Tuesday 24 September 2019

Federal Government Give Away of Tax Dollars - Recipients: Indian Day School "Survivors"

The Issues:  Another questionable Trudeau - era "reconciliation" gesture using Canadians tax dollars has been announced by a group of, what some might term, "ambulance chasing" lawyers.  It is called the "Indian Day School Settlement" and was announced 19 August 2019, according to an article entitled, "Crowd packs first Indian Day School session at Six Nations" in Turtle Island News (18 September 2019, p.2).

It appears that the flood gates will be opened and virtually anyone who attended a Day School on a Reserve can apply for "compensation", "to assist people who suffered at federally run day schools".  To make this all the more poignant, those who "suffered" will be called "survivors" (a term once reserved for those who suffered in Nazi Concentration Camps).

Let us pause a minute before getting into the details of the settlement.  There has already been a huge "settlement" for those who attended an Indian Residential School.  On Six Nations this means the now "Woodland Cultural Center" (Mohawk Institute, "Mushole"), which the Chiefs and Clan Mothers begged the Church of England to open in 1837, and which the Chiefs begged the Canadian Government not to close in 1970.  In previous postings the author has noted that this school was actually on the Reserve (not 1,000 miles away), and that many students have very pleasant memories of their days at school here (and most of the Reserve teachers attended here).  So this was hugely questionable in the case of Six Nations.  More generally the matter of Day Schools is simply wrong - not questionable.  Granted this is an opinion, but the reality must be looked at in toto.

Were Indian Day Schools different in any marked way from the Day Schools attended by most other Canadians (Public or Catholic or other) ?  It is general knowledge that in all schools until very recently, many to most boys got the "biffs" (strap) from the school principal, were slammed by a pointer or ruler by a teacher, were badgered by teachers, and may have been roughly handled at some point.  Ask any child, especially boys, who "survived" the Catholic school system their impressions or recollections of the treatment meted out by the Nuns.  There is a reason for all the nun jokes I heard from my Catholic friends (especially in French Canada).  So what was different in Indian Day Schools that warrants huge monetary compensation not available to others who attended Day School?  The sound of crickets prevails ............

The Application for Compensation:  So what is the application process, and how much cash will I receive if I attended Indian Day School?  The details were provided by a member of the lawyers who initiated the settlement proceedings back in 2016, during a meeting at the Six Nations Community Hall on 11 September 2019.  The monies will be available to those who suffered physical, emotional, or sexual abuse while attending Indian Day School after 1920.  Other eligibility time line details are provided, but the bottom line is that just about any attendee will be eligible to apply (it also includes those who have passed away after 31 July 2007).  When the claim forms become available (there is an appeal pending), applicants will have 2.5 years to complete the forms from the comfort of their own home.  Although a list of "proofs" such as report cards is given, those who do not have these will simply have to take their claim form to a notary or professional to have the signature witnessed - they are trusting that honesty will prevail !!  Specifically, "what is on the claims form will be assumed to be true unless there is egregious evidence to suggest that the applicant  is lying".   No penalty for lying of course.

The Monetary Compensation:  How much compensation will travel from the pockets of Canadian taxpayers to "survivors"?  There is a scale of 5 levels based on severity.  So the occasional biffing or having a teacher who used harsh words will result in a taxpayer gift of $10,000, up to the maximum payout of $200,000 for more serious experiences.

At this point I am speechless ...........

Do facts matter?

DY.

Caledonia Argyle Street Bridge Replacement - Provincial Government Confers with Six Nations Council NOT Haldimand County Council

The Problem:  In what is one of the most egregious and downright bizarre actions of the Provincial Government, they, via the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), has to date left the Caledonia and the Haldimand County Council "out of the loop" in discussions about moving forward with the Caledonia Argyle Street Bridge replacement project due to begin in 2020.  Just a reminder that Caledonia is a municipality within the County of Haldimand, and it has only one bridge - the above noted Argyle Street Bridge connecting the north and south sides of Caledonia across the Grand River.  Therefore why is the MTO is in closed discussions with the Six Nations Elected Council and the Mississaugas of New Credit is a mystery.  The latter bodies have absolutely no business, either legal or moral, to be sticking their nose in a matter that is entirely within the jurisdiction of the County of Haldimand - the relevant facts will be detailed below.

The response of the Mayor of Haldimand County to being left out of the communications relative to the Argyle Street Bridge work is detailed in The Haldimand Press, Vol. 45, No. 37, Thursday 19 September 2019 in an article entitled, "Mayor questions MTO's communication of Argyle Bridge work in Caledonia" by Lindsey Stuckless.  Here we note that Mayor Hewitt, "was confused as to why the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is having communication with Mississaugas of the New Credit and Six Nations without including Haldimand County".  Recall that all the land on both sides of the Grand River was purchased by Governor Haldimand from the Mississaugas in 1784 (they have never contested this fact), donated as Crown land to the Six Nations as compensation for lands lost during the American Revolution in Upstate New York.  These lands were subsequently surrendered in 1844 by all the Chiefs in Council - so in effect no "aboriginal" group has any legitimate right to a legal say in the matter of the new bridge.  The records are absolutely clear on this point.  ONLY the Haldimand County Council has jurisdiction here, in terms of negotiating with the MTO.

Mayor Hewitt further states that, "I am perplexed that you said regular communication is taking place with our neighbours and we have not been kept in the loop".  A major concern (very real based on events since 2006), as stated by Ward 3 (Caledonia) Councillor Lawrence is that, "a plan must be in place in case construction is halted", and further that, "We cannot take this issue lightly.  A stoppage of work on the bridge can halt all of Caledonia".  Hereabouts we have all seen the fall out of "actions" by Six Nations militants who have stopped work on land developments, green energy projects, and of course the Cayuga Bridge extorting bribes to allow the work to continue.  Considering that most at the lower end of the Six Nations Reserve use Argyle Street and the present Argyle Street Bridge, and many Six Nations businesses depend on this axis, it is possible that there would be some discontent within the Reserve on this matter - but that has never stopped the Men's Fire and other agents of the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) from advancing their agenda to return the Hereditary Council to power by any means available (and siphon as much money as possible in the process).

The Facts as to Land Rights:  Clearly a history lesson is needed to help get a grasp of the realities (versus the perceptions and beliefs).  The lands that are now Caledonia were sold by the Crawford family, Barefoot Onondagas, in a deed dating to the 1840s.  The present author has seen the deed and recalls seeing the signatures of all of the Crawford family, including William and Abraham, who sold their rights to this property under their claimed ownership (a fact never questioned by the Six Nations at the time - anymore than the ownership of the Johnson or Martin family properties up River was questioned).  This was Crawford land and they disposed of it legally, and without being contested by the then Six Nations Council.  The land was then surveyed and parceled into town lots and patents issued after the land surrender of Seneca (north side of River) and Oneida Townships (south side of River) in the 1840s.  William Crawford purchased one of these lots along the Plank Road (what is today Argyle Street) and established an inn on the site.  He never at any subsequent time claimed any ownership rights beyond this.

At this point it would be helpful if the present author could post a copy of the above noted deed, but alas it has gone missing (was stolen?) from the Haldimand County Museum and Archives at some point before 2010.  It was last seen among other records in the hands of "two women from Ohsweken" - according to a previous curator of the Museum.  If ever needed, the original deed could be produced as it is safe within the walls of Library and Archives Canada (LAC).  In addition, the records for Seneca Township, due to be transferred (legally) from the Indian Office in Brantford to the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, were "removed" (stolen) by Six Nations members, taken to the Library in the Museum of the Woodland Indian (now affectionately referred to as the "Mushole") for microfilming (seen there by reliable sources), and transferred to the Land Management Office for Six Nations in Ohsweken.

As noted in earlier postings, the records for Oneida Township were sent to the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) prior to the theft of the comparable records for Seneca Township, and are available for consultation.  The present author requested a microfilm copy of these items from LAC and has made copies of the relevant documents (LAC, RG10, Vol. 729, Land Inspection Returns for Oneida Township, Issued 11March 1844, microfilm reel C-13415).  A record of which lots here were owned by which members of the Crawford family is documented here - but again only for the south side of the River.

The Future:  In Caledonia we are facing the inevitable prospect of two full years of a nightmare of closures and detours which aggravates the already overwhelmed infrastructure (try getting out of a side street on to Argyle Street at any time of day).  Our recall of multiple Argyle Street blockades at the site of the former Douglas Creek Estates (now Kanonstaton in the hands of Six Nations due to capitulation by the Provincial Government) from 2006 onwards is very fresh in our minds - having only stopped a year ago.

Undoubtedly there will be much much more on this matter that will emerge between now and the slated completion date in 2022.  If this becomes anything like the Hydro One Niagara Reinforcement Line completion, that date (year) is laughable.

Do facts matter?

DY.