Natives say: Canadian Flag is just 'dirty laundry'

From “Kanonhstaton”, December 7, 2006

She:kon from Grand River.

                           Are you wondering about the so-called “negotiations” and our land reclamation of “Kanonhstaton”? 

Since November 14th there has been no meeting of the “Lands Side Table”.  We had another death in the family of one of our Clanmothers, so our meetings for the end of November were moved to December 13th and 14^th.  We are anxious to see how the Crown responds to our documents and historical evidence [which totally discredits them].  We provided our Wampum and Oral History at our last meeting.  

                         The Crown has a big dilemma.  They can’t contest our title to Plank Road (also known as Argyle Street and formerly #6 Highway).  Their purported “land surrender” is merely a mention in the minutes of a council meeting.  There’s no Order-in-Council.  It’s not a surrender.    

They know that the Indian agent, who was also our translator, drafted fraudulent surrenders.  He told the Chiefs one thing and then recorded something else.  It's an old colonial trick.  Our Chiefs pointed out several examples, like the Nanfan Treaty, the Simcoe Deed and many others.  When the Crown saw how generous we were, they became [excruciatingly] greedy.  They just had to steal more from us and create their own fraudulent patents.  It wasn’t valid then and isn’t valid today.  Yet the Crown’s Legal Advisors pretend it's a valid surrender. 

Their principal negotiators continue to mislead the people of Caledonia.  They tell them about a phony Bill of Sale and that the Six Nations will not get our land back.  [Dream on!]  These politicians speak with the same “forked tongue” as their Indian agents did way back then.  [Hey!  Colonists! Look us in the eye and] tell us that your ancestors lied, cheated and stole from us.  We are your true Landlords that you treat so disrespectfully with racist discrimination, hatred and antagonism.  You keep committing crimes and inciting attacked on us.  [You should sit down soon and start talking with us nation-to-nation.]             

At that last “negotiation” meeting Jock decided to put the Crown’s representatives into the same situation as our people were in the 1800's.  He wrote our presentation  in Cayuga, then read it to the Crown representatives.  He then translated it into English.  He asked them to sign it to verify they heard it.   None of them would sign.  Jock thanked them for proving our point. 

Our ancestors constantly faced this type of fraud throughout our relationship with the colonists.   Crown representatives drafted the documents, translated them and gave false information to our people.  Unfortunately our people trusted the Crown.  [But we know better now.]  What was written and what was handed down orally were contradictory.   

Then Federal Representative, Ron Doering, put an  “X” mark on the paper.  Jock said that anyone could put an "X" mark and that we could decide who it was.  We wanted them to know that we could see right through their deceptions.   

Jock suggested, “We will give you an Indian name to describe who you are.  You could have agreed to sign all of Canada back to us.  You won’t know because it’s not in your language or your understanding”.  He quoted Pope John Paul II, “It’s not the LAW, it's only paper!” 

                         At the recent Chiefs Council meeting at least six development companies stampeded into our midst.  They hoped to “consult” with the real Landowners.  Each developer said that Jane Stewart, the Ontario negotiator, told them to consult only with the band council [which is an administrative arm of the Canadian government we call the “colonial office”]. 

We will not tolerate the Crown’s interference in our governance.  Some of the individuals involved in the band council system try to help us.  The system they’re in is really the “Corporation of Canada” with profit as the bottom line.  The band council’s job is to undermine us so that Canada can steal our land and resources.  They figure that if they assimilate us into Canadian society they won’t have to answer to their crimes.  [Hey!  Crown!  Clink!  You’re wrong!] 

We will not back down [from making you, Canada, abide by your laws and promises].  This corporate system under the “Indian Act” was set up as part of the genocide to get rid of us.  [In the 1906 Indian Act we were classed as “non-persons” so they could say this was empty land.  Come on!  What a cheap trick!]  

The Confederacy Chiefs Council has invited Indigenous people from across Canada to come and meet with us.  [We need to look at how they fictionally converted Indigenous land into ‘crown’ land.  We will not fall for it!  Canada, the hoax is over!]  We want to discuss our wampum and history.  How the Guswentha/Two Row Wampum set out the nation-to-nation relationship with the other Nations and the colonists.  How we all took shelter under the Kaianereh’ko:wa/Great Tree of Peace.  How the Haudenesonne Council, the Original League of Nations, will have its rightful place with the Onkwehonweh. 

According to the minutes, at the June 10^th 1870 meeting many Indigenous people came to Six Nations from Rama, St. Francis, Muncey, Alderville, Chippewas of the Thames, Oneidas of Muncey, Sarnia, Lake of Two Mountains, St. Regis, Caughnawanga, Saugeen, Cape Croker, Walpole Island, Rice Lake, Sauble, Kettle Point, Bay of Quinte, Snake Island, Mississauga of the New Credit, Moravians of Thames.  The Indian Act was meant to disperse us and to prevent the Haudenesonne from doing its job of uniting all Indigenous people on Turtle Island.  At the December 9th, 2006 meeting we will continue the unity we started as Creation provided.  Crown, you can’t cancel us out.   

                        How do we help those who have left the circle?  Some have done so willingly and lost their voice.  Others were born of children who were “stolen”, put in residential schools, beaten for speaking our language and forced into the colonial education and religious system.  Today we are criminalized for defending our people and our homelands.  This genocide plan did not rid of the "Indian Problem" [actual our problem is the colonists!]   

The Great Law philosophy gave us the mechanism to work together.  The Five Nations Confederacy was the Original League of Nations.  We have to bring the voices of all Onkwehonweh together.  This is part of the long term path.  The Crown works at preventing us from uniting.   

                         They use instigators like Gary McHale to create a diversion from our path.  Last weekend he came and hung flags and yellow ribbons around our reclamation site “to support the Canadian troops in Afghanistan”!!  The corporate media was waiting for him.  [This is the same Canadian army the Caledonians are demanding to come in to attack us, who went into Tyendinaga and might declare martial law on us given the chance].  He was setting us up for a fight with him. 

We respectfully told the Ontario Provincial Police OPP to deal with him and his followers.  We ask that they respect our Confederacy, Unity and support flags flying on and in front of the site.   The protesters got angry when the OPP stopped them from hanging [their dirty laundry] across the road from our site.  They thought they had a right to hang their Canadian flag on land they know is not “Canadian” soil. 

When they did go down the 6th line, which is our jurisdiction, we gave them permission to hang their flags there.  The television cameramen didn't follow them because it was too peaceful.  They were hoping that action and violence would erupt. 

                         On December 17th 2006 Gary McHale and the female president of a white supremacist group will return to put on another rally to attack Kanonhstaton.  We need to head this off by asking everyone to demand that peace and the LAWS OF CREATION be upheld.  This day is directly under [what some colonial astrologers might call] the “Temple of Taurus”, an Orion Belt.  This resembles the Great Law and our connection to Dekanawida, the  Peacemaker.  [Though we interpret the stars differently from Europeans] the stars are our roadmap to Creation.  This is how we set the time for the midwinter festival and other ceremonies. 

The Crown wants to keep abusing our people and the Great Law, to keep us in spiritual bondage [It isn’t working].  They are trying to use our people and medicines to pacify us.  [That won’t work either!]  The Women and Clanmothers stopped this old tactic when we reclaimed our land and prevented development.  Our Men stand and protect us.  We Onkwehonweh are bringing our minds together to acknowledge the Great Law and our responsibilities to Creation.  On this day we will inform Creation that we are standing strong.  Creation will respond.  That's all for now.  Nya Weh!

In Love, Light and Peace, Hazel Hill

Posted by MNN Mohawk Nation News