Solidarity w Six Nations: Upcoming Events

Three upcoming events on Six Nations’ Grand River Territory

April 28: Walk and Gathering for Peace, Respect, and Friendship
Caledonia and Kanonhstaton, Six Nations Territory

April 29: Indigenous Sovereignty and Solidarity 101:
an introductory workshop – Waterloo, WPIRG

May 4+5: Aboriginal Land Rights and the Rule of Law: book launch
Brantford, Caledonia, Ohsweken

April 28: Walk and Gathering for Peace, Respect, and Friendship

At 2 PM on Saturday, April 28, 2012 the Six Nations [Haudenosaunee] people of the Grand River territory and their allies will be holding a walk and rally for “Peace, Respect and Friendship.” The main focus of the event is to remind the Canadian people and the Canadian government that Six Nations land rights and treaties need to be respected.

(read more)

Get on the Bus: http://april28coalition.wordpress.com/our-transportation-registration-form/

April 29: Indigenous Sovereignty & Solidarity – 101: An Introductory Workshop

Waterloo, 2-5:30pm, Math & Community Building (MC), room 2034- University of Waterloo, WPIRG

(link)

The need to recognize indigenous sovereignty, land and treaty rights, and to root all of our intersectional struggles within a framework that incorporates anti-colonial perspectives, is increasingly understood to be a central feature of contemporary social and environmental justice work.

This series of workshops will introduce participants to the basics, as well as some of the complexities of engaging in indigenous solidarity work. Trainings will be interactive and will heavily utilize various popular education techniques, as well as some formal presentation.

All workshops are free, and open to both students and community members. Snacks and bus tickets will be provided, and childcare is available upon request.

Workshops will be held in the Math & Community Building (MC), room 2034- University of Waterloo. Registration is required.

Email tammy@wpirg.org to register.

May 4 and 5: Aboriginal Rights and the Rule of Law

Brantford, May 4, 7-9pm, WLU Odeon Theatre, 50 Market Street
Caledonia, May 5, 1-3pm, Haldimand Public Library, 100 Haddington St.
Ohsweken, May 5, 7-9pm, Old Council House, Fourth Line at Chiefswood.

You are invited to a book signing and author talk with University of British Columbia law student and author, Laura DeVries.

CONFLICT IN CALEDONIA:  Aboriginal Land Rights and the Rule of Law

About the book: Most people know that in 2006 an ongoing struggle in the communities of Caledonia, Brantford and Six Nations began. This book examines the way the conflict in Caledonia was publicly portrayed by those involved in its first two years. It asks why the conflict began, explores how it is linked to broader debates about Canadian law, citizenship and history, and offers ideas as to how the crisis could perhaps have been averted and why the government and Six Nations have been unable to reach resolution.

“I used chapters from this book in my third-year Indigenous history course. The book provides a wonderful analysis of the Caledonia situation.”
-Prof. Gary Warrick – Indigenous Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford Campus.

FREE ADMISSION
More Information call T.R.U.E. c/o Jim Windle at 519-732-5700

County, provincial officials meet behind closed doors

Dunnville Chronicle: Haldimand County council members were unable to comment on discussions with representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.

For about 30 minutes on March 2, council met behind closed doors with senior negotiator John Nolan and assistant deputy minister Doug Carr who oversees the negotiations and reconciliation division of the ministry.

Neither could provide any information on meeting discussions.

In general terms, Coun. Craig Grice commented on gist of the meeting.

“It relates to lines of communication finally opening up,” he said.
In his opinion, some ideas made sense but others did not and some were non-starters.

“I would hope the powers that be at Six Nations would recognize that it’s about what could be if we want to truly move forward,” stated Grice.
He said a positive point of view was discussed and described it as stepping out of the problem to find an answer.

“It’s got to start somewhere,” Grice pointed out.

The closed meeting occurred nine hours after three Six Nations women asked developer John Voortman to stop construction of 46 townhouses in Hagersville. He agreed to contact provincial officials to ask them to negotatiate this land dispute with Six Nations.

More than a week ago a Six Nations, Brantford and Ontario draft memorandum was leaked out to the public after a closed Brantford council session.
Grice indicated that Haldimand’s discussions were not in the same vein.

The Brantford Expositor identified the memorandum as a provincial document and an interim agreement. Within it were clauses about potential financial benefits to Six Nations, acknowledgement of multiple claims and rights assertions of Six Nations in Brantford and other parts of the province and encouragement for expeditious federal resolution of outstanding claims.

Other memorandum clauses set out discussions as confidential, a three-month abeyance of Brantford’s injunction against the Haudenosaunee Development Institute and individuals and abeyance of Six Nations elected council’s lawsuit against the city and province.

In turn, the province agreed to give the Haudenosaunee $100,000 to pay for talk costs and Haudenosaunee leaders were to use their best efforts to halt all development delays to give talks a chance to succeed.

Further talks about memorandum were scuttled after Confederacy chiefs heard about the leak.
Mohawk Chief Allen MacNaughton said the chiefs will look at another avenue to address related issues.
-with files from the Brantford Expositor

Copyright © 2009 Dunnville Chronicle