Will on a "Tim run" my reporter noticed "activity" at the Surrey Street entrance to the Douglas Creek Estates which has been occupied continuously and illegally by Six Nations supporters of the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI). Six Nations, via the signatures of 47 Chiefs in Council ceded the land on 18 December 1844. However 170 years later Six Nations members chose to be "Indian givers" and have stolen this land, and after a violent encounter with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on 22 April 2006, have ejected the legal owners and resisted all attempts by the Federal, Provincial and County governments to eject these illegal trespassers. The situation has been amply detailed in multiple postings to this blog.
In approaching the Surrey Street junction with old Highway 6 (Argyle Street), it was apparent that the perpetrators were in the process of installing a decorative gate to join the two sides of the chain link fence on the north and south sides of Surrey Street. They were in the process of removing the old barricade (e.g., the stolen and vandalized Hydro One tower stub), with two gates at the readiness to attach to the mounts that have been there since earlier in the year. Although the Haldimand County Council unanimously agreed to remove the old barricade blocking Surrey Street, they never followed through on this "threat" to the Six Nations occupants. The result is that once again the reality is that here the laws have no teeth. While there the reporter attempted to flag down an OPP cruiser, and although they slowed down, they did not stop. Therefore I called the OPP and requested that they investigate the matter. An officer visited my home and we had a frank and open discussion about the matter.
Here follows some pictures taken of the site on 25 October 2014 at about 3 pm.
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| Looking south from Argyle Street to Surrey Street |
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| Looking north along Surrey Street to gate mountings on each side |
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| Gate element on right showing "Two Row Wampum" symbol |
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| Gate element on left showing "Confederacy" symbol |
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| Out with the old and in with the new - old Hydro One tower replaced |
More news as it becomes available.
Update: The installers had completed the left side by 5 pm, while an entourage of about 20 people watched while sitting on concrete blocks of barricade facing the gate.
Update: Pictures of the installed gate, 27 October 2014:
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| Concrete blocks still in place, but space for vehicle to enter |
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| Full view from the north |
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| Right - north gate open for vehicle access |
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| Left - south gate closed |
Seeing the gates swing on the mounts, and examining the construction, it would appear that the structural design is more apropos for a 3 foot man gate opening in a fence. It looks as if the two large (30 feet or so) sides will likely warp and twist under the weight and stress. Time will tell, but the structures seem more decorative than functional.
It is not known how much the fence and gate cost the HDI. The funding likely came from the money lifted from various sources (e.g., land developers). The work was completed based on the assumption that ultimately the Province of Ontario will turn over the deed to the Douglas Creek Estates (DCE) to the Confederacy - which is about as likely as the Pope turning Protestant. Since the very act of constructing a fence and gate is a flagrant challenge to both the Provincial and County governments, and the outcome is quite uncertain, the action can be seen as an attempt to consolidate their hold on the stolen property. It could well backfire if the laws of the land were actually enforced - which is a possibility that I doubt the HDI have contemplated since to date they have been able to do whatever they wanted at DCE with impunity. If an eviction order is set in motion ...............
DeYo.
Speaking of doing what they want another hunt has been scheduled at Shorthills provincial park without any consultation of anyone or any stakeholders; the local MPP has made it clear that the province will act on the basis that "Nanfan" is valid and binding and consequently justifies the hunt as it did in previous years; it is interesting to note that among my own comments in the local media, is Garry Hosnell's take on this: apparently he contacted the Feds who responded by saying that they would not take a position on Nanfan because they believe the Ontario govt. should determine whether Nanfan (and the deer hunt) are valid and applicable in what is now southwestern Ontario...because the province has jurisdiction over lands outside of federal land and Indian reserves in Ontario; my view is that may well be but is still a cop-out and passing the buck on the part of the federal govt. and we know very well that the recent MAP they published DID NOT INCLUDE Six Nations' land claims under the "treaty" of 1701 so whether the Feds are prepared to admit it or not they have taken a POSITION on the issue while refusing to become directly involved; but as you pointed out in a past post, the MAP appears to have been removed from the Ministry website...just another act of political appeasement and expediency from failed leadership at so many levels.
ReplyDeleteYes, CHCH reported that the Short Hills hunt was about to commence, and gave particulars.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a farce and a travesty. As we both know, the "Nanfan Treaty of 1701" is bogus and it is very easy to see it for what it is - a request to be allowed to hunt on lands that Six Nations lost by conquest. The Mississauga destroyed the 8 settlements north of Lake Ontario and sent the survivors packing back to Upstate NY in 1696. It was never recognized as legitimate by the Colony of NY (never had a seal affixed); and the original copy in England does not have the seal of the Privy Council affixed - so it was a non entity in the legal sense.
Shame that no one in Government has any b@lls, or even a willingness to state the obvious - it is not even a treaty let alone a legitimate one. I can guess at how upset residents in St. Catharines and surrounds must be at present.
DeYo.
Yes, at least the Shorthills Alliance group is upset; for one thing both St Catharines council and Niagara Regional council unanimously voted to request that the hunt be terminated in Shorthills but their wishes fell on deaf ears; neither the local MPP or MP have anything to contribute other than the same "mantra" repeated ad nauseam that it's the Nanfan "treaty right" that allows these hunts to continue....that and the two highly questionable court decisions often cited in support of Nanfan which has been rejected by any historian who has done his/her homework; BTW it is already noticeable by the broad grins on their faces from past photos and video that MNR staff, Niagara Regional Police and OPP are waiting expectantly to "earn" a lot of overtime pay in "protecting" the armed hunters from the protesting picketers...
DeleteMyOrenda,
ReplyDeleteI am pleased to learn that there will be protesters at Short Hills. The bogus nature of the fraudulent "Nanfan Treaty" needs to become public knowledge. You are correct in that there will be those who benefit from the controversy. We here in "Cashedonia" well know how much overtime pay police officers can make when required to "protect" the perpetrators from local citizens. DeYo.