Re: 'Are native protesters looking only for new buildings?' (Letters, Sept. 19)
Unfortunately, the media does not generally report on native matters. The public is usually only informed of these long, ongoing land negotiations when it becomes necessary for us to halt industry, business or development to protect our land rights.
Waiting until the last possible moment is not a method to acquire partially-developed properties, as suggested.
The protests, paperwork, standing in line for a chance to be heard and a chance at negotiations have been going on for years but are seldom reported on, thus you may not be aware of them. We wait until the last minute in faith to be heard fairly and not to have our land under negotiation developed, mined or hauled away without our consultation, consideration and -- most often -- without even our knowledge.
Only when it becomes apparent that we will not be heard through "legal" channels do we have to resort to reclamation before our land is sold off in chunks.
I don't believe the Haudenosaunee people are insisting development be stopped forever more.
The issue is the ownership/jurisdiction of the land itself, not the development.
The formation of the Haudenosaunee Development Institute suggests this, and appears to be a practical body to approach for consultation prior to any venture in the Haldimand Tract.