MNN. June 2, 2006. Yesterday Six Nations Caledonia was invaded. Everything came out of the military toy cupboard: choppers, paddy wagons, extra Ontario Provincial Police, four wheelers, ambulances and vans. Everywhere people turned there was no relief. When we looked up to the sky, looked to our right or left, we worried whether it was safe to get the groceries or send our kids to school. Everybody was on alert – and apprehensive. Why was this happening? According to the police, this “uber presence” was to keep a “garage sale” in Caledonia from blowing up into a “riot”. Have you ever seen this kind of attention paid to a garage sale before? What were they selling? Surplus pepper spray, baseball bats, cherry bombs, M-80’s ?? Does anyone want a used tank to plant geraniums in?

Is this where the van load of arms like the ones they sent to Kanehsatake on January 12, 2004 ended up? Harper keeps saying he’s is going to build more jails and get more police. Obviously their weaponry will have to be updated and they have to get rid of the old ones. If the aim of this operation was crowd control, why were the cops hiding behind buildings and in the woods so heavily armed? The situation was so weird that Indigenous people all across Canada were on the alert. That’s not the only strange thing that happened yesterday.

Judge David Marshall held court in Cayuga County. He was going to demand that the OPP serve the warrants that he issued way back in March to kick John Doe, John Doe, (times 17) Jane Doe and Jane Doe (times 17) off our land. These improperly filled warrants are illegal in their law. He was appointing himself as judge, jury and executioner by trying to convict unnamed people for unnamed crimes – because they had not done anything yet and may not even be there. This was the twilight zone. Getting back to reality, we have reclaimed our land since February 28th. As we don’t have a big police force at our disposal, we have had to sit there permanently in occupation to stop squatters from taking over.

In a fit of megalomania, Marshall gave everybody who attended his hearing two weeks to get their act together. He sent out a judicial order to the Minister of Indian Affairs, Jim Prentice, and the Attorney General of Canada to get involved in the case, which so far they say they have nothing to do with.

Everyone, except the Six Nations People, showed up to watch the circus in court. They babbled all kinds of suggestions on how to resolve what he called a “conflict”. There is no conflict. It’s clear! We own the land! Lawyers for Henco Industries, the construction company, and the town of Hagersville, wanted immediate police action so they can go ahead with their illegal developments on Six Nations land. They still think there is a market out there for stolen property. Dream on! They should start following the law. Henco is barking up the wrong tree. Their problem is with the Ontario government, not with us.

The OPP said they did take action on the injunction by attacking the Six Nations People at the site on the morning of April 20th 2006. That’s what they call their illegal uncalled for attack. They said, “Now it is up to the politicians”. Congratulations! This is one time we agree with the OPP. It should be resolved by legal and political means and not by armed force. The band council was there as part of the colonial federal government apparatus that works with the court. They were speaking on their own behalf. Keep in mind that the vast majority of Six Nations People have always boycotted the illegal band council elections in protest over Canada’s illegal attempt to depose the Confederacy Council in 1924. In most Mohawk communities historically only 3% of the eligible voters have ever voted in these puppet government elections.

The only problem with this scenario is that the court represents one of the parties to the dispute. Because of this it cannot be impartial. Also the sovereign Six Nations people refuse to enter the foreign Ontario court. Judge Marshall even acknowledged that he could not force the Confederacy Chiefs, who are dealing with the land issue, to come into his court because it has no jurisdiction over them [or us]. All the parties in court are all on one side, the one in opposition to the Six Nations People. What we really need is an international mediator who is impartial and acceptable to both sides. We can put out our documents and Canada can put out theirs. We already know where the chips are going to fall. That’s why Canada doesn’t want a public display of their empty table.

What a back slapping party that must have been at court yesterday! Marshall must have done a little bit of research. Six Nations sovereignty was well accepted at the turn of the century. Canada and Ontario have no jurisdiction over us and our land. Talks with us will have to be conducted on a nation-to-nation basis. He should do more research and take himself off the case. He’s in a conflict of interest because he has some of that stolen Six Nations land on the Haldimand Tract.

Judge Marshall said, “It is indeed (the federal government’s) constitutional responsibility and, right now, they’re shirking their responsibility.” Actually, the remedy is for us to assert our legitimate constitutional jurisdiction over our land and our people. Simple!

Marshall’s decision came after daylong submissions from provincial police, the provincial attorney general’s office, Indigenous people, and railway, developer and community representatives on how the court should handle the occupation. This is much ado about nothing. The issue they should be looking at is the Ontario government?s involvement in issuing unfounded certificates of title to our land. We are on our land and we are staying. Can you handle that? Just get used to it.

David Marshall went on, “Hopefully, within 14 days, we’ll have an agreement with the (provincial) government… to purchase the subdivision (from us) at fair market value… and we’re not going to have to be back here again.” Eek! This is stolen land that belongs to us! The provincial government can’t buy it when it’s not for sale? And we cannot sell it according to our law. Henco wants to sell our land to Ontario who will turn it over to us. Forget that step. It’s already ours!

The day before, on Wednesday, May 31st, the Six Nations People set up an information picket at the Brantford Casino. Oh! Oh! Another worry! We wanted to show that our fight is more than a housing development occupation. The Casino was built on land we never sold or gave up. We protested right at the start. It is part of our whole Haldimand Tract of almost 1 million acres. Gamblers, don’t cry! We’re sure you’ll keep on coming because you don’t really care who owns the casino, do you?

Ontario is worried this will turn into Caledonia “Two”. What are you talking about? This is Six Nations “One”!

In the meantime Buck Sloat, a Haldimand County councilor, said on CTV: “They need to bring in the necessary authorities to end this dispute immediately. Whether they bring the provincial OPP or the army, this needs to be ended immediately”. Is he taking over from Caledonia’s closed mind-open mouthpiece, Mayor Marie Trainor? They probably put her on vacation again. Is that all the high priced Toronto public relations spin doctors can dream up for their bird-brained politicians to say?

Think of all the employment we’ve created: the PR, the cops raking in overtime, the judges, the legal advisors, the corporate media, the consultants working to keep the true story out of the press slinking around in the background, and the expansion of the jail industry. Harper has already announced another 1000 RCMP who are probably going to sit around keeping an eye on us and listening to our phone calls. Or are they going to farm that out to a call center in India? This seems to be getting out of hand. Before we know it, policing and surveillance of Indians will be an industry bigger than General Motor, if it isn’t already since GM has lost out to Japanese cars.

We think they should say things like, “We just love how all those Six Nations people are so restrained even though we are spending millions of dollars trying to provoke into a fight so we can put them in jail and shut them up for another couple of generations”.

This all goes back to Duncan Campbell Scotts’ plan to let the settlers move onto our lands and, after two or three generations, the Indian problem will be gone. No way, Jose!

Kahentinetha Horn http://www.mohawknationnews.com