Update from Hazel Hill June 20, 2007

This is Six Nations spokesperson Hazel Hill’s latest update from the Grand River:

I guess Stephen Harper thought he was doing something when they came up with a new “land claims process” for Canada. And I’m sure the Crown had hopes that it would allow them to usurp the authority from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy once again and hand it over to their Elected Council which would then give control back to the Crown over the current process that is on-going between the Six Nations and the Crown. This new lands claim process may very well be something that works for other Nations, but it doesn’t apply to the Six Nations Haudenosaunee. Our treaties and relationship with the Crown are different, and Canada, in right of the Crown, accepted that responsibility and further acknowledged and re-affirmed that relationship when it entered into discussions with the representatives of the Six Nations under a signed agreement in accordance with the Two Row Wampum and the Silver Covenant Chain. Our relationship with the British Crown is on a Nation to Nation basis. If the Crown has delegated its Canadian representatives to speak for them at this time, it is in accordance with the Two Row, just as our people delegated individuals to sit on our behalf. SO, the newly designed claims process has NO BEARING on the discussions with the Six Nations regarding Kanonhstaton or any of the lands be it the Haldimand Tract, or all of Turtle Island. This fact is supported by documentation in the Canadian Hansards (which are minutes or records of their parliamentary discussions), in a statement by Mr. Frank Oliver when speaking of the Six Nations, he stated something like ‘the Six Nations are on a different footing than other Indians in Canada as they are Allies and not Subjects of the Crown’. This relationship has not changed nor will it ever change. The only question is whether Canada is a nation. Our Nationhood came from the Creator, it wasn’t created under a corporation such as that of the Crown, and therefore, it is uncertain exactly what Canada’s authority is. Our authority is clear.

As far as the land negotiations itself, since the Crown had made its offer of 125 million dollars in an attempt to resolve 4 of their claims; our representatives countered their offer suggesting that they take their 125 million, clear title to the Moulton Township lands, return that parcel of land to the Six Nations, and then come back to talk about the rest of our land base. They were also asked to provide a detailed breakdown on how they arrived at the $125 million dollar figure. We met last week, and while they didn’t go into detail on how the figure was arrived at, they did agree to come back in two weeks time with details of their claim on the Welland Canal as well as details on the entire Burtch Tract. Following that, in two more weeks’ time at the next meeting in July, they will provide a detailed explanation of their claim with respect to the GRNC and Block 5, which is the Moulton Township.

And speaking of Moulton Township, the Federal Government believes that the lands within the Moulton Township have decreased in value since they made an offer to Six Nations in1990. That statement of course lead to our representatives suggesting to them that it should make it very easy for them to buy up those lands then, and return them to the Six Nations. It might even save them some money! My question is, how do the homeowners along those lands feel about that??!! Do you realize your government is saying that your lands and real estate value is actually worth far less than it was in 1990. Now if that were me, I’d be asking my government representative some serious questions! And I wonder what the insurance companies think about that.

Bad enough the Canadian public feels that their insurance rates are too high as it is. To think that they have been paying insurance rates that continue to increase annually, but according to their government their property value is decreasing compared to 20 years ago, I think the government and insurance companies, as well as the real estate companies have some explaining to do. Especially if they sold me lands knowing full well that the Six Nations maintained title to those lands and that Canada already acknowledged that fact and made an attempt to buy them out in 1990. One suggestion to the homeowners and potential developers within Moulton Township, as well as the Haldimand Tract would be to get ahold of the Confederacy Council to discuss long or short term lease agreements that are consistent with the original lease agreements arranged by Joseph Brant on behalf of the Six Nations. Our people have maintained that we are more than willing to work with those who are residing within our land base, and that we can arrange a lease that would not only provide security for the homeowner/developer, but it would also provide security for the Six Nations. One that meets the requirements of the original lease which was designed for perpetual care and maintenance for the future generations. The one that Canada uses currently as a crutch to convince the Canadian public that the Native people are living off of the taxpayers, when actually, Canada is living off of our lease revenues and tax base.


In the meantime, the Province is currently working toward getting the lands which house the Burtch Correctional Facility up to standard with respect to the environmental and building code safety so that they can then be returned to the Six Nations (according to original title, and not according to the Indian Act). This was actually part of the ‘Petersons Promises’ at which time we agreed to bring the barricades down off of Argyle Street in May 2006, and only now are they actually getting to it! Talk about dragging your heels! As far as I’m concerned, the land is already ours, given to us by the Creator. It really doesn’t matter how the Crown registers it on their side of the wampum, that’s up to them. All we need to do is start using it. Now mind you, we have used those farm lands for the past two planting seasons, however, it was only done as a lease from the province. That’s crap. We don’t need to sign any lease to use our own lands. We only need to take possession and begin using them again. And that goes for the rest of the lands within the tract as well. If the Crown thinks that it is going to delay the resolution process in order to give themselves time to sell off the lands to developers or bring in third parties in hopes that they can avoid restoring those lands to the Six Nations, just isn’t going to cut it any longer. We’ve told them over and over again from the beginning. You need to stop development of lands while we work out our grievances. The more they continue issuing development permits and selling lands that they hold no title to, the more our people will get frustrated, and the development will be stopped. That isn’t a threat, that is just the reality of the way it is. Our lands were stolen from us by the same manner and if we have to take it back parcel by parcel, don’t think we can’t or won’t. It is the honour of the Crown that is in question, not the honour of our people. We have been honourable to the point of disregarding our very own future. Now it is time we took action to rectify that.





Speaking of which, I hope that all of those nations who had indicated that they would be taking a national day of action on June 29th will continue to do so. The step by the Canadian government in setting up this new land claims process is a step all right. But is it a step in the right direction? It is a process which the Canadian government will still have control over, and one that they’ve put caps on and will no doubt have restrictions on. What they are really saying is something to the effect of: “Ok, we admit that we stole your lands, and now that hundreds of years have gone by and we’ve totally destroyed the environment, we’ve finally developed a policy in which we will give you money to compensate for your loss, but we’re still going to decide when and how we will give you that money. Oh, and by the way, we can only give you up to a certain amount of money so if we believe you deserve more than the base amount that we’re willing to give, then we’ll have to look at resolving your claim long after we get through the easy ones, and so we’ll put you on the waiting list.” Is this process really that different than the current one being used? In the meantime, they continue to gobble up the land base and continue with the raping and devouring of what’s left of the forests, medicines, and natural vegetation of those lands, not to mention the wildlife that exists within. They’re proceeding with the intent of building mini malls, parking lots, housing development, mining and other large corporate industries because, afterall, development & progress, that is the way of the future, right?… …………….or is it?!


And by the way, I’m writing this update from Thunder Bay, and having traveled along Hwy. 17, through many of our sister territories, it is an amazing opportunity to be able to enjoy the beauty and magnificence of the mountains, the lakes, all of the gigantic trees and mass forests. It really is overwhelming. It’s one of those trips that allow you the opportunity to see through our ancestors’ eyes what was given to us, and what we are the caretakers of. To enjoy the stillness and natural beauty and to see exactly what the immense power of Creation really is. At least what hasn’t been totally destroyed by clear-cutting yet. We saw a black bear crossing the highway just across an area where they are clear-cutting to build a road. Makes you think about that bear and what he was thinking huh? Do we as human beings even think about how our actions of progress have affected the rest of Creation and their natural habitat? They probably have signs in the bush that say “warning, human crossing” to alert the critters of our invasion. It brings one’s heart and mind right back to why our Onkwehonweh brothers and sisters— not only in the northern territories and the territories within the North American continent, but Onkwehonweh all over the entire world— have been fighting desperately to stop the clear cutting, the polluting of the rivers, lakes and streams and the rest of our earth. To stop the destruction and development of our homelands. To stop the encroachment into our territories and the interference with our hunting and fishing, and our natural way of life. We each need to remember that we are one with Creation., and that we are just as much responsible to care for the animals, the plant life, the waters and every living thing that gets its sustenance from the earth, just as much as we are to protect the earth itself. This is the balance that we as human beings need to learn to help in the natural process of rejuvenation so that the earth can sustain us, and we her.

And that is why it is so important for all of us to continue to stand together; united, under the authority of the Creator, and in the spirit of protecting our Mother Earth, for the future generations of all. Now THAT, in my thinking, is the way of the future.

And so, the negotiations continue and the rest of the world awaits the next update, as The Universe Turns……………………………

In love light and peace,

Hazel