L.M. VanEvery
Friday, March 16, 2007
Brantford Expositor
Nichirin Inc. received some unexpected visitors Thursday during an open house at its vacant building on Copernicus Boulevard.
The two Six Nations women who started events that led to the year-long occupation in Caledonia last Feb. 28 came to Nichirin Inc. to inform the company that a 99-year lease between the City of Brantford and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of the property the building sits on had expired.
They also came with a message of "let's work together." They encouraged the business to check the history of its title to the land and spread the message for all businesses to do the same.
Janie Jamieson and Dawn Smith attended the office of Nichirin with two dozen members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to deliver a letter and information about Haudenosaunee land rights and the Two Row Wampum Treaty.
Members of the Six Nations community carried Haudenosaunee flags and signs that read, "Beware of Land Deals" and "6 Nations - Legal Titleholders."
The letter and information were presented to Phil Nanavati, the broker for the property, and Frank Johnson, the general manager for Nichirin.
The letter stated that "lands currently leasing on Copernicus lie within the tract of land identified in the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784."
It is their position that the city of Brantford, the County of Brant, the province of Ontario or Canada have never approached the true land titleholders and asked for permission to purchase the land or renew leases.
Nanavati, retained by the owners of Nichirin to lease the property, was "a little dismayed" by the visit.
"I'm not sure how I'm involved," he said.
"I don't want to get into any conflicts. It's not in my personal nature."
Nanavati said if something needs to be settled, it should be worked out.
Smith read aloud a portion of the Haldimand Deed and then handed over the documents to Johnson.
After touring the facility, Smith spoke to Johnson regarding leases. She explained about the 99-year leases that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy entered into with Brantford that expired in the 1990s.
"If I were to lease from you and I didn't pay the rent, what would you do?" she asked Johnson.
"Evict," he responded.
The visit ended about a half hour after it began. Smith was happy with the way the visit went.
"I'm pleased that they are willing to listen to our point of view," she said. "If a lot more people would have an open mind like they do, we'd get a lot further."
Both Nanavati and Johnson promised to do the suggested research required to search the title of the land they claim is theirs.
Jamieson attended the event with her six-week-old son, Warren Justice Chavez Cook. She is focusing on developed land and reminding those who have businesses on the land.
"There's no reason why we can't be renewing leases with companies like Nichirin," she said.
The event went the way she hoped it would.
"Today was peaceful and respectful," she said.
In light of the events at Nichirin, Nanavati said he was reluctant to go forward with securing leases.
"I'm a little uncomfortable," he said.
Johnson said he has known that the city has been the focus of native land claims for a long time. For him, Thursday was just a small part of a huge issue.
"I'm surprised they would target this facility because it's only a lease of an existing facility," Johnson said.
Johnson plans to talk with city hall to see whether this limits Nichirin's abilities to lease.
"We need to stop and find out more," he said.
Johnson had immediate plans to call Nichirin headquarters to discuss the matter. Nichirin Inc. is a manufacturing company based in Japan.