"Two Row Times" Publishes Anti-Semitic, Pro-Palestinian Article

Considering that the non-Native General Manager and Editor of "Two Row Times", TK, is a committed Anarchist and Communist (as I and others have noted over the years), what follows is not a surprise.  The "parade" (aka "protest march") which shut down Caledonia on a Saturday in the Spring of 2012 was organized by TK, and there were Palestinian flags among those carried by the marchers on that day (I was there).  Therefore it should not be surprising that considering the present events in the Middle East, that any such radical would use whatever platform is available to them to show support for the Palestinians - even though objectively Israel is only attempting to stop the rockets flying toward Israel.  As is clear from the evidence, the terrorists use schools and mosques, and innocent human shields, in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas terrorists are obsessed with killing every Jew (their stated goal).  But to have a Reserve newspaper publish a horribly biased article supporting the Palestinian terrorists is simply unacceptable - and will hopefully impact their advertising revenue.  Recent pro-Palestinian rallies in Toronto include groups of which TK is a member (see here), including just those under the letter "C", Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the Communist Party of Canada - both of whose flags were represented in the 2012 "parade" in Caledonia. 

The article on page 3 of the 30 July 2014 issue of "Two Row Times" is entitled, Palestine and the Onkwehonwe.  It was written by C(A)N, a filmmaker and lecturer from Kanehsatake Mohawk Territory.  It is profoundly disturbing.  In trying to justify why Six Nations people should be interested in what is happening in the Middle East, the author states that, what is happening in Palestine is the same as what has happened to our people on Turtle Island.  What has to be looked at is the politics of colonialism and settlerism.  The latter word is new to me, and the former is so so tired from overuse and being a catch all phrase.

Almost predictable is the next sentence in the article by CN, As Indigenous people we have endured centuries of genocide, ethnic cleansing, land theft and cultural devastation.  As Haudenosaunee people we need not look too hard for these examples; we only need to look at the ethnic cleansing of our people in the 18th and 19th centuries from our homelands in what is now New York State. 

Lets explore the reality, to counter this fantasy above.  The truth is that of the many acts of genocide to which our species must bear responsibility, one of the most atrocious is the complete genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Huron/Wyando, Petun, Attiwandaronk/Neural and all of the other peoples who resided in Central and Southwestern Ontario - all Iroquoian speaking peoples closely related to the then Five Nations - perpetrated by the Five Nations between 1640 and 1650 - erasing these people from the planet.  In addition, the method to complete this heinous task was horrid.  They used torture and cannibalism (as reported by the Catholic priests and lay people who witnessed but survived these acts; and as well what is seen in the archaeological record).  So would the author wish to compare this documented act of genocide and ethnic cleansing to the pretend versions supposed to have happened in the 1700s and 1800s?  He is speaking of General Sullivan's incursions through Six Nations territory which killed not a single soul, only destroyed the villages and foodstuffs which meant that the Senecas and the others most affected moved to Fort Niagara and Buffalo Creek to be under the wing of the Crown.  How can the author have the effrontery to call the war time devastation (on both sides) during the American Revolution, genocide?  It makes no sense.  I have given an example of true genocide - but it was perpetrated by then Five Nations people.  I guess it is easy to cherry pick and conveniently forget about real history.

Then the author states, without references or examples, that, There are many, too many, points in history of Indigenous people in the Americas which mirror the genocide of the Palestinians.  Other than the fact than no examples are given, there is the matter of calling what is going on in the Middle East "genocide" against the Palestinians.  If Israel protecting its citizens from brutal Hammas attacks is "genocide" - then this is one of the grossest misuse of the term yet seen.

Then comes even more bizarre off the wall accusations by the author.  He says, Settler apartheid as used by Israelies has its roots in both the Canadian apartheid system - the Indian Act - and the South African Apartheid system.  There is little to distinguish either from one another.  This assertion makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.  The Indian Act is an apartheid system?  Well if that is true, why do virtually all "First Nations" groups resist any attempt to change it?  When Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau proposed his "White Paper" in 1969 which would have seen the abolishment of the hated Indian Act and the freeing of Indian people to make their own way in this world - eventually without the dole from Ottawa - there was universal condemnation from "Indigenous" people who did not want to lose the perks.

Wait, there is more.  The author states that, the Canadian state has never been afraid to employ violence against Indigenous dissent as can be seen in what happened ....... in Six Nations in 2006.  I was here, what exactly was the violence used by the "Canadian state"?  All that occurred was "Indigenous" violence against helpless Caledonians, you know, such as arson (tire burnings; torching the Stirling Street Bridge), assault, destroying infrastructure, placing a gravel barricade across the main entrance from the south into Caledonia, to name but a few examples.  Now where is this violence from the "Canadian state".  I can answer that - it never happened, but is being imagined as what could have happened but never did.  Strange.

Finally, to cap off the solidarity between Palestinians and "Indigenous" people in Canada, the author says, The oppression and genocide of Palestine is our oppression and genocide.  Nonsense, and completely unsupported by anything resembling real evidence.

        Comment:  I am well aware that the "brass" at "Two Row Wampum" are pro-Palestinian and stereotype Jews in the same manner as the Nazis did in the 1930s.  Once again Israel is forced to defend itself from not only direct attacks, but also from false allegations from across the world.  As I see it, this newspaper was irresponsible in publishing this article, no matter what their political views might be.  The article is replete with factual errors and blatant anti-Semitic views. 

I am wondering whether this decision on the part of the owners and staff at the newspaper has breached publishing guidelines, and has crossed an ethical line (no alternative viewpoint was presented).  If this is the case, would boycotting those companies who advertise in the newspaper be an appropriate course of action?  They are creating the circumstances by which the key people at the newspaper are permitted to spew their poison against Jews.  I will take a stance here and make a list of advertisers - and will not frequent any of them either on or off Reserve.  This is perhaps the best way in which we can protest the rabid left wing views of the non-Natives at the newspaper - hit them where it hurts, in the wallet.

DeYo.