Canadian police were seeking arrest warrants today for seven aboriginal protesters they say were involved in a string of violent clashes at the scene of a long-standing native blockade in southern Ontario.
On Friday and into early yesterday, townspeople and Six Nations members clashed in explosive confrontations over the natives' occupation of a housing development still under construction.
The seven face a battery of serious charges, including attempted murder, assault and forcible confinement, after angry protesters surrounded a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle on Friday and dragged out its three occupants.
Officers from the U.S. Border Patrol were in the area to observe how provincial police were handling the standoff according to Canadian police.
The incidents were the latest flashpoint in the standoff, which is now more than 100 days old.
A blockade was erected more than three months ago as protesters from the nearby Six Nations reserve took over a housing development which was being built on aboriginal land.
At the blog site Sketchy Thoughts a non native sympathizer had this to say which expressed of more than one supporter of the occupation, I would suppose.
A note of commentary, not in any way reflecting the views of the Confederacy or even of anyone else but myself - a white guy who happens to be sympathetic.
The bottom line for me is that this is an internal matter for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to deal with. Whether the individuals alleged to have beaten up US and Canadian cops and reporters did so or no, and whether they are sanctioned or not, should not be up to the colonial government to decide.
(My own two cents worth: sounds like regrettable though nevertheless justified actions taken to protect the Reclamation Site)
The Canadian State has no legal jurisdiction here, but equally importantly for me anybody acting to defend a legitimate liberation struggle (including of course, but not limited to anti-colonial national liberation struggles) gets my vote of support.
For background information, I'd suggest http://oreaddaily.blogspot.com/2006/04/six-nations-arent-going-to-back-down.html
Below a statement issued by the Six Nations Confederacy. This is followed by a more in depth report from the scene taken off of Hamilton IndyMedia.
Six Nations Confederacy disheartened by incidents at Caledonia
CALEDONIA, ON, June 10 /CNW/ - The actions which occurred at the Six
Nations Reclamation site and within the town of Caledonia today are very
disheartening. The Haudenosaunee are a people of peace and do not condone
violence of any form. Our prayers and concern are with those who were injured
during the outbreaks today. A peaceful co-existence with our neighbours and
the safety of all remain at the paramount of our concerns.
The Haudenosaunee/Six Nations have been working with the Provincial and
Federal government to find a peaceful resolution to this tense situation. The
negotiations have been promising as a way to work towards a peaceful
resolution. The land rights of all our people are of great concern and are at
the heart of this situation.
Our people follow the Great Law of Peace and are not a people of
violence. An investigation has been launched and the Six Nations police have
been asked to assist in this process. The individuals who were involved in
these incidents have been removed from the Reclamation Site until our
investigation is complete. The findings from this situation will be raised
before our Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council tomorrow.
The Haudenosaunee are committed to ensure that Great Law of Peace is
respected and followed at the Reclamation Site. Today's incidents are
reflective of the misjudgment and reactions of a limited few. Those
individuals will be dealt with in a manner harmonious with the Great Law of
Peace. We are committed to working with the Ontario Provincial Police to de-
escalate this situation.
===============================================================================
Update from Six NationsAuthor
Anonymous Poster
Date Created
10 Jun 2006
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Date Edited
10 Jun 2006 01:36:40 PM
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Hazel Hill spokesperson for the Six Nations in Caledonia.
First of all I have to tell you that I am experiencing a great deal of
interference with getting this e-mail out. I am sending it directly to MNN
first, and I will try to send out individually because every time I attempt
to send it out to all, it comes back undeliverable. Sorry for the delay.
Update from Grand River
Today has been a day of unrest at the land reclamation site. While I won't
go into great detail on what has happened today as a press release is being
prepared, it is suffice to say that the intimidation tactics and pressure
from the outside has worked to the point that 1000 Ontario Provincial Police (opp) officers are being dispatched to the area surrounding the reclamation site, and the Caledonia residents are up in arms, demanding the removal of our people from the site, and even going so far as to setting up a barricade on the recently opened
plank road (argyle street) leading into Caledonia. It is important for all
of you to understand that the intimidation tactics leading up to day were
constant..... including army helicopters and others flying overhead all
hours of the day and night; including hovering overhead between 2 and 4 in
the morning with their lights off , and then on occasion, shining high
powered lights down onto the people on the site. This has been going on
constantly. Our people are being faced daily with people driving by,
hollering racial remarks including "go home you f'n Indians", "get a job",
"your gonna die" etc. Garbage is constantly being thrown at us, and besides
the "flipping of the bird" there have been times where firecrackers are
being thrown out the window toward us. These incidents however, are not
followed up on by the opp because they are not breaking any laws.
today a united states border patrol vehicle was retrieved with high powered
surveillance equipment in it. The first story from the opp was that the "
A.T.F. Officer" was just visiting friends in the neighbourhood and was
taking pictures "kinda like a tourist", when spotted just down from the the
front line barricade and then followed to the back door of the reclamation
site. then later when we questioned further what the United States ATF was
doing snooping around taking pictures of our people with the opp riding in
the back with them, they changed the story saying that they had been invited
in by the opp. Our question as to what they were doing there, what is their
mandate, and the fact that obviously these people have gotten high
government official clearance to be so far out of their jurisdiction was
unanswered by the opp representatives. an opp officer was hospitalized as a
result of this incident, and a ch tv. Newsperson/cameraman had to get
stitches as a result of a previous run in with our people. This situation
is not good.
What needs to be understood is that the incidents of today, are a direct
result of the constant intimidation tactics of the opp and others of the
military, the continued racial discrimination being shown, not by us, but by
the Caledonia people, including the recent blocking of our children from
using the arena for lacrosse games; the back tracking by the provincial
government at the negotiating table; all of which lead up to the ultimate
goal of the government. To justify stopping the talks at the negotiating
table. From what we have been told at the fire tonight, this is the
position of the government at this point. Canada does not want to deal with
the Onkwehonweh people because they know we are absolutely right in our
position with respect to the land, our sovereignty and upholding our Law.
The violence that occurred is not something that we are proud of, but it is
something that we completely understand knowing and understanding the
underhanded and direct attempts at inciting the action required to justify
another attack against our people, and to make it look like we are
uncontrollable. Why else have they been playing the "terrorists in Canada
in court in Brampton" back to back with the "six nations land reclamation in
Caledonia" on all of the news stations Canada with the help of corporate
media, is making sure the mental brainwashing of its citizens against the
Onkwehonweh people continues. How convenient that CHTV 11 was there even
before this all started. How coincidently that the couple who sparked the
violence with their racial attacks drove straight to the Canadian Tire
parking lot, and how convenient that a "by-stander" happened to have a video
camera across the road at tim hortons video taping the whole scene and
directly reporting to CHML radio who happens to be co-owned by chtv 11. Was
it a co-incidence! or were these people already on standby knowing that a
story was about to break. It is unfortunate that our people fell for it,
and in hindsight we can all wish it didn't happen, but the reality is,
unless you are in the situation, dealing with the constant mental emotional
and physical intimidation of the corrupt bureaucRATS; and the racial
violence that has been directed at our people on a constant basis, none of
us can truly say how we would have responded if in the situation ourselves.
The potential for violence occurring on the site in the next little while is
tremendous. The Caledonia people are wanting to come in to take us out.
The opp are maintaining a line between the Caledonia residents and the
reclamation site. It is unknown how long this is going to continue. Our
people need to be on alert. Again, we are on the site unarmed, we are
trying to maintain the peace, and we are keeping the people toward the inner
perimeter of the site. I will forward further updates as soon as I get
them. Please forward to others. Stay Strong and keep the Peace. Hazel
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