OHSWEKEN -Just when diverse factions at Six Nations will want to talk about a consultation and accommodation agreement with Brantford is unclear, following the protest of a "community dialogue" on the weekend.
Many of the 30 blocking the entrance to the Six Nations community hall took the opportunity to express their lingering ire over the city's successful winning of a court injunction prohibiting work stoppages at development sites in Brantford.
Others pointed to a lawsuit by the city against the activists, and charges laid against some in the gathering that are still before the courts.
The removal of those irritants appeared important issues determining when the grand consultation is supposed to take place.
"Any agreement we make about our land will always be guided by the Haldimand Deed forever," Jan Kahehti: io Longboat, a designated speaker for the Onkwehon: we Women's Council, read from a prepared statement to the media on Saturday, with the monument to the signing of the Deed just off to the side.
"Once we have formulated our plan for our land for the benefit of the coming faces, we'll officially inform the city of Brantford."
When asked by a reporter to suggest when that might be, Longboat said she couldn't be certain. Maybe after a scheduled community meeting on the agreement on Wednesday at Six Nations, she first suggested.
But she was interrupted by activist Ruby Montour, who didn't want to give a time.
"Any consultation is premature," Longboat said. She added that time was needed to go through the documents surrounding the proposed agreement.
"What would is take for you to be ready to do that?" the reporter asked.
"Time, we need some time to go through them," Longboat repeated.
"In the land of never. We'll decide," Montour interjected.
"All we're saying is not right now," Longboat said again. "I believe it will happen."
"No!" Floyd Montour, Ruby's husband, said from off to the side.
"Even if they get this passed, we can stop it," said Ruby Montour.
Activist Hazel E. Hill, a principal figure at the beginning of the Douglas Creek Estates standoff in Caledonia five years ago, said: "There's an underlying factor here that no one is addressing, and that's the fact that our people are still being criminalized."
Hill pointed to one activist whose charges are still before the courts.
"I'm still on an injunction," Ruby Montour added. "I have to go to court in April."
And the land issue still is not being addressed, said another.
"Our issues are with the federal and provincial government. Does that mean they can just go ahead and develop our land?"
Activist Audrey Hill said many are leery of being drawn into dialogue meetings organized either by the city or the Six Nations elected band council on an agreement that they drew up between themselves, to the exclusion of others.
"They're still using the same laws to manipulate us," said Hill.