In a sense this blog has come full circle with the latest turn of events. Here, in the 80th posting to this blog, I will provide information about the blockade, as per the title of this posting. However I will also review my reasons for commencing this journey using a blog to convey factual information to counteract the prevalent beliefs. Also embedded in this post is a precis of some of the major points made since day one. Thus it will depart somewhat from the more focused content of earlier postings; and in the tone of what is written where to accentuate the content here, emotional reactions and opinions are much more in evidence.
I started the blog in October 2013, after I had been caught in the traffic nightmare caused by the blockade on the 17th initiated by Six Nations. In effect the actions were perpetrated against all people of Caledonia and surrounds - supposedly in support of a New Brunswick First Nations group who at the time were pitching Molotov cocktails at passing cars. As a result of how this blockade affected me personally, I decided to "spill the beans" and tell all who would listen what I knew of the Six Nations, and break through the wall of silence with some insider information combined with objective data. I decided to let the world know that Six Nations have continued to capitalise on the brutal and irresponsible acts they foisted on the residents of Caledonia and surrounds beginning in February 2006. No one at Six Nations has ever taken responsiblity for these actions, and no one has ever issued an appology. No more would I keep my mouth shut about what I knew were taboos, or would be considered "disrespectful". In my world, the truth trumps concepts of "the Community" or any similar concept. Come what may, I felt the need to give up information that admittedly does not paint a positive picture of Six Nations - but to the best of my knowledge is absolutely correct (I include references wherever possible).
Had the events of the 17th (or similar event) not taken place, I doubt very much that this blog would ever have emerged. So the organizers of the "event" are in a sense responsible for the copious flow of information from this source. As a consequence of being pushed "over the top" by the blockade, my goal, quite frankly, is to saturate the Internet with facts that can be verified via the references provided here, in order to dispell the many misconceptions in relation to Six Nations. For example one belief is that by virtue of colonialization, the residential schools, and the "forced" change from hereditary to elected governance in 1924, Six Nations are "victims". In no sense of the word is this perception true - and over the course of 80 posts I have proved it to be false with verifyable data.
The blockade of 17 October 2013 amounted to a direct assault against the innocent people of Caledonia, who once again had to endure the antics of Six Nations whose criminal behaviour since 2006 was inconsistently punished, or more typically not punished at all. Being caught in the middle of this latest "action" assaulted my sense of fairness and propiety, and haunted me with memories of being blocked by bullies when I was a child. While immersed in the traffic chaos I still had a wee bit of hope, and fantisized that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would somehow, and in some manner, have found their way and would act as police officers whose role was to "serve and protect". I of course knew deep down that nothing had changed, and that Six Nations would be able to do as they pleased. The OPP, as was the case since 2006 and all subsequent policing involving Six Nations members, had surrendered their role as police officers for the role of "peacekeepers". They are no longer police, but simply "crowd managers" who will immediately arrest non-Native individuals, and ignore Natives who are engaging in the same or worse behaviours. I have lost ALL respect for the OPP. I don't trust them, at least in the Haldimand - Brant area, and it is clear to me that if I need to be protected, it is my own resources that I will need to rely upon. I have personally watched as they stood frozen as Natives ran rampant - appearing to be paralysed with fear or some form of immobility issue. Instead of the awe I felt for them when I was younger, all I felt, and feel now, is disdain and disgust. Whether they wish to blame it on the policy of their superiors or not - officers are not doing their job. Caledonia has been left to fend for itself when there is a Native - related matter to address, and nothing has chanaged in 8 years.
The most recent and comprehensive study of the changed OPP role whenever a situation involves Natives is superbly narrated in the book by Gary McHale, Victory in the No-Go Zone: Winning the Fight Against Two-Tier Policing, Toronto, Freedom Press, 2013.
In the 22 January 2013 issue of "The Sachem and Glanbrook Gazette" is an article entitled, OPP not laying charges in connection to Highway 6 block. Here the reporter states that, The Ontario Provincial Police will not be laying any charges in connection to the blockade on Highway 6 in October. So while in the past they would have taken videos of those who led the protest, and waited until a week or so later to arrest and charge the perpetrators, not so this time.
So while a group of 40 or so Six Nations members successfully blocked Highway 6 near 5th Line south of Caledonia for hours, the OPP at the time acted as "watchers" and "directors of traffic". There was no attempt to break up the illegal actions or in any way intervene. They were there, apparently, to minimise the fallout and keep the lid on things by ensuring that no pesky non-Natives created trouble. So the whole illegal incident was allowed to "run its course" without police intervention. Here is more detail from the Sachem article. At a Police Services meeting Haldimand Mayor Ken Hewitt was clearly upset at the decisions made by the OPP:
“It’s your choice to decide whether charges are laid, so you, on the opinion and discussion with the Crown and your superiors, decided not to lay charges?” asked Mayor Ken Hewitt at the meeting.
Cayuga detachment commander Inspector Phil Carter confirmed that the OPP would not be laying any charges.
“Every individual peace officer has the ability to charge someone,” said Carter, but he added that it would be up to the prosecution to decide if they wanted to carry out that charge, and from the feedback he’s being getting from the Crown, he feels they wouldn’t.
“We understand this is not proper behaviour,” said Hewitt, referring to the protest that blocked the main road in Caledonia for four and a half hours, “but what the Crown is saying is that it is okay.”
He wanted to know where the line was between legal protesting activities and illegal protesting, and asked if another group would be given latitude if they had blocked the road for several hours.
“It’s not a black and white issue,” said Carter, adding that he wished he had a clear answer for the board, but he doesn’t.
Even if the "feedback" is that a conviction was unlikely, the mere act of taking the perps into Court would send a message - but even this small act was not on the police agenda!
I am left furious at this moment. Even this rather strong word does not fully capture the intensity of my sentiments. Specifically, the anger and disgust is directed toward Six Nations for perpetrating this anti-social and insensitive act against local people; and toward the OPP for failing to do their duty. I am however heartened by the fact that the Mayor of Haldimand, Ken Hewitt, has taken this matter seriously - it speaks well for him in standing up for the rights and interests of his constituents.
There is not a shadow of a doubt that those who blocked Highway 6 should, after a suitable warning, have been physically removed in paddy waggons, and taken to jail. That is what would happen to White folks. The whole situation is particularly galling because since the illegal "reclamation" in 2006, the Six Nations have been getting away with all sorts of bogus scams due to the mistaken belief that there is a legal requirement to consult with them for any proposed development not only in the Haldimand Tract, but anywhere within Southwestern Ontario. There is no such requirement. Most of these schemes fall under the umbrella of the fraudulent Nanfan "Treaty" (it was nothing of the sort) of 1701 and are falsely labelled "treaty rights" - which don't exist. It must be emphasized that in 1701 only the Mississauga had ownership rights here. Furthermore the Six Nations are not aboriginal to Southwestern Ontario, only Upstate New York, and as with the Loyalists were refugees fleeing the wrath of the Americans after the Revolution. Then there is the failure to acknowledge the legal realities, such as the fact that as of December 1844 they had surrendered all of the lands of the Haldimand Tract outside the present Reserve, with the exception of the Burtch Tract which was surrendered to be sold by the Crown in 1848. Thus the violence of Caledonia 2006 and subsequent work stoppages at development sites in Haldimand and Brant Counties are "justified" only in the minds of Six Nations, and White people unaware of the facts. Does the truth and the facts matter to anyone, or have unquestioned and unsupported beliefs, such as "First Nations people are victims", captured the hearts and minds of Canadians outside Caledonia? Has objective reality become irrelevant? In the crazoid world in this neck of the woods, the true victims, the citizens of Haldimand and Brant Counties, are labelled with the term "racist" and other such epithets if they question their own victimization.
Had the OPP acted in a manner consistent with their professional standards, in all probability this would have ushered in the first steps towards again perceiving the Provincial police force in a more postive light. Alas, that did not happen. In a previous post I had "jokingly" said that perhaps residents of Haldimand and Brant will need to make a point, and see how the OPP respond if say Highway 54 at Chiefswood Road was blocked for the exact length of time Highway 6 was blocked, thereby inconveniencing many at Six Nations. The question then becomes, "what would the OPP response be in a hypothetical scenario of this nature"? If they were to arrest Haldimand and Brant residents for the exact same behaviour which they "tolerated" in Six Nations people, then we would have clear evidence of a double standard, and proof (if any more is needed) that there still exists a "race based" policing policy in Haldimand and Brant.
DeYo.
Meanwhile back at Short Hills, the Shorthills Wildlife Alliance members have found hunt blinds, tree stands, and deer remains within the park for the past several weeks; hunt sites have had to be destroyed with more to be dismantled; it is clear that the Haudenosaunee hunters not only made their "statement" at the time of the hunt but left left many "symbolic signs" and habitat destruction to "rub salt into the wounds of local residents , protestors,etc. there are also indications that their "hunt" has emboldened poachers to move into the park to make further ILLEGAL KILLS.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that that goal here was for a little target practice, and some assertion of (fraudulent) "treaty rights". The concept of Native people having some special relationship to the land and environment is of course a crock. There are also the unforseen effects of these decisions, and the ripple effect, and all in all it appears that the exercise was a schozle but I am not sure how the media will portray things. Political correctness runs rampant in many quarters.
DeleteWell, political correctness is alive and well in a big way here in Niagara and has been from the beginning of this fiasco; the same old party lines and disingenuous commentary have been repeated ad nauseam by provincial and federal reps from the beginning and, of course, it was the same old fraudulent argument of "treaty rights" which translated to "we can do nothing about it!" And to this day all of this has been aided and abetted by the local media which did nothing but spout out the same unquestioned propaganda; so the facts and the truth continue to be the sacrificial victims along with the deer and the destruction of yet another provincial park; and lately all of my posts and info passed on to the Wildlife Alliance people have fallen on deaf ears and dialogue has all but stopped.
DeleteYes, it is all pathetic isn't it. It is so much easier to just "buy into" long standing nonsense or "common wisdom" than to shift gears in the face of strong evidence. No one has the guts to confront Six Nations in this matter - and sadly that includes most in the media. To be fair, most politicians and most in the media have not read the original sources so just standing pat and being politically correct is safest.
DeleteI will eventually initiate a Court challenge to the validity of the 1701 document that gives Six Nations "rights" to which they have not a shadow of a claim. What is needed is an organization of like - minded individuals to tackle this problem. Alas, it will not be easy and it will be expensive. I can deal with the first of these issues, but not the second. So with adequate funding, those of us with detailed knowledge of the facts in this matter, if well motivated, can take on Six Nations (Haudenosaunee), who will no doubt enlist the support of the Assembly of First Nations as well as their non-Native "solidarity" supporters. It is all doable - but we need the backing of some group with serious clout (for example Hydro One).
I have been informed that detailed letters have been sent to Hydro One, David Zimmer the Provincial Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, and Bernard Valcout the Federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. These missives outline the problems flagged in this blog, and blow the whistle on the illegal antics going on over the way. I can not say that I am even cautiously optomistic - but we will see.
ReplyDeleteDeYo.
Hydro One seems to have enough problems of its own at the moment and government ministers surely have been aware of much more than they have been willing to admit for a very long time; in any case, nothing ventured , nothing gained; there was an interesting "argument" I read from a poster on the Niagara At Large Blog that I expect will be used increasingly to try to justify hunting and "treaty rights" ; in specific reference to the Nanfan "Treaty" or Albany Deed this writer contended that a treaty is not merely a "paper document" but a "living document" arranged between peoples and as such has some sort of new validity today regardless of historical circumstances or agreements of the past; especially, as he maintains in the same argument that the "two row wampum" treaty was long before the "Albany Treaty"; he further contends that the Six Nations have "inherent rights" to land in Canada, especially in southwestern Ontario, because their original settlements were seized by American revolutionaries and, of course, they fought on "our side" in the war of 1812 so we really owe them everything and anything they ask for today; I suspect this is the type of "argument" politicians may use in their ongoing efforts to put political correctness and a political interpretation of history as their trump cards to override historical facts and truth.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up here re the blog posting. I can easily "demolish" these argument too with facts. For example not only did the British give each and every adult Mohawk monetary compensation for example for number of acres lost and number of silver broaches and so on, but also they were given the Haldimand Tract. Then the Americans (State of New York) assembled all adult Mohawks at Niagara in 1789 and gave them money to settle outstanding claims they might have to their former lands; and in 1797 gave money to Captains Joseph Brant and John Deserontyon to distrubtute to their people to ensure that there were no further claims coming from that direction. My White Loyalist ancestors were given zip by the Americans for the thousands of acres (huge tracts of land)confiscated for remaining loyal to the legitimate authority. So my Six Nations ancestors did very well, all things considered, and any whining about this sort of thing will have to look some uncomfortable facts in the eye. Wait until I have my say about the truth about the War of 1812 contribution post Queenston Heights - yet the British still paid in presents, and monetary compensation to all Six Nations (even those who were disloyal). I will trot out the documents and make a case in the next posting.
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