Six Nations Solidarity
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April 28, 2006
The rally, jointly organized by OCAP and the Coalition in Support of Indigenous Sovereignty, drew 250 people.
More pictures at http://johnb.smugmug.com/gallery/1409710
RALLY TO CELEBRATE A VICTORY!
Affairs Minister Jim Prentice has cancelled his participation in a debate on "Aboriginal Self Government".
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Friday, April 28
6:30pm at U of T, King's College Circle
(in the field north of College St., west of University Ave.)
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Bring your drums!
For almost 60 days now, the community of the Six Nations Haudensaunee Confederacy has held a blockade to defend land that is rightfully theirs from further encroachment by real estate developers and the Canadian government. Last Thursday, OPP forces mounted a pre-dawn raid to assault those taking this stand, deploying cops with guns drawn to pepper spray, beat and arrest community members. The government had hoped to remove resistance to the development of Six Nations land by real estate developer Henco Industries Ltd. The Six Nations community mobilized in response and drove the OPP out. The community's determination to assert its national sovereignty and legitimate treaty rights, like the blockade itself, has only strengthened since.
Audaciously, less than a week after this unprovoked attack, the Harper government's Minister of Indian Affairs was invited to speak in Toronto on the topic of "Native Self-Government." No First Nations leader has authorized Minister Jim Prentice to speak on this topic, and it is an issue that he clearly does not understand in even the most basic terms. In fact, since Ontario's McGuinty government has actively distanced itself from these OPP actions, the possibility that federal hands were in on this operation is a very real one. Meanwhile, the threat of possible RCMP or military intervention continues to hang over the Six Nations community. The government of Minister Prentice and Prime Minister Harper still refuses to uphold its treaty obligations and respect the legitimate leadership of First Nations people. Until they do, there is nothing Jim Prentice can say that is worth listening to.
OCAP UPDATE ON PRENTICE'S CANCELLATION: Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice has cancelled his participation in a debate on the question of "how much autonomy and what rights should be granted to aboriginal governments". In his place, the Hart House Debates Committee is "pleased to welcome Prof. Darlene Johnston, of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. Prof. Johnston is a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. Her advocacy work for her community contributed to the judicial recognition of her people's treaty right to the commercial fishery and to the recovery and protection of burial grounds and other culturally-significant sites within their traditional territory. She also teaches aboriginal law and her research focuses on the relationship between totemic identity, territoriality and governance." The Coalition in support of Indigenous Sovereignty and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty welcomes this change and see it as a victory for the people of Six Nations and the sovereignty movement. We anticipate that with Darlene Johnston stepping in, this event is now an opportunity to learn more on issues affecting Aboriginal people. This debate is a FREE public event starting at 7pm in the Hart House Library. |
It is imperative that this government understand that people will not tolerate further attacks on the sovereignty of the Six Nations Haudensaunee Confederacy or other First Nations communities. Come out this Friday to join in sending this message, and talk to friends and allies to ensure that we do so in the maximum numbers possible. Solidarity actions and demonstrations have already been organized in Tyendinaga, Kahnawake, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and elsewhere. But the Canadian government remains two-faced, and especially given the underlying racism of last Monday's demonstration in Caledonia, it is extremely crucial that solidarity activities spread.
For more information, call 416-997-1562 or email:
amadahy@rogers.com / ocap@tao.ca
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