An article in Two Row Times of 27 September 2017 entitled, "Highway 6 protests peaceful but tense" (not found in online version) we obtain an update on the shenanigans at DCE that few if any would have seen - even those of us who live in Caledonia and surrounds. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to predict that once the ruling was made in Brantford, basically in support of the Elected Council, the "protesters" at DCE (supporters of the Hereditary Council) would have some knee jerk reaction that would be totally in line with what they have done previously (since they appear to lack any imagination and ability to formulate a viable Plan B).
Protesters (Domestic Terrorists) Perspective on the Burtch Matter and Provincial Courts: A spokesperson for the "protesters" was interviewed about OPP actions they took on 25 September 2017 (described below); and about the ruling of the Superior Court in Brantford concerning the Burtch lands. In relation to the latter, the person replied that it was not the Court case involving a dispute between the Hereditary and Elected councils that was the trigger to recent action at DCE, but rather, "The promised return of this land [Burtch] to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs traditional government, as it was when it was stolen by Canada many years ago, did not happen". This is bunk. Thanks to blatant extortion, the land was promised to the people of the Six Nations via their legal representatives which is the Elected Council. Secondly, the land (the Burtch property) wasn't "stolen" it was surrendered by all of the Hereditary Chiefs in the 1840s so that it could be sold and the monies placed in the Trust Account for the benefit of the Six Nations people. I could easily post the specific documents about this property as I have for the Douglas Creek Estates property (if needed I will) - but what is the use, these know nothings won't care one way or the other.
DCE Site from Surrey Street Entrance 29 September 2017
As much as the "protesters" appear to be those who don't recognize the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) as the legitimate representatives of Six Nations in day to day running of the Reserve or negotiations with Canada, we get a hint that the "protesters" aren't any too pleased about the present Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) either. The above "protester spokesperson" stated that, "I'm not saying the Confederacy doesn't have a lot of work to do as well, in terms of making sure they get the voices of the people heard". Apparently relying on the Great Law will do the trick (although there are different versions and interpretations) - so in other words the old bed bug in the ointment, factionalism, is still alive and well even within the "protester community".
The spokesperson further explained that, "the protest is the only choice left to them, since the court will always relay [rely] on Canadian Law which is severely slanted towards Ottawa and London England". So what is the solution here, cause as much disruption to Caledonia and surrounds until the Canadian Government cries "uncle" and gives in to this group and thereby sets a precedent which would cause chaos across the country. They will never do that. Eventually they will send in the Canadian Forces as Pierre Elliot Trudeau did many years ago during the FLQ Crisis in Quebec. I recall armoured vehicles and soldiers with assault weapons on our street. They were welcomed. Furthermore, according to the spokesperson, "Some judge can sit in a court in Brantford, Ontario and say that the Confederacy, which has been around for 1,000 years or more, is not a valid government here - well that's the problem" [about the Court ruling in the Burtch farming case]. All the judge did was to cite someone for defying a Court Order, one submitted by SNEC the only currently legitimate authority at Six Nations. It is hopeless when uneducated people obtain the reins of authority in "protests" of this nature since perception is reality and no amount of evidence can change their thinking.
So instead of relying of the Courts, and evidence, the "protesters" have in their wisdom decided that, "Wins are made on the land. Wins are made in the bush. That's the only place we get our wins from, and so, if we are going to start asserting our sovereignty it will be on the land and on the roads and in the bush. We are Two Row Wampum people and we are defending that sovereignty". So in other words, create as much discomfort for the unlucky people who happen to reside close to the Reserve! That is sure to win many friends both on and off the Reserve. Good luck with that. Brilliant tour de force I must say. How about contemplating Canadian Forces troops in "the Bush" to root out the terrorists and restore law and order in the region.
OPP Tactics: On Saturday, 23 September, the OPP noticed that the occupiers of DCE were dismantling some of their tents. Apparently what was in progress was the plan to move these tents to a new location, "on the River Range Road overpass, looking down on the busy Highway 6 overpass". This was clearly an act of provocation and could have been the beginning of a new "initiative" in blockading the area. So the decision last Saturday was to take the banner (seen in a photo in my earlier posting) and establish a satellite protest site at one of the roads (7th Line / River Range Road apparently) crossing the Caledonia bypass. There were people braiding white corn - all very festive. Apparently the road was not blocked, but as history tells us, in a heartbeat things could change with tire fires, items tossed on the bypass from above - who knows (although tried and true techniques from former days are pretty well everything in the toolkit). As dark set in on Saturday, "the bridge site was voluntarily removed and the protesters returned to Kanonstaton (DCE)". Unfortunately for the "protesters" there is simply not the same support on the Reserve that there was in 2006 - the thugs they can always depend on, but not the majority of the Rez.
Understandably the OPP were concerned that this was a set up for another Highway 6 blockade, so the, "OPP converged on the Highway 6 site enmass, parking a number of cruisers in front of the gate at Kanonstaton to prevent that from taking place". Apparently the OPP were about to arrest one of the "protesters" but backed off when surrounded. There is still the possibility of charges being laid at a later date (the OPP know who they are dealing with). "The next day, Sunday, police removed the concrete blocks in front of the Kanonstaton site as well as the remnants of the hydro tower used in 2006 which has been used a number of times since to prevent traffic on the highway. Once again the protesters remained peaceful but objected loudly". The ringleader said, "I guess they thought we were going to put the barricade back up on Highway 6". This same person has the gall to say that the OPP over reacted since all they planned to do was, "gathering to take a picture of a sign they designed using the white corn - braids they made at the overpass earlier". Oh yes, that is really believable!
The Turtle Island News of 27 September 2017 has an article on this subject called, "OPP remove tower from Kanonstation [sic] after night of 'cat and mouse'" part of which can be seen here. After purchasing a hard paper copy of the paper, the content here provides few further details. They say that the OPP was trying to arrest the man due to outstanding warrants (BTW Six Nations Police will get him later), creating a back and forth with the tower being moved to the entrance to Surrey Street (and DCE), then back again. Apparently early in the afternoon the OPP decided that "game of cat and mouse" had gone far enough - that this would eventually result in the tower being dragged on Argyle Street South (only a few feet away) again (highly likely), so when it was on Surrey Street outside the gates and at 2 p.m. the OPP formed a line and they removed it along with the concrete blocks which have also been "pressed into service" in order to block the road (Argyle Street South). They told the "protesters" that the reason was to prevent, "commission of any offence and to prevent the materials from being a traffic hazard". Great move - score one for our OPP. There is a photo in the newspaper showing a flat bed tow truck winching the tower on to its bed. Now that wretched reminder of "the bad old days" is gone, and the "protesters" will have to find something else to drag on to Argyle Street South.
New Barricade?:
Wooden Structure on Surrey Street Inside DCE Gates 29 September 2017
It was interesting to note the above wooden "tower like" structure placed in the same location as the old Hydro One stub of a tower before its removal last Sunday. So, the question is, what is its purpose? I can guess, but time will tell.
An Assessment and Message for Those at DCE: To the "protesters" - you are beat, done, kaput. There is no more wiggle room, especially in those tents. There is a nip to the air, and it will soon be downright uncomfortable to sit for hours pondering your navel while the world spins all around you. Those with any smarts will know it is time to pack up and go home. You have no support off Reserve, and below 10% on Reserve. The business folk along 6th Line alone will find a way to "get you gone" - always better to leave on your own terms.
The "protesters" are now dealing with an OPP who is very savy to the antics of this group of agitators and can well see what the next step is going to be. Lets say, it seems that the OPP has learned over the years since 2006 what to expect from these disgruntled Onzlows. Apparently some 20 to 30 "protesters" were established at the DCE site on Monday. Guess these worthies must own their own businesses or something - to be able to take so much time off work to "protest".
One thing is a constant at Six Nations, due to false narratives and outright lies, there are always going to be "buyers" for nonsense, and things will NEVER reach a "settled state" for anyone who lives anywhere near the Reserve. Why, because once again the real problem boils down to FALSE BELIEFS, totally unsupported by anything (a document, or, well, anything what so ever), that the land along the Grand River is still Six Nations property because it was taken from them by the nasty Colonial Government sometime after the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784. The TRUTH is that all of the Chiefs in Council, in other words all of the Hereditary Chiefs (as per "The Great Law"), signed documents from the 1780s to 1847 which they saw as being in the best interests of the people of Six Nations. Their decisions resulted in the consolidation of the scattered properties into one large Reserve, IR 40 in Tuscarora and parts of Onondaga and Oneida Townships, and stemmed the flow of Six Nations people to the west and allowed them to live together "as a people". Had the wise Chiefs not done this I can guarantee that the Six Nations would have merged into the general community and would just be a page in history and a line or two in family trees.
In a subsequent posting I will show how the land was sold off piecemeal by individual Six Nations residents to "settlers" as the only way to bring in enough money to sustain their families (since only the Mohawk had large farming operations capable of supporting their families and having enough money to live in comfort). In other words I will provide objective truth based on contemporary facts and evidence - in contrast to personal truth based on wishful thinking and long standing beliefs so entrenched that they are accepted without question.
There are those who know in their heart of hearts that something is desperately wrong. Tents, ticks and tempests. Being let down by the people you thought were fully on board. Disappointments at every turn.
Year after year passes and the same angry unsubstantiated claims are made about colonialism, cultural genocide and scores of other bogus concepts which draw people into the victim mentality and learned helplessness and an inevitable downward spiral when they buy into the blame game. This stuff strangles the life out of you.
There is no such thing as personal responsibility at DCE, and often beyond, only finger pointing at others who are the perceived cause of intractable problems. A hopeless situation really for which there is no solution - except escape from the constraints and negativity by moving away - better than being sucked down the toilet of life and ending up a bitter broken individual grasping at intangibles and contributing nothing. I can guarantee that you will just be dragged deeper and deeper into the quick sand. Not a pretty prospect.
What if a mega far reaching law suit is in the works? One which will require testifying in Court, and the possibility of immense fines (recall 2009, Brantford Superior Court). Those millions that have been extracted by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) and their enforcers at the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) will not likely be enough to pay legal fees let alone a small fraction of the terms of settlement. Those that can see the writing on the wall, will act accordingly.
Time to decide what side of the fence (such as the one surrounding DCE) you stand upon - no not the canoe or the ship legend so full of holes that both sink - but falling backwards into darkness at DCE versus standing strong and moving toward the light.
This assessment may resonate with some at DCE, others not so much, and many not at all. Truly trying times though.
DY.
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