Court orders protesters out

Natives must leave by Thursday

Paul Morse
The Hamilton Spectator
(Mar 6, 2006)

[SISIS note: The following mainstream news article is provided for reference only, as an example of how mainstream media treats indigenous resistance to genocide. Mainstream media often presents biased and distorted information, lacking pertinent facts and/or context. Inclusion of this article on our site should not be considered an endorsement by SISIS.]

A court has ordered native protesters blockading a subdivision development in Caledonia to clear out by Thursday.

Around 5 p.m. yesterday, a local sheriff delivered an injunction to several dozen protesters, including members of the Six Nations Confederacy, who began occupying the Douglas Creek Estates development off Argyle Street last Tuesday.

The interim injunction, obtained by developer Don Henning of Henco Industries against the Six Nations Confederacy Council and several individually named protesters, orders them to remove all barricades and vehicles by 10 a.m. Thursday and not hinder work at the subdivision.

Protesters threw up barricades at the entrance to the 200-home subdivision last week, hoisted a "Six Nations Land" banner between two lampposts and set up a large campfire for warmth.

The natives listened silently as the injunction was read to them, then burned copies of it in the campfire after the sheriff drove off.

Native spokesperson Dawn Smith, 31, said the confederacy council would not comment on whether it intended to obey the injunction until it had weighed all its options.

Protesters say the disputed land is part of the original tract granted to the Six Nations people more than 200 years ago. They say the land was never sold, transferred or surrendered to non-natives.

The Douglas Creek Estates development received support from former Six Nations elected band council Chief Roberta Jamieson.

"There are lots of discussions under way to try to resolve this, and I'm not going to say much else," said Henning last night.

"All I want to do is see a peaceful end to this, and the sooner the better."

Arnold General, one of the Six Nations Confederacy traditional chiefs, said "it's possible" protesters will pack up and leave by Thursday.

He suggested the protest may not stop the Douglas Creek development, "but I'm not saying there aren't other developments we can stop."

General said non-native governments "are stealing our land all up and down the Grand River...and the government will not sit down and talk with us."

pmorse@thespec.com
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