Saturday 5 July 2014

Hold the Presses! "Riot" - Melee Breaks Out at DCE Barricade

UPDATE 12 July 2014:  If you wish to see a shining example of how the radicals do not respect anyone, even their own female elders, you must see this video uploaded from CANACE here.  It was taken during the melee of the 5th of July 2014.  This charming "gentleman" is also the one seen throwing tires on the fire in the middle of Argyle Street in 2006.  If you can stand to see and listen to this video (warning - extremely coarse and degrading language is used), recall the words he used to disrespect this female Six Nations elder, and the threats of what he would do to the daughter of a woman who is behind the videographer - we need to know what we are dealing with.  know that he is not representative of the Six Nations people, although unfortunately there are others who fall into this category on the extreme fringe of things.

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Saturday, 5 July 2014 will go down as a day of infamy.  A peaceful picnic and march by citizens of Caledonia and their supporters was met by an "ambush" by Natives lying in wait, itching for a fight.  It all happened outside the barricade, the one that illegally blocks Surrey Street, and such anger, such outright hostility and righteous indignation - "how dare you challenge our authority, we are the true owners of this land" - those words were heard by reliable witnesses.  Like all stories, we need to go back to the beginning.

The reason given for the rally organized by Gary McHale was due to the backtracking by Haldimand Council, who had stated that they unanimously agreed that the barricade had to come down, then seemed to lose their will after Mayor Hewitt met with the radical Men's Fire and others at Six Nations and made it seem that the agreement to have a contractor remove the barricade was off.  Concerns were heightened when Gary learned of the most recent secret meeting of Haldimand Council which recommended that a by - law be enacted to keep "negative influences" away from the road.  Of course everyone suspected that this meant Gary, not Six Nations, and thus we are back to square one with a two-tiered system along racial - ethnic divides.  So the way this would(n't) work is that the Indians can stay at DCE and walk around at will, even HH and AM notorious activists; but the "bad townies" meaning all residents, and especially Gary McHale, had to be kept out.  Please note that this is all supposition, until we find out what, specifically, the Ontario, County, and Band Council has hammered out.  It is not fair to "taint" Haldimand County Council before we have all the facts.

This blatantly racist by-law (if it emerges as many suspect)would be precisely the sort of action that we had spent 8 years fighting against.  Any wonder that concerns were heightened. We have learned over the years that no matter what, no matter who, no matter when, the activists running DCE have expressed an adamant refusal to be told what to do, or even to negotiate a sane and sensible solution to the problem of the blocked road.  All of us knew that we were being set up once more to be relegated to second class citizen status, while the very people who stole and occupied land that was duly and legally surrendered 170 years ago would be given free rein. I have searched all of the relevant documents, and there are NO irregularities upon which to pin any claim to recover land the ancestors wished sold so that the monies could be deposited in the Six Nations Trust Fund.  The "it's ok for you to be there, but not you" assertion is simply not acceptable, or an option.  I apologize in advance for jumping to conclusions - but past behavior is the best predictor to future behavior.

This sign was not well received at the barricade

The group met at a location in central Caledonia and travelled from there to the property purchased by RF, situated at the south end of the DCE property.  At that point a Bar-B-Que was set up, and all there socialized for more than an hour. 


The picnic at the part of DCE owned by a Caledonian


When the participants had finished their meal, most took Canadian flags, and one person had a sign which gave the date the land on which DCE sits was surrendered to the Crown, while another had around his neck a sign offering a copy of the surrender for anyone who wished to have one.  Lets just say there were no takers for the latter.  Another sign carried to the barricade related to the need for an apology.

View of cars of Caledonians toward barricade



As to the sign welcoming requests for copies of the surrender, one of the first things someone at the barricade did (a tiny but feisty woman with ill manners), was to "pop up out of nowhere", and rip the sign off the holder by grabbing on to the cord and simply yanking.  If the attachment had been metal, it could have sliced open the carotid artery of the person whose only "crime" was to offer factual material to all interested parties, irrespective of racial - ethnic group.  This was but one of many bad mannered and disrespectful acts that were to occur in the midst of a general melee.

Enroute to barricade with an "escort"


Six Nations members on access via 6th Line cat calling during interview

From the sidelines there was a constant verbal harassment by Six Nations and supporter (mostly the former) when Gary stopped to give an interview to CHCH TV reporter Al Sweeney (kudos to them for showing up and taking the time to as a series of excellent questions), and also reporters for "Turtle Island News" and "Two Row Times".  These were apparently the only media present.  There were however bloggers and others present and also taking videos and pictures.  It will be interesting to see what will show on the tapes of the event once they are published.

There were about 20 Ontario Provincial Police officers present, including a Native Liaison Officer.  Vehicles continued to arrive via the road off the 6th Line until more than 50 (an estimate) Six Nations and supporters were there compared to the 20 of so "townies and supporters".  Clearly outnumbered, the latter (and the police) were subject to all sorts of verbal and physical abuse. 

Reporters

At the actual barricade site itself, there were lines (some arm in arm) of Six Nations and supporters and groups or very agitated and angry looking young men and women.  In my entire life I have never heard more profanity, and more hurling of threats as occurred at the barricade on that day.  They were nothing more than schoolyard bullies.  The OPP and the Caledonia contingent were the target - the venom was coming from Six Nations.  I did not hear a single word of profanity or anything more than raising of voices by the Caledonia group; and yet the Six Nations group behaved badly making the usual "trailer trash" seen on COPS to appear positively gentrified by comparison to the embarrassing behavior of the Six Nations members who were present. 

The tapes show the usual suspects who appear at all such rallies, including one or more with restraining orders which were broken, and which were caught on tape (presumably to be used for prosecution later).  There were relatively minor assaults breaking out in clusters along the margin of the barricade.  None of the Caledonians went beyond the barricade, but Six Nations had a full presence there and more and more were arriving from the access off 6th Line.  It is true that some Caledonians did goad on some of the most unsavoury elements, even by simple non - verbal behaviours such as blowing a kiss, which seemed to infuriate some rather thin skinned "Natives".  One of the latter claimed that he sleeps in the chipboard shack just behind the barricade, probably to try to avert any night time attempt on the part of Haldimand Council contractors to remove the barricade.  He is also one of the two individuals seen throwing tires on the fire made in the middle of Argyle Street in 2006 - still wearing the same shirt.  As to how many of these worthies have actual jobs is anyone's guess - Chief Clarence Louis of the immensely successfully Osoyoos Band in British Columbia says the first criteria for any warrior is, "has a job".

To be frank, although there were calm elements among the Six Nations, they were few and far between and did not make their presence known.  The brash, noisy, boorish, disrespectful, no class - low class, angry types were front and center.  Some of the older individuals simply went around bumping into Caledonians in a sort of passive aggressive manner.  It is positively scary to think that what was seen here (soon to be uploaded via video tape for all to assess) is in 2014 a microcosm of Six Nations, and thus might represent a cross section of all of Six Nations.  I desperately hope that his is not true, and will seek clarification on this point in due course.  Unfortunately I did recognize a number present who I thought were moderate and rational ........................... I expect that many who would be horrified by what they would see simply stayed away. 

A bit of the melee at the barricade
 
A perspective at the barricade - Caledonia crew with sign that was not well received

Perspective at the barricade - Six Nations view - three OPP officers on right

Toward the end of the melee various citizen's arrests were enacted.  As I understand it, Gary McHale made a citizen's arrest on an OPP officer, apparently because the latter supposedly released a "Native" wanted in a criminal matter, and insisted that he be driven, with the "officer under arrest" and a witness to the Cayuga Detachment.  Then JW, a reporter for "Two Row Times", made a citizen's arrest on Gary McHale, supposedly for "inciting a riot".  The latter action may be problematic to the person making the arrest due to the circumstances, it was a melee not a riot, and the instigators of whatever it was were "Native", and Gary's intimate knowledge of the law in these sort of situations will be deployed.  All parties were headed to the Cayuga Detachment and further information is pending.  Despite being present, I am still unclear as to what the issues were.  Perhaps the videos noted below will clarify matters.

Gary McHale enroute to Cayuga Detachment

Media Coverage:

1)  CHCH TV Hamilton:  See here.  CHCH was the only non - Reserve media outlet to cover this story directly.  My thanks to them for venturing into this place, a world away from Toronto or Hamilton, where in the past their (CHCH) reporters have been assaulted and their equipment stolen by Six Nations militants.

2)  The Hamilton Spectator:  The most recent article on DCE came out today, although it did not mention the "gathering" on the 5th.  This article can be seen here.

3)  The Brantford Expositor:  Nothing to date.

4)  The Sachem:  See here for the article in the Sachem of 7 July 2014 which summarizes key events of the last few weeks, and provides some coverage of the "melee".  It was excellent that they included the entire wording of the sign at the top of this posting.

Citizen Coverage:

1)  CANACE video, 5 July 2014, of Gary McHale arresting OPP officer, click here.

2)  CANACE video, 4 May 2014, of Gary McHale and other citizens (including Natives who believe in his cause) trying to walk along a public (Haldimand County owned) road (Surrey Street).  The content reveals volumes about the people who consider themselves "defenders of the land" (when in fact they have no title or rights other than those possessed by other Canadian citizens).  Click here for a shocking expose - yes, you heard it right, the woman said "shoot him".

Other coverage will be included as it becomes available.  Other than "Turtle Island News" and "Two Row Times" (although a question can be raised as to whether their seemingly biased reporting counts as real journalism or merely propaganda) were present.  However if either provides a video it will be included here for completeness sake.  Whatever "press coverage" is given to the event will be posted next Wednesday (date of publication).  Here is a prediction.  One or both will excoriate McHale and the Caledonians, and paint a picture of the Six Nations people as heroes, victims of colonialism, and defenders of the land (despite the irrefutable fact that they stole the land from the legal owners).  We will see what sort of slant is given by Rez reporters, or whether they attempt to present both sides of the argument in a fair and objective manner - and which of the two newspapers best demonstrates the basic principles of their profession.

Six Nations Picnic Planned for Sunday 6 June 2014:  It will be plainly seen in the available videos that Six Nations who were in attendance had no intention of permitting Caledonians to have their peaceful assembly at the barricade.  The people of Caledonia and their supporters had every right to have a picnic on property owned near DCE by one of them, and then peacefully march to the barricade carrying Canadian flags.  It was seen as some sort of "attack" by those Six Nations and supporters in attendance on the 5th.  Somehow they found out about the event and came in droves to make Caledonians as unwelcome as imaginable.  On the 6th Six Nations activists are planning a picnic and will be at the barricade.  Lets see how many Caledonians make an appearance to disturb their event.  My guess is that precisely zero will appear, since most of us realize that it is their right to hold such an event, and we should not disrespect it.  On the 5th Caledonians were shown the utmost disdain and intolerance.  Despite my ties and experiences of my early years, it is now clear to me that the Six Nations who have been radicalized and emboldened are racist and intolerant, and that to them while it is fine and right for them to have a picnic at the barricade, the same does not hold true for Caledonians, who in their eyes have no rights.  So much for the "mutual understanding" that Mayor Hewitt and others speak of.  That is a pie in the sky concept which does not apply at ground level.  Six Nations present behaved as bullies on the 5th - lets see what can be said about the events of the 6th.

Update 6th June 2014 - Six Nations Picnic:  I have driven past the DCE site from time to time on the 6th and all appears to be quiet on this front.  There are no Caledonians with signs, I saw not a single OPP car anywhere in the vicinity (compared to the numerous and specialized vehicles seen yesterday). 

Assessment:  Alas due to these events as they unfolded in front of the video cameras, it is all too clear that there is absolutely zero hope for Haldimand County Council, Ontario Aboriginal Affairs or their Federal counterpart to make any headway except by totally and utterly capitulating to the combatants.  I am hoping that this will never happen as it will cause a ripple effect through Caledonia and beyond, and make a mockery of true justice.  We would come to realize that to stop violent take overs in our own country, we will have to do our own policing since no one has the guts to challenge the criminals who are running amok at DCE, and emboldened - awaiting their next "venture".  Will your community be next? 

It was a relief not to see any "extraneous" flags flying on the 5th.  Often in the past there were CUPE union supported groups present, sporting the flags that reflect their "cause".  In the past there have been Palestinian flags at DCE.  What is particularly troubling about the latter group is that a hauntingly similar situation involving "skewed policing" that we have come to expect in Caledonia, occurred in Missisauga yesterday outside "Palestine House", whose radical Islamic affiliations are well know to all levels of Government.  As can be seen in the Sun News tape here, the Palestinians violently attacked bystanders with their flag poles injuring a man who wore "Never Again" on his sleeve.  A very slight Japanese woman barely escaped injury as she was escorted across the street by the Toronto Police.  Basically the police did nothing to avert the violence, thus emboldening the Palestinian attackers.  Assaults were clearly evident on the video tape, and unless the police will be making arrests in the matter after reviewing this evidence - shame on them.  It was the victims who were singled out by police for "enforcement procedures" including arrests.  It appears that two-tiered policing has moved from Caledonia and Ipperwash to the streets of Toronto - Missisauga.  It would appear that we are seeing the future in these incidents of selective enforcements, where the most violent elements (considered "oppressed minority groups" by some - although relatively few) are allowed to ran rampant while the police act as "peacekeepers" - which is a total joke as we have learned here in Caledonia.

I must note in all fairness that on this occasion, at the barricades in Caledonia, I did not see any evidence of two-tiered policing during the picnic and march of the 5th.  The female sergeant was, in my opinion, very even handed and was doing a fine job in the midst of the chaos all about her.  She has been at other events (e.g., 4 May 2014) where matters were kept under control.  There was no thin blue line facing only the Caledonians.  There was no sense of being "singled out" because we were on one side of the fray - as has been the case from 2006 to 2013.  The OPP officers were milling about calmly attempting to keep tempers under control and turn down the volume.  There is nothing in the way of any complaint that at this occasion, can be said about the actions of the OPP officers.  This makes two occasions (the other being the arrest of JG) where I had the sense that officers were doing their jobs without any "preference" or special treatment accorded one side or the other.  This bodes well, but we have been burnt so often in the past that it will take some time to regain the trust we had before 2006 - good start though.  This is why I was surprised by the actions of Mr. McHale (citizen's arrest of the sergeant).  Perhaps there was more than what I saw to explain the events which unfolded.

In a modern democracy it should not be the responsibility of everyday citizens to do whatever it takes to bring law and order to their own community.  We give up any vigilantism with the understanding that we will be protected. However, what are we supposed to do when the preferred methods of Dr. Martin Luther King have failed us time and time again.  We have given the OPP 8 years to "do something".  At this point many of us are thinking that we would like our present Government to do what Prime Minister Pierre E. Trudeau did during the Front de Libertion du Quebec (FLQ) crisis - send in the army - and speaking as someone who saw armed soldiers patrolling our streets, we were relieved and thankful for his actions.  Would that we had a P.E.T. today - we desperately need someone at the helm of Government with his moxy to take charge and rid us of this volatile anarchy perpetrated by Six Nations militants.  It is setting a dangerous precedent - something the average Canadian does not seem to see, but who will pay dearly later for their apathy when it all appears on their doorstep.

My conclusion here in relation to the two picnics, Caledonia on the 5th and Six Nations on the 6th, is that Six Nations operate with a double standard.  It is fine and expected for them to have a peaceful picnic, but wrong and divisive and provoking for Caledonians to have a picnic under the same terms.  This in many quarters would be termed two faced hypocrisy.  The Six Nations (an unknown percentage of the whole) have exposed a violent and contemptible streak that no one wants to talk about, but the summary of picture and descriptions from 2006 to 2010 in Christie Blatchford's book, and the recent videos (right to yesterday), are consistent and speak much more loudly than the spin used in the Rez newspapers and other sources to paint a picture they want you to believe but that is simply not true.  Come to Caledonia and see for yourself if you want to see the "real face" of Six Nations in 2014.  I am dreadfully ashamed.  I know that my Six Nations ancestors would be horrified to see what has become of their people.  As a rule, the uncles and aunties who over the generations stayed Rez side did not fare too well (violence and early death being standard fare), the ones who left were generally able to make something of their lives (with some notable exceptions of course).  The point has been driven home that the key to success is education not indoctrination; critical thinking skills not robotic recitation of entrenched beliefs.  The key to success clearly is the avoidance of locations ripe with toxic influences.

More and more the veil is lifted on this radical element, and the stark reality becomes apparent.  Unfortunately the vast majority of the residents of Six Nations who would have a more open minded approach were nowhere to be seen.  There were actually "Natives" present with the Caledonia group who see themselves as Canadian and are horrified at the trampling of human rights seen at such events.  None were current residents of Six Nations - it would simply be far too dangerous to show support of truth and justice because of the on Rez dynamics.

I urge the various Government agencies to use caution, assuming that those in Haldimand County are not going to rise up, that is something only Six Nations would do - this is a dangerous assumption.  I live here.  I have connections in all camps.  I am hoping for the best, but will prepare to take the actions needed to see justice done in this neck of the woods.  Hopefully cool heads will prevail and justice will be served by not pandering to the "demands" of Six Nations militants.  The problem is that many have dug in their heels.  They have invested so much time and emotional commitment into this "reclamation" to the point that they are absolutely unwilling / unable to see reason, common sense, the facts, the evidence, the truth or anything resembling these concepts.  Many have the attitude that it is my way or no way - I have heard this time and again with my own ears.

I will never abandon the methods of science and the deployment of hard evidence to determine who has right on their side.  We know who at present has might (not right) on their side, and who has shown a willingness to use it.  If we permit this, "it is so because I believe it to be so" attitude to prevail, we are cooked.  Our country is poised to descend into anarchy as our Government and our police forces abandon us to our fate.  Few people who are Six Nations are willing to speak out and speak the truth - there are strong social pressures to conform and keep up the appearance of a united front to the world (while in the background the factionalism is tearing the community apart).  We (Caledonians and right minded Six Nations) should be standing together in this - it is a human rights issue, and should be of concern to all.  But, this is Caledonia.

DeYo.

8 comments:

  1. And so it goes with all the political gamesmanship , various agencies representing whom no one is sure of on all sides, including the outsiders who certainly would like to remain anonymous as much as possible; while the truth and the facts continue to take a back seat to all of these tragic goings-on, I find some comfort or satisfaction in Gary McHale's "approach" in making citizens' arrests on specific individuals(OPP or otherwise) even if he is arrested in turn which was an obvious move of retaliation which I am sure Gary can handle; my point is that accountability and transparency has to start somewhere if only to provide a break from all the buck-passing and capitulation which has become the norm from each and every government agency, representative and law enforcement which has abdicated the rule of law at every turn; so let's bring the issue to the fore by trying to get these "individuals" who are out there breaking the law and committing violent acts arrested and forced to face the court system (for what it may be worth); it is one thing to hide behind beliefs that don't hold water even if that is what is sincerely believed but quite another thing to hide behind masks and bandanas while committing terrorist acts to further personal and self-serving agendas.

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    1. MyOrenda, as I looked around I saw a fair number of folks I knew at SN, and I didn't recognize any that had an actual job (I don't call hawking contraband cigarettes a real job) - except the Rez reporters and staff. It is very difficult to hold a 9 to 5 job and be an "activist", which entails rather irregular hours. McHale is a threat to all this "stability", and to the sense of empowerment and superiority engrained by "successes" in pulling off land heists and the like, with serious violence, and with no consequences. For many of us things are straightforward. SN are Canadian (no evidence anywhere says different - only perceptions and what has been taught by radicals), they are subject to Canadian laws, they are accountable in Canadian Criminal Courts and can be the subjects of incarceration, injunctions, restraining orders, fines - you name it. They can hide on the Rez but usually the SN Police will ferret them out. Once they cross over into Haldimand or Brant, they will be recognized and apprehended. Everyone has to pay the piper - but the OPP are loath to apprehend when there is a large crowd present since history teaches us that their role is not respected, and that they will be swarmed if they attempt to do their duty. Often it comes down to numbers. Therein is the explanation of the abject failure of the April 2006 raid on DCE - they did not understand the organizational capabilities at SN and that within minutes people will be streaming down 6th line to add to the "numbers game". Solution for removal of barricade, block 5th and 6th Lines before any operation is carried out - and have adequate personnel positioned along the RR tracks, and conduct the entire operation in the dark without any advance notice. There are still risks of course, but there are also risks in not sticking with the stated plan to remove symbolic garbage from a County road. The credibility of Council is on the line and there is an election in October. DeYo.

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    2. If one watches the Sun news tape of that so-called Palestinian-Israeli confrontation you cannot help being "hit" by the same all too familiar failures of law enforcement to uphold the rule of law; and, once again, the issue was not about taking sides in another politically-charged jousting match but actually doing what we would expect from our police forces in keeping the peace....and not in appeasing the wrongful actions of one side or the other; what the video so embarrassingly revealed was the Canadian version of a Keystone Cops (Kops) episode...only these were not the fictional incompetent policemen featured in silent film comedies in the early 20th century; nor was this a modern day parody of law enforcement in action but rather a real portrayal of what has become the status-quo; we could easily find many casts of characters to fill the Keystone Kops roles from across a wide spectrum of society, including commissioner, superintendents, sargeants and front line officers (there was a time when SWAT teams actually knew how to swat!), not to mention so many of the failed political leaders; these videos also invariably show the bemused looks of stupidity on the part of those who surely know they are playing these "roles" of fools at the bequest of those same incompetent masters.

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    3. MyOrenda. Yes, I am still fuming with the image burnt into my mind of the bloodied and beaten Jewish man being wheeled away in a gurney, and despite all of the cops present, none of the violent Palestinians were arrested. They merely continued on bashing away with their flag staffs without missing a beat. Two-tiered policing exactly as we see at Caledonia. If it had been the Jews who beat the Palestinians with their sticks - what would have happened? I will tell you that without a shadow of a doubt they would have been arrested. Why? Because they are not a "protected" minority group (despite their history as victims of genocide and progroms), seldom if ever violent, and thus no threat, and so they are expendable to the police. The latter fear being seen doing their duty and apprehending a poor downtrodden Palestinian - irrespective of the acts he has just committed. Caledonia's craziness is spreading like an aggressive metastasizing cancer. Wake up Toronto - understand what we have been dealing with in rural Ontario - it is coming to a venue near you - real soon. DeYo.

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  2. DeYo: Thank you for providing such a thorough examination of the latest developments regarding the former Douglas Creek Estates (DCE). Have read all your recent posts, along with the cited videos and press coverage.

    Am also glad that the July 7, 2014 Sachem article included the wording of the sign regarding the land being ceded to the Crown in 1844. Why were the Six Nations members (who were antagonizing Gary McHale and his allies on July 5, 2014) not prepared to discuss the contents of this sign? Why did the “tiny but feisty woman” rip the sign off the person who was offering copies of the surrender? Why did the man (presumably a Six Nations member, since he was wearing a Six Nations t-shirt), interviewed in the July 5, 2014 CHCH video, say that McHale was not telling the truth, but then said he wanted peace? Would there not be a greater chance of peace if the 1844 materials were discussed?

    Re the CANACE video “May 4, 2014 Surrey Street Caledonia”: I believe the man who says he is not biologically white, and that he is a “proud Canadian,” is Ted Harlson, who was arrested, along with Stuart Laughton and others, during a CANACE rally at DCE in August 2012. Michael Coren interviewed Harlson and Laughton on his Sun News Arena show, August 31, 2012. During this interview, Harlson said he is part Shuswap (a B.C. aboriginal tribe) and part Norwegian, but he does not self-identify as native. Harlson lives in Brampton, Ontario.

    Would be interested to know more about the “Six Nations present with the Caledonia group who see themselves as Canadian.” Do they live on or off reserve?

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  3. Counterpoise, alas it is evident that the "surrender" is a sore spot with Six Nations because it calls into question upon what authority do they consider the land "theirs". The Federal Government maintains to this day that the land surrender of 1844 and subsequent ones to 1848 are valid. They have the original documents which show that there is no other interpretation. I asked someone on the SN side why they cannot deal with the facts. His response was "Samuel P. Jarvis". Jarvis was the Indian Superintendent who at a later point was implicated in mismanagement and perhaps outright dipping in the till, in relation to SN Trust Funds. Be that as it may, it was Jarvis who put a stop to the efforts of some in Government who wanted Six Nations to just go away - in other words disperse. That is precisely what was happening when SN members were selling off their "improvements" to White settlers, and then moving on to do the same on another plot of land - to make much needed cash. This resulted in a huge influx in outsiders and a patchwork quilt of land ownership with settlements becoming more and more scattered and many of the people had left for the Ohio country which was still "Indian Country" - only to be "removed" to Kansas in 1843. It was Jarvis who told Six Nations Chiefs that the way things were going, there would be no more SN community within a few years. His solution was to establish a compact reserve where those SN who wanted to move, could have a place that would be cleared of all the squatters, even those with a deed from a SN member. It is Jarvis who is basically responsible for their still to this day being a Six Nations Community and Reserve - and yet he is being criticized and targeted as the person responsible for the land sales not being valid. So once again belief trumps facts.

    To answer your question about residency of the participants. None of those with any Native affiliations resided on the Rez - frankly that would be outright dangerous at this point. If a meaningful dialog had been started, fair minded people whatever their residence might be would be more likely to stand up for what is right - equality before the law. As it stands, and SN member residing on the Rez who is seen with the "McHale camp" would be shunned or worse - just the way it is out here. Many good people are rightly afraid to "go against the grain". DeYo.

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    1. Hello counterpoise. Forgot my manners. You are welcome re the info and videos. I have been thinking more about your question about the SN "reluctance" to accept the fact of the 1844 surrender. As I recall the fellow who said "Samuel P. Jarvis" was a non-Native supporter of Six Nations. The only things I could get from any SN member in relation to the subject is that, "we were cheated". I have long maintained that outside agitators have been stirring up trouble since 2006 - some "Native" from for example Akwesasne, and others who are Communist - Anarchist radicals from Toronto and vicinity. So if SN do not do their own research - they have a Lands and Resources Office and the personnel there are well aware of the facts - but the political pressure to suppress evidence contrary to common beliefs to be expected. I know that backlash that would occur if one were to come out and say to a reporter that "we know the surrender is valid, we only question the disposition of funds" - well that would not fly. DeYo.

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    2. I didn't want to weigh in again with another two cents worth but I am both puzzled and surprised at Counerpoise's "WHY" questions, especially from anyone of us who maintain BLOGS on these topics; it has long been painfully obvious that there is an incredible void where there should be opportunity for dialogue, dialectic, free and open exchange of views and opinions on all of these topics and actions; instead we are confronted with the non-stop stonewalling , indifference and personal belief and agenda-type responses we have become all too familiar with; there will never be what might approximate an honest response based on what are known facts and evidence when the responders have predetermined what kind of answers they would like to hear and will only hear; the two-tiered policing , as bad as it is with all of its devastating effects, is but one of many symptoms or signs of the MORAL SCHIZOPHRENIA we are witnessing across a wide spectrum of society, especially as it is exemplified in government actions or INACTION; as DeYo has rightly pointed out in the case of Caledonia, the residents are repeatedly abandoned and forgotten...sacrificed to political correctness and to appease the very groups and factions who have shown no respect for the rule of law; Caledonians have become non-citizens but so have any of us who are content to abdicate their responsibility in the face of the wrongs being perpetrated...and those wrongs are already at our own doorsteps! There have already been far too many "days of infamy" that should never have happened and we can draw on many lessons from history which have shown the catastrophic consequences which inevitably follow when a society succumbs to collective moral amnesia; in that magnificent movie, "Judgment At Nuremberg" (based on the Nazi war criminal trials) we have the presiding chief justice(so wonderfully portrayed by Spencer Tracey) making his summation to the court, in which he points out that " a country is what it stands for, when standing for something may be most difficult. This is what we stand for: truth, justice, and the value of a single human being."

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