As is the theme here, I wish to explore beliefs, in this instance in relation to a series of huge taxpayer funded "gifts" as a result of the violent Caledonia 2006 land grab. Then I will contrast these beliefs, which seem "infectious" in that obviously some White taxpayers buy into the erroneous rationale for "consultation" and "compensation", with the very inconvenient facts.
While the construction of a $41 million water treatment plant to serve Six Nations should be a cause for celebration (as it was, see Turtle Island News TIN, January 28, 2014, pp.2-3), it is the source of the funding that would be at issue for many who suffered through the pain and indignities of the attack on the area between the 6th Line Oneida to and including southern Caledonia by Six Nations members and the Mohawk Warriors in 2006. As a consequence there is the multi - million dollar costs that resulted from the takeover by force of the primary target, the Douglas Creek Estates (DCE), renamed Kanonhstaton (The Protected Place). There is also the $26 million of Provincial tax dollars used to purchase the property, and untold millions of overtime dollars for the Ontario Provincial Police - and that just for starters. What is the connection? As reported in TIN, The need for a new water treatment plant was a major item on the Six Nations/Haudenosaunee land rights table discussions that evolved from the 2006 land reclamation. "Land rights", now that is easily shown as being a false assertion. There are no legitimate land claims which need to be discussed. This is a straw man that is easily toppled. All one need do is to read all of the correspondence, Minutes of the Six Nations Chiefs in Council, and related documents between the years 1840 and 1850 seen in the RG10 Indian Affairs collection at the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa (available on microfilm there, and at the Archives of Ontario at York University). All of this has been discussed with the relevant references, and quotes relating to the specific documents, in a number of my earlier blog postings.
So as I take it, the new water treatment plant was but another bribe by one of the enablers who have ensured that there will be no end of "demands" from those who continue to "require" Canadian, Ontario as well as Haldimand and Brant County taxpayers to cough up more and more. The irony is that the perpetrators are dictating the terms and deriving the benefits. The innocent have been coerced into providing a continual stream of money based on what is a very ironic and bizarre twist of justice.
I am well aware of the need to a water treatment plant for 700 establishments (homes and businesses) at Ohsweken, although most of the Reserve is rural. The goal here is to get "city water" to all 2,000 homes on the Rez - which will require another $100 million dollars. I wonder where that money is going to come from - actually I don't wonder, the answer is Canadian taxpayers.
The fact is that the Rez is primarily rural. Just as I did, most live with wells and cisterns for their water. That is standard in rural communities across Ontario. Somehow I/we managed all those years without any "big city" amenities. No one had water that arrived in pipes, except via the iron pipes sunk 90 feet into the limestone to tap into potable water from our wells. The rest came from rainwater which flowed from our roofs (bird pooh and all) into a 2000 gallon cistern. During dry spells or winter freezes we had water delivered by tanker truck. Drinking water was generally from bottled water.
What is most upsetting is that Six Nations pays nothing into the economy. The largest on Reserve employer is Grand River Enterprises (GRE) who provide jobs for about 380 people. They now pay some money to the Federal Government who is no longer entirely willing to put up with illegal cigarettes which not so long ago were smuggled from Akwesasne near Cornwall, and not taxed and not regulated. So some kind of token payment is made. As far as I know GRE pays no taxes to the Provincial Government and certainly not to Brant or Haldimand Counties. The GRE does not pay taxes to the Six Nations - taxes are a dirty word at Six Nations. Instead GRE has (grudgingly) "donated" money to help build for example a fire hall. However this is all a drop in the bucket compared to what any comparable company off Reserve would be paying (in taxes). So where does Six Nations Council get the money for esssential services such as infrastructure and education - yes, the Federal Government via Canadian taxpayers.
Six Nations who are NOT aboriginal to the Grand River Tract (that honour goes to the Mississauga - Anishinabe people) but get all these perks to which their fellow refugee Loyalist families in Haldimand and Brant have no access. I am not sure how this is fair, unless it is part of the trust fund established in the 1790s to 1849 for lands surrendered to the Crown which then granted them to White people or Six Nations descendants who wanted their own land off Reserve. It appears that this scenario is not the case here - it is "new" money, extracted under pressure subsequent to the illegal takeover in Caledonia.
Those who have followed this blog will not be surprised to learn that once again, the project was born in spite of the extreme factionalism at Six Nations. It was first the Confederacy Chiefs (HCCC) who, had negotiated a new plant at the table and shortly afterwards the band left the table. Within a few short months the band and MP McColeman [Brant MP] announced the new plant that had been born at the land rights table. McColeman then made a puzzling statement that, This project is very important for the future economic growth and development opportunities in our community. "Our community"? That is a stretch, except for the fact that Six Nations are potential voters. It was further reported that Brant MPP Dave Levac said, although the province didn't provide any funding for the plant, he will continue to raise his voice at Queen's Park to try and help Six Nations get piping extended to the entire reserve. As far as recollection takes me, neither MP or MPP of Brant said anything in relation to the Caledonia crisis, that task fell to Haldimand MPP Toby Barrett, the only politician to make any attempt to seek justice for the event which triggered all this largess to the perpetrators of the violence.
I will be very blunt here. There is no reason on this planet that one can give that would make a lick of sense towards giving non - taxpayers Canadian and Ontario taxpayers money without reparations being made for the most egretious act of arrogant illegal behaviour perpetrated hereabouts. No money should be given until such point as an appology is issued from both the Elected Council (SNEC) and the HCCC, an acknowledgement that the Surrender of 1844 is valid, and after a tally of the costs to taxpayers all monies are paid in full to the aggrieved parties (individual and group). In other words "Truth and Reconcilliation" works both ways. We need to see the parallel with the residential school situation and run a parallel path with what was done here. The citizens of the Caledonia area who were most impacted must be compensated. Then for example the Ontario taxpayers who paid for the purchase of the DCE property must be compensated by recognizing that the Ontario Land Registry system is valid, and all associated costs such as policing and damages to the infrastructure (e.g., to Argyll Street, demolished towers and security charges), paying the Province of Ontario and Hydro One as starters. Other Caledonia - related fees must also be returned, such as the money paid under duress or otherwise by wind turbine companies who falsely believed that it was necessary to consult and compensate Six Nations by virtue of the fraudulent Nanfan Treaty of 1701, and the belief instituted under threat that they were building towers on "unceded" land.
When all of the above are cleared up satisfactorily, then talks can begin about assisting with projects that may have some merit. However, whether either the Federal or Provincial Governments should be paying for mega projects when the parties do not pay taxes is a matter that has to be on the table. The bottom line here though is that I want the "average Canadian taxpayer" to ask themselves, "is it fair to be funding, with your money, projects relating to non - taxpayers?" Recall that Six Nations are not aboriginal to Southwestern Ontario, and they are fully responsible for the multi - million dollar violent debacle that was Caledonia 2006. This is a group that maintains the legitimacy of proven false "treaties" such as Nanfan 1701. They will not acknowledge the legitimacy of the Surrender of 1844 whereby the lands they claim became Crown land and was sold to third parties 170 years ago. Furthermore they claim false "rights" to consultation. So by simply giving them what they want, are taxpayers not acting as enablers such that the demands will escalate and become more outlandish - with the veiled threat of, "you surely don't want any more Caledonia's do you" hanging over their heads like the Sword of Damocles.
DeYo.
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