Ron Jones

Onondaga Elder Statesman Murdered:

On February 13 and 14, 1999, hundreds of mourners joined the Jones family in memorializing the life of Ronald “Burning Sky” Jones, who died in a suspicious fire on the Onondaga Nation on February 11. According to sources, Ronald Jones was brutally murdered before the fire, which was allegedly set to cover up any evidence. The Jones family continues to demand a federal investigation of his murder because of their distrust that local authorities cannot conduct an impartial investigation.

For many years, Ron Jones, a grandson of a former Tadadaho of the Onondagas, had been an outspoken critic of the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs and had consistently called for financial accountability by the Council. He alleged that only a small portion of the substantial sums of money collected by the Council of Chiefs from various individual and corporate interests actually did not go to benefit the people on the Nation. He had frequently accused the Chiefs of not being accountable to the people for their expenditures, which included domestic and international travel for several of the Chiefs and financial help to a small group of their relatives and supporters in setting up their own businesses.

Ron Jones and other Onondaga Nation members had been very outspoken against the secret illegal tax compact that had been negotiated between New York State and the council of Chiefs. That tax compact would impose higher prices on the sale of cigarettes to protect non-Indian businesses. It also gave the right to the state to impose taxation on Native land. The opposition to the tax compact led to the invasion. It was the Onondaga Council of Chiefs that gave the New York State Police the go-ahead to go onto the property of Ronald Jones’ son, Andrew Jones, on Onondaga Nation territory. During that invasion, about 80 Native people were brutally beaten by the New York State Police who numbered around 200 strong. These beatings took place during a religious gathering and protest of the tax compact.

The Jones family continues calling for an investigation of the murder of their father. However, they question whether local law enforcement and the Onondaga district Attorney’s office could conduct an impartial investigation. Ruth Jones, widow of Ronald Jones, stated, “ I don’t want local officials involved. There is too much corruption, too much cover-up.” Ruth Jones questioned how the Onondaga County Sheriff’s investigators could conduct an impartial investigation if they themselves were the target of a law suit by members of Jones family and others who were beaten by the police after the invasion of their land. Karen Jones, Ron Jones’ daughter, believes that her father’s death is related to his outspoken criticism of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs. She stated that prior to her father’s murder, they had approached the U.S. Attorney’s office on numerous occasions requesting that they investigate the threats upon their lives and harassment by supporters of the Chiefs. She added that, at that time, the U.S. Attorney said that his office could not investigate unless a murder was committed. The U.S. Attorney has not responded to the Jones family attempts to enlist their cooperation in an investigation.(see Ongwehonweh Journals).

on Jones' Eulogy