Caledonia Part 2,

[The first of these articles is over a week old, but the situation is still on. -jlt]

Urgent: Cops Surround Six Nations People for Trying to Shut Down Illegal Development on Haudenosaunee Land

ILLEGAL DEVELOPMENT OF “KINGSPAN" ON HAUDENOSAUNEE TERRITORY

MNN. July 14, 2008. 10:40 a.m. This morning the Brantford City police arrested a Six Nations Indigenous person at the construction site at Fenn Ridge in Brantford. At the same time Ontario Provincial Police are gathering on Highway 403, making way for cement trucks to enter the illegal construction site. More cruisers are arriving on the scene. They have laid spike belts on the road to keep Indigenous people on the outside. Ambulances and paddy wagons are arriving. There are men, women and children inside the site gates. All the workers have left.


This land is part of the Haudenosaunee Territory which was never surrendered by the Indigenous owners. This Indigenous land is being illegally used as collateral to raise money from the public on the Irish and other stock exchanges and constitutes fraud.

Kingspan manufactures insulation and is building a $4 billion plant on Haudenosaunee territory without consultation with or permission from the land owners.

Gene Murtagh, CEO, Kingspan Group

PLC, Dublin Road, Kingscourt Co.,

Cavan, Ireland; +353 (0) 42 969 8000;

admn@kingspan.ie

The Six Nations people had agreed to let the company remove all their equipment on this day. Instead the trucks are being used to run our people down. The Indigenous people refuse to move from their land. More are gathering. Help is needed. Bring cameras and camcorders. Witnesses are needed. Come prepared to stay and make sure you are self-sufficient.

Haudenosaunee Contacts: 1-518-358-3660;

1-519-865-9872; 1-519-732-6679;

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"They’re Going to Have One Hell of a Fight Now": Six Nations Promise "Caledonia Part 2"

'They don't understand what they're in for,' native says Protester arrested at northwest construction site

By John Paul Zronik; Monday, July 14, 2004 - Brantford Expositor

Six Nations protesters promised a full-fledged land occupation in Brantford following the arrest of a native protester by city police on Monday.

“They’re going to have one hell of a fight now,” said Steve Powless, who spoke on behalf of the protesters. “This is going to be Caledonia Part 2. They don’t understand what they’re in for.”

Police made the arrest near a site on Fen Ridge Court in the city’s northwest business park, where Kingspan Insulation is in the process of constructing a new headquarters and warehouse facility. Six Nations protesters say the land is under claim.

The chain of events leading to Monday’s arrest began at about 8:30 a.m., when two concrete trucks carrying loads to the Kingspan site were blocked by protesters. The trucks left, but returned a second time at about 9:45 a.m. in an attempt to get on the site.

When a protester again attempted to block the trucks, he was confronted by police. A struggle took place and the man was later arrested and charged with assaulting police with intent to resist arrest and obstructing a police officer. The man’s identity has yet to be determined.

In a media release, city police said officers were attempting to facilitate access of the two trucks to the Kingspan site when one protester disobeyed officers’ direction and stood in front of one of the trucks. When officers moved in to arrest the protester, he punched an officer in the face, police said.


More on this available from Mohawk Nation News, Barbara Norrell at Censored News, Mostly Water, and Upping the Anti.

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Some history

Marilyn Vegso Brantford, "They didn't start with Caledonia," Brantford Expositor, July 21, 2008.

Shelley Clark asked "Why is protest happening now?" in The Expositor July 18 .

The attempts to seek grievance resolution through diplomacy began in 1786 when, upon the complaints of Six Nations, the first of a series of many royal instructions was posted from the Crown ordering Squatters off Six Nations' Land in obedience to the Royal Proclamation of 1763. It was ignored each time by the squatters.

The next official grievance registered with the government was over the theft of land and money from the Six Nations Trust Fund dated June 16, and again June 24, 1803, four years before Joseph Brant's death.

A public notice was distributed throughout the Haldimand Tract in April 1805 that ordered squatters without legitimate leases, licenses or title to vacate Haldimand Tract immediately or be removed by force by the government.

Another order in council recorded Jan. 14, 1812, ordered Upper Canada to strictly enforce the 1805 public notice. That was followed up by another proclamation to the same effect, dated February 1812.

1830 -- The Brantford town plot of 807 acres was surrendered to the Crown for sale or lease as a place to harbour squatters removed from Six Nations' land.

In 1835, squatters were offered a chance to stay on the land if they entered into an official lease agreement. If they refused, they were to be forcibly removed.

Jan. 31, 1839, Lord Durham's report was released. It was a scathing report on the neglect and violations of the Crown's trust to Six Nations. Durham used the royal instructions of 1763, 1775, and 1786 as the "law of the land" or "rule of law" to base his report on.

May 1839 -- Act-commissioners were to be appointed to take action against squatters still refusing to obey the Rule of Law.

1867 -- The British North America Act transferred responsibilities of the Crown regarding Indians and reserve lands to the Dominion of Canada. All responsibilities, previous Royal Instructions, and Treaties were to be respected and enforced by the Dominion.

1927 -- Canada makes it illegal for Indians to raise money for legal fees to defend themselves against land thefts and trust fund thefts. An Indian could be arrested and jailed for launching such a defence and the lawyer who took the case could be debarred by the Law Society of Upper Canada for taking it on. This act of Parliament stayed in existence until it was quietly revoked in 1951. It took another eight or nine years to work its way into language of the courtroom, however.

In 1982, Section 35 of the Constitution Act, which is the rule of law in Canada, recognizes and affirms all existing treaties or other rights and freedoms afforded to natives, including all of the above.

In 1995 Six Nations launched suit against Canada in an attempt to have its grievances dealt with. Canada responded by closing all 28 remaining registered claims files and, despite direct order from the Supreme Court of Canada, still has not dealt with these claims.

So, the present land claims disputes didn't just start. Since neither diplomacy nor the Canadian judicial system have worked for Six Nations, the only other course left to them is demonstration and protest which is what is taking place today in a desperate attempt to find resolution to 200 years of grievances.

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Shelley Clark Waterford, "Why is protest happening now?" Brantford Expositor, July 18, 2008.

I have lived all my life in Brantford until I moved to Waterford a couple of years ago. We experienced the native situation when they protested in Caledonia.

I must admit I am a little ignorant about the issues with the natives but what is going on in Brantford is wrong. Someone is going to be killed if this continues.

I was at a native store and they were talking about banding together many natives to go and rally. This situation is just going to escalate.

What I would like to know is why isn't the federal government involved? It made all the problems in the first place. What I don't understand is why are the natives protesting now after all these years. When the natives are asked why they are protesting all they say is "It is our land."

Why now, though? Are they just doing this to receive more money from the government? This land is nowhere near their reserve and there are already many homes and businesses in this area. Why didn't they protest before now? I just don't understand this situation. Maybe you could answer this for me.Recommend this Post

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