The OCAP Blog

Tyendinaga Quarry Reclamation Update

2007-03-27T23:51:00.000-04:00

A couple of us went to the quarry today. Things seem to be going very well. There is an outpouring of support from the community and it seems like people are both excited and optimistic. Let's all hope the the government chooses to act more quickly on this land claim than it usually does. The elected Chief has said that he understands why the youth are frustrated and want to protect the land. This had better get resolved while they are still youth.
For more info, listen to the OCAP radio interview about it.

The so-called Poverty Budget is a sham

2007-03-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

The Ontario Liberal Government has just brought down their so-called “poverty budget” this week. Judging from the reaction of the liberal media you would think they have just declared a socialist system and eliminated poverty all together. Beyond the sickening back patting and congratulations however the truth remains that very little was done for poor communities in this budget at all.

A year ago OCAP called the Liberal 2% increase to social assistance a “kick in the face”. This year is no different. In the face of our demand to restore the Harris cut and increase it to match inflation- a 40% increase- there is no way to consider this additional 2% anything more than a joke. True, the Liberals have now increased assistance by a total of 7% during their first term but at that rate they will need to be re-elected another six times before we hit that 40% mark and by then it will be meaningless.

They also apparently think that Ontario’s parents are damn fools with the way they are claiming to “eliminate” the Child Tax Benefit clawback by instituting a new program, managed by another bureaucracy, to gradually give people their money back. Why not just end the clawback? They are afraid that ending the clawback could be seen as giving poor parents greater access to their own money with less Government intrusion into their lives. This control over access to money, the way people live their lives and raise their children is at the heart of the Ontario Social Assistance program.

Don’t believe the hype- this Liberal Government didn’t do a thing for poor people in this budget. In fact they gave a larger slice of the budget pie to the Magna Corporation than to additional childcare spending. All of this supposed poverty spending is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. If you want to know what OCAP thinks of McGuinty and this budget take a look at this video from one of our longtime members:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpgPp4JqS8E

Without question the struggle continues. Our Special Diet Campaign continues to add more money to the assistance cheques of families than the increase in rates and the new child benefit combined and we have no intention of waiting until after this Fall’s election to keep pushing for what we need and what we deserve.

Parkdale Stirring...

2007-03-16T16:40:00.000-04:00

The neighbourhood of Parkdale in the West-End of Toronto has been a long-time focus for OCAP. Back in 2000/2001 we had an office right off the main Queen Street strip on MacDonell Ave.

The most infamous OCAP campaign in Parkdale has of course been the fight for affordable and decent housing at 1510 King Street West- aka The Pope Squat. The building was squatted for four months in the summer of 2002 and as recently as last fall was at the centre of a renewed fight for housing that saw the takeover of a full city block near High Park.

Out of the momentum from that Fall Housing Campaign there is a renewed push to begin organizing a serious neighbourhood force that could begin to systematically address the enforced poverty in Parkdale.

There are few areas of Toronto more affected in terms of low standards of income from wages and social assistance, the pressure of condo development in an area full of rooming houses and low income buildings, the cuts to services enacted by City Hall and delinquent landlords charging enormous rents for run down units.

But the Parkdale Coffee Houses- a new monthly initiative from OCAP- could provide a space from which to build the kind of unity and strength required to turn the tide around. The first event last night provided a relaxed space for a frank discussion of the challenges we face and an opportunity to begin organizing against them and as one audience participant said- "to tell the government exactly what we want and force them to give it to us".

Next month our attention will turn to "A People's History of Parkdale" so that we can begin our fight by identifying the struggles that have succeeded before us and so that we can take lessons about our past and use them to better define our future.

The Winter isn't gone yet but Parkdale is about to start heating up.

To get involved with the Parkale Coffee Houses give OCAP a call at 416 925 6939.

Religion, Politics and the Authoritarian Left

2007-03-15T10:06:00.000-04:00

Written by OCAP member Graeme Bacque:

At the International Women's Day march in Toronto on March 10 I became embroiled in a heated debate with a long-time acquaintance over the issue of religious oppression in countries such as Iran. To put it in perspective, this person is a long-time member of the Communist Party of Canada, which has always advanced a position of coerced secularism.

I have no tolerance for religious repression of any kind, be it Witch burnings, the Islamic theocracies that exist in places like Iran and Saudi Arabia, or the Evangelical Christian fervor currently sweeping through the United States. But by the same token, I have no stomach for the kind of compulsory atheism that is the mainstay of much leftist ideology.

The real issue here is freedom of choice. As far as I'm concerned, the proper place for religion is as a cultural prerogative that people should be free to accept or reject in accordance with their own personal needs. Provided no harm is being done to others, the state has no right to decide whether people are entitled to live their lives in accordance with a religious philosophy. Conversely, governments also have no business attempting to force mandatory religious practices upon their citizens.

This right of personal choice does not exist in places like Iran. Nor did it exist in places like the Soviet Union, where religious practices in general were viewed as deviant and those who adhered to a faith were frequently persecuted.

There are many cultures in the world (Indigenous communities being a prime example) in which spiritual practices are so intrinsic to their social fabric that to outlaw religion would mean cultural genocide. This in fact is one of the primary tools that colonizers have used to undermine and ultimately destroy the sovereign nations whose lands we occupy to this day.

The irony here is that another religious doctrine typically served as the pretext for this oppression.

Early Christianity and authoritarian Communism actually had many things in common. Both were violently expansionist in their behavior toward their neighbors; both exhibited zero-tolerance for critical thought, dissident points of view or cultural diversity and both required the establishment of rigid hierarchies that attempted to place themselves firmly beyond reproach.

For all their apparent hostilities toward one another. the Kremlin and the Vatican were in many ways home to kindred spirits. Soviet Russia was swift to annex its neighbors and convert them into repressive clones of its own body politic, in much the same fashion as the Inquisitional philosophy of 'be Christian or be dead' spread quickly from western Europe in a global orgy of Crusades, pogroms, slavery and cultural genocide. Both stood for essentially Eurocentric philosophies that showed no regard for the well-being of the diverse cultures they sought to supplant.

The primary difference between religious theocracy and authoritarian Communism is that in the latter, people were required to focus their worship upon the state apparatus itself as opposed to an abstract, unproven concept of god. In other words, it became the ultimate human ego-cult.

Conversely, over the years faith-based movements have formed the backbones of many powerful social struggles. The civil rights movement in the United States and the Catholicism-rooted liberation theology that helps to sustain numerous revolutionary struggles in Latin America are but two examples. Indigenous communities' resistance the world over is motivated and sustained by the peoples' spiritual ties to their land.

The right to practice a religion needs to be recognized -- but with clear boundaries. The international community must continue to vigorously challenge repression against women in Iran in the name of Islamic fundamentalism, while recognizing that the Islamic faith is an intrinsic part of that culture and people must be free to practice it /*if they choose to do so. */The qualifier is that one person's religious practices ought never infringe upon the entitlement of others to make their own life choices.

The same applies to Christianity in the contemporary world, especially in the Americas. I do not dispute for a moment the right of churches to offer Bible study classes to their members -- but there is no place in the public school system for this kind of curriculum, except perhaps as an elective course of study offered to older students who are in a better position to make an informed decision.

Likewise we need to be vigilant against the Evangelical religious right which seeks to impose a strict Biblical code of law in the United States, while at the same time honoring the many Christians of all denominations (not to mention Muslims, Jews, etc.) who have dedicated their lives to fighting for social justice, and whose faith sustains them in the struggle. We also need to respect the inalienable right that Indigenous people have to live in accordance with their own spiritual traditions without fear of repression.

When it comes down to it, the authoritarian left's belief that the 'quick fix' of banning religion will end repression is ridiculous. What is really needed over the long haul is to stop raising our children to believe they have any business imposing their beliefs upon others, while at the same time respecting their inherent right to adopt whatever philosophy of life works for them. No one is able (or has any right) to make this decision on anyone else's behalf.

/*Graeme Bacque
March 12, 2007*/

Six Nations: Update From the Grande River, March 10, 2007

2007-03-12T13:32:00.000-04:00

Now what the heck is going on?! That's what I've been hearing for a couple of days since the incident involving Chief Administrator Dave General and a few community members outside of the negotiations building on Wednesday afternoon. I've heard comments ranging from disappointment, disillusionment and disgust, to that of jubilation and content. The people in this community are tired. Tired of the b.s. Tired of the manipulation. Tired of the interference. And really tired of the Canadian Government's continued use of its Indian Act policies and people in an attempt to undermine the process which was created by the PEOPLE to keep the PEACE.

And while one man's perspective is that he was only trying to attend a meeting which he feels he has every right to attend and was physically assaulted; the other mens interpretation is that they were only advising him that he was not going to attend this meeting because from the people's perspective, he has not been designated to attend, he has made clear he doesn't support it, he doesn't represent the people, and it was HE who tried to physically force his way through them. They only stopped him. So, that is what I've been able to get out of what happened. Most of us were in the meeting room unaware of what was going and it wasn't until it was pretty much over when it was brought to our attention. What gets me is the provincial and federal representatives acted like it was a big conspiracy on our part to keep Dave out. Fact is we had a caucus the night before and community members did voice their concern at Dave's continued attempts to undermine the process and his lack of support for the people; however, the Chiefs advised that they could handle Dave's outbursts in the meeting and that there was no need to prevent him from attending. What everyone needs to remember is that there are many many people who have stood silently back while Mr. General and the Crown whom he represents have been on a media campaign against the People, against the Confederacy Chiefs Council, against this whole process, trying to undermine and downplay the actual support that the Chiefs have. Dave has openly made statements such as the confederacy being on the 'dark side', about how "he's the boss", and how he's still the "legal governing body at Six Nations", how he doesn't support the reclamation, he even had voiced once that the army should be brought in to remove the people. More recently he went on a local radio program (on the 1st anniversary of our reclamation) with Caledonia Mayor Trainer, supporting her position and agreeing with everything she said. And according to Mayor Trainer, we're all criminals, we're terrorizing Caledonia residents, that there is a two tiered justice system, that we should vacate the lands, and that there should only be one government to deal with this situation (meaning the elected council). So basically, anyone who supports the continued mandate of the cultural genocide of our people dictated by the Crown, and the illegally imposed by force Indian Act system which is part of that genocide, is who and what Dave is representing. He certainly isn't representing the people of Six Nations and he has made it very clear in his last statement to the press that he has no intention of attending the community meeting that we called to deal with the concerns of the people. So basically, he's told all of the Six Nations community that he will answer to no one. He more or less said "f-u" to the people, and he has made it very clear in his latest action that he is no different then the opp, that when a community member doesn't agree with him, he will use force to try and push his way around because after all "he's the f-n boss".....which he allegedly said when he tried to come through the men.

And where does the Crown Reps get off with their high horse attitude? You know its almost funny that in the morning during our lands resolution side table meeting we were having discussions about the very same topic. They were being reminded how our Chiefs never accepted the concept of "Indian reserve #40" and how the monies that currently come through the band council are nothing compared to the monies that should be there from the lease agreements that our ancestors created to keep us self reliant, and that the Crown has been holding on to those lease monies. They were further advised not to think they were giving us anything! A federal representative accused the Chiefs of taking the high moral ground when it come to the band council and even lost his cool when challenged by one of the elected band councillors on what he had said. And from my opinion, one of the men should have jumped up and told that federal representative that under no circumstances do we speak to our women that way. In our culture our women are treated with respect. However, he did later apologize for his actions. The real question is, Who the hell took the high moral ground in the first place!?! Why do you think we have this situation called a 'reclamation' and why do you think we have men from this community preventing an arm of the federal government from trying to bring down the axe on this peaceful resolution process?!! We are in this situation because the Crown, through its intention of oppression and genocide, took the high moral ground several decades ago when it used an armed force to bring in its Indian Act Council in an attempt to destroy our culture, our heritage, and our ancestral rights to the land. They took the high moral ground to try and usurp the authority of the Onkwehonweh thousands of years ago when they killed the Peacemaker, and they're taking the high moral ground today by thinking they're going to call the shots on who sits at the negotiations. They had the nerve to give their heavy sighs, tsk tsk our people, and shake their heads in obvious disgust at what they perceived to be the actions of our negotiators, and automatically ASS U ME D that it was our men who took physical action first, not once thinking it was possible for Mr. General to be the aggressor. Why? because of their 'high moral ground' attitude toward the Onkwehonweh!! Afterall, we're only "Indians" according to their legislation and just like women, Indians only recently became humans too.

Not long after they left the meeting, correspondence from federal and provincial negotiators came to our chiefs suggesting that they "expect that Chief General will be free to attend the meetings of the side tables and Main Table, as he has done in the past", and had the nerve to site that the "negotiations can only succeed where there is a sense of security and trust, and where the mututal respect that the parties have worked so hard to establish is restored." First of all, lets be honest. Mr. General has not been attending any of the side table meetings to my knowledge, and has only recently attended about the last three of the main table meetings, quite evidently because of the fact that the Crown was feeling the pressure of the facts presented at the table. The truth and evidence has clearly shown that they (the Crown) were making unilateral decisions with respect to our lands, that all of their actions benefited the Crown and not the Six Nations, and that they truly have no legal basis for the position they have taken, even according to their own laws. Up until then, Dave did not attend the meetings. The last time he showed up for one and the people asked him why he was there, he threw a childish fit and temper tantrum, slammed his books and papers together and as he stormed out he was hollering that he "didn't need to be here because I'll just continue to deal directly with the ministers anyway, because I have that authority to". Where is the security for the people in that statement? Where is the trust?

And as far as being in an environment of trust, peace and mutual respect, at least our men stand behind their beliefs and hold true to our law, and when they speak, they make no qualms about speaking the truth, and they've shown it's far better to be honest then to continually hide behind the skirts of the crown, its more trustworthy to openly stand against our oppressors than to give the pretense of supporting when all along you're working to undermine the interests of the very people you claim to represent, and its far more more respectful to be forthright of your intentions and that in upholding the peace, you have to have the strength to stop anyone whose interest or actions are contrary.

His presence at the table has been that of acting on the direction of the Canadian Government to undermine the process because the crown does not want to deal with the Confederacy. His latest attempt was to undermine the process by which we agreed to funnel monies associated with the costs of negotiations. All parties involved with negotiations agreed. All 12 band councillors sat in a joint council meeting with the Chiefs and the people, and not one opposed when the discussion regarding the process to flow funds came up. Not one voiced any concerns. The whole purpose and intent to utilize an administration other than band council at this point was to force the Crown to recognize the Confederacy Council. The Crown was fully aware of this and worked with us to support it. Everyone agreed that this process would work. At least in open public forum they agreed. It wasn't until they had closed door band council meetings that their true feeling came out. And then we heard the whispers between INAC representatives and Dave at the negotiation table. We heard the rumours within the community. We heard the position of a few of the band councillors that did not approve, based on the fact that the people are continually reminding them that they are only an administrative body and not the government, and therefore we should let them administer these funds as well. I would agree with them if they were willing to only be administrators, but that is not the case today. Long story short is the band council insisted on passing a BCR that indicated all funds with respect to negotiations would be funneled through them. In spite of all that, the negotiation process was still proceeding and their BCR meant nothing. That's when Dave's outburst at the last main table came about and that is when the people voiced their concerns loud and clear to the Chiefs about his presence at the table. The fact is, Canada is not incapable of dealing with the Confederacy as they like to pretend to be. The Crown already agreed that this negotiation process is the avenue by which we will resolve not only the land reclamation at Kanonhstaton, but adding further the Plank Road as well as other lands that they openly admit to misappropriating; and therefore, if they choose now to go against the decisions made at the negotiation table, and try to implement policies and practices that aren't consistent with the Two Row, they have violated the agreement by which we sit at the table and have walked away from the peaceful negotiation process. And it's my opinion that is why they've probably advised Dave to disrupt this process. They knew we had consensus to proceed, and they did not want to set this precedence. Their legislation says we don't exist, but there are thousands of Onkwehonweh who beg to differ and will challenge that legislation. The Crown is in a panic over what is happening because the position of the people through the Chiefs Council is one of taking a strong stand and not putting up with their dictatorship any longer. They recognize that they are losing whatever self imposed power that they've been able to maintain for 80 years, and they are definitely afraid of what this means. They do not want to deal with the people. It is much easier for the Crown to deal with someone who will jump at their command, who will accept money as a pay off against the wishes of the people, and who'll kiss their ass to keep whatever authoritative power they think they have. Well, I've said it before, Dave is only one man. He is not the government of this territory. He represents the Crown and he's made no bones about it. And he made no bones about who he plans to continue to represent when he publically announced that he will not attend a meeting called by the Confederacy on behalf of the people. He would not answer to that 'small segment of the community'. I got news for you Mr. General, that small segment of the community represents over 85% of the total population of Six Nations at Grand River.

The statement that the Crown will 'allow' us the opportunity to resolve our 'internal governance issues'. I agree with elder Chief Pete Sky. There are no 'Internal Governance Issues'. We didn't create the problem so it is in no way internal to our governance. The elected band council was not our creation. It was and still is an arm of the federal government, an entity that has nothing to do with our people and our laws, it has nothing to do with being Onkwehonweh and the only 'internal governance issue' is the mental, spiritual, and emotional conflict going on inside the minds of many individuals who have grown up only knowing that system and supporting that system. And that IS a direct result of OPPRESSION and is PROOF of the attempted Cultural Genocide of our people. Evidence of what we have been saying all along. The Indian Act is the Crowns problem. We have always maintained our Government, and we have retained our culture, language and landbase through leases to prove it.

The only thing the Crown needs to do is acknowledge it! It was put to them at the table months ago. We want an apology and we want compensation to begin the healing in this community that will allow us to over-come the many divisions that were created as a result of this forced government. It didn't take that long for them to compensate the Chinese refugees. Didn't take them long to compensate the gentleman accused of being a terrorist to the tune of $30,000.00 per day. Let's face it, Canada might have legislation that say's "Indians" are now humans, but their laws and their policies reflect differently.

And as far as the crown telling us who will sit at the negotiations on our behalf. It goes like this. We have a signed agreement dated April 21, 2006 between the Federal and Provincial Government delegates representing the Crown, and Confederacy Chief Allen MacNaughton representing the Haudenesonne/Six Nations. In that agreement it clearly states first of all that "The Haudenosaunee, also called the Iroquois Confederacy, have a relationship of mutual respect, trust and friendship with the Crown." It further agrees that "Each party will appoint a principal representative within two weeks of signing this agreement." and that "The parties will seek to ensure that their representatives have sufficient authority to negotiate a draft agreement, subject to ratification by the parties regarding the above issues." There is a framework agreement dated June 22nd 2006 which further stipulates "as we move to the finalization of the development of an effective implementation plan, we do hereby re-commit to guiding ourselves based upon the relationship long ago established between the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations and the Crown. This relationship shall be guided by the principals of Respect, Peace, and Friendship, as per the Silver Covenant Chain and the Two Row Wampum. It is understood and agreed that to have a peaceful relationship, all must adhere to the Principles of Mutual Respect, Trust and Honesty. That is to respect one another's unique history, culture and identify as well as the distinct processes that are embedded in each of our governments." This process was agreed upon by the people. The people said they didn't want the band council representing them. They said that the clanmothers HAD to be part of the process. We indicated that there would be representatives of the men's fire and the women's fire, and that we were going to be at the negotiations according to our Treaties, and not canadian law, and therefore, no lawyer was going to represent us. Consistent with what the people requested, the Confederacy Council appointed five Chiefs to oversee the negotiations process, and the Lead was given to Chief Allen MacNaughton, and Sub-Chief Leroy Hill. All of the other Clanmothers and Chiefs as well as the people designated oversee the process and any concerns whatsoever are brought to the immediate attention of those five. The elected band council in their part, acknowledging the voice of the people, passed a BCR and issued correspondence to Minister Jim Prentice and Minister David Ramsay representatives of the Crown, that indicated "By this letter, the Elected Six Nations Council requests that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada recognize the lead of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council in this matter. The Elected Six Nations Council shall remain in an active supporting role." Key word on the last part is "supportive". I can list on one hand exactly who has supported the Chiefs and this process because they are the same ones who try to work with the people instead of in spite of the people, and they are also the same ones who envision a government of Six Nations that truly represents the people, not one that dictates to the people.. They are the one's who end up in shouting matches with the chief administrator when he refuses to acknowledge them and the motions they try to put forward during their elected council meetings, and they are the same ones who try really hard to voice the concerns of the people instead of ass-kissing to the Canadian Government. Bottom line is this. Canada will not dictate to Six Nations who represents us in the negotiations, Six Nations has directed our representatives to the table as we seen fit. If Canada, in right of the Crown, should make any attempt to further their own agenda by trying to push representatives to the table that do not represent the Six Nations but who may in fact be there to fulfill the hidden agenda of the Crown, if they try to walk away from the negotiations because of it; then they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions. The people have had enough! And as far as insisting that Dave General be allowed to attend the meetings, then the Crown need only bring him in with them and have him sit on the Crowns side of the Two Row, because lets be HONEST, thats exactly who and what he is supporting, and whose law he is upholding. At least then there would be no problem with the people because it would be representative of the TRUTH.

Throughout this past year the Administrative Chief has often said we'll let the people of Six Nations decide who the governing body of this community is. I think the people of Six Nations made that very clear on April 20th 2006 when we took back our land from another forced invasion initiated by the Crown, and we put the Confederacy Council in the lead to deal with our lands and our treaties. There is nothing that is uncertain. The people have already spoken. To me there is only one question to be answered by the people of this community. Do we want Treaties or the Indian Act to govern us? That's a really easy one to answer. The Indian Act has no authority to represent our Treaties. Don't forget, that system is part of the Crown and for them to think that they can speak for the treaties would be like the Crown dealing with itself to resolve it. They'd be trying to work from only one side of the two row and history has clearly shown where that type of resolution process has gotten us. We need only remember that this tactic isn't knew. Look back at what's happened in other situations where there was any kind of stand made by the people. The Crown uses individuals from within the Indian Act council to do their bidding because they write their paycheck. It's common knowledge in all of the Kanienkehaka Territories to what extent the Canadian Government will go to accomplish their goals. This time they cannot use these tactics because the clanmothers and women have held onto these lands without the use of weapons and have used only our Kaierenekowah, and Kanikonriio (our Good Minds). Our men have supported this. So the Crown must resort to whatever tactics they can muster to stop this. They use people like Dave General, Gary McHale, Mayor Trainer and all the others like the one's who keep pushing this 'flag flap'. They play on the minds of the Caledonia people by trying to demonstrate that there is an unequality in the law, when they know damn well that the only unequality in the Law is their forcing their laws on our people. Caledonians and Canadians need only ask their Canadian Government to provide documented proof of when the Six Nations/Haudenesaunee ever ceded jurisdiction to them over our lands and our people and they will quickly find out that no such documentation exists. Just as they are quickly finding out through this negotiation process that the Crown has not only stolen our lands, but they've sold them to unsuspecting Canadians and continue to tax them on them as well.

So, to answer the question I started out with in this update.............."What the heck is going on!?!". What's going on is the same genocidal tactics of the past. The same interference of the Crown into the internal governance of the Six Nations. The same manipulation of weak minded people who recognize the dollar as the almighty and who would sell their own mother to gain some sort of altered righteousness. What they don't realize is that they are dealing with a higher power much greater than their armies and their governmental policies. They are dealing with a Divine Law that not only allows the people the FREEDOM, but also the OBLIGATION, to uphold the Laws of Peace. They are dealing with not only the Six Nations of Grand River, not only the Six Nations of Turtle Island, not only the Onkwehonweh of Turtle Island, but the Onkwehonweh of the World who all have the responsibility to uphold the Universal Law of Creation, and to protect our Mother Earth for the coming faces. The Onkwehonweh of the World are no longer sitting quiet, we are no longer allowing the desecration of our earth through continued development of our lands and we will no longer allow the interference in our government or the imposition of policies that are contrary to who we are. We will no longer allow big money companies to come in to our homelands with the intent of raping the earth of its resources leading to the destruction of the very mother who sustains us. We are standing united, and we are standing strong in protection of the Land, the Law and the People. What the heck is going on you ask?.............THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK!!!!!!!

In Love, Light and Peace,

Hazel

Six Nations: Confederacy Response to Lawsuit

2007-03-12T13:28:00.000-04:00

From The Sachem & Gazette, Friday March 2, 2007

Confederacy responds to notice of action in 4.4 trillion dollar lawsuit

GRAND RIVER OF THE SIX NATIONS TERRITORY ~ It is with deep concern and regret that the Six Nations Rotiienehson (Confederacy Council)issue this notice to the people of Six Nations and to the public in general.

The Haundenosaunee Six Nations Confederacy Council strives to work in unity with all of the people of the Six Nations and our member nations to continue to protect our land rights, including those within the Haldimand

Treaty of October 25, 1784.

The Confederacy Council has received widespread support from the Six Nations Community, including Six Nations Elected Administrative Council.

It is unfortunate when a few individuals misrepresent themselves as a nation and 'stewards' of the land. It is clear that this is an attempt to derail the ongoing negotiations as well as an obvious attempted "cash grab." This attempt will not be successful.

So it is with the deepest regret that the Confederacy must respond to a matter that is outside our law and our treaties. We can state without any doubt that the 'claims' made in the Notice of Action dated February 14, 2007 are false, untrue and based upon a distorted and misguided agenda.

As everyone is also aware the Ontario Superior Court of Justice does not have any jurisdiction over the Haundenosaunee Six Nations Confederacy Council and/or lands prescribed by the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784. We also wish to express our support to those hardworking individuals who have been arbitrarily named in this frivolous Notice of Action. A number of Six Nations citizens from all of our member nations have come forward at their own expense and time, and volunteered their expertise to provide help to the leadership of Six Nations. To these people we express our deepest gratitude by saying Nya:weh and encouragement to continue. We urge those individuals (Curtis Hill aka Ellis Hill, Deb Springle, Derek Lickers, Gertrde Miller aka Trudy Miller, Melissa Miller, Trevor Miller, Angel Smith, Leah Brant) who are attempting to "hack at the white roots of peace" to realize that they alone are responsible for their choices and must live with the consequences as well.

We, once again, urge all factions to set aside their differences and strive to work in harmony as our Great Law guides us.

Leroy Hill (Cayuga sub-chief)
Secretary, Confederacy Council

Six Nations: One Year Anniversary

2007-03-03T16:43:00.000-05:00

It has been one year since a small group of people retook the piece of land now known as Kanonhstaton. Here is the press release that came out of the Reclamation on that day.

Media Advisory from Six Nations “Iroquois” Confederacy Grand River Country

Ori:wase
Media Advisory
Communique
For Immediate Release:
February 28, 2007

Six Nations Haudenosaunee mark anniversary

GRAND RIVER TERRITORY SIX NATIONS: On this, the first anniversary of the Six Nations Reclamation, Confederacy chiefs say the past year has been a case of history repeating itself.

From massive subdivision to nuclear power plants, Ontario and Canada have continued their policies of encouraging encroachment and development of Six Nations lands without our consent.

In the 1800s it was early squatters who were enticed onto our lands with promises of purchasing the land if they cleared it.

Today, that policy continues in the form of Ontario’s Green Belt Legislation and “Places to Grow” Act. Both are development policies that continue to encourage encroachment and development of Six Nations lands along the Grand River without our consent, and in spite of our concerns for the environmental impact these massive populations and developments will have on our water shed, said Mohawk Chief Allan MacNaughton.

“The environmental impact that the proposed plans will have on your children, grandchildren, and their grandchildren as well as ours, is deeply concerning,” said Mohawk Chief Allen MacNaughton. “As responsible Leaders, we must voice our strong concerns to our neighbours, who are also our Allies. We do not agree with these current plans. We believe that our Treaty Territory, which is the Grand River Watershed can not sustain these populations, expansions and developments,” he said. We feel it is important to begin our words today with out utmost concern for our environment, whom we relate to as “Etinoha” – Our Mother.

The Caledonia Reclamation has always been about the land. As a people we are deeply connected to the land and that is why the Reclamation of our lands has taken root.

It is the land that has brought us here today.

On the first anniversary of Six Nations repossession of its lands near Caledonia, we as Confederacy chiefs take issue with an attempt by the federal government to launch a misinformation campaign among Canadians, in particular because that campaign was clearly targeted to take advantage of Six Nations Sacred MidWinter Ceremonies, a time when Six Nations would be devoting itself to giving thanks to the Creator, not reading newspapers or watching newscasts.

The federal justice department report presented in January outlined Ottawa’s legal position saying that it does not believe Six Nations would win a “land claim” case in their courts over the disputed Plank Road (Highway 6) lands.

“It is important to explain how we arrived at the point we are at, on the issue of the approximately 10,000 acres of land encompassing the Plank Road Lands.

“There is no living knowledge on Six Nations of our grandfathers ever changing their minds about leasing the Plank Road Lands,” Chief MacNaughton said.

What Canada did not tell Canadians is that they have failed to produce any proof that would substantiate their claim that Six Nations surrendered its Plank Road lands for sale.

“As of today, we have not seen anything of substance which would support the opinion of the Federal Dept. of Justice,” said Chief MacNaughton.

In fact, Canada’s justice department admits that no single document of surrender exists. They assert the claim that Six Nations agreed in December of 1844 to surrender the Plank Roads for sale. We have carefully reviewed their claim and found the following:

- That the Crown Representatives of the day were actively encouraging squatters to occupy those lands and to help build the Plank Road itself, in exchange for the first right of purchase of said lands.

- We also find proof in the Canadian Records that much land was sold long before they came to the December 1844 Council meetings to ask permission to change from the sanctioned leasing system into the selling of the lands.

- We also provided an in-depth report on the fraudulent financial activities of Crown representatives in those days.

“We have proven that Six Nations never sanctioned the sales, never benefited from any of the sales, and continuously objected to the selling off of our lands,” he said. “And we have proven it with Canada’s own documents.”

Chief MacNaughton said, the Confederacy believes that we are now beyond the point of waiting for proof that doesn’t exist which would support the Department of Justice legal opionion.

“We stand here today, disappointed with the fact, that as of today a year later, a Federal negotiator with a proper mandate has yet to arrive to work towards creating a new, fair way of resolving Haudenosaunee land rights’ issues.

It has been a challenging year, and we believe we are on the thresh-hold of a just resolution of this issue, if Canada’s political will is there. We urge all to be patient and to continue to search for and uphold what is right and just in this world.

TURTLE ISLAND WIDE SOLIDARITY AND ACTION IN SUPPORT OF SIX NATIONS!

2007-02-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

Come out to actions in Toronto and Montreal on Wednesday. Hold a demo in your own town. Phone/fax/e-mail the government today.

One year is too long! Recognize the rights of Six Nations!

February 28th, 2007 marks the one-year anniversary of the Six Nations Land Reclamation. One year ago, a group of people from Six Nations took back a piece of their land that was under construction by developers and demanded an end to the destruction of their land and to settler encroachment on their territory.

Now, one year later, the Canadian government has yet to recognize the truth: that this land is not owned by them nor can it be sold by them. It is Haudonausaunee (Iroquois) territory, stolen and sold by the colonial authorities illegally.

The people of Kanohnstaton, formerly "Douglas Creek Estates", have asked for and encouraged solidarity actions and a pressure campaign in support of the Reclamation. The Six Nations Land Reclamation needs your support and solidarity to make the Canadian government understand that Six Nations is not alone. We must speak out against the injustices of colonial land theft and genocide and take a stand for dignity, indigenous land rights, justice and autonomy.

Despite the disinterest of the mainstream media, the Six Nations Land Reclamation represents a pivotal example in the history of indigenous decolonization in Turtle Island. We, as people living on stolen land, have a responsibility to support and demand that Haudenosaunee land rights and sovereignty be recognized. We must also demand that the government immediately cease the criminalization of those who have been involved in the Reclamation, as over 32 people continue to face bogus charges for defending their rights. It is time to stop spending tax-payer money on negotiators' and OPP salaries, to stop the lies, and to recognize the treaties between the Haudenosaunee and the colonial powers.

The federal and provincial governments recently brought a pack of lies on paper to the negotiation table, claiming that Six Nations sold their land. Let them know that we will not be swayed by age-old colonial tactics of forgery and false dialogue. If the government has any issues with the Iroquois protecting their own territory, we suggest that they file a land claim with the traditional Haudenosaunee Confederacy, whose credibility outweighs that of the Canadian government by a very large margin.

FAX/EMAIL/PHONE: February 26th to March 2nd, 2007

We have been asked to participate in a week-long fax, email and phone campaign to government "negotiators" and representatives starting on February 26 and ending on March 2, 2007. The contact information for this week-long pressure campaign can be found below. A sample letter is provided as well. Please take the time to make your voice heard, and make the
government accountable for its unlawful actions and illegitimate claims.

TAKE ACTION: February 28th, 2007

Invitation to organize local activities and/or actions!

The people of Kanohnstaton have asked for support demos and rallies for the one year anniversary. Local actions that can exert political pressure on our government are needed and encouraged. If you can organize locally, please let the people at the Six Nations Land Reclamation know. You can organize a delegation to a governmental body to deliver a letter, hold rallies and demonstrations, or simply participate in the week-long pressure campaign.

MONTREAL SPEAK OUT & RALLY
Wednesday, February 28th
12PM
Complex Guy-Favreau
200 Réné-Lévèsque O. (métro Place des Arts)

Bring noisemakers and banners of solidarity!

Contact 6nationssolidarite@gmail.com

TORONTO RALLY
Wednesday, February 28th
12 PM
Queen's Park (Front Lawn)

Bring noisemakers and banners of solidarity!

Contact ocap@tao.ca or visit the website

FEBRUARY 26 to MARCH 2, 2007: Phone, Fax or E-mail the Government and Its Negotiators

Our Demands:

1) That the government stop its' stalling tactics and recognize Six Nations title to the land once and for all.

2) That the government stop criminalizing the people of Kanohnstaton.

3) That the government fully recognize the traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the traditional government, and stop undermining the Confederacy they have been trying to squash since 1924.

To voice your concerns and demand that the government recognize Six Nations Land Rights, send an email, phone and/or fax:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
Fax: 613-941-6900
Email: pm@pm.gc.ca

Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians
Phone: (613) 992-4275
Fax: (613) 947-9475
Email: Prentice.J@parl.gc.ca

Barbara McDougall and Ron Doering, Federal Negotiators
c/o Jim Prentice

Jane Stewart, Provincial Negotiator, Province of Ontario
Former Brantford MP and former Federal Indian Affairs Minister
c/o Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario
Phone: (416) 325-1941
Fax: (416) 325-3745
Email: Dalton.McGuinty@premier.gov.on.ca

Find and contact your own MP

Six Nations: Hazel's Update

2007-02-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

Good Morning from Grand River. Well,I know everyone has been waiting patiently to see whats happening. It's like watching a movie and then having the next episode postponed indefinitely, no idea how the ending is going to be. Well, its the same for those of us here. We never know from one day to the next how things are going to be. With all of the instigating that still goes on, from the stealing of flags to try and get a rise out of us, to the hate mail and death threats that go out through the internet targeted at individuals involved. Its physically and spiritually exhausting. However, it is also a definite and clear message to the people at Kanonhstaton. It helps to keep us strengthened to continue, so, in that respect, we turn it around and say Nya Weh for the support.

It's been a difficult task for me to update when there hasn't been a lot of things to report. But on Thursday, we had an excellent day at the lands side table and main table meetings, with our Chiefs taking a strong position again with the Crown. Sub-Chief Leroy Hill made a direct hit in the morning by tabling evidence that supports the position that the Six Nations has taken all along........ that in fact, the Crown's intention all along was to swindle the lands from the Six Nations as well as encouraging squatters to settle on our lands. The area we concentrated on providing the evidence for is the plank road, but there is plenty of evidence to prove the point all up and down the grand river.

The evidence included a map which shows the lots that were being sold PRIOR to the so-called surrender that the crown is claiming to have recieved from the Six Nations and it clearly shows some of the lands along plank road, including Kanonhstaton, the former Douglas Creek Lands, as being sold in November when they claim to have received their surrender in December. Further to that evidence we also tabled documentation that supports the fact that other lands along the Plank Road were being sold in July, 5 months prior to when they claim our people surrendered it. We also were able to provide documentation that shows the squatters were being given "pre-emptive rights to the land" for their efforts in clearing the lands for the purpose of building plank road. Everything we have been stating all along,everything our elders and ancestors have told us through our oral history,everything our elder Chiefs and historians presented to the Crown at the main table a few months ago, and everything the people have stated from the beginning when we took back the land; was evidenced in the documentation we tabled yesterday. The response of the Crown of course was the same as it has always been. The information we provided is nothing new to them, they are aware of the documents, but they still believe the Six Nations has no legal claim to the land, however they will take the information as it was provided today, back to their department of justice for their consideration.

At this point Chief MacNaughton reminded the Crowns Agents that the most important point in this negotiation process is that the legal interpretation of Canada is irrelevant and that the table itself is a direct result of the precedent set by Canada in its attempt to extinguish 'aboriginal' title and that they continually change their laws to justify the theft of our lands and the extingushment of our rights. He further reminded them that this table has an opportunity to step outside of the box and that it is time for the Crown to recognize the moral wrongs of the past and begin to rectify them. Canada did acknowlede that they are trying to figure out how to deal with the Six Nations as we have clearly stated that we are not interested in monetary compensation and quite honestly they have never even had to consider the option of returning the land.

Our position is clear, we are taking back our lands, lands that were stolen and swindled away, and lands that currently are being swindled away. To support our position, we recently had one of the major developers in Southern Ontario present to the Crown their findings on the research that we asked them to do. They were asked to research the title to the land which they now have in their possession and that they are currently considering for development. These lands are within the Haldimand Tract, currently part of Brantford, and the result of their research is similar to that of the lands in Haldimand. The Crown unilaterally issued patents in this case it was in 1853; and there is a huge gap as to how it went from Six Nations to the Crown. The gap is there because there is nothing that exists to show that we relinquished it. There was no surrender, there was no sale. These lands were intended for the purpose of leasing only and throughout the grand river tract, you will find this practice of the crown over and over again. In fact, at a recent speaking engagement, I encouraged everyone living within the Haldimand Tract to do their own title searches on their property, and find out exactly how these lands came into their possession. I am confident that they will come back with the same results, the Crown unilaterally issued patents without authority and without sanctioning, and those individuals have been frauded by the Crown just as much as the Six Nations has, and today they continue to be frauded because they are paying the taxes on those lands, taxes that Canada has no authority to levy.

So, all in all, we've had a long year. It will be the first anniversary of the land reclamation of Kanonhstaton on February 28th. At this point, I don't believe the Crown is taking seriously the position of the Onkwehonweh. I don't believe they have any intention to turn back the lands of Kanonhstaton according to original title, anymore than they intend to turn back any of the other lands that they openly admit to stealing like Burtch, South Cayuga, Port Maitland, Townsend etc. Their only intent is to keep it as Crown lands with the intended use for Six Nations. They want to be able to dictate how this land will be used, and they want to continue to benefit from the lands. All I know is that from the beginning the people have said, the lands are to be returned to original title, and not according to the Indian Act, because quite frankly, the land is ours. It has always been ours. We've offered enough evidence to prove it, we don't need their paperwork to prove it. Whatever the Crown has to do to adjust its records to rectify its wrongs is entirely their business and has nothing to do with us. We will use the lands for our use and benefit as was intended, for as long as the grass grows, the rivers flow........etc. That IS being a Nation.

The only other thing I want to touch on in this update is the Unity of the people that has been building throughout this year. We have alot of people who have been working very hard to bring the Onkwehonweh together. Alot of people within the confederacy council and alot of people within the band council. Alot of people from Grand River, and alot of people from the other Onkwehonweh Territories. Alot of people from other parts of the world who are supporting us. Those who have organized rallies and fundraisers, we send our thanks because it truly has been amazing to have all of your support and prayers. The people who envision a Six Nations that is united on all issues, just as we stand united on the land at Kanonhstaton. It will not be easy and it will not be quick. But we cannot let those who choose to look for divisions to detract us from that goal. It is no secret there are factions within our territory. It is no secret there are factions within all Onkwehonweh Territories. It is not uncommon that there are factions within any Nation or Country out there, including Canada. In their system their factions are called "opposition parties". So just because we are human like the rest of the world, does not take away from the fact that the Crown has obligations to the Treaties to uphold, regardless of who the people sit at the table to deal with them. It does negate from the fact that Confederacy Council, that the Peacemaker helped us to establish, is a working body of Five Nations, working together, in Unity, Peace, Friendship and Respect, and it has a job to do. The same job that was given to us several hundreds of years before the coming of the Europeans. To oversee all the lands of Turtle Island and to uphold the Peace. That responsibility has never been taken from us and those of us who understand and accept our obligation to that, will continue on the path that has been set before us. All of the Onkwehonweh working TOGETHER. This is the message I would like to send to all of our supporters, both native and non-native who are standing in Unity with us. Do not allow the white serpent to worm its way into your circle to try and disrupt and undermine. It has reared its head once again in Grand River, but once again, we will stand in the light and in defence of what was given to us all, the Onkwehonweh throughout the world, and will continue to work toward upholding and protecting that Peace for All.

On February 28th it will be one year since the land reclamation began. Everyone in Onkwehonweh Territories needs to make the Crown understand that we ARE standing together in UNITY. That Canada, in right of the Crown MUST uphold its obligations to the Treaties. Regardless of the fact that the Crown had no authority or sanctioning to hand those responsibilties to Canada, it is a responsibility it has taken and accepted with its constitution act. Our actions here at Kanonhstaton have apparently not been enough to convince them of this fact. We need all of our supporters to make a STRONG statement on February 28th and send a clear and concise message of the Unity of all the Onkwehonweh in this world. According to a message that was delivered to me, apparently we have not shaken the earth enough for them to understand what they are doing, not only to the Onkwehonweh with their continued development, but what they are doing to their own future by destroying our mother earth. It is up to the Onkwehonweh to send that message that we have had enough. Enough of the encroachment of our homelands, enough of the intrusion of their laws within our circle and enough of their paternalistic attitude toward our people. We must stand united. Nya Weh Kowah!

In Love, Light and Peace,

Hazel

Six Nations: Update

2007-02-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't blogged for a while but I've been both busy and sick. Over the next while, I am going to give more researched blog entries about things that the speakers touched on on Monday. For those of you who don't know, Chief Allan McNaughton, Sub-Chief Leroy Hill and Spokeswoman Hazel Hill spoke in Hamilton on Monday. About 250 people showed up for something that was poorly publicized. It just goes to show how much support there is for the Reclamation.

In other news, Chris Hill had a bail hearing today. I don't know what happened yet but will post it when I find out. Also, Trevor Miller has been released. This is old news for lots of people but I haven't actually put it up here yet.

Six Nations: Update from the Grande River January 27, 2007

2007-01-28T00:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we had the main table meeting as scheduled. And if you watch CH TV 11, you'll see that the position of the Crown hasn't changed, and they've once again utilized the media as if to proclaim something new or great. It's nothing new, and it certainly doesn't offer any new evidence of any sale or lease. They merely rely on minutes of a meeting, they try to say that the oral history will play no part in a court of law, and it simply is not true. The document that they refer to is nothing more than an OPINION! It is not FACT, nor is it the LAW. And furthermore, it is not surprising. We expected as much from them. Did you really think they were going to make some great announcement and admit that they had in fact stolen our lands, stolen the lease monies, and made up fraudulent land deeds for all those living within the tract. Not likely! They will continue with their tactics of using the threat of courts to try and discourage us. What they failed to mention was that we are not in their court system, their court system will play no part in this resolution process, and that the LAW which they are obligated to follow, according to our relationship and ancient covenants, is the Two Row. They have just as much responsibility to it as we do, and they have many generations of neglect to answer to. There is nothing on that Two Row that leaves room for their DOJ opinion and for that matter, there is nothing on the Two Row that allows them to defend their actions. There is nothing that they can say to absolve them for violating the Law of Creation. They can only begin to right the wrongs, if they are serious about this resolution process.

Does their position worry us.............not one bit. Does our position worry them............what do you think! Do you think the fact that they've had a complete oral history, backed up by written documentation and historical evidence of facts presented to them; against their pathetic position of "the courts would find in our favour" without an ounce of documentation to back it up might worry them. Their recent action is is like a school yard fight when the bully gets busted for his actions, and he desperately tries to deflect away from his own actions by pointing fingers at everyone else, and making an issue of everything else but the issue at hand. That's all this is. Another smoke screen. Today, the issue at hand is the Haldimand. Just because the law they refer to in their DOJ opinion is an ever changing law that is designed for them to always win, doesn't mean its never been challenged. And our legal opinion says that there are plenty of cases in recent past that challenges their position and in fact where the Supreme Court of Canada has disagreed with the position of the DOJ. So if they think by bluffing we're gonna fold, forget it! But again, we're not talking about their laws, nor are we in their courts. They need to get honest with their citizens. They know that they have frauded the Onkwehonweh, and they know they have frauded the people of Caledonia, as well as the rest the people living in the municipalities, towns and townships along the grand. And they know they can't continue to try and bully their way through this lesson. Only this isn't the playground or school yard. And if the Crown wants to continue to challenge the Creator by undermining the Law that we are standing in defense of, so be it. As long as they understand the consequences of such actions. sas C

Six Nations: Update from the Grande River, January 20, 2007

2007-01-27T23:59:00.000-05:00

Good Morning from Grand River. I sat down at my computer yesterday morning and began my update. Many thoughts ran through my head. I had thoughts about what to write about. I had thoughts about the vision of Gary McHale once again coming into the area in an attempt to instigate violence so that it would jeopardize the negotiations that have been the focal point of a peaceful settlement for the land of Kanonhstaton between the Haudenesonne and the Crown. I thought about the people at Kanonhstaton who continually uphold the peace, and the strength that is required when idiots like McHale are allowed to continue with their white supremisct campaign of hatred and racism. I thought about the Canadian government who represents McHale and the others, and about how their law is supposed to uphold law and order and peace; and yet they are unable to do anything with the likes of McHale. I thought about the injustices that our ancestors have suffered, and about the loss and destruction of our lands and environment, that is a direct result of this system and law at the hands and hearts of the people who founded it. Then I thought about our law, the Kaienerekowah and how it encompasses all things, all of creation, and that it protects not only the people, but the lands, waters, animals, plants.......all of our environment, and I thought about the responsibility of the clanmothers, chiefs and faithkeepers who now sit in our council and are striving to uphold those responsibilities by making decisions that are consistent with our law, and therefore consistent with all of Creation. And when I thought about this, I wondered about the minds of those people who felt that man-made laws were better than the law given by the Creator when it was intended to be the basis for Peace for all people. And then I thought again about the people, all of our people, throughout all of Onkwehonweh Territories, and how we need now, more than ever, to work together as we sit in Nation to Nation dialogue with the Crown and how we continue to educate "Canada" on our relationship with the English as Allies, and how Canada, now having been given that responsibility of the crown, is responsible for upholding the obligations of the crown with respect of treaties and ancient agreements. I thought too of my responsibility of updating the people, and of how frustrating it is to update, when your mind tells you that nothing is happening and these people have no intention of resolving this, they are only intent on dragging it out till the next election and we're back at stage one. And then my heart is given renewed hope and strength when I see our delegation continue to pressure them at the table, and force them to recognize their responsibilities, and remind them that the Law that we speak of as we sit at the table, is the Law of the Land, the Kaienerekowah; and that the relationship that we sit, with the Two Row on the table in the centre as a reminder, is as Allies, NOT as Subjects, and how they must bring their minds to this. And I thought about how our council continues to strengthen and grow as we assert our authority and continue to uphold our responsibilities. I thought about the divisions that continue to exist amongst us, and how the Crowns government has counted on those divisions. I thought about how some of the people within those divisions, who cannot see past what they perceive as their own personal power, continue to pursue their own agendas, not recognizing the danger that they bring not only to those amongst us who they view as the enemy, but also to their own children and grandchildren as they continue to try to undermine the peaceful negotiation process that has been agreed upon. I thought about how in the simplest terms and way of looking at this process, is that it's consistent with the Law. I thought about the power and ultimate greed that drives those who oppose this process, and how they are walking directly into the trap that so many of our people in the past have walked right into, and that is exactly where the crown wants them, to continue with the plan of genocide by continuing to give credence to those divisions so that the rest of the world, including the government of Canada, can say, "who is the government at Six Nations" and who has the authority to speak for them. And all of that, even before a cup of coffee!

Today, my mind is still on all of those things, perhaps a bit deeper, perhaps a lot stronger, but I must say, once again, the People of Six Nations have showed their Unity and showed they are fully capable of upholding the Peace, even in the face of criticism, racism and threats. McHale came into town, and this time, was whining of how the "natives" were allowed to hang Canadian flags on the land at Kanonhstaton but how good upstanding Canadian citizens such as he and his white supremest following, are not. Yesterday, the world woke up to not only the Canadian flag flying on the small bridge across from the front of Kanonhstaton, but also the American flag, with the Two Row, the Five Nations Hiawatha Belt, and the Unity flag flying above and between them. This was done as a reminder to McHale and others that the Haudenesonne have many wonderful Canadian and American allies who support our stand at Kanonhstaton as we assert our sovereignty within our territorial lands. It was done in recognition of all of our veterans, who have served as Allies of those nations flags, and in recognition of those who continue to serve. It was also done as a reminder that the Haudenesonne, are North American, and that those borders that have been placed between those two nations, and whose flags are displayed in similar fashion as the ones at Kanonhstaton; have no bearing on us. It was also done and placed in a way, with the Two Row between them, and the Five Nations above them, to remind those citizens and governments of Canada and the United States, who were founded under the Crown, that our relationship is based on that Two Row, as Allies, and that the Five Nations Flag is above as a reminder that the English are in fact refugees in our homelands. That we were here when they arrived, and we will continue to be here if they choose to leave. That they are obligated to uphold those responsibilities to Peace as well, and that their government is not to interfere in ours. So, be it symbolic or direct, the message was delivered.

And speaking of attempts at delivering a message.........

The Crown knows and understands our history, and that our relationship is as allies, not as subjects of the crown. They also know that We were given the job by the Peacemaker, to uphold and protect the Law of the Land. And yet they continue to sit there, with their paternalistic and authoritive attitudes, giving the sense that they are dealing with people beneath them. They see the word 'allies', even in their own history books and Canadian hansards, and yet continue to treat us as children and pat us on the head as if to say, 'that's a nice little story, here's a quarter, now go along and play now and let us grown ups deal with making the decisions because we know what's best for you"........

Only this time their message was once again an attempt of making a payment. This week they released a coin commemorating Joseph Brant, who lets not forget, was the one who helped in establishing and founding this land base now known as the Haldimand Tract. And throughout history, it has been the practice of the Crown that in order to continue to usurp the authority of the Onkwehonweh, and maintain some authoritative and self perceived governance over us and our lands, they have to make a payment. Its the whole reason why the haldimand was set up in the first place, because by perceiving to 'give' us this land base, it gave them "London's bridge" that was needed between upper Canada and lower Canada, and therefore, their foothold onto our homelands. And even though we know that the haldimand was only seen by the Onkwehonweh as re-affirming lands that already belonged to the Onkwehonweh, and that some of the five nations would now be amongst those now settling here; in the symbolic or spiritual world, it was an attempt at a payment that would allow them to continue with its fraudulent place in creation as having authority over us. This is why their whole lands claims process is set up as financial compensation only, they have no intention of ever letting go of the lands they have stolen, but every time they make a financial payment as compensation, it's like a message to Creation that we've accepted it. Sorry guys, we told you in the beginning, this isn't about money. So this latest attempt, with the releasing of Joseph Brant's coin, as an attempt at a payment and/or spiritual manipulation, is not accepted nor will it be tolerated, and now Creation must respond.

This week there was a lot of confusion and misunderstandings when the Canadian press released information they had received from the ministry of culture about the evidence of artifacts and village sites dating back to over 800 years ago. It was thought that this finding was recent and that it was a result of the archeology study that is currently being undertaken at Kanonhstaton. In fact, the information is from the report that developer Henco Industries and the Town of Haldimand had complete knowledge of prior to development, and that while we were aware of some parts of the report, there has never been any reports or findings of a longhouse that I am aware of, and this has caused once again, concern of what other reports are being withheld. And if you're gonna study history, or claim to be an expert in certain areas, please, please expand your knowledge by including research of the Oral History of the people of these lands, not just what Canada has put in their history books. I was amazed at the ignorance this week, of a professor of a nearby college or university who made the comment that the Six Nations had no claim to the lands we now call Kanonhstaton because the artifacts found were likely those of the Huron's. Our people have never claimed there weren't other nations here, in fact we know there were. The Haudenesonne had many Nations who had taken shelter under the Umbrella of the Great Law throughout the whole north American continent and beyond, and we were responsible to carry the voice of these other nations in relations with the crown. Not to mention the fact that we had already been given the responsibility as caretakers over the whole of Turtle Island by the Peacemaker; so we know there is a clear history of the Huron's, Wyandot & Tutello's as well as the Five Nations along the Grand River. And yes, we had our own history between us. So given the tradition of our people with respect to Oral history, we also know there are families amongst us to this day who are direct descendants of some of those other nations and that they still honour and respect their respective histories through the ceremonies that come with them, be it Huron, Wyandot or Tutello. One of our very wise and respected elders and Chief of the Cayuga Nation is amongst them, and he can tell you the history of his family and how they were adopted into the Cayuga Nation; so, yes, we not only know that we have a right to claim those lands and artifacts, we also know that we have a responsibility to those ancestors who were buried beneath them. And even though Henco and his archaeological study reports there were no burials, and the haldimand township insists there were no permits issued and therefore no soil removed from the development site, we know that our ancestors are on those lands and are guiding and supporting our reclamation.

It was brought to light at the recent main table negotiations that one of the lead federal negotiators was also the lead negotiator during the settlement with the refugees where Canada had given an apology and restitution to them for the atrocities that had been treated them upon their arrival here. It was reminded of the Crown that while it might have taken a long time for Canada to come to a settlement for those refugee's (they have stated it took 40 years), the Haudenesonne have been waiting well beyond that, and that in fact, as refugee's themselves, Canada must begin to take responsibility for the violations to the Two Row, the violation of trust, and for the interference of the Crown through its Indian Act, that has caused deep divisions and hurts amongst the Haudenesonne, and that in order to even begin to work toward a peaceful resolution at Kanonhstaton, Canada needs to begin by admitting its guilt of those violations, and by making that Apology, Restitution and Reconciliation so that the Haudenesonne can begin to heal the wounds that the Crown has caused by its interference. Only then, will we be able to begin to re-build the relationship between us, as allies, and each maintaining its obligations to those ancient agreements.

So, today, I'll end this update as we began this New Year, to reflect on the past year. For the Haudenesonne at Grand River Territory it has been a year of Unity and Strength and Assertion of our Sovereignty. We began with the reclamation of a small portion of our land base. We furthered our position by forcing the Crown to recognize and deal with the only true government of the Haudenesonne, the People, represented by the Confederacy Council. We continue to work toward resolving the governance of Grand River by opening up the communication between the many factions within our territories, and we have encouraged those factions to join us as we begin the process of creating a Vision Circle that will help with the re-birth and implementation of a Government that encompasses all of the Haudenesonne. One that is founded not only on the Principals of the Great Law, but one that truly represents our Confederacy, the Original League of Nations. One that encompasses and undertakes the responsibility that it has always known, and one that re-inforces the allowance of all of the Onkwehonweh it's protection under the shelter of that Great Tree, and one that will allow us to once again, truly speak with One Voice, One Heart, and One Mind. Part of that vision was the return of the Confederacy Council Building to the Confederacy, and the symbolic return of the keys by members of the band council, to one of our traditional Chiefs. It was the first step toward healing the past. It was only a beginning, and one that was not supported by all; but it was viewed as the start of a resurgence of the Governance of the People, under the Kaierenekowah, and one that was necessary......for the good of all!

In Love, Light and Peace,
Hazel

Hazel Hill is a Spokesperson for the Reclamation Site on Six Nation's land near Caledonia.

Independence... for some

2007-01-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

This past week, Aaron and I went over to the Centre for Independant Living Toronto (CILT) and asked about the possibility of getting Aaron Direct Funding and more hours of assistance for me. We went there excited and hopeful... and left disappointed and frustrated.

Now, I'm not going to mply that CILT wasn't helpful or amiable. They were - just not *overly* so. The Director of CILT himself, Ian Parker, handed me the form to apply for more assistance and he accepted Aaron's letter of explanation as to why, from his point of view, he was turned down for Direct Funding six years ago and why he needed to re-apply. There were fake smiles and brief nods, and then it was over. A meeting that was five minutes long. No words of encouragement or empathy. (Most employees of CILT have disabilities and know the terrible situations and types of abuse one can face while waiting for Direct Funding.) There was no, "We'll see what we can do to move things along for you because we understand the difficult positions you're both in."'

I don't mind so much for myself; Ian Parker practically guaranteed that I could double my hours of assistance - a great relief to me! It really upsets me, though, that Aaron, who really deserves Direct Funding more than anyone I know, has to jump through hoops to get it. It occured to me how unbelievably warped it is that people like Aaron can be rejected for Direct Funding because they might answer a question or two wrong, or if CILT decides that they're unable to manage their own attendants (and who are they to judge this?!) Then that's it, game over. People might be in supportive housing or group homes with abusive attendants, or living at home with controlling and over-bearing parents, but if these people are turned down by CILT they have no choice but to live with the abuse. How warped is that! Indeed, it's discrimination at its worst. If you happen to be functionally illiterate and your disability is more involved than others, you're extremely vulnerable to all types of abuse but you don't have the same options or choices to escape from bad situations other people with disabilities have. You are discarded and forgotten, as if you don't matter.

Independence Unlimited must fight to get the same rights for everyone, no matter what kind of physical disability they have. Independence and a better quality of life for all not just a select few!

Anne

Stop the Attacks on Somalia

2007-01-19T19:44:00.000-05:00

The Coalition of Concerned Somali-Canadians and the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War have called a demonstration tomorrow to demand an end to the bombing and occupation of Somalia -- the new front in the US war of terror.

So come out to the US Consulate (360 University Ave) tomorrow morning, January 20, at 11 AM.

For more information, give the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War a call at 416-795-5863.

And on a related note, here's another audio link to an interview with Jordan Flaherty of Left Turn magazine, who was in Ethiopia when US-backed Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia. Jordan speaks about Ethiopian reactions to the invasion. Thanks Mostafa!

Audio from the RAISE the RATES Assembly

2007-01-19T19:29:00.000-05:00

OCAP held a public assembly about the Special Diet clinics and the Raise the Rates campaign yesterday. Several remarkable activists spoke passionately about the links between poverty and violence against women, and poverty, nutrition and ill health. Others spoke insightfully about the political movement(s) and context of struggle we need to build in order to fight a winnable fight to raise welfare, disability and minimum wage to livable levels -- so that everyone who lives in this province can live in dignity.

Audio recording from the following speakers:

→ Anne Abbot (Independence Unlimited) w/ Simone Schmidt (OCAP);
→ Kathy Hardill (Health Providers Against Poverty);
→ Andrea Gunarj (Women Against Poverty Collective);
→ Sam Gindin (Trade Union Activist);
→ Mariam Hassan (OCAP Women of Etobicoke);
→ Rachel Huot (OCAP)

can be downloaded here: http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=21385

Uncovering Secrets

2007-01-19T00:54:00.000-05:00

Today, much to my amazement, when I called Ian Parker of CILT to ask if I could receive more than the meagre 6 hours I get daily, he said, "Yes, that shouldn't be a problem." I was shocked! Could it really be that easy? And, if this was so, why hadn't CILT told me before this? I was sure not many other recipients knew about this big secret - one that could ultimately enhance their lives - not the ones I talked to anyway. Most people complained to me that they were having difficulties living their lives upon only 6 hours a day.

But I digress. At the end of our conversation, Ian Parker chastised me, trying to make me feel like a 5 year old child. It didn't work! Ian said that I should have asked CILT if I could have more hours of assistance before going to the papers. I told him that my friend Simone had downloaded an application form for Aaron Shelbourne from the CILT website - there was no mention anywhere of there being extra hours for non-verbal people! Now, of course, two weeks later, on the CILT website, the application form has been magically updated, saying that for people who are non-verbal or used ventilator systems to help them breath could ask for more hours. I could have asked, he said! Well, CILT could have updated their website sooner, or sent out notices to their clientelle telling them of this exciting new development. They did neither. And, I bet if you asked a non-verbal person off the street if they were aware of the change, they'd say no.

Well, maybe that's the next step for Independence Unlimited: Making people aware of all the services that are available to them. Right now, though, I'll bask in the victory of maybe getting up to 6 hours more.

Anne

Six Natons: OCAP Solidarity Round Table

2007-01-18T14:48:00.000-05:00

This is the full version of an interview Stef, Josh, and I did with Upping The Anti about Six Nations solidarity work.

From Anti-Poverty to Indigenous Sovereignty: Supporting the Six Nations Land Reclamation

A Roundtable With OCAP

What led you to get involved in supporting indigenous struggles in general, and the Six Nations struggle in particular?

AJ: The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is a social justice organization and, as such, we support indigenous struggles. I hadn't heard of what was going on outside of Caledonia until some friends of mine in Tyendinaga told us about it and suggested we go. We went to check it out and see if there was anything we could do to support it. We didn’t know anyone and were quite shy so we sat silently by the fire a lot and hoped people would speak to us. Finally, we learned about things we could supply, and asked if there were things in Toronto we could do to show our support.

Josh: I got involved with indigenous struggles through working with OCAP. When I joined OCAP in 2001 there were 5 paid organizers, one of whom was Shawn Brant, a Mohawk from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory which is near Belleville on the Bay of Quinte in southern Ontario. Most members of OCAP, I would say, started learning more about native issues and sovereignty through the links Shawn brought to OCAP, and which went back further than 2001.

There were a number of actions over the years that built this connection, the most notable of which was the attempt to open up the bridge that runs from the U.S. through the Mohawk territory of Akwasasne into Canada. This action was planned when demonstrators came from the U.S. to attend the anti-FTAA demonstrations in Quebec, and it was done in conjunction with Mohawk people. The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte have also been providing OCAP with deer meat and fish and other kill from their hunts for a number of years which we serve at demonstrations in Toronto. They always reminded us that "every hunting issue is a sovereignty issue.” In any case, the connection and our consciousness about the issues grew greatly.

How we connected with the Six Nations struggle against the Douglas Creek Estates was a bit different. We didn't know anyone from Six Nations, but had been following the reclamation in the news. When they were dealing with the initial injunction from the courts, a few of us decided to make a trip up there. We drove up one weekend in late March, parked our car on the side of the road and said, "Hi, we're from OCAP, we really respect what you're doing, it's real inspiring, we'd like to know how we can help".

Why do you see these indigenous struggles as being such an important issue to organize around? What is their connection to your anti-poverty work?

AJ: I am white. Everything I have is a result of the theft from and genocide of Native people. I have a responsibility to fight for justice and support their struggles, we all have that responsibility.

The obvious connection to OCAP's anti-poverty work is that a lot of Native people are poor, especially in the cities. Systemic racism leads to less opportunities, lower pay and lower standards of living for many Native people. Further, Canada’s current and historical violation of treaties means that most First Nations do not have access to the lands, resources and funds that they are entitled to. On the reserves, there is less poverty right now because of the sale of cigarettes. The cigarette business has become a way for a lot of Native people to dramatically raise their standards of living. As a result, the government is attacking them and trying to destroy this economy.

More than being about poverty, though, connecting anti-poverty and Native rights movements is about building resistance. Aside from there being a lot of poor Natives, poor people and First Nations people have a great deal in common in regards to our issues, struggles and the repression we face. As a poor person, I know that our movement is stronger when we are united with other communities and movements. The only way any of us will be truly victorious is if we all are and the only way any of us will be truly free is if we all are.

Josh: I remember the first conversation I had with anyone at the reclamation site was about welfare rates. It was the first day I was there and I was talking with a man named John about when he lived on the streets in Toronto. He told me point blank that we should be fighting to get the welfare rates raised in Toronto and so we talked a bit about the OCAP "Raise the Rates" campaign. The connection is obvious. Native people live in extreme poverty unknown in many other communities across the country.

Beyond that, I see the struggle for native sovereignty as the most fundamental issue for people who want to see radical change in this country; it's the bedrock, the first issue. There's a quote from the paper by Taiaiake Alfred on warrior societies that was excerpted in Upping the Anti #2 which has really stuck with me. It's from an interview he does with Sakej Ward, the head of the East Coast Warrior Society where he's talking about his aspirations for sovereignty. He says, "I don’t see us having a strong enough military power to conquer Canada, but I do see us having the strength to create a condition of deterrence where colonial domination becomes very difficult for Canada to continue. This will create the physical and political space for us to pursue our own definition of our rights and our ways of life." I think that's very powerful and something that we could see in our lifetimes; not the conquering of Canada, but autonomy for Native Nations from it. Would this, in and of itself, end poverty, racism, exploitation? No. But it would shake the foundations of Canadian identity as a benign power, one that cares for its poor, and one that encourages peoples of all nations and colours to become part of its fabric. Exposing these myths is critical for all our various struggles.

In what concrete ways has your support for Six Nations manifested itself?

AJ: Most of my solidarity work with Six Nations has been on site. I see that work as playing four different roles.

The most obvious thing that I do to support Six Nations is cook. As there are a number of people who live permanently at the reclamation there is a cookhouse that feeds the people there. Primarily filling that role with people from outside of Six Nations (Native and non-Native) allows people from there to focus their energies on other things. This is especially true for freeing up some women to do jobs like security where they would otherwise be cooking. There are a number of other practical skills that I try to offer. From time to time, I act as a medic or provide legal information. I am also helping to compile a Kanenhstaton cookbook to raise funds.

Secondly, I am there as a witness. The presence of non-native people there shows support for the struggle outside of the Native community. This is important for the people there and for the Caledonians and the government to see. There is also a theory that the state will behave differently if they know there are non-Natives (especially white people) behind the lines. I do not know if this is true or not, I do, however, know that the white people there the day of the raid were treated dramatically different than the Native people were. Only three of the eight or so white people were arrested. Those who were arrested were not tasered, pepper-sprayed and only one was injured. The only white woman who was arrested was released on the spot, for no reason that we could tell other than that she was a white woman.

Additionally, I act as a communications person between Toronto and Six Nations. The work that I do on site is closely tied to the work that OCAP and The Coalition for Indigenous Sovereignty do off site. Like any community, the people at Kanenhstaton have a diverse range of opinions about when, how, why and what things should be done, including solidarity work. I try to engage different people about their thoughts on the issue on a regular basis to help ensure that we are actually taking leadership from the community. I also attend meetings and raise ideas we have about organizing with the people. Because decisions are made by consensus it is crucial that people doing solidarity work are getting leadership from the people, not just one person.

Lastly, both myself and OCAP do not view the struggle over The Protected Place as an emergency issue at this point. That is to say that things have somewhat regularized in the six months that we have been doing support work with them. There is no longer the sense of crisis that there was in April and May and we had to cut back the level of support we are doing (especially on-site support) in order to be more sustainable. We are behind the people of Six Nations in this struggle for this land but we also look forward to working in solidarity with them for years to come. Part of my presence there is about building relationships so the respect and trust exists between us to have a meaningful, lasting solidarity relationship.

Josh: I was out of the country when the raid happened on April 20^th, but when I returned I began spending a lot of time on the reclamation site. Along with a number of other OCAP members and other non-natives I was spending a lot of time cooking in the kitchen and maintaining the area around the cookhouse. Following the raid until about the end of June and into early July, a lot of non-natives came through and spent a good chunk of their time in Six Nations doing just this.

It’s worth it to note how so many people wound up putting so many hours into this work. It came out of a desire to support the reclamation in a functional way and followed from some of the prohibitions that people at the reclamation had on non-native supporters: they didn’t want us hanging around the checkpoints or the frontlines and they didn’t want us engaging with people from Caledonia. This was the general feeling from the period following the raid until late June, although there were some definite exceptions. In the case of many supporters, the kitchen was an easy place to slot people in, because of the sheer volume of food that needed to be made daily and the convenience of having us organized in a central spot so as to keep the greater site secure.

It was through this work that other supporters and myself were able to get to know many people at the site and a certain degree of trust was built. We tried to engage the reclamation with humility and deference, and I believe that overwhelmingly, people were glad to see this type of support.

Stefanie: As an individual, I worked both to support the people from my organization who were spending intensive amount of time on the site, and to help make supportive actions, events, and education around the Reclamation happen here in Toronto. I myself did not ever spend a considerable amount of time on the site itself, but, beginning in late March, I traveled back and forth quite frequently, sometimes spending a night or two, but most of my work was a manifestation of this back and forth.

In and around the more severe crises at the reclamation site – the police invasion on April 20th, Caledonian mobilizations against the site, alarms being sounded about the military being called in, etc. – I worked with others in Toronto to respond to requests from the site to bring people and supplies in very short amounts of time. This kind of response – people coming to observe and support through their very presence, be it for a few hours or a few days - was definitely at its height in late April and May. This activity brought with it a responsibility to share with other supporters as much as we knew, in terms of what to expect, what codes of conduct were in place (respecting the sacred fire, staying away from the front lines, etc.). Within 12 hours of the early morning invasion, we helped to send almost 20 cars full of people to the site. Such efforts continued, to a lesser degree, throughout the next two months.

Specifically, in Toronto, I acted as the elected representative of OCAP within the organizing space of the Coalition in Support of Indigenous Sovereignty. In co-operation with other organizations who participate in the coalition, we held information sessions, a demonstration against the Minister of Indian Affairs, demonstrations in front of federal government buildings and letter-writing campaigns. We co-organized a couple of large visits of people from Toronto to the site, bringing food and other supplies. One such effort resulted in people from a downtown drop-in that OCAP is very connected to being able to meet people from Six Nations and be impacted by the experience of listening to stories at the fire on the site, as well as people who came through urban native networks. As well, in consultation with people from Six Nations, I was heavily involved in organizing to prepare actions to take place in Toronto in the event of a raid on the site.

How does OCAP as an organization relate to Six Nations in terms of knowing what kind of work to do and how to do it?

AJ: We discuss our work with people from the community both on specific issues and in general. There are a number of different perspectives there and people who are part of different clans, nations, political factions and communities and it is very important that we get input from all of them, at least to the extent that is possible.

We do go to council fires and ask people's opinions on what we are doing or planning on doing. Frankly, our presence at these meetings complicates things for us. There is a lot of power in sitting at a decision making table and it is power that I, as someone who is doing solidarity work, don't want. However, because it is a government of the people it is the only real way to ensure that we are taking leadership from the people.

With that in mind, though, it is important for us to remember that we are doing solidarity work and that our need for leadership from the community not take up more space than is welcome or necessary. I do not think it is possible to do solidarity work properly or with integrity without constantly questioning your roles, tactics and actions. However, that questioning can lead to a lot of insecurity about what we are doing. No matter how much we want be constantly reassured that we are doing a good job, it is unfair to demand that kind of guidance and reassurance from the community, as they have more important things to be doing.

Stefanie: Our relationship to supporting indigenous struggle, as an organization, is centered in our own struggle against the government, for welfare, disability, housing, access to health care - a fight for respect and dignity, against poverty and oppression. It is also strengthened by our understanding of the impact which seeing, standing with, knowing people who are of fighting back together as a community and shaking the power structure, can have. I mean, what this can enable people to bring to their own daily lives and fights.

In support of Six Nations, OCAP worked to provide people, material supplies, including radios, medical supplies, big donations of food, money. As mentioned in Question #3, we worked in the city as well.

On-site, after the initial heat of late April, many people in OCAP began to transform the request for non-Native observers to the situation into something more concrete. You can’t stand around, watching, and feel useful for very long. This is how the work in the kitchen, which many people spent considerable time doing, began. Working in the kitchen was a means of freeing up people from the community to do other things, to get some sleep, to stay at the various camps farther away from the main kitchen, to go home to their kids, and so on. Because the volume of people from the community spending time on the site was so massive in the period after the invasion, and throughout the ensuing periods of high alert, there was clearly a need for people to fill this role. Obviously, the fact that people who stayed on-site slowly developed relationships with people from the community critically informs our organizational perspective and decision-making.

After the heightened tension subsided, from mid-June onwards, the number of people spending a lot of time on the site began to ebb. And the clarity of purpose in the kitchen work also subsided. So, non-Native on-site support began to make less sense, in very practical terms, and people stopped spending the same kind of intensive time on the site. At the same time as we were trying to support the membership on-site, we were also supporting within the city boundaries. And within this dual purpose is where some of the major criticisms begin to emerge.

What have been some of the challenges that you have faced in supporting Six Nations?

AJ: Kanenhstaton is a community with problems like any other. It is
very challenging as an outsider to negotiate
the need for me to be in my place as a supporter and still be myself. In the
beginning I acted very differently than I do now as I increasingly feel confident in
myself and my actions. My desire to be pleasing when I first started going meant
that I actually behaved poorly. Because I was afraid I would offend someone. It
meant that I wasn't as honest as I could have been, even when I was being asked
for my opinion. That wasn't fair to anyone.   Once I started being myself more and
dealing with things how I would normally do so, I became more comfortable. That was
when people actually started respecting me.

I also used to be paranoid that I would do something offensive without knowing it because I have a very limited understanding of Iroquois culture(s). At some point I realized that I had to respect and trust the people around me to let me know if I was doing something improper. Folks there knew that I was trying hard to learn things and if I was out of place I had to trust that I would be put back in it. To be clear, I am not saying that it is Native people's responsibility to educate me or correct my behavior but I am saying that at some point you have to accept that you don't know shit and that you aren't going to. At that point you have to be vigilant about learning but you also have to know you can trust your friends.

For me, that was the most important lesson, to trust myself and be confident in myself. There were several issues that had I figured that out sooner would likely not have become so substantial.

Stefanie: We should have worked harder to support our indigenous allies in the city, to ensure that Native people from Toronto who wanted to be there or learn about the Reclamation had access to resources available to us. It’s hard to make those things happen when your relationship with people from the Native community living in your city isn’t strong, and I know this is something we need to understand how to develop – the capacity to share limited resources also within our own city blocks. This is where the relationship between OCAP and the Indigenous Caucus of the coalition for indigenous sovereignty also becomes so important, which has been a crucial part of my experience of supporting Six Nations.

For those OCAP members supporting from Toronto, it was a priority to work with radical indigenous people that we met through the structure of the coalition, and being guided by their perspectives and experiences, both of their own struggles and their relationship to the Reclamation. We respected the structure requested by them, in order to ensure that the group was not overwhelmingly non-Native. However, we failed to pursue the interest and energy being felt by countless people from all different sectors and populations outside of that structure and outside of OCAP. We had a responsibility to harness those things, and between supporting our people on the site, respecting the framework of CSIS, and trying to understand the constantly shifting ‘facts’ on the ground at the site, we did not live up to this as we should have.

There are many reasons why the work we were doing in the city has floundered. There was a tendency to be very susceptible to the complex unfolding of events at the site – often to the point where we were second-guessing our actions and next steps all the time. In terms of working constantly to respect the wishes of the people engaged in the struggle, this is not wrong. It is also appropriate to be cautious given the amount of time it takes to build trust with people across centuries of mistrust and racism. But we also lacked the confidence and the numbers of people organizing here in Toronto to put forward ideas, to think creatively, and have trust in the work we know how to do because of our own struggles here in Toronto.

After the heightened tension and large numbers of community members frequenting the site subsided, we did not adapt our support strategy fast enough. We had a lot of people who had burned themselves out on extended stays on the site, who needed to pick up with surviving in Toronto, doing their work in the city, and who struggled to make the experience of being on the site translate into Toronto-based support work. The number of people who had been consistently thinking about city-oriented support organizing had been few, and we had missed big opportunities to outreach to a broader public who had clearly shown interest and a desire to support Six Nations in the spring. We were left with a small, drained core of organizers. We should have put more energy into attacking the government from Toronto and confronted the racism of the Caledonian citizens, through the media and through actions and events in Toronto, in order to give voice to the other supportive opinions which non-Natives have of the reclamation.

What drawbacks or dangers does this on-the-ground support pose?

AJ: A lot of the people we had on the ground were a part of the organizational core of OCAP. We had a lot of very skilled organizers doing a lot of unskilled work. While there were still people in Toronto working, there were times when they were largely unsupported and our work in the city did suffer for a period. We shifted focus too late and lost some organizing potential at the time and I think we should have refocused our energies onto doing other forms of support work sooner. Further, it took us a long time to start to figure out how to actually offer our skills at the reclamation site and we are only beginning to do that now.

I would certainly do things differently if I were to do it again. I think it is important to have people on site but that shouldn’t be the primary focus as it was at the time.

How do you conceptualize the role of non-native supporters in the struggle for indigenous sovereignty? What kinds of allies within settler communities can be relied upon to support indigenous struggles?

AJ: I think here, the question provides the answer; we are non-native supporters. It is important to remember that we are not and never will be the central players in this movement. Solidarity work is not in itself liberatory, only the struggles of the people directly affected will see their liberation.

I think that it is key that we take leadership from Native people and that we ensure that we are taking it from the people, not a few people. It isn't hard, in a community of a few thousand, to find someone to tell you what you want to hear and call that leadership. It is hard to try and figure out what an actual community wants and do that. In Six Nations, we are quite lucky because they have consensus based community meetings so it makes things a lot clearer than having a lot of individual conversations.

As far as what kinds of allies within settler communities can be relied upon, I don't know if any can be relied on. The only thing you can ever actually count on an ally for is to screw up. I know that this is a pessimistic view but as a disabled person I know that I constantly question if allies even exist. As a white person doing solidarity work with First Nations people I have to believe that allies do exist. I haven't solved those contradictions yet. I can't call myself an ally, I only say I am trying to be one.

I do however know that there are lots of people who want to support somehow. I think it is important that we try to reach them and get them involved. I do think it is important that we work in our communities. My community isn't Caledonia, I didn't know anyone there, didn't live there and hadn't gone there prior to this. I think it is important that we support the work of the Caledonians who are organizing but that we actually look at what we can do in our own communities.

That means talking to our neighbours, friends and families. It means educating people beyond activists. And it means trying to identify those people who show interest and get them involved.

Josh: There’s a story I’ve been told from someone who was involved in the Oka Standoff in 1990 about the solidarity activists there that I find pretty compelling. In Oka there was a peace camp supporting the stand by the Mohawks that formed on the opposite side of the military line and at its peak had about 1000 people staying there. This person told me they thought one of the greatest failures of the whole standoff was that the people at that peace camp didn’t try to cross the military line. That if they’d just tried to cross, to challenge and confront that line, it could have changed the dynamic of the whole situation. To quote the Doors, you gotta “break on through to the other side” (and I’m talking in our actions here, not in some identity crisis “going native” bullshit).

Stefanie: Toronto is where I am from, it is where I organize, where I live. That has to make sense to supporting indigenous struggle. Whether this means prioritizing working with the framework of Native activists in the city, sharing information and experiences with people from my world in Toronto, through conversations, sharing resources to ensure it isn’t only people with the time and money who get to travel to the community that is resisting, pushing against the power structure that oppresses where we can do it here in the city, it has to make sense to where you are standing.

Having said this, you can’t support unless you understand, and you can’t understand unless you break down the distance between people. It is really hard to argue with the power of meeting people and talking to them and the power of meeting people in a crisis is that you do spend hours and hours and for some people days and nights and in some ways collapses the amount of time you need for trust to build normally. But I have learned that this is not a true or complete collapse. Trust is still slow.

It is also very important to acknowledge that non-Native supporters are not only white. There was strong support for the Reclamation site by people of colour, which is often overlooked by white people when we talk about non-Native support work. The power of the Palestinian flag flying tall on the site in the very early stages of the reclamation, and what this meant to people visiting the site as well as the frequency with which kaffiyehs were worn by Natives on the front lines, was very visible. I was certainly made aware of different kinds of trust being built along colour lines, both on the site and off. Obviously, this makes sense and as a movement of people supporting indigenous struggle, the awareness that questions of resources, voices, access to information should always be asked, even in the rush to support a crisis situation.

The struggle at Six Nations is obviously ongoing, but how would you relate to it if the issue of the Douglas Creek Estates is resolved and ongoing struggle takes place in less high-profile ways? What suggestions would you have for non-native activists in other parts of Canada who may get involved in supporting indigenous sovereignty in the future?

AJ: There will always be struggle by First Nations people, at least as long as our government and economy are structured the way they are. When Douglas Creek is won, there is still the rest of the Haldimand Tract, let alone broken treaties, broken promises and a whole lot more. I have a feeling that Six Nations won't be going low-profile anytime soon, even with a victory at Kanenhstaton. However, should that happen, I know that OCAP would continue to support Six Nations. We would step back and look at what we should be doing and what the situation merits and then bring it back to the community. Frankly, if nothing overt was happing in Six Nations, we would continue to support the community and maintain communications through our personal relationships.

If I were to give advice to someone who is starting out doing solidarity work I would tell them to build relationships. Do not look at indigenous people as a means to an end or as a campaign. Liberation movements are long term. They are not there to be used to help you achieve your own political aims, be they environmental, anti-capitalist or anti-government.

I used to believe that if people saw you as an ally that you had achieved something and things would get easier. Six Nations has taught me that from that point it only gets harder and more complicated.

Josh: Often the best time to get involved in solidarity and foster connections with people in native communities is in the midst of high-profile struggles like the one taking place in Six Nations now. But the most important time is in between these battles. In OCAP, we’re lucky to have a close relationship with people actively involved in fighting for sovereignty up in Tyendinaga where there is a mutual aid sort of thing going on and we support each other’s initiatives pretty regularly. That’s a most ideal situation, where you have people in the community who you trust and trust you to shoot the shit with about what’s going on, to share stories and exchange advice about all the little battles. If this isn’t there then the solidarity can only go so far when the bigger struggles erupt.

Across the country there are good examples of varied organizations supporting communities that are geographically close to them like the Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement in Montreal with the Mohawks of Kanehsatake and No One Is Illegal in Vancouver with the Secwepemc. I think we also need to do a better job of studying struggles like Oka and looking at what non-natives in solidarity have done before and also seek them out for their experiences. On that note, I want to thank Upping the Anti for provoking conversations about Six Nations and solidarity.

Stefanie: I don’t think our numbers at the site were ever significant enough to comprise some kind of supporters’ army, in terms of showing the state how huge the numbers of people standing with the community were. And that wasn’t needed – the community was the strength, the numbers, the force. We were never to be there as a fighting force, much as I think some people get caught up in the messed up romantic notion of being on the battle lines, being where the action is, and fighting a ‘real’ fight. The community of Six Nations never needed us in this way. But I do think that we did work to provide some of what was being asked for, in terms of supportive non-Native faces and presence and respect. Your work as a supporter is to hear what is being asked of you. It is to offer up what you appropriately can without having to lean on the people you are supporting for constant instructions. It can also be to know that you are implicated in what is being fought against, which has motivating consequences – not crippling or indifferent ones.

Non-native activists need to understand that indigenous struggle will never be won because of the actions of settlers. We need to understand our responsibility to fight the racism and power on the settler side, which may not be the most glamorous or exciting part of the fight, but a part of it only we can and should do. Many people who spent time at the site or who came together to plan support for the Reclamation here in Toronto are rooted in struggles of their own. This is one of the reasons why we came together, because we are already fighting. This is also one of the reasons why it is hard, albeit crucial, to support the Six Nation peoples. You can’t drop your own fight –because it is exactly that which grounds you and offers one way to understand why indigenous struggle is so crucial and what your role supporting it should be.

Tyendinaga: Update the Fight for Return of Culberston Tract Lands

2007-01-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

Tuesday January 15, 2007

The Culberston Land Tract

The Culberston is a tract of land, 923 acres in size that runs along the eastern boundary of Tyendinaga today. In 1837 the Federal Government changed the status of the land from Indian land to white land.

All agreements with the Mohawk Nation predate the existence of Canada. While the Mohawk Chiefs immediately registered their people’s dissent in 1837 when the land was stolen, no formal legal process existed to pursue its return. Despite a fundamental obligation to uphold previous agreements between the Mohawks and the crown, the Federal Government only
created such a process in 1991.

Tyendinaga filed a formal claim for the land with the Feds in 1995. The claim seeks the restoration of lands to the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.

In November 2003, Tyendinaga received a letter from the Federal Government acknowledging what the people of Tyendinaga have always known: That the Culberston Tract was never surrendered and is Mohawk Land.

Since then the Federal Government has been trying to get Tyendinaga to take a buy-out for the land. Mohawk people know the value of land cannot have a dollar sign attached and that the future generations of our growing population will depend on this land. Tyendinaga will accept nothing less than the full and unfettered return of these lands to Mohawk control and use.

Deseronto

The Mayor of Deseronto has said that the town’s economic viability and survival depends on the development of Culbertson tract lands.

Tyendinaga’s Rotiskenhrakehte have twice ensured that deadlines to begin development of these lands have not been realized. “If they cannot find a way to survive without our land then they simply cannot continue to exist,” said Tyendinaga Mohawk, Shawn Brant.

The Rotiskenhrakehte have also been mandated to close a Deseronto quarry, situated on Culberston Tract lands, that literally digs up, sells off and ships out Mohawk land by the truckload. This obscene state of affairs can no longer be tolerated.

Land Claim Arrests

The Government struck back last Friday in a failed attempt to slow the momentum in the reclamation of 923 acres of Mohawk Nation Lands in Tyendinaga.

Friday’s attempt to target and remove Tyendinaga leadership with a clear embellishment of events surrounding the charges of Shawn Brant and Mario Baptiste has done nothing more than inflame the situation and anger the community.

Shawn and Mario would likely still be in jail if Tyendinaga community members had not responded immediately with imminent plans to shut down Deseronto completely.

The motive for the charges was made clear when the Crown pushed (unsuccessfully) for conditions barring the accused from Deseronto and the Culberston Land Claim Tract entirely.

“We have been denied our land for 170 years. That’s not going to fly anymore. There is no level of Government or police force that will keep a Mohawk off their own land,” said Tyendinaga, Mohawk Nation citizen, Jay Maracle.

Tyendinaga: Mohawks Barricade Quarry

2007-01-10T16:05:00.000-05:00

A group of about 30 Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte erected a barricade outside of a quarry today. The did so in the second action taken to stop a developer from building on their territory. Today's action targeted a Desoronto quarry which would be assisting with the development. The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte took this action to send a strong message to everyone that threats to build on their land will not be taken lightly.

Spokes person Shawn Brant stated today on CJBQ radio that "We would do whatever is necessary in order to achieve our objectives." He also said that if the police attack them, the situation would "far exceed Caledonia's crisis".

To read the Intelligencer article, click here

Six Nations: Trevor Miller Still In Jail

2007-01-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

As a legal worker, I have sat through many bail hearings, set dates and trials but today in Cayuga's Superior Court was the strangest by far. I felt like at any minute I would hear "do-do-do-do do-do-do-do you are now entering the Twilight Zone" coming out over a loud speaker.

It started, as is customary for Miller court appearances, with the gallery refusing to stand when the judge entered. When Miller came in people stood up and because he stayed standing the whole time, so did pretty much everyone else.

For a little while it seemed like things were following normal courthouse procedure. The crown, defense lawyer and judge discussed how to proceed given that the scheduled bail hearing was not going to take place because the transcripts weren't finished.

After a little while, the Judge called up Stewart Myiow from the Mohawk Traditional Counsel (MTC). Trevor's lawyer had informed the judge that the MTC intended to seek intervener status. Generally it would be unheard of to have someone address the court, especially in Superior Court, who isn't a lawyer when there is one on the case; however, because Miller is Mohawk and it is the position of the Mohawk nation that the court had no jurisdiction over him, the judge allowed him to speak.

Myiow requested that Trevor be released into the custody of the MTC and when the judge entertained the idea I began to believe I had entered a parallel universe. I didn't think this because it was legally impossible, in fact the opposite is true. The judge had the jurisdiction to release him and, while it is rarely done, it can happen. Rather I thought this because, up to that point, not a single judge has even considered this, not because the charges were overly severe or because he is truly a flight risk, but because they work for a racist system and because he is a political prisoner. In my experience, almost all political prisoners in "Canada" get off at trial or do very little time (certainly not always the case). The cops and the crowns know they often don't have strong cases against people so they try and get people's bails denied in order to punish them before trial. Indeed, innocent until proven guilty is a myth and Trevor is living the consequences of our legal reality right now.

It is patently unreasonable the Miller is still in custody given his charges which is probably why the judge felt he needed to inquire as to the circumstances of the original bail hearing and the reasons for his detention. The crown was very helpful and offered up a great deal of useful information (more evidence of the parallelism). A recess was called so Trevor could instruct his lawyer and, I believe, so the judge could consider the request for release.

After the recess, Trevor came back wearing a ribbon shirt and the traditional Mohawk headdress. This was also quite odd as the courts don't normally allow prisoners to be given things while in the courthouse as his mother had done. Then, the judge said he needed to wait until a proper bail review (to be set later) because the issues were very complex and he didn't feel like he could make the decision without the transcripts. He scheduled with the lawyers and figured out a way to set a bail review date quickly. The judge then said that if there was nothing else they could deal with today that he would adjourn.

Stewart Myiow said at that point "there is one other thing you could do...you could release Trevor Miller." The judge said that he couldn't do that today and adjourned. The clerk ordered that "all rise" and everyone sat down.

Maybe we entered a parallel universe but, more realistically, it was just another day in the kangaroo court that deals with Six Nations: largely racist and unable to grasp basic concepts of justice and sovereignty, sometimes comical, and entirely about quashing resistance - no matter how nice the judge seems to be.

For more information, read the Spectator article.

Six Nations: One Year, One Struggle, Many Victories

2007-01-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

It has been almost a year since a small group of people from Six Nations reserve near Brantford took back a piece of land that was slated for development on the border of Caledonia. Back then, people slept in their cars or near the Sacred Fire, ate ice cold Timbits, and joked about using frozen coffee as a weapon in the event of a police attack.

As the word spread through Six Nations and other communities, it began to grow – in numbers and in significance. The handful of people became several dozen and then hundreds. When the OPP raided on August 20th, about two thousand gathered to defend the land. If retaking the land was the first major victory, removing the OPP from it was the second.

As the days went by and more and more people began to show their support, the political importance of the Reclamation Site increased dramatically. It went from a small occupation on what seemed like an unimportant housing development to something that grabbed the attention and imagination of people across Turtle Island. Communities inside the outline of Canada, Native and non-Native, called for and held solidarity actions from rail, bridge and highway blockades to public meetings, pickets and rallies. People saw others were fighting back and worked to support it. Each time this happened, it was a victory.

In fact, there are many victories coming out of the Reclamation site to count. Each time someone learned something about the traditional Onkwehonweh ways, each time someone spoke out against racism, each time someone passed on what they knew about the land and the struggle, each time people put aside their differences to come together to support the struggle, it was a victory.

Right now, there are some things that are very discouraging. The province is giving the OPP an extra $20 million to police the Reclamation. The land is appraised at $17 million but the government is willing to pay more than that to try to keep it from its rightful caretakers. Further, it has recently come out in the media that the federal negotiator doesn't even have a mandate to actually address the land claim. How is it supposed to get solved if Canada refuses to try to solve it? The media also gives racists like Gary McHale free reign in their papers and on their screens to pull ridiculous stunts and attention grabs. McHale has repeatedly tried to fly Canadian flags outside the Reclamation site. Each time the media gives him large amounts of publicity, helping him promote his racist crusade. Similarly the media has repeatedly reported false stories coming out of Caledonia (like that a house was vandalized by people who ran onto the Reclamation site) but rarely even gives lip service to the views of the Six Nations people.

While all of these things are very negative, the Reclamation remains after 11 months. Everyone needs to do whatever they can to support it and ensure that they keep the land. When all is said and done, taking the land back will be a major victory. However, it is important that we remember the smaller victories, each one a step towards decolonization, each one step closer justice.

OCAP Statement of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

2007-01-07T19:26:00.000-05:00

September 2006

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is an anti-capitalist anti-poverty organization with a strong history of being in solidarity with poor and oppressed people both within our local areas and internationally. OCAP has a demonstrated history of solidarity with Indigenous peoples in their struggles against the pillage and plunder of European settler colonialism.

The struggle against the forces of capital and greed within the heart of Turtle Island is also the struggle against the forces that create and perpetuate war, imperialism, occupation, and apartheid against people around the globe. The governments and forces that keep us poor are the same governments and forces that invade, occupy, murder and commit ethnic cleansing and genocide.

We recognize that Israel is a settler-colonial apartheid state. The Israeli state was founded in 1948 on the ethnic cleansing of nearly one million indigenous Palestinians, the wholesale theft of these refugees’ land, and the establishment of a racist apartheid system of laws and policies targeting those Palestinians who were able to stay. The 1967 military invasion and occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights resulted in the further expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and the formation of an even more brutal apartheid system on the territories occupied in 1967 This is a system in which Palestinians living under the daily brutality of military occupation have had their cities, towns and villages transformed into open air prisons akin to the Bantustans of the South African Apartheid regime.

With the daily killing of Palestinians by Israeli settlers and soldiers, the imprisonment of over 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, and the refusal of the Israeli state to allow the forcibly expelled refugees to return to their homes and lands, we choose to be in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their struggle against the apartheid state of Israel. The role of OCAP in solidarity with the Palestinian people is to take leadership from their struggle in how we are to offer that solidarity. Now is a crucial moment in the struggle against Israeli apartheid. In July 2005, 171 Palestinian civil-society organizations - including labour unions, student groups, women's unions, peasant organizations, refugee committees and popular movements - came together to launch a call for a comprehensive Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) strategy as the center-piece of international solidarity efforts with the Palestinian people. OCAP is joining in this campaign and will aim to work with organizations and communities in Toronto around this campaign.

In its sixteen year history, OCAP has shown that a poor peoples' movement can shake those in power and contribute to the building of decisive social struggle. As a militant anti-capitalist anti-poverty organization, we see our struggle and that of the Palestinian people as intrinsically linked. As we fight against regressive and oppressive governments here, we aim to sever the links that prop up and feed Israeli brutality. Israel was created and is maintained as part of a broader imperialist strategy to dominate the Middle East. It is a garrison state that only exists because of the economic and military resources it receives from North America. OCAP will work to mobilize the support in our communities that can weaken and, ultimately, sever the economic lifeline that feeds and preserves Israeli Apartheid.

Six Nations: Province Throwing Money Around - In The Wrong Direction

2007-01-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

Henco bought what they named Douglas Creek Estates (now the Reclamation) and invested about $6 million into it. The province bought it for about $16 million and put it in trust (it seems like putting it in trust was just a ploy to get the Iroquois off the land). The province has handed out hundreds of thousands of dollars to people in Caledonia. Now it is giving the OPP an extra $20 million, reports the Spectator.

The province should stop wasting money. It would be far cheaper, far better and far more just if it just gave the land back.

Six Nations: Province Rewards Racism

2007-01-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

The provincial government is giving more money to Caledonia to try and get shoppers into the town, reports the Hamilton Spectator. The town is trying to offset the bad image it has gotten since the Reclamation began.

There are two really big problems with this:

1. That bad image is largely a result of the widespread racism in the town. This includes racist comments made by the Mayor, who was recently reelected, as well as many people who live there. If you have bad press because a whole lot of people in your town are overtly racist and very few people speak out against it you should really be sucking it up, to getting money for it.

2. There are 20,000 people who are Band Members for Six Nations, many of them live within a stone's throw from Caledonia. The vast majority of people from Six Nations (and not to mention their supporters) aren't going to Caledonia any more because of the overt racism in the town.

Oh yeah, don't forget the part about how a lot of the wealth of Ontario was gotten by robing people of Six Nations and the refusal to make any reparations or respect treaties and proclamations. Why is Ontario giving the money to Caledonia when they are stalling Six Nations? The province is rewarding racism because it is racist - plain and simple.

Six Nations: Council House Retaken

2007-01-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

Brothers, Sisters, Friends and Allies:- All Welcome to this important
occasion.

Ori:wase

Media Advisory : Communiqué

For Immediate Release

December 29, 2006

Six Nations Haudenosaunee move back into Confederacy Council building

GRAND RIVER TERRITORY OF THE SIX NATIONS- Six Nations Haudenosaunee are pleased to announce that they will celebrate 2007 by moving back into the old Confederacy Council house in Ohsweken at Six Nations.

The Council House, built in 1864 is 140 years old and predates Confederation. The building served as the council house for the Six Nations Confederacy Council until 1924 when the council was ousted by the Canadian government and an elected band council imposed.

On the first day of the New Year Six Nations people will mark a turning point in their collective history by returning the building to the Haudenosaunee Chiefs in a ceremony at the building. The move is being heralded as a peaceful movement to begin the healing process and restore Haudenosaunee identity to Six Nations. All Six Nations people and supporters are welcome to attend.

When: Monday, January 1, 2007

Time: 11 a.m.

Where: Old Six Nations Council house, on Fourth Line in the village of Ohsweken

Speeches will be held beginning at 11 a.m. the current lock will be removed and members of Six Nations who were legally barred from the building during a 1959 attempted restoration will be among the first to enter the building followed by Six Nations chiefs and clanmothers and people.

Read the Hamilton Spectator article

Six Nations: Background on the Imposition of the Elected System

2007-01-02T14:18:00.000-05:00

I recently read the Iroquois chapters in Stolen Continents: The "New World" Through Indian Eyes Since 1942 by Ronald Wright (Viking, 1991). The book is very good (I am starting to read the rest now). It has an excellent, detailed record of the history of colonization. I highly recommend it.

Until then, however, here are some excerpts from it that may help you understand a little bit more about how the elected system was imposed and why the taking of the Council House is Six Nations is significant.

In Tyendinaga:
Canada began by overthrowing traditional governments on the smaller Iroquois territories of Ontario and Quebec. In the mid-1880s, Indian Affairs pressured the Bay of Quinte Mohawks, ostensibly on a trial basis, to replace their condoled chiefs with elected councilmen. The Indians put up with the new system for a couple of years, then rejected it - the adversarial style of European politics ran counter to their tradition of consensus, as the exclusion of the women's voice

But it turned out that the 'trial period' was a sham: Canada would nota llow the people to restore their own system. p. 317

In Akwesane:
Canada's most brutal intervention came at Akwesasne....
In March 1899, Mounted Police arrived to enforce the holding of an election. They were soon besieged by 200 Mohawks... Two months later they returned...'They occupied the Council Hall, where they sent a message to the chiefs to attend a special meeting regarding the buying of stone [to rebuild a bridge]....As the chiefs walked into the council office, they were thrown to the floor and handcuffed. One of the women notified the Head Chief, Jake Fire, and as he came through he door demanding the release of his fellow chiefs he was shot twice, the second shot being fatal. p. 318-319

In Six Nations:
A small but vocal minority opposed to the traditional government had arisen at Grand River. They became known as the Dehorners because deer antlers were the insignia of a condoled chief. Some the the dissidents were not-Iroquois, such as Delawares, who had not members of their own on the council; others were young men tho felt left out by their elders; most were doctrinaire Christians who taught the ancient assembly smacked of heathenism. The Canadian government conspired with this "Christian democrat" minority as a way of breaking the League in the name of electoral reform. p. 320

On October 7, 1924, armed police burst into the Oshweken Council House and read a decree dissolving the Six Nations' parliament. They broke open a chest and seized documents going back to the time of Joseph Brant, many of them germane to the sovereignty case. More police raided the wampum keepers' homes, taking the sacred belts, the Iroquois equivalents of flag, mace and Magna Carta. p. 325

The government called elections and:
From a population of 4,500 only twenty-seven people voted: "Christian deomcrats" who elected themselves" p. 325

Tasers- A Critique

2006-12-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

The Following Essay was written by OCAP member Don Weitz partially as a submission to the Toronto Police Services Board.

September 28, 2006

A Reply to "Statistical Analysis of the 2005 Annual Report:Use of Tasers by the Toronto Police Service"(August 15, 2006), and Recommendations Concerning the Taser
by Don Weitz

Two major findings emerge from the statistics provided:
1.. Toronto police - particularly the ETF - tasered (fully deployed) a disproportionately large number of psychiatric survivors- "emotionally disturbed persons"/"EDPs",

2. The overwhelming majority of people tasered posed no immediate or serious threat to the oficer's life or personal safety. In 6 divisions involved in the TASER pilot project in 2005 - 11, 14, 51, 52, 53, 55 - ETF and PSU police tasered ("fully deployed") 11 emotionally disturbed people out of a total of 33. In other words, 33% or one-third of the TASER-targets
were psychologically vulnerable people - these figures challenge Chief Bill Blair's conclusion, "there is no correlation between TÅSER use and EDPs" (August 15, 2006, p.3. I strongly disagree, 33% or one-third is highly significant.

Now let's take a look at another section of Chief Blair's 2005 report on police use of the TASER by the ETF - not the PSU. This report provides details re the police divisions involved, the nature of the "incident"where TASERS were used, the reasons, and injuries. Again, we find the TASER targeted a disproportionately large number of psychiatric survivors or emotionally disturbed persons ("EDPs"). According to this report, among 65 people tasered in Toronto in 2005, 26 or 40% were "EDPs". Another disturbing finding is that among these psychologically vulnerable people, nine or approximately one-third were classified as "suicidal." In short, police threatened to use tasers against or actually tasered suicidal citizens! To say the least, this is retraumatizing, this is police overkill!

Let's also look at the reasons listed for police deploying or using the TASER - "assaultive behaviour" is listed 39 times or roughly 67% of the time. This term is not. explained. Was the assault life-threatening? We don't know, because "assaultive behaviour" is not specified. If the assault was not life-threatening, TASERS should not be used according to international standards, "set out under the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officers and the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by law Enforcement officials. These require that force should be used as a last resort and that officers must apply only the minimum amount of force necessary to obtain a lawful objective. They also provide that all use of force must be proportionate to the threat posed as well as designed to avoid unwarranted pain or injury." ("Canada: Excessive and lethal force? Amnesty International's concerns about deaths and ill-treatment involving police use of tasers", November .30, 2004, p.1)

Some of the other reasons listed for police use of the TASER included possession of a "knife", "357 Magnum handgun", "large pipe", "shooting suspect", "running in traffic", "threatening suicide", "subject put head and hand through plate glass window", "broken bottle", "edged weapon-mirror", "2 meat cleavers".. However, there was NO MENTION OF ANY ACTUAL OR IMMEDIATE LIFE-THREATENING EVENT before police used the TASER. -such as firing a gun, using or lunging with a knife, or using any other weapon against a police officer. None of these reasons qualifies as a life-threatening event. Nevertheless, the TASER was used. Further, only 5 instances of injuries were listed - 2 self-inflicted cuts such as "slashed wrists" and 3 instances of cuts inflicted by the police. This low number of injuries is suspect, it neglects to mention any serious medical problems or emergencies such as arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, or respiratory problems that TASERS have frequently caused or triggered - according to the medical literature. Also no deaths were reported.

These reports from Police Chief Bill Blair on Toronto police use of TASER are not totally accurate, informative or credible. "Assaultive behaviour" and other unspecified reasons do not justify using TASERS to subdue or forcibly control citizens, including psychiatric survivors or "emotionally disturbed persons", judged allegedly dangerous, threatening or "emotionally
disturbed"

"Where officers have reasons to believe that a disturbed individual may be acting in a violent or threatening manner as a result of mental illness, efforts should be made to involve mental health specialists in dealing with the disturbed person. Policing methods based on force should only use as a last resort." ('Additional recommendations", Amnesty International,
November 30, 2004)

It's clear that Tasers have sometimes been used as a first resort - not last resort - against allegedly "mentally ill" or "emotionally disturbed persons" in Toronto.

RECOMMENDATIONS: PROPOSED ALTERNATIVES TO TASERS

1.TASERS should be immediately banned in Toronto and across Canada, because these allegedly non-lethal weapons are frequently harmful and deadly, despite claims of safety and effectiveness by the police and TASER
manufacturers. They should be banned for these reasons:
a. TASERS have caused or been implicated in triggering life-threatening crises including cardiac arrest, ventricular arrhythmia and respiratory problems;
b. TASERS have caused several sudden deaths of people in police custody and on the street - at least 9 deaths reported so far in Canada and over 200 in the USA; and
c. There are no credible, independent and scientific studies proving that TASERS are medically safe and can save lives.

2. The Toronto police, including the Emergency Task Force (ETF) and Public Safety Unit (PSU), should not be called or expected to respond to people experiencing an emotional crisis, a suicide attempt, or drug withdrawal crisis, mainly because the police generally lack crisis-counselling skills and are not trained to use non-threatening, non-violent, and no-force methods. People in these crises frequently act in a highly agitated, impulsive, extremely fearful or panic-stricken state, which the police sometimes misinterpret or exaggerate as personal threats to their safety. Further, the appearance of a uniformed police officer, a badge, a warrant, or any visible sign of state authority could easily aggravate the person's emotional state.

3. Instead of the police, mobile crisis-response teams consisting of psychiatric survivors, street nurses and community workers trained in crisis counseling, trauma counselling and/or conflict-resolution should be available to respond to people-in-crisis on the street using non-violent, non-threatening, non-confrontational, and supportive methods.

4. Community-based 24-hr crisis centres and 24-hr dropins staffed with psychiatric survivors, community health-outreach workers and street nurses trained in crisis or trauma counseling and/or conflict-resolution should also be available to provide safety and emotional support to citizens undergoing an emotional or traumatic crisis. Except in medical emergencies, referral to a hospital emergency department is generally not helpful to people going through a life crisis including attempted suicide, mainly because common personal crises are frequently pathologized as "mental illness" and treated with hi-risk psychiatric drugs.

5. 24-hr withdrawal centres should be available to people undergoing withdrawal from addictive 'street drugs' and psychiatric drugs; these centres should be staffed with trained health workers including street nurses, psychiatric survivors, and on-call medical doctors. These withdrawal centres should be strategically located and wheelchair-accessible in the downtown core and GTA.

I ask the Board to discuss and support these proposals as constructive and humane alternatives to TASERS, as well as "nonlethal" PEPPER SPRAY that has also caused several injuries or medical complications and deaths in Ontario and other provinces.

Postscript: Shortly after my deputation on September 28, the Toronto Police Services Board approved Chief Bill Blair's request to order approximately 500 "Advanced X-26" taser-guns for all "frontline officers". On November 23, the last day of the inquest into the death of Otto Vass on August 9, 2000, the Coroner's Jury strongly recommended the Toronto police be equipped with and use tasers.

Biographical note: Don Weitz is a social justice and antipsychiatry activist, member of OCAP, and co-founder of the Coalition Against Psychiatric Assalt (CAPA) in Toronto.

Six Nations: Racism Out of Control

2006-12-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know that when you first start doing anti-racist work one of the things that you learn is that feeling guilty, embarrassed or ashamed of being white is not productive. It doesn't get you anywhere to feel bad about being white, you simply have to deal with it and use your privilege to work towards change. While I very much believe that, the anti-sovereignty racists are beginning to make it hard not to be a little embarrassed.

First off, Garry McHale is a wannabe martyr whose racist demonstrating only serves to help fuel the fires of a small group of wing-nut, racist locals. He and other malicious, hateful outsiders are imported to inflame the situation, likely with the intent to cause violence. McHale and others went back to the Site not long after they failed to put up canadian flags and the OPP told them they couldn't do it so close to Six Nations' territory.

McHale was outraged when he was arrested. He was charged with breach of peace, which he says isn't a charge and isn't in the criminal code. It is. He is a liar. Breach of peace is the law that the cops use to pick up drunks and toss them in the drunk tank for the night. While you can be arrested and held for 24hrs, there is no formal charge laid. Breach of peace is commonly used against protesters; however, this is the first time I am aware of it being used against a racist, right-wing protester.

See Gary, this is how it works: if you are white and you get arrested in Caledonia you get out pretty quick (there are no criminal charges that have been laid against any white person to my knowledge). If you are Native you likely get charged criminally and don't get out so easily. There is even the chance, like in the case of Trevor Miller, that you won't get out at all. Don't feel glum chum, you got the better end of the deal. White skin has a lot of mileage in this country. I know you are trying to end two-tiered justice in the country but you don't understand that ending it means screwing yourself over, not the Native people.

Further, when we get charged with breaches of the peace for things like carrying a placard, showing up early, walking down the street, swearing or the like, you don't see us crying about it. And you certainly don't see us taking off our pants and refusing to wear them or going on a hunger strike for no apparent reason. That is what he did, according to a one sided article in the conservative Canada Free Press.

The problem isn't a few individuals like McHale, it is far more systemic than that. The media repeatedly prints false accusations against people from Six Nations. Most recently, the Spectator reported the vandalism of a house. There is no evidence whatsoever that the vandalism was committed by one of the First Nations people at the Reclamation Site. It could have just as easily been done by people trying to make trouble for Six Nations or by the people who live there who "'begged' the provincial government to buy the house." While the Spec piece quotes an OPP officer telling people not to jump to conclusions, it doesn't quote anyone from the Reclamation Site or really offer any other possibility than that one of the Natives did it.

The government, as most people reading this know, has the longest record of being racist. It has been over two-hundred years since this piece of land was stolen. The government has known for almost that long that many pieces of land in the Haldimand Tract were stolen from the people of the Six Nations and never did a thing about it. Today, the Liberal government continues to deny land claims and prolong negotiations. However, even I was surprised when the Spectator reported that David Ramsey, Minister in charge of aboriginal affairs said he would sponsor a demonstration at Queen's Parkkk for McHale, giving him a platform and a sound system. When people from Six Nations were there in the fall there was no platform, no sound system, no sponsorship. The circle is complete: Gary to the media, the media to the government, the government to Gary. Each one fuels the other's racism and each one's racism acts as a justification for pushing their racist agenda forward.

Six Nations: Miller Supporters Visit A.G.'s Office

2006-12-18T16:25:00.000-05:00

Trevor Miller, a Mohawk political prisoner has been in custody. Today, his family, members of the Mohawk Traditional Counsel and supporters went to the Attorney General's office to demand his release. About 40 people rallied outside of the office beginning at 7:30 this morning, flyering passersby and chanting "Free Trevor Miller".

Trevor returns to court in Cayuga on Wednesday.

For news coverage, check out the Globe and Mail and Hamilton Spectator articles

(photo: members of the Mohawk Traditional Counsel speak with a representative of the Attorney General about Trevor's Case)

$22 000 vs 2%

2006-12-14T15:29:00.000-05:00

Premier Dalton McGuinty has just announced a $22, 000 pay raise for MPP's sitting in the Ontario Legislature. Coincidentally it comes in the same month that Ontario's Social Assistance recipients will be receiving their 2% increase.

McGreedy claims that MPP's are feeling second rate to their higher paid counterparts on the federal level. Apparently the $126, 321 a year that Cabinet Ministers like Sandra Pupatello were making (not to mention her paid for suite at the Sutton Place Hotel) was leaving them a little light in the pocket compared to scumbags like Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Today at an OCAP Special Diet Clinic there was a woman who had come to sign-up for the dietary supplement, which was slashed by McGreedy and Pupatello last year. The woman and her partner were raising eight children and were being paid $1, 100 a month or $13, 200 a year for 10 people.

To put it simply these people at Queen's Park make me sick. When she was Minister of Social Services Sandra Pupatello went on the CBC and admitted that people could not live on what Social Assistance pays out but that the Government couldn't afford to help them out with a meaningful increase. Now she's going to receive an extra $22, 000 a year and families on assistance are being nickel and dimed by welfare and ODSP offices when they try to access their minimal entitlements.

If there was any question about the necessity of fighting this Liberal Government it has been answered with this insult. The good news is that our Special Diet Clinics are continuing to drain money out of the hands of our greedy government and put it in the pockets of the people who need it. You can rest assured that OCAP is going to keep fighting until people on Assistance are getting a $22, 000 raise and those politicians at Queen's Park are swallowing a 40% pay cut.

Six Nations: get the government a calculator

2006-12-13T13:27:00.000-05:00

Math is hard for lots of people. I understand that. If McGuinty, Harper and Caledonia MPP Toby Barret are struggling with the numbers I can't blame them but you'd think that with so much money being tossed around they could hire someone to do the adding and subtracting for them. Here are some examples:

MPP Toby Barrett is complaining because the compensation plan for those who live bordering the Reclamation Site is 156 days late. Oh, the injustice. These poor folks built the houses on stolen land and have now had to wait 156 days to get compensated for it. It is unclear exactly what they need compensated for. Yes, there may be some repetitive stress injuries from throwing golf balls and rocks at the people, including women and children at the site. Further injuries could have been acquired from dialing the phone to make false complaints. Where is the compensation for the people who put their lives on hold to fight for their land?

The math is simple. The Six Nations people have been waiting about 59,495 days to get their land back. that is at least 59,339 days more than the Caledonians. Hey Barrett: if you are upset about the government taking too long, you should be demanding Six Nations get their land back, they've been waiting a lot longer.

More numbers: the amounts the negotiators are being paid was unveiled by the Hamilton Spectator recently. Barbra McDougall is paid 1,600 a day plus expenses. Her assistant makes $150 an hour and bills 20-25 hours a month. Through a series of complex mathematical equations, I have calculated that the assistant makes about $3,000 to $3,750 a month. It turns out that it isn't in McDougall's mandate to resolve the land claim. Her job is to get the Natives off the site. The provincial negotiator, Jane Stewart, is making $1,300 a day. If you add all of this up, you spend a lot of money and get a pile of bullshit in return.

Six Nations: Miller denied bail...again

2006-12-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

Someone needs to send Judge Marshall back to school. He needs to be retaught the meaning of the word "jurisdiction". Six months ago he said he had jurisdiction under Canadian law over that land that belongs to another sovereigned nation. Later he said that he had jurisdiction to enforce an injunction on land that the "legal owners" were not seeking an injunction on.

Yesterday Marshall looked Stewart Myiow from the Mohawk Traditional Counsel in the eye and told him that he didn't have the jurisdiction to release Miller. Miller was in court on a mandatory 90 day bail review. As it was a bail review and Marshall is a Superior Court Judge he had the jurisdiction to release him. Marshall chose not to release him. The Judge also told Myiow, who is assisting with the case, that he could appeal the decision because a higher court might have the jurisdiction to release him. Well Marshall, being a judge you should know that if you don't have the jurisdiction to do something, an appeal court doesn't have the jurisdiction to do it on appeal. The only way for an appeal court to have the jurisdiction to do something on appeal is if the first court had the jurisdiction in the first place.

Trevor Miller told the Judge that he was not Canadian and that the court had no jurisdiction over him. He demanded that Marshall tell him why he was kept when the court had no right to do so. Marshall simply told him that he did have the jurisdiction under Canadian law.

Stewart Myiow addressed the judge and demanded Miller's release into the Mohawk Counsel's Custody. Marshall told Myiow that he respected him, was "sympathetic" to him, but that he was unable to release him. The second and third statements were definitely a lie and it is likely that the first statement was as well.

The only good thing that came out of the hearing was that when Marshall came into the courtroom only a couple journalists stood up. When Miller came in, everyone rose out of respect and stayed standing until he left the courtroom. As soon as Miller left, the bulk of the audience sat down and remained seated even when ordered to rise for Marshall. Both men received the respect they were due.

After the hearing Myiow addressed the 40 or so supporters who had attended the hearing. He said that keeping Miller in custody "only shows there is racism against the Mohawk people" and this racism is an "official policy of the Canadian government".

To listen to the CKUT radio show on Trevor click here.

Please support Trevor:

Thursday, December 14th, 5pm
Show your support for Trevor outside the Hamilton detention center. For directions, check out this map.

Monday December 18th
Join family and supporters at the Attorney General's office. We will demand he release Trevor.
More details to come.

Write to Trevor at:
Trevor Miller
165 Barton street east
Hamilton, Ontario
L8L 2W6
Range 5CR

Make a donation to his legal costs. Make checks payable to
"Gertrude Miller"
P.O. Box 221
Ohsweken
N0A 1M0.

Housing Offensive Out West

2006-12-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

OCAP's good friends the Anti-Poverty Committee of Vancouver have been really pushing the envelope in the fight for housing over the past couple of months. First, on October 22nd they targeted an old downtown hotel which was left vacant in the midst of the local and national housing crisis and then a few days later chased down the Mayor on Halloween. Two months later they are still occupying abandoned buildings and sticking it to the Provincial and Municipal Governments on a nearly weekly basis. Over the time that they have been carrying out these actions there have been squats taken or attempted in Victoria and right here in Toronto by OCAP.

As the Harper Government cuts funding to poor people's services, child care and housing we can expect to see the necessity of uniting from Halifax to Vancouver in the struggle for housing more and more.

Vancouver though has it's own special problems that the APC is trying to fight. In 2010 it will host the Winter Olympics. An international spectacle which promises to suck dry government spending, further gentrify the downtown east-side, open the door to social cleansing by the Vancouver Police and make Vancouver an unbearable place to live. Luckily along with other solid grassroots organizations, the APC is organizing against the games.

The Housing Offensive in Vancouver is further proof that the harder repressive governments push on people the harder people will push back. Watch this space for updates on the Struggle for Housing from Coast to Coast.

Six Nations: Hazel's Update

2006-12-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

This is Hazel Hill's update from the Site from December 7, 2006. Hazel is one of the spokespeople for the Reclamation Site.

Good Morning from Grand River. I know everyone has been wondering what is happening with negotiations and our land reclamation of Kanonhstaton. Since I last wrote after our November 14th Lands Side Table, there has been no meetings so nothing really to report. Unfortunately, we had another death in one of our Clanmother's family's and so our meetings that were scheduled for the end of November were canceled. They have been re-scheduled to December 13th and 14th and we will see then how the Crown responds to our presentation of our documents and historical evidence as provided through our Wampum and Oral History at our last meeting.

Clearly the Crown has found itself in a dilemma since we have resented the TRUTH. They know for a FACT that the title for Plank Road (also known as Argyle Street and formerly #6 Highway) itself still rests with the Six Nations/Haudenesonne, they cannot contest this. They also know that the so-called land surrender that they are resting their entire case on is merely minutes of a council meeting with no order in council to support it, and no legal grounds to support it. they also know that the Indian agent at the time who was drafting these fraudulent surrenders, was also the individual who was translating them to the Six Nations, and who clearly was telling the Chiefs one thing, and then recording it as something else. This is not a new practice. Our Chiefs pointed out several times in history how this was done, including the Nanfan Treaty, the Simcoe Deed, many areas that the Crown, when realizing that they still weren't satisfied with our generosity and good-will, needed to not only take more of our lands, but to create their own patents so that they could take ownership of them. This is no more valid then as it would be today, and yet the Crowns Legal Advisers have told them that they have a valid surrender. Most of their principal negotiators continue to mislead the people of Caledonia telling them that they have a presented a bill of sale for the lands and that the Six Nations will not get it back. The politicians of today are speaking with the same forked tongue as the Indian agents back then did. They do not know how to speak the truth. They cannot look their people in the eye and tell them that their ancestors lied cheated and stole to get what they have today, and they cannot tell them that their True Landlords are the very people who have been treated with such disrespect, racial descrimination and have been the victim of many hate crimes and antagonistic behaviors since the land reclamation began in February.

You know, one of the things I forgot to tell you about from our last meeting was one of the most significant events since we've begun. Our people decided to see what the crown representatives would do when put in the same situation our people were in during the 1800's. Jock had put together a document written in the Cayuga Language that outlined our presentation that day. He stood and read this document to the Crown representatives in the traditional language, and then he translated it into english for them. He also asked them to sign this document to verify that they had heard this presentation today. None of the Crown representatives would sign. At that point Jock then thanked them for proving our point. Our ancestors were faced with this throughout our history, with Crown representatives being the ones who not only drafted the documents, but also translated it, having the opportunity to give false information to our people. The difference being is our people trusted the Crown, and this is where we went wrong. They were continually being scammed and mislead, and the evidence was clearly represented that day because what was written and what was handed down orally through our history was not the same thing. After he thanked them for proving that point, Federal Representative Ron Doering put "His X Mark" on the paper. While again, he did so only after being shown that this was how they frauded our people. It would be very easy for anyone to put an "X" mark there, and for us to write down who it was and what their role was. As a matter of fact, that is what we intended to do to show them how we can see through the veil of deception of the past. Jock told them, we were going to get you to put your "X" mark there and we would give you an Indian Name to describe who you are. He also told them that we could have written that you just signed all of Canada back to our people, and you have no way of knowing because it is not your language of understanding. Just as it wasn't our ancestors language of understanding and again, our ancestors trusted your people. Today we know better. This is one of the reasons why I've always said, and quoted Pope John Paul II, its not the LAW, it's only paper.

Today, we are faced with having to deal with all of this. However, many things have progressed and continue to progress. At last Chiefs Council meeting there were at least six development companies that have come to our Traditional Council in hopes of finding a way to begin consulting with the Landowners as opposed to the Crown. Interestingly enough, each of those developers have stated that the Crown representatives continue to mislead them. In this case every single one of them mentioned that the lead provincial negotiator Jane Stewart continues to tell them that they need only to consult with the band council. I guess the Crown hasn't clearly understood what is happening in our community as well as across the country and the world with respect to the Onkwehonweh. The PEOPLE have said they have had enough. We are no longer going to tolerate the Crowns interference in our governance. The band council does not represent the people. Please understand that it is not the individual people within that system who are at fault, they have been mislead into believing this is the government because this is what the Crown, and its corporation of Canada has set up. It is the system itself that has been developed to do exactly what it has done, to undermine the authority of our traditional government, our people, for one thing; but also to assimilate our people into canadian society so that the crown will never have to answer to its crimes. This is why the people have stood and will not back down. It is not a personal attack against the Elected Chief, or the elected councillors, nor is it an attack against any of our other brothers and sisters who have been forced into a system to try and help their people. It was a set up. It was part of the genocidal practice of the Crown. Well, again, our people have turned that negative into a positive. The Chiefs Council has invited representatives from across Canada to join us for a meeting on December 9th. All of the Chiefs of Ontario as well as the AFN have been invited to come to meet with the Traditional Council. All of our territories and people are invited to attend. The purpose of this meeting is to explain the very same wampum and history as was explained to the Crown. Only in this instance, to show how that relationship worked with the other Nations, how they fall under the shelter of that Great Tree, and how today that can be worked out so that the Haudenesonne Council, the Original League of Nations, will have its rightful place again, and carry the voice and concerns of the Onkwehonweh to the Crown. This is the way it was, and this is the way it should be. We had an opportunity to look at minutes of the council meeting from 1870. Many of our people traveled to Six Nations at that time to counsel. There were representatives there from Rama, St. Francis, Muncey, Alderville, Chippewas of the Thames, Oneidas of Muncey, Sarnia, Lake of Two Mountains, St. Regis, Caughnawanga, Saugeen, Cape Croker, Walpole Island, Rice Lake, Sauble, Kettle Point, Bay of Quinte, Snake Island, Mississauga of the New Credit, Moravians of Thames as well as Six Nations.

What is happening today is exactly why the Crown brought in the Indian Act in the first place. To prevent the Haudenesonne from doing its job. So, this meeting on December 9th, 2006 is like a continuance of our counsel from June 10th 1870. We've been slightly interrupted for over a hundred and fifty years, but again, as was pointed out to the Crown, our Traditional Council has continued, uninterrupted, and nothing the Crown has done, nor can do, will ever cancel that out. This is something that was given to us by the Creator, and this is what the people continue to uphold.

I guess, while there are going to be many who say that our Confederacy Council cannot work with the band council, it is this very issue of governance that our people must begin to put their minds to. To figure out how we can help our people who have been taken outside of that circle, and bring them back in. Again, we can say that they have done so willingly, and that they have no voice. From my perspective, just like when our children were stolen and put in residential schools, or when our children were beaten and strapped for speaking their own language, or how we were forced into their education and religions, and how today when our people are criminalized for trying to defend the future of our people and our homelands. It was all part of the over-all plan to get rid of the "Indian Problem". When the Peacemaker came and reminded us of the Great Law, he also gave us the mechanism to work together in Unity & Peace. This was the Five Nations Confederacy. The Original League of Nations. It is very much alive today, as it was the day it was given. Anything we are faced with can be resolved through the Great Law, and through the Confederacy Council. We need only take up our responsibility to it and uphold what was given to us. This is how we can bring the other councils in, they can come under the Confederacy and support the Confederacy in carrying the voice of all of the Onkwehonweh to the Crown. We must stand United and we must stand Strong.

This is all part of the prophecies and it is also what the Crown has been trying to prevent from happening for many generations.

This is also why they continue to use tactics such as instigators like Gary McHale to come in and hopefully create a situation that will divert the people from our path. Last weekend they had the nerve to use the Canadian Troops as an excuse to try and create such a situation. They claim they wanted to hang ribbons and flags up in support of the troops in Afganistan. They had the television media here even before they got there with their flags, waiting in anticipation and hoping our people from the site would come out and try to stop them or fight with them. They did not anticipate that we would simply inform the OPP to deal with their people, and that again, we have been respectful. we have our flags flying on the site and in front of the site. we could go into the town of Caledonia and fly them, because as i've said, we've proven that the road itself is still ours, and that most of the town is still ours too, but we have respected the people and have maintained our presence on and near the reclamation site. We only ask that the same respect be shown in return. We do not have a problem with them hanging their flags anywhere outside the proximity of the site, it was being veiwed as it was intended, to try and instigate a fight. When the OPP prevented them from hanging the flags across the road from the site there was much anger at the fact that they should be able to hang their canadian flag on canadian soil. I understand and respect this. However, it is questionable whether there is any land within Turtle Island that they can claim as Canadian soil, and in this particular case, again, the road itself we have already proven is within the Six Nations jurisdiction and we were within our rights to ask them to respect that. Interestingly enough, when they did go down just past 6th line to hang their flags in support of the troops, (still in our jurisdiction but we gave them permisison to hang them there) the television camermen didn't follow them. Again, they were there only to make sure they caught on tv any violence that they were hoping would erupt. Shame on those who used the troops in that way!

There are many things going through my mind and things I would like to share, but at this point, I will close with one last message. I want all of you to keep in mind December 17th 2006. It appears that since the Crown has been put in the position of having to address the issue of the theft of our lands and resources, at having been put in the position of answering to the crimes they have committed, we are going to be faced with continued attempts of instigation and potential violence. Gary McHale is again planning another rally. I've been told he has the help of a woman (sorry I don't know her name off hand), but she is like the president of a white supremest group. Again they are hoping to bring violence to our people at Kanonhstaton. I would like all of you to bring your minds to PEACE on that day, and offer your sacred tobacco or medicine to help support us in upholding the LAWS OF CREATION. According to the star map, December 17th is directly under the Temple of Taurus, and Orions Belt which is representative of the Peacemaker. The Temple of Taurus is our Rosetta Stone. It is our Great Law. It is who we are and how we connect to the Peacemaker. These are things our people have forgotten, but it is how our ancestors knew when to do things, just like they know when to begin the midwinter ceremonies and our other ceremonies. Through the Stars. It IS OUR MAP in Creation. But, the Crown has learned this too. Throughout history the Crown has used the stars just as our ancestors did, to sanction their continued use and abuse of our people and the Great Law. This is how they have been able to keep our people down and under their thumb for so long. They have kept us in spirtual bondage. They use our own people and our medicines to do this. This is what the People have been fighting and this is what the Women and Clanmothers stopped the day they went onto our lands to stop development, and this is what the Men have been standing and protecting. And this is what today, we have to continue to stop.

Today, we need to bring all of our minds together to do this. All of the Onkwehonweh must stand before the Creator and acknowledge the Law that was given to us, we need to acknowledge our responsibilities to Creation, and acknowledge our duty to uphold and protect the Law that He provided. That is what I would like each of you to do everyday, and specifically on December 17th. We need only to let Creation know we are standing strong and doing our best, and Creation will respond. That's all I have to say for now. Nya Weh!

In Love, Light and Peace,

Hazel

Six Nations: Caledonians try to stir up trouble

2006-12-04T13:45:00.000-05:00

Over two dozen Caledonians tried to put up yellow ribbons and Canadian flags near the reclamation site early Saturday morning. They said they were trying to do a "support our troops" demonstration there and "couldn't believe" they couldn't fly Canadian flags.

There are a few problems with this so-called demonstration of support:

1. Kanonhstaton isn't Canadian territory it is Six Nations territory so the only flags flying there are the Confederacy Belt, Unity flag, the Two-Row and other wampum belts and flags from supporting communities. Canada is making people fight for land that is already theirs, Canada is not an ally

2. If the Caledonians are truly patriots, why aren't they supporting the Six Nations troops? These are the brave men and women who are peacefully occupying their land. The struggle in Six Nations will hopefully force the Canadian government to uphold the treaties and proclamations that it should have honoured for centuries. These broken treaties and the Apartheid system in Canada are a blight on our nation's past and present. Why aren't the Caledonians fighting to to make Canada uphold its image of an honest, just, peace keeping nation?

3. Why would they do it there? There are no armed forces around, no government officials near by. Clearly, they were just trying to cause trouble, to provoke people.

For the article in the Hamilton Spectator, click here.

Six Nations: update on political prisoner Trevor Miller

2006-12-02T23:57:00.000-05:00

Mohawk Warrior and father of 3, Trevor Miller is still behind bars after 4 months.

For the press release for his latest court date click here.

Also, please write Trevor a letter. There are a lot of people who support him but he doesn't necessarily know that as jail can be a very isolating and depressing place. Send letters to:

Trevor Miller
165 Barton street east
Hamilton, Ontario
L8L 2W6
Range 5CR

Six Nations: False Reports By Caledonians

2006-12-02T23:23:00.000-05:00

This article was in last week's Tekawennake, a local newspaper. There are so many instances of one-sided media reports coming out of the mainstream media. The true story is frequently left out. Even when false allegations are corrected in the media, there is still a lot of damage done. Many times people don't remember that something wasn't true, they just remember what was said in the first place.

More false reports From Caledonia frustrate OPP

By Jim Windle
Caledonia

It appears things are just a little too quiet around the reclamation site for some Caledonia citizens.

The Haldimand OPP reported Tuesday that they received a report from a Caledonia citizen that there was a break and enter in progress and that the perpetrators were still in the house. Police responded immediately and found the complainant still on the phone talking with police. The scene was checked as were neighbouring residences. It became evident that the break and enter was a fabrication. "The Ontario Provincial Police are aware of the frustration and aggravation that lingers in the communities," says an OPP media release. "However, reacting in such a manner creates a state of apprehension within communities, which is completely unnecessary." This kind of propaganda is nothing new for certain sectors of the Caledonia population who have fabricated many stories to help support their distaste for the ongoing occupation of the former Douglas Creek Estates land.

Reports of Natives carrying guns, bonfires being lit in resident's back yards adjacent to the reclamation site, weapons stashes, break and entries, children at Notre Dame Elementary School forced to eat their lunches under their desks, Canadian flags being shot at by Natives from the occupation site, and even elaborate bunker systems being built by Natives on the occupation site, have attracted certain regional media outlets who have given the fabricators free and open camera time to spread their propaganda without any verification of their validity.

"This kind of reaction only impedes negotiations and exploits valuable investigation time," the OPP release continues. "These false calls exhaust valuable police response time and affect public safety."

Since the misinformation campaign in Caledonia began, Tekawennake has called OPP regarding several reported incidents broadcast through the media and have found that most, if not all, complaints were never reported to police at all.

Hunger in Canada

2006-12-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

According to Forbes, less than 800 individuals are worth almost $3 trillion U.S. dollars! This is clear indication that there is absolutely no shortage of resources in this world to take care of the most vulnerable. Canada, a first-world state, has 17 billionaires. According to the Canadian Council on Social Development, the richest 10% in Canada had their incomes increase by 14% and the bottom 10% income increased by less than 1%. There is an increasing polarization of income in Canada. More and more people cannot afford to house themselves and their families adequately as well as feed themselves. Hunger in Canada is a reality. According to Hunger Count 2005, a publication of the Canadian Association of Food Banks, food bank use in Canada has increased by 118% since 1989. 52% of food bank recipients were receiving welfare, the working poor using food banks comprised 13.1% of food bank recipients and the third largest group of food bank recipients was people with disabilities. Children, those under age 18, are 40% of food bank clients. It is clear that social assistance rates are extremely inadequate for people to live that is to secure decent affordable housing, and then access healthy food. Among the world’s richest countries, Canada has one of the highest rates of child poverty, 15%, and these rates have not improved at all in the last 15 years. Shame on the capitalists. These stinking, disgusting fat pigs live in luxury while millions of people go hungry. This is capitalism at its finest.

Pushing back with OCAP

2006-11-29T14:57:00.000-05:00

On November 9, 2006 hundreds of people came to the streets to not ask for housing but to take it because we are sick and tired of a system which promotes hunger, homelessness, and worker exploitation.

We met at a local Parkdale drop-in centre to enjoy a feast of lamb stew, pasta, salad, juice and bread. There were discussions and speeches about the constant reality of homelessness, poverty and hunger and how we must fight back by taking this housing for ourselves. We marched to the Pope Squat home, boarded onto buses and went to the affluent High Park neighborhood. There we took over some abandoned homes. The cops were in full force to try to ‘serve and protect’ these large empty homes. “HOUSING NOW!” was shouted, screamed by hundreds of people in the streets as we marched into the traffic, into the empty homes. If the government and wealthy developers will not provide housing it does not matter anymore. If they won’t give it we will ‘take’ it and tell them to get lost because we are the society, we are the worker masses. The simple slogan “housing now” is challenging the system – if the capitalist system and its government cannot provide decent housing for everyone then we must take it. The working class are working people and sometimes when not working, receiving social assistance and working to pay whatever we can afford for shelter, food, transportation. We are the majority who produce profits for others and this is what the system is based on.

Therefore, if they won’t give us food we will take it. If they won’t give us housing we will take it. The capitalist system exploits in every corner of the world. By ‘taking’ housing we are acting outside of the legal framework of capitalism. We are not negotiating, we are not unions that collaborate with bosses, we are not accepting grossly insufficient band-aid short term fixes. We demand alternatives to the current system. Alternative action is direct action where we take a leap outside of the capitalist framework; take control, through our power as worker masses. Squatting empty housing is an example of this.

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty organized another squat action to remember the Pope Squat and more importantly to take housing. The demand for decent affordable housing continues to echo by poor people. However, the most important reality is that we ‘act’ to show our power. Actions to mobilize such as communities that fight without compromise for a decent life, not one that was imposed on us – these actions are part of a larger movement. Furthermore, as we the people, the poor, the workers, are mobilizing, our deep ‘anti-capitalistic’ natures, our own self-activity is brewing. Through our activities with direct actions we are bolstering the anti-capitalistic character of the working class. What is the ‘bottom line’ for us workers, employed or unemployed? We are the producers who labour to make profits for a select few. As this class in a capitalist society, it is inherent that we will suffer, whether from the inability to feed ourselves and our families, to house ourselves in a decent manner or to even merely enjoy a quality of life. We demand for essentials but we also want quality of life. Not merely to survive but also thrive. The demands are the beginning, actions tie it all together and our consciousness of the entire system based on our wage-labour is the thread that holds us together as an active working class. Our practical actions allow us to understand the deeper systemic crises and why they do not budge.

This action with OCAP shows the power of ‘pushing back’ against the system which from moment to moment pushes workers down, so it is always right to ‘push back’ and go beyond the pushing to the ‘taking’. We must knock the door of capitalism down and burn its house and from there we understand better the prison of capitalism and it is this understanding which further intensifies our activity, our consciousness and thus really evolves into a true movement of the working class. This movement is alive globally: for example, such as the Oaxaca teachers and all the poor who have built a strong ‘fight back’ against the Mexican government, against the businesses who profit from lost tourism’; such as the Israeli Electric workers taking direct action to prevent management from communicating, and making money; and such as the Zenon workers in Argentina who have taken over the ceramic tile factory, and implemented non-hierarchical worker councils to control production; these and many others demonstrate our nature to take our lives back. This movement needs to grow, rely on its own power rather than relying on bureaucratic unions, left-wing political parties, that we recognize who we are, workers producing profits for others and not benefiting in any way from our own ‘labour’, recognize that we, as workers, poor people in Ontario are no different than workers in Mexico, Kazakhstan, China, or Nigeria. The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is one of many agents around the world with whom and through whom we can meet, communicate and do direct actions for change. The important crux of the matter is that we are conscious about who we are and in what direction we are heading, that we want to poke holes in a brutal system based on labouring for nothing, for wages that define us – we want to poke holes by attacking the core of the issue, wages, property, everything that makes who we are not. Rather, we are the workers fighting not only for wages, but to also undo the knot of wage-slavery, to dismantle piece by piece the mechanisms within the system, squatting, occupying, taking what we need in order for a world where we all count, where we all decide our own fates.

The Power of People to Organize Themselves

2006-11-27T21:33:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the OCAP blog.

So many things happen in the day-to-day struggle and slog of an anti-poverty organization that we can't write press releases about. So many things happen in struggles for social and economic justice around the world that are the context and inspiration for our struggle that we don't honor as we want to. This blog, written by OCAP members, is an effort to tell you more about what goes on behind the scenes in our campaigns, share our analysis of the issues -- local and international -- that bear on poor people's lives, and connect with allied movements and all those around the world with which we share affinity.

We hope you read us, we hope you bookmark us, and most of all, we hope to see you in the streets.