Actualité - Canada Refuses to Respect Band Council Vote - OPP Says "You Only Have Hours Left"

Franc-Parler publie un article du Mohawk Nation News à propos de la lutte des Six Nations pour leurs droits. La couverture de cette lutte est primordiale car elle fait partie du large mouvement pour les droits démocratiques. Depuis le 3 mars, les mères de clan des Six Nations et leurs supporters protestent contre la construction d'une subdivision résidentielle sur les terres des Six Nations près de Caledonia, en Ontario. La police provinciale de l'Ontario menace de passer d'attaquer les manifestants. Le Mohawk Nation News lance un appel de support au large mouvement ralliant les Premières Nations et ceux qui luttent pour la souveraineté contre les legs du colonialisme. Les droits ancestraux des Premières Nations doivent être défendus et garantis!

Six Nations of the Grand River - Supporters Asked to Stand By

At 2:00 pm, on Tuesday, April 18, the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, Onondaga Longhouse, stated Canada absolutely refuses to address the land issue with Confederacy chiefs. It is a 200-year-old outstanding land claim of the Six Nations. This is the 50th day of the standoff. Protesters have stopped Henco Industries from building an illegal housing development on their land. The Confederacy has proposed a peaceful lawful resolution.

Canada only wants to deal with the Indian Act band council they illegally enforced on the territory. In 1924 Canada sent in the RCMP to violently depose the legitimate Confederacy council. They seem to be planning the same tactics again. The 1924 armed invasion was a military coup implemented by the Canadian government using the RCMP. They say it was a declaration of war. The OPP coming onto our territory is a declaration of war again. Under our law, the Kaianereh'ko:wa/Great Law, we have every right to defend our men, women and children by any means necessary.

Henco is taking the OPP to court tomorrow for not enforcing the illegal injunction. Henco seems to think that private companies can order the OPP around like an army of private mercenaries. The OPP are allegedly going after the protesters before the court hearing and have sent a message to the protesters, "You only have hours left." Two paddy wagons are already parked nearby and the OPP cruisers are driving up and down Highway 6, all "swat teamed up."

On Sunday, April 16 at a people's meeting the Confederacy and the band council agreed to work together and let the Confederacy chiefs and clan mothers deal with the land issue. Legally they are the only ones who can as Canada and their band councils are recent creations. Only councilor Dave General refused to go along with the people. He read out Canada and Ontario's position against what the people wanted. He wants a "poll" to be conducted which he and his masters can control. If this happens, we want impartial international observers to make sure it is legal. Otherwise it's just a rubber stamp for the establishment.

Obviously what's happening now was Canada and Ontario's intention all along. They do not want the Confederacy to deal with the land issue. Canada is clearly in default. They do not want to come to a peaceful agreement with the Six Nations on the illegal building of non-native housing on their land and the many other land issues that plague Six Nations people. Canada is caught. There is an iron-clad promise under the Haldimand Agreement from the Crown to protect Six Nations people from encroachment. This has been violated for over 200 years. Canada and Ontario prefer to back Henco, an American corporation. They do not want the Indians to get anything.

Canada is ready to create a situation where there will be a bloody confrontation between the police and the Indians. Things could get out of hand. Nobody will know about it because the media blackout already in place will be continued. At the same time many friends and allies of the Six Nations are being targeted. The Indians are always ready to talk peace and negotiate.

We need people to head over there with video cameras and other cameras to take pictures. That isn't threatening, is it?

If the OPP behave correctly and not evict people from their own land, then there will be nothing to hide. If Canada and Ontario are allowed to expropriate Six Nations for private American corporations, where will it stop? Predators are waiting to come in and take over the 20,000 acres that the Six Nations people are living on right now. Land values in this area are skyrocketing because of the influx of immigrants from all over the world. We Rotino'shon:ni are in the way of so-called "progress." The Haldimand Deed guaranteed that there would never be any encroachment on our land ever!

In five years it is foreseen that cities on the Haldimand Tract will more than double their population. To allow this, the federal government is relinquishing its trust responsibility that it would always protect the Rotinol'shon:ni/Iroquois from any encroachment whatsoever. Beware! The federal government is not credible as they are not willing to uphold this solemn promise.

Call Dick Hill at 519-865-7722; Jacqueline House at 905-765-9316; Hazel at 519-445-1351.

(Mohawk Nation News - 18 avril)