Six Nations Media Kit
From straightjacket
Question [azad]: Is this from the Six Nations perspective or the allies perspective or a mix?
Contents |
Objectives
- Provide a concise outline of the relevant history and issues with references, that will allow journalists to quickly access high quality information from the Six Nations perspective.
- Provide an analysis of the anti-Native groups and the work of prominent "critiques"
- Provide a repository of statistics and other resources on issues facing first nations individuals and communities.
- Links to other solidarity groups and organizations.
Outline
- The importance of historically informed reporting on Indigenous issues.
- A (concise) history of Six Nations struggles and land claims.
- Overview and analysis of anti-Native groups and vocal critiques.
- Repository of statistics & other resources
Historically informed reporting on Indigenous issues
A (concise) history of Six Nations struggles and land claims
Notes from the Blog of the Nikki Thorne- A History of Colonialism & the Law: The Two Row versus the Indian Act
Guswhenta, or the Two Row Wampum Treaty, made between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch in 1613 has been the basis of all subsequent treaties with European and North American governments
The Two Row states that:
"We will not be like Father and Son, but like Brothers. This wampum belt confirms our words. These two rows will symbolize two paths or two vessels, travelling down the same river together. One, a birch bark canoe, will be for the original people, their laws, their customs, and their ways. The other, a ship, will be for the newcomers, and their laws, their customs and their ways. We shall travel the river together, side by side, but in our boat. Neither of us will make compulsory laws or interfere in the internal affairs of the other. Neither of us will try to steer the other’s vessel."
Canada has repeatedly broken this treaty, through the Indian Act, for example
various specific interferences such as residential schools, imposed band councils, the reserve system, as well as taking away voting and other legal rights.
- INAC’s mandate today is still to “improve social well-being and prosperity”; to “development healthier, more sustainable communities” and to encourage Aboriginal people and Northerners” to “participate more fully in Canada’s political, social and economic development—to the benefit of all Canadians”.
- This is a far cry from the original treaties which recognized the Haudenosaunee as an autonomous nation, and vowed that neither would interfere in the internal affairs of the other. In addition to this, colonialism continues through appropriation of the land and resources of First Nations people.
THE LAST STATEMENT NEEDS A LOT OF ELABORATION.
IN THE ORIGINAL BLOG THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY OF GOVERNMENT'S INVOLVEMENT AND RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS. NOT SURE IF THAT WAS RELEVANT FOR THIS SECTION I'VE LEFT IT OUT.
- An important document in current struggles is the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784, which was granted by Sir Frederick Haldimand to Mohawk allies for their service to the British during the American Revolution
- The Haldimand Tract consists of six miles on either side of the Grand River from the mouth to source, originally covered 955,000 acres
- This land was granted as compensation for the loss of the six-million-acre homeland taken by the United States in upstate New York after the American War of Independence.
- Shortly after the granting of the Haldimand Proclamation, John Graves Simcoe, Governor General of Upper Canada issued the Simcoe patent, limiting the Haldimand Tract to 275,000 acres for the exclusive use of Six Nations, and allowing the other 720,000 acres to be leased, surrendered, or sold
- much of the land was mortgaged or leased “to create an annual source of income for the care and maintenance of the Six Nations” (as reported in Windspeaker, June 2006). Much of the money from leased and mortgaged land was used by the Crown, and never repaid, such as the $14,717.58 used to offset government debt in 1845, with no record of repayment, or the $8,000 used by the the municipal council of Haldimand in 1851, again, with no record of repayment
- In 1907, Six Nations hired legal assistance to investigate in particular the Grand River Navigation Company, for accessing Six Nations’ funds held in trust by the crown without Six Nations’ permission.
- The Crown stalled these attempts for legal redress, until passing Section 141 of the 1927 Indian Act, which made it illegal for Indians to hire a lawyer, and prevented anyone from being able to create a fund, or provide any money to Indians to pursue claims
- Section 141 of the Indian Act remained part of Canadian law until it was finally repealed in 1951
- Between 1951 and 2006, Six Nations has filed 29 claims. Of these, only one claim, that against Canadian National Railway, has been finalized. The other 28 are recognized by the Crown as legitimate, but have yet to be resolved
- much of the contested land within the Haldimand Tract continues to be settled and developed
- federal government has a policy of not negotiating the return of settled land.
- Thus, in response to continuing encroachment of land, in February of 2006, members and allies of the Six Nations community set up barricades and began ‘occupying’ a portion of land known as Kanonhstaton.
- loosely translated as “the protected place”
- also known as Douglas Creek Estates, in Caledonia—it is situated within the borders of the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784.
- Shortly after the reclamation the Henning brothers, developers of the Douglas Creek Estates subdivision filed an injunction to remove protestors from the site. The injunction was granted by Justice T. David Marshall, who owned land within the Haldimand Tract, and served to the protestors on March 3rd, 2006. Protestors burned the injunction, and refused to vacate the site.
- At 5am on April 20, 2006, about 150 Ontario Provincial Police raided the site, armed with tasers, batons, tear gas, and pepper spray against unarmed Six Nations protestors.
- The raid occurred right around the same time as the release of the Ipperwash inquiry, an investigation into the the shooting and killing of unarmed native protester Dudley George by Sergeant Kenneth Deane during the OPP raid at Ipperwash.
- Sixteen arrests were made at Kanonhstaton, with charges including assault with a weapon, mischief to public property, intimidation, resisting arrest, creating a disturbance, and assaulting police. Charges of assaulting police officers, according to first hand accounts and witnesses, resulted from self-defence.
- the OPP were eventually driven off the site by Six Nations protestors, non-native supporters, and the nearby Six Nations community, who immediately flooded to the site
- To show the long history of struggle to reestablish autonomy, and the context of this struggle, it is useful to consider a brief history of Six Nations political activism.
- Deskaheh (also known as Levi-General, 1873-1925) was a Cayuga sachem and the official speaker of the Six Nations Iroquois
- Deskaheh attempted to persuade the League of Nations regarding the matter of Iroquois sovereignty
- Britain intervened, and the proposal was dropped. The following year Deskaheh took his case to the King, but with no effect.
- In Deskaheh’s absence, the Canadian federal government ruled that Six Nations could no longer be governed by traditional means of governance and imposed the elected council system, without consulting the community. The RCMP occupied the confederacy council house at gunpoint, and changed the locks, so that traditional council could no longer meet there
- On January 1st, of 2007 Six Nations celebrated the new year by returning to the confederacy council house.
- At the time of writing, Six Nations Haudenosaunee are ‘negotiating’ with the federal government regarding compensation for Six Nations land that has been settled, unpaid leases, as well as the return of unsettled land belonging to Six Nations. I have the word ‘negotiating’ in quotation marks, as negotiation implies ‘bargaining in good faith’, which is something Six Nations community members do not see as happening. In fact, nothing has been settled since negotiations began two years ago.
Overview and analysis of anti-Native groups and vocal critiques
including McHale and Widdowson
Notes from the Solidarity with Six Nations website
This page contains links to documentary material showing how the work of Gary McHale and his associates at CANACE is opening up the way for various white supremacist organizations to engage in anti-native activism.
- It’s one thing for McHale & Co. to say that they are not racist and don’t support white supremacist organizations, but the question remains why is it that these white supremacist groups keep showing up at their events?
- Paul Fromm is one of Canada’s most well known white supremacist organizers.
- He began his far right organizing in 1967 with the Edmund Burke Society, and then was the founder of the Western Guard, Canada’s most significant neo-Nazi grouping in the 1970s.
- He was spotted (and photographed) with several other neo-nazis at McHale and Vandermas’ January 20th 2007 flag raising protest, and was part of a group of about 30 people led by McHale who conveyed from the protest over to the Chatwell’s residence which backs out onto DCE
- The Northern alliance is a neo-Nazi group based out of London Ontario. It is one of the longest-running neo-Nazi groups in Canada that is still currently active. The following are some of the pictures that they themselves took and posted online of their presense at Gary Mchales Oct. 15th “March for Freedom.”
Statistics, Links & other resources
Statistics on Aboriginal Issues
- over-incarceration
- active impoverishment of Native nations and people
- residential schools
- aboriginal health
- Include quotes from UN
- Amnesty International
- RCAP etc that have reported on these issues
Other solidarity groups
Document Brantford, Caledonia and other solidarity groups and provide contact information
