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CANADA USES FORCE AGAINST SIX NATIONS PEOPLE AGAIN May 1, 2006 Susan Bates

FLASH NEWS ARTICLES- CANADA VIOLATES SIX NATION SOVEREIGNTY IN MOHAWK TERRITORIES

On April 20, several hundred armed Ontario Provincial Police moved in to break up a gathering of Six Nation (Haudenosaunee) Residents who are protesting the planned construction of a subdivision containing 600 homes in Caledonia on land that was never purchased from the People. Henco Industries has already completed 10 of the 600 houses slated to be built. According to an article written by Sam Hammond for The People's Voice, the "Haldimand Tract" as the disputed land is called, is part of the original Haldimand Deed of 1784 ceded to the Six Nations People by the British Crown as a reward for their support as allies in the U.S. War of Independence. Originally the reserve contained 950,000 acres of the richest land in the province of Ontario. But government theft, lies and deceit soon whittled that down. Today the Haudenosaunee hold title to only 5% of that amount of land. Reports from the April 20th skirmish are still sketchy, but at least a dozen People, including one Clan Mother, was injured. Upon hearing of the armed assault on the Warriors and Clan Mothers, Six Nations residents rushed to the scene, formed a solid line and "walked back" the police. This act of solidarity has done more than anything else to polarize the Six Nations Reserve. But this issue is far from being settled and more confrontations will surely follow. That incident was just the first attempt to silence the Traditional Leaders and The Clan Mothers of the Confederacy who have decided that enough is enough. On March 23, after negotiations broke down, they decided to make their stand and were soon joined by 200 native and non - native supporters. Canadian authorities, who perhaps remembered the protests in Ipperwash in September of 1995 which resulted in the death of 38 year old Dudley George, a Chippewa, did not challenge the defenders. On April 9th, about 200 people attended a rally held at the site. Supporters included Local 1005 United Steelworkers as well as some Peace Groups from as far away as Sweden and Oaxaca, Mexico. The International Indian Treaty Council filed a notice with the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The April 20th attack signals the Crown's patience has run out and profit still trumps the rights of the People. What has further complicated the issue is that two types of government exist on the Six Nations Reserve - the Traditional Chiefs and Clan Mother System and the white appointed governmental leaders who are "Red" only in skin tone. These "Indians" who have become white in their "greed first" thinking, religious beliefs and "To Hell With The Seven Generations" attitude are the true enemies of our People and can be found in almost every tribe, band and Nation. Sometimes we know from the beginning that we can't win. But we must try to make things right, even though we might die in the trying. For doing nothing is the worst kind of defeat there is. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> The facts used in this article came from several articles published in Indian Country Today and The People's Voice. The opinions are my own. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

FLASH NEWS ARTICLE-CANADA VIOLATES SIX NATION SOVEREIGNTY IN MOHAWK TERRITORIES

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