjacent buildings, including the dining hall, cookhouse and study hall, and is projected to cut propane usage by half.
The solar PV system will also power the fifth building for culturally significant seeds, such as corn, beans, squash, sunflowers and tobacco. The goal is to keep these seeds which are key to food sovereignty. “Seeds are the pinnacle of our relationship to the lands around us,” Mendizabal said.
The seed facility will be completed by the end of the year along with the retrofitting in the Longhouse and dining hall, which includes heat pumps and heat recovery ventilators to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Energy sovereignty
“Getting off the dependency of being connected to electricity was the best idea,” said Cleveland Thomas, Hereditary Chief of the Haudenosaunee Chiefs Council, who participated in the initiative. “We’re already moving in that direction, looking at how we can sustain our ceremonies and way of life.”
The community chose a hybrid system, which prioritizes the use of solar power stored in batteries. This energy is used first, with the community only drawing power from the provincial grid when it is needed for larger events. This system is different from typical systems in Ontario, where any extra electricity made from solar panels goes back to the power company and the company gives a credit for it. In this case, the community doesn't sell electricity back to the grid but instead stores it to be used later.
“This project speaks volumes about what could happen when we actually respect Indigenous sovereignty — not just respect it, but uphold it and use it in climate solutions,” Mendizabal said. “As Indigenous peoples, we have the right to self determination, to determine what solutions we want to see.”
A remaining challenge is access to government or utility funding through the Independent Electricity Systems Operator in Ontario, she noted. Since Six Nations operates under a hereditary governance system, it is not recognized under the framework for such funding.
"The structures in place prohibit communities from implementing projects outside of the traditional and colonial forums."
They received philanthropic funding, which allowed them to align their governance system with the project.
Mendizabal said true energy sovereignty can only be achieved if Indigenous governance systems are recognized and included in energy development projects.
“We can be the test subjects for other communities or longhouses that might want to do this, too,” Thomas said.
Sonal Gupta / Local Journalism Initiative / Canada’s National Observer
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