Proof that the Douglas Creek Estates Property Had Been Surrendered by the Six Nations Chiefs in Council in 1844 - Thus the Rationale for Erecting Barricades and Demanding the "Return" of the Burtch Lands Stands on No Foundation Whatsoever

I have never before re posted anything written in this blog.  However the barricades sitting on Argyle Street South in Caledonia exist because of a false belief, and chain of events involving fraud and extortion (which are still illegal in Canada to the best of my knowledge).  This warrants my posting the evidence that "delegitimizes" the entire proceedings from 2006 to today, including:

1)  The first "occupation" (trespass, theft) of the Douglas Creek Estate (DCE) property while homes were under construction in 2006 and obtaining said lands from the legitimate owners by fraud.

2)  The extortion committed against the people of Ontario resulting in handing over the Burtch Correctional lands in Brant County to the Six Nations occupiers as a bribe to get them to remove the first Argyle Street barricade (in 2006).

3)  The illegal erection of another barricade (using the same stolen Ontario One hydro tower) across Argyle Street South in Caledonia in 2017 as a result of an internal dispute between the Hereditary Council (no legal status on Six Nations) and Elected Council (the legal representatives of Six Nations).

So for those who wish to be enlightened on how false beliefs on Six Nations; combined with police failure to enforce the law (Ontario Provincial Police), and Government impotency (Federal and Provincial) can result in sanctioned illegal acts, foster an extraordinary travesty of justice, and ensure that the lives of those who reside in Caledonia will be a living hell, please read the following earlier posting in full.  Since 1844 there has never been any basis for a claim that the DCE lands were unsurrendered - the root cause of all the troubles since 2006:

Documentary Evidence of the Surrender of the Land Where Douglas Creek Estates (Kanonhstaton) is Situated: Signed by 47 Chiefs in the Year 1844

There are numerous posts in this blog and in the media across the country which profile the 2006 take over and occupation of the land where Henco Construction had begun the development that was to be known as Douglas Creek Estates (DCE), perpetrated by activists from the nearby Six Nations Reserve.  Those who took it upon themselves to re-write history claimed that the land was never surrendered and still belonged to the Six Nations and should be incorporated into their land base.  This despite the fact that since 1847 the properties along the Plank Road (where the DCE is located) have been entered into the Ontario Land Registry System.

As noted previously, Six Nations land claims researchers agree that there is no legitimate claim to land that has been surrendered (170 years ago), however there are outstanding claims relating to the use (possible misuse) of the money that, after the land was sold, was placed in trust for the benefit of Six Nations.  I argued that were it not for any sort of reasonable interpretation of "statute of limitations", it would be prudent to provide a cost accounting of the trust fund monies including the monies deployed in the investments in the Grand River Navigation Company.

None the less, many activists at Six Nations and their supporters, clearly have not read the original documents that demonstrate the lead up to the formation of the present day Reserve.  The Reserve of today includes Tuscarora Township and part of Onondaga Township in Brant County; and a strip of land on the western boundary of Oneida Township.  The Chiefs also asked to reserve a 200 acre plot of land around the Mohawk Institute in the City of Brantford.  This mutually acceptable agreement was signed, sealed and delivered by a series of surrenders by the Chiefs in Council culminating in the report of Lord Elgin in 1850 which received Crown ascent.  Since then, there have been recent purchases to add to the Six Nations land base, including lands acquired via the highly questionable agreement between the Ontario Government and Six Nations representatives in 2006.  The latter agreed to remove the barricades blocking Argyll Street, if Six Nations was granted the land where the former Burtch Correctional facility (between the Reserve and the City of Brantford) was situated.  This sounds a lot like extortion.  However the core Reserve has, since 1847 been only the land noted above involving Tuscarora Township and parts of Onondaga and Oneida Township, as well as a 200 acre parcel in the City of Brantford.

To this day, the former DCE is occupied by Six Nations members, and a fence has been erected around the perimeter of the property, and a gate was installed crossing Surrey Street, which is owned by the County of Haldimand.

The goal of the present posting is to provide photographic copies of the original documents proving that DCE (Kanonhstaton) was surrendered prior to 18 December 1844.  After reading the entire series of documents pertaining to the surrender of the various parcels of Grand River land , the present author has been led to an inevitable conclusion.  That is to say, the common belief that the commissioner and superintendent were enacting "colonialist" and "paternalistic" policies which were meant to ensure "cultural genocide" could not be further from the truth.  These dedicated civil servants, David Thorburn and James Winniett, were attempting to ensure the survival of the Six Nations as a people.  At the time the population of about 2,000 was scattered throughout the Grand River Territory from about Dunnville to Brantford, and they were selling their improvements to White settlers then moving somewhere else.  At the time of the surrender of 1844 there were about 2,000 non-Native residents living on the land belonging to the Crown, but held by the Six Nations under right of occupancy.  Clearly the trend for Six Nations people to move west to the Ohio country, or elsewhere, was escalating and soon the Six Nations people would be scattered to the four winds.  Their own lands were dotted with White settlers ("squatters") who generally held title by virtue of a land sale from a Six Nations member.  To save the Six Nations from extinction as a people ("cultural genocide"), the government officials came up with a plan to consolidate the Six Nations settlement to a compact area where they would be a community, and would be safe from encroachments by those wanting the very land on which they lived.  The government made it very clear that no Six Nations person would be required to sell their property and move to the new Reserve, but if at a later date they did wish to sell their property and move to the Reserve, they would have the right to reside there amongst their own people.  Hence the old chestnut of finger pointing at the Government officials, accusing them of trying to destroy the Six Nations as a people is wrong - it was these officials who had the best interests of the Six Nations in mind when they recommended a consolidated Reserve, with the sale of other properties to be placed in a trust fund.  There would be compensation for the "squatters" who had built homes and cleared land which would then be used by incoming Six Nations people, and that money would come from the trust fund.  Hence the understandable confusion about what was placed into, and removed from, the trust fund account.

Here follows the individual pages of one small part of the entire series of Council meetings and surrenders between 1841 and 1849.  The focus here is on the part where the Chiefs gave up their initial idea to lease lands along the Plank Road, and instead reserved only the lands on the west side of the "tier of lots" along the Plank Road.  In other words they reserved only the far western strip of Oneida Township, which is today part of the Six Nations Reserve.

However, I must ask the question:  "Why has it taken so long for these key records to see the light of day?  Why has the Federal Government not released them to show all interested parties why they consider the surrender of 1841, which was capped off by Lord Elgin's report in 1850, valid?  Six Nations must come to the realization that to continue going down the same path, under the delusion that there is a legal basis upon which they could recover lands within the Grand River Tract, is folly.  It would seem incumbent on the Government to "show their cards" so that the Ontario Provincial Police will see the evidence which refutes any claim to "unsurrendered" land.  Furthermore, residents of Caledonia and other communities impacted by Six Nations illegal take over of lands will realize that, for example, the occupants of DCE do not have a leg to stand on.  The Province of Ontario needs to stand firm in the assertion that their Land Titles System (e.g., the deeds registered on title in the Land Registry Office in Cayuga) is valid, legal and secure.  Also the citizens of Ontario whose land is being eyed by those who would take steps to acquire it outside the land registry system, need to stand up for their legal rights without being intimidated by false claims backed up by militancy - bullies and thugs.

The evidence is arranged as follows:  First the handwritten Minutes of Council Meetings and associated documents.  Second a transcript of the handwritten documents.  Third, a map showing the boundaries of the Six Nations Reserve in 1842 in relation to the "tier of lots" west of the Plank Road.  At one point the Chiefs had wished to reserve the lots on the west side of the Plank Road for leasing purposes, however they later "receded from" this temporary position, as seen in the documents below, and unanimously agreed to maintain the eastern boundary along the present line in Oneida Township.

1)  Handwritten Documents Relating to the Surrender of the Lands West of the Plank Road:

(LAC, RG10, Volume 144, pp. 286-300 [83269-83287]).





2)  Transcripts of the Above Documents Added for Clarity:

Since the above handwriting leaves something to be desired, a transcript of the key parts of these documents are included below, from a transcript made by Garry Horsnell and published in his online, "A Short History of the Six Nations", in 2008.  Click on image to enlarge:

3)  Map of the Six Nations Reserve and Oneida Township Showing the "Tier of Lots" West of the Plank Road:

Note that this map dated 1842 was received by the Department of Indian Affairs in 1896.  As the marginal note on the right indicates, the Indian Reserve as agreed upon in various Council Meetings was the line running between B and E.  The Plank Road is shown as a red line running diagonally north - south.  The "tier of lots" noted in the above documentation refers to the lots situated between the Plank Road on the west side, and running west to the line marking the eastern boundary of I.R. 40, the Six Nations Reserve.  In effect this is the wedge shaped area bounded by D to C (along the Plank Road), and B to E (present day boundary of Six Nations Reserve)  (LAC, RG10M 78903/78, Plan of part of the township of Oneida, date 1842 [1896], Online MIKAN no. 3669668).  The DCE property is within the Lot  labelled C along Plank Road south of Caledonia where Sixth (6th) Line joins the Plank Road.

Google map showing DCE property west of corner of Surrey Street and Argyle St S

In the modern Google map above Oneida Road is the line from E to B in the above 1842 map (the border of the Six Nations Reserve), Argyle Street South (Plank Road, Old Highway 6) is the line running from D on the Grand River beyond McKenzie Creek (the flooded area in the 1842 map) to letter C (where Hagersville is today).  The DCE property is on both sides of Surrey Street west of the forked creek (Douglas Creek).

Conclusion:  Evidence, data, facts, proof, no matter how persuasive; and the concept of "beyond a reasonable doubt" or even the law itself, simply do not override political correctness and the unsupported view of "Natives" (although Six Nations are 1784 refugees from what is now New York) as victims.  So with a police "force" and two levels of Government who would rather operate as a flock of ostrich with their heads in the sand than confront these aggressors with the facts as shown above - we in Caledonia are beat - and the concept of one law for all citizens becomes a travesty, a sad sick joke in Canada.

DY

Caledonia Barricade May Move to the Caledonia Bypass (Highway 6)

Every day millions of dollars of goods in 18 wheel transport trucks drive along what is known as the Caledonia bypass, crossing the Grand River through a rural area west (north) of the town of Caledonia.  They cannot drive through Caledonia since the 9 span concrete bridge can barely handle car traffic, and Argyle Street at that point is choked with vehicles at almost any time of the day.  The bridge over the Grand River on the Caledonia bypass was designed to handle heavy transport trucks and us locals always assumed that it would eventually link up with the present Highway 6 where it ends near White Church Road.  Yet to happen.

Caledonia Bypass and Present Barricade at Surrey Street

The DCE property where the present barricade is located at the junction of Argyle Street South and Surrey Street.  The junction of Argyle Street South and the Caledonia overpass can be seen in this map.

If perchance there was a major accident on the bypass, the regular vehicle traffic would be funneled down Argyle Street South which joins Highway 6 about a kilometer from the present barricade. However the problem is extreme for large tonnage vehicles. There is no other crossing point for transport trucks other than huge detours to north of Brantford (Highway 403), or to Cayuga (Highway 3).  Any local will tell you that this would at best be a nightmare; as would any increase in traffic along Argyle Street.

Why do I mention this?  It appears that the brilliant minds who brought you the Argyle Street blockade may uproot themselves on Saturday and instead block the Caledonia bypass.  Why would they do this?  For an answer we can refer to an article of 30 August 2017 entitled, "Ontario broken promise barricade may be moving" in Turtle Island News - click here.  Quoting from said source,

"The Ontario broken promise blockade across Highway 6 (Argyle Street) just outside Caledonia may be moving just as Haldimand Mayor Ken Hewitt says internal Six Nation support is waning.  Turtle Island News has learned the blockade may come down Saturday and move to the Caledonia bypass.  Sources said those at the barricade debated shutting it down after complaints were received from businesses along Sixth Line.  'We don't want to see people lose their businesses so we decided we will move the barricade Saturday', said one source.  Turtle Island News has not been able to confirm the reports received from two people at the site.  But the protesters did receive threats of removal last Thursday (Aug 17)."

So, it appears that there has been pressure by local (Six Nations) businesses to move the barricade.  The thought to just fold up the tents and go home does not seem to have occurred so, the closest option would be to move shop to the Caledonia bypass - guess that the debris field will be left on Argyle Street for Caledonia to clean up.  Once again, there is nary a whiff of concern for Caledonia businesses who are in some cases in dire straits - click here to see a report on this problem, the "protestors" are only concerned when their own people are impacted (some have probably threatened these "barricade managers").

The Caledonia bypass is part of Highway 6 (Argyle Street is known as "Old Highway 6") and extends from the lights at the junction between Argyle Street (which ends there) and Highway 6 northward.  Any potential blockade could be placed between this point, the bridge across the Grand River, all the way to Green Road which funnels into the extreme northern end of Caledonia at Argyle Street north (also known as Highway 6 and Upper James Street - old Highway 6 from Hamilton to Port Dover was once known as the Plank Road).

If this does come to fruition, there is an up side to this in that there would be significantly more pressure on the OPP to dismantle the barricade and arrest the "protesters".  This time the Province would be affected, and one effect is that the transport companies would be furious.  This would NOT in any way put pressure on Ontario to give the Burtch lands to those with whom they did not negotiate a deal (although the luminaries behind the "protest" don't understand this).  The only outcome would be arrests and hopefully stiff fines against those so callous as to disrupt the lives of thousands for no valid reason.

It is interesting that the editor and reporter of "Turtle" give a name to the blockade, namely "The Ontario broken promise blockade".  No other news outlet has done that, and I will leave it to the reader to ascertain the significance.  Also note that the "protesters" (aka thugs and criminals) don't mention any Caledonia businesses, only those on Six Nations.  So once again my point that they don't give a tinkers da*n about Caledonia's people is reinforced.

The supposed action will take place tomorrow, so more then.  Later next week I will be in a position to gravitate to the front lines (if there are any at the time) and provide more pictures and an on site perspective.

DY

8 Steps to Resolve the Present Caledonia Crisis and Rectify Past Injustices

One of my professors used to say, "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions".  I try to live by these words.  Thus, what are my solutions to the present ongoing road blockade in Caledonia?  The following 8 items are not mutually exclusive, they can be combined for a more effective outcome.

1) A Court Order should be filed against those who set up and maintained the barricade.  The OPP knows who these people are and they need to be served immediate "cease and desist" papers.  Non - compliance, that is, if they don't completely remove all of the barricade within 3 days, means that they will be served a summons to appear in Court to answer changes of trespass and related charges.  Fines should be levied against individuals AND the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) who have bilked solar and wind energy companies out of millions of dollars by pretending that there is a valid Treaty and unsurrendered land and that they are the legal representatives of the Six Nations people.

2)  Irrespective of the outcome of number 1 above, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) should use their authority and enforce the law, removing the barricade and opening Argyle Street South within 5 days, and in the manner I suggested in the previous blog posting.  No muss, no fuss.

3)  Local merchants who advertise in the Rez newspapers should read the content of the last two issues and determine whether these media outlets have supported the HCCC barricade.  If these merchants have advertising in an "offending" newspaper it should be immediately removed, otherwise they are in effect being enablers to this situation.

4)  A boycott of all Six Nations businesses is NOT warranted.  There is a lot of disagreement about this blockade within Six Nations, but a survey taken by Two Row Times shows that over 85% of respondents want the barricade removed, and only 15% want it to stay.  There is a general recognition that we are all hurting.  Six Nations businesses are already suffering.  Many sensible people there, as off Rez, see the process as a futile and pathetic approach to problem solving.  Click here to see the survey results.  Please support Six Nations as well as Caledonia businesses - shop local.

5)  The Hydro One tower that was stolen and vandalized (its remnants presently part of the barricade) should be replaced and the wires strung that would link Niagara Falls and the Toronto grid.  Billions of dollars have been lost since 2006 when the project ground to a halt.  Legal action needs to be taken to recover at least some of the lost revenue.

6)  The illegal smoke shops surrounding Caledonia must be permanently removed - in addition to being an eyesore, they are a monument as to how Six Nations believe they can flaunt the law.  One law that applies to all people, nothing else is acceptable.

7)  All trespassers on the Douglas Creek Estates (DCE aka Kanonhstaton) property should be removed, and the land returned to the Haldimand County Ontario Land Registry system.  This property was obtained by fraud since the claim that it was unsurrendered land is patently false.  In a previous blog posting I included copies of the original documents signed by 49 Chiefs in Council in 1844 where they specifically surrendered that particular parcel of land.

8)  Since the Burtch property was obtained by extortion, it should be returned to the Province of Ontario and then re-established within the Brant County Ontario Land Registry system.

There is more, but all in good time.

DY

Legal Action Against the Ontario Provincial Police and the Six Nations of the Grand River

As frustration turns to anger, a class action suit against both the OPP and Six Nations would seem to be looming on the horizon.  

However, it would seem that the Six Nations Police have to bear some responsibility - apparently DCE is now "Kanonhstaton" and that 40 acre parcel of ill gotten gains beside the blockade is the location through which Six Nations takes refuge and orchestrates action.  What responsibility do they bear?  Six Nations considers this land to be part of their "territory", even though it was obtained only via extortion, since the land was legally surrendered in 1844 with the signatures of 49 Chiefs appended.  Will the Six Nations Police be immune?

We will see if a law suit against the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for dereliction of duty resulting in the damages caused by Six Nations to for example local businesses, and as well the OPP overtime "necessitated", can be brought to fruition.  It may be easier to take the OPP to Court rather than Six Nations.  Clearly this is the route the Haldimand County Council appear to be exploring - click here.  

Court action can be taken against Six Nations (SNEC) and / or individual members.  This has been done in the past - successfully in large case tried in Brantford in 2009, and less punishing judgments tried in Cayuga in subsequent years.  However, if there was a Court Order to remove the barricade, this would add weight to the proceedings.  There are pictures and documentary evidence as to the identity of the "ringleaders" so the OPP know who can be arrested and successfully charged.

Pardon those of us who would take some delight knowing that Six Nations Elected Council will probably have to sell the Burtch property just to pay the legal fees for their wayward opponents who are members or supporters of HCCC.  Sweet irony.

DY

Two Weeks and Caledonia Still at the "Mercy" of the Six Nations Hereditary Council (HCCC)

It must be quite puzzling to those who do not live in Caledonia that the "authorities" would allow the town of Caledonia to be under siege, being held hostage, by a group of "activists" and no one is taking action to rectify the situation.  Welcome to Haldimand County, and more specifically Caledonia - this has become the "new norm" in this neck of the woods.

In the previous blog posting I noted the illegal and immoral actions taken by protesters from the Haudenosaunee Hereditary Chiefs Council (HCCC) that began on 11 August.  Argyle Street South is still blockaded with the same piece of metal debris and a few concrete blocks, sometimes with protesters present and sometimes with none is sight.  Inertia, failure to do due diligence, incompetence, fear, political correctness ("Natives" are always victims, correct?) appear to have frozen our constabulary and converted them (the Ontario Provincial Police - OPP) into impotent watchers who are in effect, by their actions or non - actions, supporting the illegal blockade.

This blog posting is in essence an update from the previous one, adding new information, and sometimes highlighting what has already been said or migrating the add on info here.

What have the Federal Government officials done to help resolve the matter?:  Nothing.

What have the Provincial Government officials done to help resolve the matter?:  Nothing, although MPP Toby Barrett has always been supportive of Caledonia but the Government in power is Liberal and he is Conservative.  The Liberals have shown an unconscionable lack of concern with anything to do with Caledonia.

What have Haldimand officials done to help resolve the matter?:  The perspective of the Councillor for Caledonia, Craig Grice, is seen in an article entitled, Protest has 'nothing to do with Caledonia whatsoever':  Haldimand councillor, in the The Sachem see here.  The Haldimand Mayor, Ken Hewitt, is justifiably at the end of his rope, as reflected in the 29 August 2017 Hamilton Spectator article, "Mayor vents anger at protestors, OPP over Caledonia blockade" - click here.  Another even more strongly worded article, "Community frustrated over standoff:  mayor" is found in the Brantford Expositor (29 August 2017) - click here.  I have great respect for both of these gentlemen, and if there was anything possible within their power that they could do, that barrier would have been gone within a few days.

What has Six Nations done to help resolve the matter?:  In short, nothing but spin their wheels.  A response of the Six Nations Elected Council is found in an article entitled, Blockade:  Meeting sought, in the Brantford Expositor - to view click here.  A further illustration of how Caledonia's woes are not noticed by SNEC can be seen here:  The Sachem, 15 August 2017, "Elected council wants to meet with Confederacy" - click here.   For an update on the Court proceedings related to farming the Burtch lands see, "Burtch land dispute heard in Brantford courtroom:  Six Nations Elected Council seeking injunction against farmer" (The Sachem, 21 August 2017) - click here.  

Importantly, in the last article above is a very important quote, namely, "The HCCC  ...........  were initially involved in the Burtch land negotiations, but left the process before it was completed". Since this information comes from the legal proceedings, it appears that the facts indicate that even though it was the HCCC, not SNEC, who abandoned any dealings with the Ontario Government, yet they (HCCC) irrationally expect that the Government should assign them ownership.  They are a group with no legal standing at Six Nations, and apparently who were not involved in the agreement process (except to walk away) - in other words made no deal with the Ontario Government yet blame Ontario for giving the land to the proper authorities at Six Nations.  Their perspective of course is patently absurd, it makes absolutely no sense, but should this surprise anyone who has followed the circus surrounding the DCE site since 2006?  I think not.   HCCC left the table and has zero rights in the matter - they were only there as a courtesy anyway.

Today the HCCC sent a spokesperson to relay the following message found in an article entitled, "Indigenous protesters 'still standing strong' in Caledonia", 29 August 2017, the Hamilton Spectator (click here). The spokesperson said, "We ask again for the public's patience as we work on some very complicated issues" she read from a statement. "Public's patience" - you have GOT TO BE KIDDING, that was lost in 2006!  What a complete and absolute lack of awareness and concern about the mess they have created, all of their own doing, and not a hint of any concerns about Caledonia - which is simply being used as a whipping boy in the HCCC game of browbeating the Elected Council.  

Who is suffering?:  While the matter is largely an extremely annoying inconvenience, there are some who are impacted more.  Clearly those who reside closest to the site (old DCE property) are in harms way.  Hopefully they won't need emergency services since it would be impossible to get to West Haldimand Hospital in Hagersville without detours.  Since a major artery has been blocked for 2 weeks now, businesses in Caledonia are now beginning to suffer since those from the south have to go around Caledonia rather than through Caledonia.  This is grossly unfair and Six Nations do not in the slightest give a rats a**.  The economic effect on Caledonia is profiled in a CHCH TV segment found here.  I will say it now and I will say it again, there must be consequences to Six Nations for their unconscionable behaviour.  A red line has been crossed, and there is no room for any kumbaya.  I am guessing that the local illegal Six Nations smoke shops have NOT suffered.

Solutions:  These clowns MUST BE REMOVED BY THE OPP.   If those who we pay to enforce the laws do decide to act, please do it late at night, and preferably in the rain.  There is no shelter anywhere near the site.  The last building standing from the Douglas Creek Estates was recently trashed and has been removed.  If you block 6th Line at the Rez, and also the junction of Argyle Street South and Highway 6 Caledonia Bypass, reinforcements will not be able to pour down from the Rez - it is simply not geographically feasible especially since they torched the Stirling Street bridge in 2006, and there is no access from there or anywhere else across the railway tracks.  These simple measures will bring a much better outcome relative to 2006.  Of course this is another "Cashedonia" a la 2006 and a great deal of overtime money is available to willing officers - surely they would not put the gravy train before duty .........................

Our local police (OPP) have to date shirked their duty and refused to act to protect Caledonia and enforce the law, one law for all citizens.  Therefore I ask, Mayor Hewitt and Council, if you know that the OPP will continue to treat our crisis as a simple "peaceful protest", we are beat, so please BRING IN THE CANADIAN FORCES since anarchy rules, the criminals are in charge, and there is no end in sight.  This will send the correct message to these perpetrators with whom there is no negotiation (it has been tried ad nauseum since 2006 and the best outcome is extortion, as with the Burtch property).  Only force will work, that much is crystal clear.

What other choices do we have - status quo is not an option.  Will those who have courage stand up for the law and be compelled to form a Haldimand Militia and do our own policing?  This is of course the worse of all options.  However, as a citizen, I am not prepared to suffer under the weight of these illegal acts perpetrated by vandals and thugs any longer.  The rule of law has once again sunk beneath the surface.

So what is it, OPP action or Canadian Forces intervention.  The factionalism at Six Nations will never go away so there is no expectation that the blockade will ever go away.  After all they can leave it without any persons there all night and the OPP will allow the trash to remain blocking the road.  

There is an old Yiddish expression which captures the essence of what / who we are dealing with here, one I learned from my professors who hailed from New York City, but which so aptly fits in Caledonia, summer, 2017 - mashugana. 

DY

"HERE WE GO AGAIN": Caledonia Road Blockade and Callous Disregard for Victims

Well, after a much needed pause in the flow of this blog, recent events have made it "necessary" to ramp up and get in gear since the clouds of ignorance and winds of insanity are once again wafting across Caledonia.  

This current article is NOT about the annual fish fly invasion this year which spiked just before 10 August (see here) with hoards of winged insects covering the roads of Caledonia to the point of necessitating the use of snow shovels to move these odoriferous critters aside.  Caledonia is a hot spot for this natural event, but something for etymologists to sort out as to the specific reasons why.  However, a rather different sort of recurring invasion happened a day later, one that was entirely preventable, and the timing and duration of which is not quite so predictable.  Still, the question boils down to what is it about Caledonia that draws in these unwanted "visits" by troublesome elements?  Later in this article I will propose a detailed answer to the unnatural occurrences pertaining to the events of 11 August.  Here is a bit of a teaser or spoiler - both visitations are a function of the geography of Caledonia.

The saga continues:  Recent events are described in an article in the Hamilton Spectator of 11 August 2017 entitled, "Indigenous barricade up in Caledonia again".  A number of photographs are included.  See here for complete article.





The above scenes are horribly reminiscent of what was observed in 2006!!!  Incredibly, as can be seen in the photos, it is the same Hydro One tower, now very much stubbier and bedraggled, that once again blocks Argyle Street South - more on this later.

Here follow some noteworthy quotes from the Spectator:

Native protesters who have set up a roadblock in Caledonia again vow to keep the barricade until their demands are met by the Ontario government and the Six Nations Elected Band Council.

Doreen Silversmith and a 12-member group of mostly women — supporters of the Six Nations hereditary government known as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy — marched a short distance up Argyle Street South from their blockade Thursday to where OPP cruisers were parked on the road to say so.

Reading a statement to reporters, Silversmith said the barricade is a direct consequence of the Ontario government's failure to live up to a negotiated land settlement that led natives to dismantle barricades they set up during an intense occupation of the Douglas Creek Estates housing project in 2006. The new barricade is at the entrance of DCE, which was never been resolved.

"The province of Ontario stated in writing that the title to the Burtch lands (in addition to the Caledonia lands) would be returned…," she began. "For this, our barricades in Caledonia … came down in 2006."

Then, in April of this year, Ontario passed the Burtch lands near Brantford "not to our Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the traditional government, but to the Six Nations Elected Band Council," which she slammed as "the right arm of the government."

"With that action, Ontario has committed fraud and lied to us, to our people."

The following demands must be met for the new barricade to come down, Silversmith said:

•that "Ontario and Canada return to the negotiating table with our Confederacy;"

•that "Ontario lives by their words of May 17, 2006 and returns the Burtch lands under the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784;"

• that "Six Nations Band Council withdraw their injunction against Kris Hill and the people of Six Nations."

The Ontario Government has absolutely no control over the latter, and have already completed the first two "demands".  See here for info about the Kris Hill matter presently before the Counts.

Furthermore, "Ontario is going to be 100 per cent responsible for any actions resulting from their lies," Silversmith said.

An astute question of a reporter is worthy of note:  Asked if barricades would also be put up around the Burtch lands, since that is the area in dispute, Silversmith said it is a possibility.

When asked why the barricade did not start there, she declined to comment further and returned with the group to the former Douglas Creek Estates site.

Why was a major road in Caledonia, NOT a road at Burtch, blockaded?:  The reporter above asked an excellent question, which was evaded by the spokesperson for the protesters.  I can give an answer though.  Burtch was not blockaded because it is in a rural area of Brant County and not near any population center.  Thus they would be unable to cause significant disruption and hence be able to bring their point to the attention of others.  However a mid sized community in close proximity to the Rez such as Caledonia (which is in Haldimand County) can give them "leverage", and the press would take notice.  Furthermore, there are no forward thinking creative thoughts to work with - so in such circumstances perpetrators fall back on the tried and true.  So go with a path that is known - "lets block Argyle Street, it has always worked before"!  So batten down the hatches, full speed ahead, and innocent victims be damned (they are just collateral damage).

Some relevant background including the concept of "factionalism":  The decaying and dysfunctional forerunner to the present Haudensaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC), the Hereditary Council, which had served the people well in the 18th and first half of the 19th Century, was dismissed upon the repeated requests (pleadings) of the more progressive element at Six Nations.  So in 1924 the RCMP (the only police service at Six Nations at the time) locked the doors to the Longhouse.  After democratic elections were held, the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) was then installed as the legally constituted governing body at Six Nations - and now more could be accomplished in a week than previously in a month (or more) in an increasingly complex world.  It is a shame to see so much tradition disappear, but it is a truism that if an institution (in this case one based on lineage) can no longer adequately serve the needs of the community, it must give way to more efficient forms of, in this case, governance - or risk a messy implosion.

Here is where factionalism, which has been rampant at Six Nations since the settlement in 1784, once again has reared its ugly head.  Instead of accepting the inevitable, and becoming a ceremonial and advisory group working with SNEC, the HCCC has limped along (with major gaps in their ranks, and significant internal divisions) as some sort of shadow government and supporters continue to maintain that they are the ONLY legitimate representatives of the Six Nations people, and assert that the Government (Ontario and Federal - Crown) must negotiate with ONLY them, and that agreements made with SNEC are invalid.  

The HCCC and supporters would foster a movement backwards in time.  For example, they would doom the children living on the Rez to continued welfare and poverty by inserting more "culture and language teaching" in the schools at the expense of maths and sciences.  It should be a truism that it is absolutely essential to "move with the times".  Alas, even the press have bought into the "back to the past" approach.  One of the two Rez newspapers has solidly backed any and all initiatives of the HCCC or their "representatives" since 2006, throwing out the window even the vaguest pretense of objectivity and neutrality, and so cannot be used here as a reliable source.

The history of the world teaches us that the only entities which thrive over time are those that adapt to changing circumstances - there is no going back.  It does not appear that HCCC has an awareness of any realistic path towards fostering success and still maintaining a useful role in the community - which is sad because it will ensure their ultimate demise.  Neither the Provincial nor the Federal Governments can have an effective working relationship with a body where meetings are rare and acrimonious, and where the internal dynamic (e.g., the HDI versus Men's Fire - see previous blogs) ensure that nothing but chaos can be expected.

The crisis of 2006:  The present "problem" harks back to 2006 when members of Six Nations committed wanton acts of violence and anarchy based on the false belief that the new housing development at Douglas Creek Estates (DCE which they chose to call Kanonhstaton) along Argyle Street (old Highway 6) at the south end of Caledonia was being built on land that had never been surrendered.  I have presented the original documents in previous blog postings (e.g., see here) to illustrate that there is absolutely no validity to their claim - but facts have never been bothersome to the radical element who are affiliated with the HCCC.  A group of their supporters set up camp on the DCE site, and refused to budge.

In a nutshell, when the OPP tried to enforce a Court Order and evict the trespassers, Six Nations people got on the telephone tree and hundreds poured down 5th and 6th Lines (the latter has direct access to the Douglas Creek Estates land).  In the melee that followed, and in the anarchy and willful criminal acts of vandalism, terrorism, assault and complete disregard for the law, the various levels of Government and the OPP left Caledonia high and dry - basically cast aside to their own devices.  The OPP created a no go zone and the criminals were free to force residents to for example obtain "Haudenosaunee passports" and it was the criminals who regulated all activity in the local area.  The criminals were in total charge, and policing was non existent.  Among the litany of criminal acts was cutting then dragging a Hydro One high tension tower across Argyle Street - an act that would get any "non - Native" tossed in a paddy wagon an transported to jail.  No one ever suffered any consequences for this well documented act of theft and vandalism.  

At this time the Federal Government (quietly) stood by the formal surrender of 1844, and the Council Minutes signed by all Six Nations Chiefs at the time.  These documents are on record in the Indian Affairs Papers at the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa (and as noted, I have posted original copies to this blog).  Various Court cases have upheld these agreements (e.g., Brantford, 2009 as seen in previous blog postings), but that does not mean diddly squat to those who see the world through their narrow preconceived lens.  However it was the Ontario Government that was in the unenviable position of having to negotiate with two "governing bodies" at Six Nations who will not even sit in the same room together. 

So the Government is caught between a rock and a hard place, and although only required to negotiate with SNEC, it offered a seat at the table to HCCC as a courtesy.  However when negotiations to find a way to remove the barricades blocking Argyle Street were underway, the HCCC refused to acknowledge any role for SNEC in the proceedings - leaving the negotiators for Ontario (who purchased the Douglas Creek Estates lands from the developers) in a quandry.  It is difficult to know what happened next since there are few to no records to consult.  Apparently the remaining negotiators (supposedly SNEC members had departed in disgust - which turns out to be incorrect - see below) insisted that the barricades would come down only if the Government agreed to give Six Nations the Burtch Correctional lands in Brant County so that they could be added to the total Reserve.  Apparently.  The Government gave in to outright extortion, but did what they promised and transferred the Burtch property to a numbered Corporation so that the Six Nations people could, via their legal representatives, access the lands in a legal manner, and proceed to integrate them into IR 40 (Six Nations Reserve).  The problem (among many) was that the HCCC adamantly asserted that the lands were theirs (not under SNEC control), and would come under the umbrella of their "government".  However, to repeat, the Government of Ontario had no choice but to return it to the "Six Nations people" which meant SNEC (via a registered Corporation) so that efforts could be made to legally add the lands to the Reserve (there was NO other way that this could be done).  So months after the initial illegal acts, the barricades were removed and traffic once again moved along Argyle Street - at least for a while until the occasion arose to block Highway 6 on two more occasions, and block the Highway 3 Cayuga Bridge for months - plus of course stopping work on numerous housing developments - but that is another story.  Welcome to life in Haldimand and Brant Counties.

Meanwhile a Six Nations farmer had been leasing the land from (here it gets fuzzy) to grow corn, tobacco and traditional herbs.  However this was not done with the permission of SNEC, so they took legal action against Ms. Hill to have her evicted - thereby inciting the wrath of HCCC since they supported Ms. Hill.  This somewhat complex background is necessary before readers review the present "demands" noted the the above newspaper (Spectator) article.

How does Caledonia fit into this situation?:  Caledonia, Ontario has an unfortunate geographical proximity to the Six Nations Reserve.  The fact is that, what is transpiring today has nothing to do with Caledonia, only an internal jousting for power within Six Nations.  However the radicals don't consider for  a nano second the suffering their actions cause to others since they operate on the principle that the ends justify the means.  I want to make this FACT perfectly clear, there has NEVER BEEN ONE SINGLE SOLITARY INDICATOR, PAST OR PRESENT, THAT THESE PEOPLE CARE A WHIT ABOUT THE DAMAGE DONE TO CALEDONIA.  I will gladly apologize if I am proved wrong here.  The lives of the innocents are quite irrelevant when the perceived "cause" espoused by these aggressors is so "great", and there is no ability to see the broader picture.

So now we have to once again witness the manifestations of the power struggle on the Rez, and endure whatever illegal acts are perpetrated (acts that would have local non - Natives jailed in a heartbeat), since the OPP, if history is any indication, will not intervene. 

The absurdity is embedded in the reality that many at Six Nations have learned to play "the blame game".  So, blame the Government (an easy target).  So it is Ontario which gets blamed when things inevitably don't go well, even when the facts clearly point to a factional dispute between Six Nations groups.  A corollary, or "side effect" is that Caledonia continually gets slapped in the face - why - simply because we are the most geographically convenient pawn in this insipid never ending internal struggle for power at Six Nations.

This is all unmitigated insanity - but those of us who are privileged to reside in the beautiful community of Caledonia and surrounds can only shrug our shoulders and say, "what's new" - certainly no creative suggestions from the HCCC supporters have emerged in all these years and there is virtually no chance that any ever will surface.  So we await whatever series of crazoid responses will come into play as this oh so familiar scenario is replayed (Mohawk Warrior flags and all).

Problems, Situations, Frustrations and Solutions?:  The plot thickens, and raw hatred may be bubbling to the surface.  We are being treated as a door mat (or dog dirt) by those who are supposed to be neighbours and friends (and often kin).  They simply do not care about the people of Caledonia - we are not even on their radar.  Kindness and consideration are NEVER factored in.  This selfish, inconsiderate attitude towards us does not result in negative consequences to them, the conscienceless approach "works" and so as every Psychology 101 student knows, when behaviour is rewarded, it will be repeated.  It seems they hate us and disrespect us.  I have not heard one person at Six Nations openly express any empathy for us.  That sort of thing is rare at Six Nations because of "group solidarity" in the face of adversity. Perhaps it is time now for locals to push back, which could mean boycotts and other approaches that all of us would rather avoid - but ................    

Perhaps we also need to press the authorities to obtain reparations for the damages caused by Six Nations since 2006 - for example the torching of the Stirling Street Bridge, and the billions in revenue lost due to threats and vandalism in relation to completing the task of stringing wires on the hydro towers leading from Niagara Falls to the Toronto grid.  Is there room for a class action law suit against Six Nations?  That would take a coordinated concerted effort.  All I know is that our limp wristed and tip toe approaches of the past, such as treating thugs with kid gloves, have not worked.  So do we need to change direction?  Apparently only the more assertive efforts are likely to succeed with this lot and send a clear message, so what to do ..........

A personal reflection:  It should be noted that if some sense deep anger and other negative emotions, it is because those who live here have been forced to endure the fruits of ignorance and a total disrespect for the rule of law on the part of the Six Nations agitators on numerous occasions.  A disrespect for the law has spilled over to locals since the OPP have, with few exceptions, acted to protect the interests of the Six Nations protesters with the focus being on sheltering these criminals from the law abiding local people, and fostering politically correct notions of Natives as victims.  An objective analysis will show that the only victims here are local people who have to put up with illegal acts (e.g., the smoke shops still on private land at the southern entrance to Caledonia) or risk being labelled "racist".  This has the potential to take us all back to 2006 perceptions of the OPP - although this time hopefully they will act in accordance with the principal "to serve and protect" - but ..................  So questions emerge such as when will this end, and how much disruption and how many criminal acts we are expected to endure due to the power struggle within Six Nations.


This all begs the question, IS THIS HOW NORMAL PEOPLE, SAY IN STONEY CREEK OR WAINFLEET, LIVE?  The answer is all too obvious to those of us who live in Caledonia.  Locals know all too well what to expect in a location where there is a two tiered policing system - one for "Natives", and another for "non - Natives", with the system favouring the former.  Meanwhile the local Federal MP, and the Federal Government, are quiet as church mice - deja - vu - 2006 all over again.  

Back to the fish fly analogy.  Experience teaches us that simply by waiting a few days the fish fly problem will resolve itself via the natural course of nature.  However experience also teaches us that with the HCCC they will use Caledonia to meet their ends for as long as they can get away with it.  

What a stressful, and dare I say bizarre, way to live!  The lifestyle and sophistication of places such as Port Dover beckon - but Port Dover is not home.  My ancestors have lived on the banks of the Grand River since 1784, and I refuse to be pushed out by thugs and common criminals from Upriver whose ancestors have also lived on the banks of the Grand River since 1784.

This just in:  Click here to see the article, Ontario made too many 'wrong mistakes', now Caledonia's barricades are back, in the National Post by Christie Blatchford (she having played a pivotal role in exposing the suffering, the cover up and the double standard in policing after 2006 in her excellent 2010 book, "Helpless:  Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy and How the Law Failed All of Us").  

An update can be found in the next blog posting.

DY.

Time for a Pause

Dear Readers:

As many of you will have noted, there has been nothing posted to this site for a few months.  There are a number of reasons for this development.  First is that I am tired of hashing and re-hashing the same old, same old, same old topics.  Despite the facts, the evidence, it still does not to seem to have made a dent in the deeply entrenched beliefs that are firmly held by most Six Nations who reside on the Rez.  If the goal is to put one's fingers on the pulse of the truth, then objective evidence and critical thinking are a must.  I know many on the Rez read this blog, but it is crystal clear that few are willing to bow to reason and rationality, when adhering to the spin that has accumulated over the centuries is what is expected in the Community.  If the seeds of doubt have been sown in at least some, then it makes my efforts worthwhile.  None the less, it is exceedingly frustrating to think that some still think that little children from the Mohawk Institute were murdered there, and there are mass graves yet to be located in that vicinity, and that there has been some sort of Church - State conspiracy to keep the whole thing quiet.  These irrational (without any basis in evidence) beliefs open the door to predatory hoaxers, which is precisely what happened.  How does one defeat ignorance when there is no respect for critical thinking, reason and evidence.  Anyone who goes against the grain of the "party line" will be shouted down and "put in their place".

I have dutifully picked up a copy of each of the two Reserve newspapers when in residence in the area, and in the past 6 months have read two issues, and sent the rest to recycling.  The task of reading what is essentially the same reality denying, bellyaching and "wheel spinning" is simply so unpleasant that I could not bring myself to read any more issues.  It is the year 2016 and it is the same now as it was "then" - so no productive changes, just entrenchment of unsupported beliefs.

Here follows, off the top of my head, some of the recurring matters which are particularly irritating / galling and contributed to my "pause":

1)  The creating of a class of individuals known as Residential School "survivors" who have their hands out for monetary "compensation" for the supposed intentional "cultural genocide" by the Anglican Church and the Canadian Government.  In fact it was the Chiefs (and hence Clan Mothers) who in 1837 pleaded with the Government to establish a residential school on the Reserve (it was located in on Indian land within what is today Brantford at the northern end of the Reserve), and when the Government decided to close it down the Chiefs pleaded with the Government to keep it open (since this is where most of the Reserves teachers had received their education).  Somehow there was a cadre of individuals who latched on to the coat tails of the very different situation in the West where there were abuses, and claimed that the same things happened at the Mohawk Institute.  In speaking to the elders I know who went there, they were very clear that they have fond memories of the place and saw it as a haven from often impoverished and dysfunctional home environments.

2)  The emphasis on the "canoe" and "ship" relationship between Six Nations and the British, and now the Canadian Government.  It is a concept that is heard constantly at Six Nations with the assumption that it has validity.  This is also known as the "Two Row Wampum" agreement.  I tracked down this document from 1613 (posted to this blog) and found (as had numerous academics) that it is nothing more than a trade agreement between two Dutch traders and 6 Five now Six Nations (apparently Mohawk) individuals.  There is no hint of a government to government or culture to culture relationship - and in 1613 the British claimed new England and the Dutch New Netherlands and it was that way until 1664 when the British became the ruling body in New York.  So there was never any formal agreement between independent governments dating to the earliest days of the European settlement along the Hudson River.

3)  The belief that Six Nations has "treaty rights" in Southwestern Ontario including the Grand River region is patently false.  Again the original document of 1701 (posted to this blog) that came to be called the "Nanfan Treaty" of 1701 shows that it was a document whereby 20 Six Nations individuals gave away all rights to "His Majesty the King of England" their lands in what is today Southwestern Ontario, with the hope that the King would grant them beaver hunting rights.  How this is seen as a treaty stretches the imagination.  A further problem is that by 1696 all 8 of the Six Nations settlements north of Lake Ontario on lands taken from the Wyandot (Huron) and Attiwandaronk (Neutral) peoples by conquest were actually taken by conquest from the Six (then 5) Nations by the "5 Fires Confederacy" led primarily by the Mississauga.  So in effect the Six Nations were trying to arrange a deal for lands they did not own.  In no way was it a treaty of any description.  There is no seal of the Colony of New York, and none of the Privy Council of England.  The document is of historical value and nothing more.

4)  Another very distracting and disruptive false belief is that the Six Nations own unsurrendered land within the Haldimand Grant of 1784.  The Six Nations gave up all lands except the present day Reserve in 1841 (I posted the entire document here), and in the years that followed while there was some back tracking by the Chiefs they for example specifically gave up all rights to the lands on which the Douglas Creek Estates property is located in 1844 (all documents posted to this blog), and by 1852 the 1841 Surrender was agreed to once again and Lord Elgin wrote up a final report to that effect - which was not challenged by the Chiefs or anyone else until recent "agitators" decided to ignore history and make invalid claims causing the "billion dollar chaos" surrounding the "reclamation" of the Douglas Creek Estates, and the turmoil it has caused to the region, the Province, and the Country since 2006.

5)  The acts of violence since 2006, including assault (e.g., beating Mr. Gaulieri almost to death), and arson (e.g., burning of the Stirling Street Bridge), and vandalism (e.g., the cutting of Hydro One towers), and extortion (e.g., requiring that the Ontario Government give them the Burtch Correctional Center lands in order to remove the barrier blocking the southern entrance to Caledonia) have never been met with any consequences.  In the years since 2006 can be included the threat that if their demands (e.g., for money) are not met, further disruptions at construction sites will occur.  Similarly, based on the false beliefs of the non - existent Nanfan Treaty, extracting millions of dollars from Samsung and other companies building wind turbines and solar farms.  The same ends have been reached by falsely claiming unsurrendered land (e.g., in South Cayuga Township), and muscling in on projects in the area in order to line the coffers of who knows who (most at Six Nations don't know where the money has gone).

6)  The belief that the Government practiced and practices Colonialism and Cultural Genocide to suppress the aspirations of Six Nations people is once again wrong, and rather hypocritical.  The only genocide ever proven was that perpetrated by the Six (then 5) Nations against the Wyandot (Huron), Petun, Erie, Attiwandaronk (Neutral), Wenro and others which involved the cruel torture, and annihilation of all these peoples as tribal and nation entities, between the years 1642 and 1649.  This was true genocide and there is no white washing of any of it - the evidence being disparate documentary sources, and the archaeological record (showing precise evidence for the torture perpetrated before death as described by the Jesuit priests who were present to observe).  Now what is it that the Canadian Government has done that is in any way "genocidal"?

7)  Since 1924 (when the progressive element at Six Nations petitioned for an elected council) the never ending dispute over the legitimacy of the present Elected Council has festered when the Hereditary Council (a shadow government) claims to be the sole traditional and legitimate representative of the Six Nations people.  Meanwhile one of the two Reserve newspapers stands four square behind the Hereditary Council, as the latter continues to fail to be able to fill all of the 49 hereditary chief positions with legitimate members of the clan they are supposed to represent.  The tattered remnants of the Council are beset with internal squabbles and even violent confrontations, and are completely dysfunctional yet want to meet with the Canadian Government without any representation from the Elected Council in order to be the sole representatives of the Six Nations people.  This is entirely irrational, but ..............

8)  Factionalism is, and has always been, a serious problem at Six Nations.  Just as one single example of many, the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) and the Men's Fire, both spin offs of the Hereditary Council have been active in trying to disrupt projects such as the McClung - Avalon Housing Development east of Caledonia (which I too do not want here).  They have been at each other's throats even to the extent of the Men's Fire sending representatives to eject the lawyer involved with the HDI - off the Reserve.  The expected donnybrook occurred, and the fall out is still very much hanging in the air.

9)  There has never been an apology for the torment to the citizens of Caledonia and surrounds.  Neither has there been any compensation for the billions of dollars (with the tab being picked up by the Canadian taxpayer) which is the responsibility of Six Nations and which was caused by, for example, the preventing of the stringing of the high tension wires on the towers between Niagara Falls and the grid by threats of violence, the primary costs and overtime for the Ontario Provincial Police, and on and on and on.  Never has anyone in an official capacity (or any other capacity for that matter) said, "I (we) are sorry for all of the disruption that we caused to you the citizens of Haldimand County" - never have those words been spoken and never will they.  Nor has one thin dime ever been "given back" to for example the energy companies for falsely leading them to believe that Six Nations has treaty rights or unsurrendered land.

10)  The Six Nations continues to get away with for example having illegal tobacco shops off the Reserve on for example Hydro One land, selling contraband cigarettes and paying no taxes while the shops a mile away in Caledonia are forced to comply with the letter of the law.  That is two faced and hypocritical but Six Nations knows how to play the game with the "race card" and the use of the veiled threat of violence if anyone one was to disturb the "new apple cart".

I will leave it at an even 10, but this is the tip of the iceberg.  What is so depressing is the obviously self - destructive element woven into the mix.  For example the call is for more language (Native) and culture taught in schools - although one might argue that this is the responsibility of the parents.  Were this to happen there would be less science and technology taught, and Six Nations children would be ham strung in the larger very real world out there should they wish to become an entrepreneur, or to obtain higher education and pursue goals anywhere in the world.

On that note I will now take my leave, and return to this blog as need and circumstances and state of mind dictate.  I know from the statistics to this blog that there are a large number of readers, and I don't want to disappoint.  However, it is "draining" to be constantly batting one's head against the wall - and eventually it begins to "hurt" and begs the questions, "why am I doing this, and do I have the psychological resources to continue doing it?"

D.Y.