By Susan Gamble
Friday, March 09
Brantford Expositor
Six Nations Chief Coun. David General is calling reports that he had an altercation with a group of Confederacy supporters inaccurate and "insulting."
Canadian Press reported about a Wednesday argument that took place as provincial, federal, Confederacy and elected council representatives gathered for one of their ongoing negotiation meetings.
But General, who had his way into the meeting blocked by five Confederacy supporters, said the argument was misrepresented.
The police were not called to intervene, although General said he did report the matter, and the “forceful exchange” didn’t come to either shouts or blows.
“I was met by five gentlemen who told me I was not allowed into the meeting,” said General, reached by telephone at meetings in Toronto on Thursday.
“We had a discussion and I tried to enter but they closed in. When I tried to nudge past them, they threw me back and I hit a stairwell.”
General said the provincial representative at the discussions saw what transpired and alerted the other parties in the meeting room.
Six Nations Coun. Roger Jonathan and others tried to assist General in entering the room through another door but the men blocked the way again. The provincial and federal negotiators left rather than continue the meeting.
General is disturbed that a news release by Confederacy media liaison Lynda Powless, who is also the publisher of the Turtle Island News, says he doesn’t support the ongoing negotiations. That was picked up and repeated in the Canadian Press story, carried in The Expositor.
“It’s not true," General said. "I’m against the occupation (at Douglas Creek) and I’ve said that from the beginning, but I’m not against the negotiations.”
He reported the incident to Six Nations police to have it on the record, he said.
Lead negotiator for Six Nations, Chief Allen MacNaughton, called the incident regretful but understandable since General has upset community members with his comments.
The Confederacy has called for an emergency community meeting Saturday night to discuss General’s involvement, but the chief councillor said he won’t be going.
“I don’t care how they hype it, I’m not going to any community meeting where I’m the centre of the dart board. I’ll do my talking at the (negotiation) table.”
Community member Lisa VanEvery, who is a supporter of the elected system, said she disagrees with both the Confederacy’s stance and General’s take on the incident.
“People in this community elected him and, legally, we’re not governed by the Haudenosaunee (Confederacy) council,” said VanEvery.
“We expect him to represent us and we expect him to be at the negotiations.”
If General is not allowed at the table, VanEvery said it discounts the opinions of those who support the elected system.
Van Every also said she hopes the chief councillor will go to the public meeting to defend himself.
“He has to speak up for himself.”
The negotiation table meets every other week to discuss the protest at Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, which is now more than a year old.
The next scheduled meeting is March 22.