{"id":128,"date":"2011-01-10T16:18:08","date_gmt":"2011-01-10T20:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/?p=128"},"modified":"2012-07-20T14:55:03","modified_gmt":"2012-07-20T18:55:03","slug":"mohawks-the-resistance-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/2011\/01\/10\/mohawks-the-resistance-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"Mohawks: the Resistance Continues"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mohawks: the Resistance Continues<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Brenda Norrell,Jan. 10, 2011<\/strong>.\u00a0 Kahentinetha Horn, 71, publisher of Mohawk Nation News, was beaten by Canadian Border Guards on June 14, 2008, at the Akwesasne border crossing. Kahentinetha is now charged with assaulting those officers and obstruction of justice. This week, she faces a court decision on penalties for those charges.<\/p>\n

During a radio interview with Kevin Annett on \u201cHidden from History\u201d on Saturday, Horn described the media boycott of the attack by Canada Border Services Agents CBSA and her history of resistance.<\/p>\n

Horn described how Julian Assange of Wikileaks exposed the truth through documents.\u00a0 She exposed the truth of Canadian government and colonial wrongdoing through her writings and her life.\u00a0 The imperialists try to eliminate these people.<\/p>\n

The media boycotted the attack of Kahentinetha and another Mohawk grandmother who were peacefully crossing the Canada-US border. \u201cThey beat up the other woman first.\u201d Kahentinetha\u00a0 described the stress hold performed on her inside the customs house to induce a heart attack.<\/p>\n

The handcuffs behind her back were tightened until there was no circulation.\u00a0 Then she experienced pain up her arms and across her chest and upper back, which was the start of the heart attack.\u00a0 Then her head was pushed forward to cause death.\u00a0 She was close to death when her brother arrived on the scene.\u00a0 He called an ambulance and saved her life. She has since been in Kahnawake under medical care.<\/p>\n

She said at least 300 Mohawks have been assaulted by border guards in recent times.\u00a0 Many others have not reported the harassment.\u00a0 One young man was rammed on the St. Lawrence River and was left paralyzed.<\/p>\n

She was recently notified of two charges and two Canada wide warrants for her arrest.\u00a0 She remained homebound for the past two and a half years.\u00a0 On July 7, 2010 she was driving to the motor vehicle bureau to pay her registration.\u00a0 The Chateauguay police pulled her over immediately.\u00a0 \u201cIt looked like a setup,\u201d she recalls.\u00a0 She was arrested.\u00a0 The officers made arrangements to transport her to \u201cparts unknown.\u201d She was not allowed to call her family.<\/p>\n

The patrol car was steaming hot.\u00a0 She began having heart palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath and choking. She waved her nitrate stick. The officers called an ambulance and was taken to the hospital.<\/p>\n

Kahentinetha said she does not have enough money to defend herself against Canada\u2019s charges. She lives on a pension and has to make a difficult choice.\u00a0 \u201cIf I go ahead, I need a lot of money.\u00a0 If I plead guilty, we could ask for leniency, or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time of the 2008 attack Kahentinetha had a large audience international for her articles at Mohawk Nation News. With a background in research, she documented the facts.\u00a0 After the attack, her website and large list of subscribers was hacked and lost.\u00a0 She did not have the energy to rebuild.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve written and posted almost 929 articles,\u201d based on her right to freedom of speech [www.mohawknationnews.com].\u00a0 \u201cI think Indigenous Peoples are the canary in the mine. We have withstood brutal treatment through the centuries\u2026 other people will now be getting the brunt of cruelty we have endured for 500 years\u201d.<\/p>\n

As a traditional sovereignist Kahentinetha said she was raised with knowledge of Indigenous inherent rights. Describing her life of resistance, she recalled the 1968 public protest at the Akwesasne border, the same checkpoint where the assault took place 40 years later, in 2008.\u00a0 After this protest, Kahentinetha, small in physical frame, was charged with beating up 23 Cornwall policemen. \u201cThey were a lot bigger than me.\u201d As the names of the supposed victims was read in court, everyone started laughing.\u00a0 The charges were dropped except for two, which were also eventually dropped.<\/p>\n

A film on this incident was made and is available on the internet; \u201cYou are on Indian land\u201d;\u00a0 National Film Board.<\/p>\n

Three years earlier, the Civil Rights Movement brought her together with American Indian leaders. She knew the people in the American Indian Movement, Dennis Banks and Russell Means.\u00a0 She was the only indigenous from Canada to attend the Indian Conference on Poverty in 1965.\u00a0 \u201cWe framed our role in the Movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

They decided to support Black people, \u201cTheir objectives were different from us\u201d.\u00a0 Blacks wanted to become equals in mainstream society, with the same access.\u00a0 \u201cWe wanted sovereignty, to stay separate, protect our land, language, elders and children and maintain our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe supported the Blacks but told them to honor our right
\nto speak for ourselves\u201d.<\/p>\n

In 1968 after Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed, Rev. Ralph Abernathy was speaking in Washington, including native issues.\u00a0 The Native Americans wrote a letter to him to remind him of the native position and to respect it.\u00a0 Kahentinetha and a Mexican American, delivered it.\u00a0 At that time Kahentinetha was selected to be at the gravesite of President Robert Kennedy.<\/p>\n

Kahentinetha points out that \u201chalf of North America is the territory of the Haudenosaune and our allies.\u201d The Iroquois Confederacy signed agreements on behalf of about 300 other Indigenous nations.<\/p>\n

Kahentinetha spent 20 years raising her five children.\u00a0 In 1990, she rose once again to defend sacred land.\u00a0 \u201cThe Oka golf club wanted to increase their golf course to 18 holes on our burial grounds and ceremonial site\u201d. She was studying for her master\u2019s degree at the time. \u201cWe resisted.\u201d On July 11 1990 The Quebec para-military police came in and started shooting, \u201cOne of their policemen was killed.\u201d A 78-day siege began.<\/p>\n

After Canada\u2019s Prime Minister Mulroney met with President Bush, Sr., he announced in Parliament that the Canadian army would be sent in.\u00a0 4,000 troops, tanks, lethal weaponry and snipers surrounded Kahnewake, Kanesatake and Akwesasne.\u00a0 The Mohawks of Kahnewake shut down the Mercer Bridge, which connects Montreal with south shore communities.<\/p>\n

Kahentinetha and two of her children were stuck behind the army\u2019s razor wire.\u00a0 \u201cWe thought they were going to shoot us.\u201d
\nMohawk women prevented shooting from both sides. If one shot
\nhad been fired, \u201cour people would have been slaughtered.\u201d\u00a0 There were choppers flying over and they stopped food from getting in.\u00a0 The army put three levels of razor wire around them.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll never forget that, standing there and being put inside razor wire on my own land\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Sept 26, they came out.\u00a0 \u201cWe got badly beaten up by Quebec police and Canadian soldiers,\u201d Kahentinetha said. \u201cApparently I was one of those who were supposed to be taken out by a sniper.\u201d\u00a0 A soldier stabbed her daughter in the chest.<\/p>\n

The first group went to trial for one year. Then the second group, with Kahentinetha, went to trial for another year. Mohawks were fired from their jobs in Ottawa.\u00a0 It was almost impossible to find work, even as floor cleaners.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a reputation of resistance. It is our right to
\nresist and defend ourselves,\u201d Kahentinetha said. Later, the Canadian Army put in their training manual that Mohawks are
\ninsurgents.\u00a0 Mohawks were listed in GlobalRisk with the Taliban as \u201cterrorists\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kahentinetha said that women are the foundation of the communities.\u00a0 The government and media portrays them as sexual objects or street workers. They are not protected. Currently, there are about 600 indigenous girls who have disappeared.\u00a0 Police refuse to investigate.\u00a0 She believes they are killed because they have too much information on
\nthe ruling class.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe when they abuse these girls, they have to kill them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kahentinetha said the abuse at the border is part of the larger
\npicture.\u00a0 The government wants to abuse, criminalize and arrest
\nher people, especially the young men who want to protect the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen will we hear an outcry about this?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cThey tried to kill me,\u201d she said of the heart attack induced by the Border Guards.\u00a0 \u201cI had the first pangs of death.\u00a0 Then I came back.\u201d<\/p>\n

She described natural justice and unnatural justice. With
\nunnatural justice, people are trying to rule the world with killing, cruelty and fear.\u00a0 She looked into the faces of the lethally trained border guards when they were assaulting her, \u201cThere was no empathy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natural justice is the connection between our intuition, which is the natural world, and our intellect.<\/p>\n

She pointed out that the police, courts and military are being used against her and her people.\u00a0 The Border Guards routinely pull the people out of their cars by twisting the arm and trying to dislocate it. Many of these injuries remain for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n

In closing, Kahentinetha told a traditional legend of the two headed serpent.\u00a0 One head was gold and the other was silver.\u00a0 The skin was many colors.\u00a0 One head was peaceful and the other was violent.\u00a0 The people found the sickly serpent and cured its diseases.\u00a0 Everyday the serpent got stronger and wanted more. He multiplied, began killing and taking everything from the people. The serpent needed the constant flow of murder and the land was stained with blood. The serpent only wanted those that could be enslaved.<\/p>\n

Then, a young boy made a bow with hair of the clan mothers.\u00a0 The serpent was slain. The boy climbed on top, cut the serpent
\nopen and released all that had been devoured.<\/p>\n

Kahentinetha warned, \u201cWe have to stay out of this fight.\u201d
\n\u2013<\/p>\n

Censored News
\nhttp:\/\/www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mohawks: the Resistance Continues By Brenda Norrell,Jan. 10, 2011.\u00a0 Kahentinetha Horn, 71, publisher of Mohawk Nation News, was beaten by Canadian Border Guards on June 14, 2008, at the Akwesasne border crossing. Kahentinetha is now charged with assaulting those officers … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[193,192],"class_list":["post-128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-canada","tag-cbsa","tag-kahentinetha"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mohawknationnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}