Cheam blockade with members of the West Coast Warrior Society, April 2000
Cheam argues indigenous sovereignty in court
by Oshipeya
March 12, 2010
On March 9, 2010, several indigenous people from the Cheam reserve of the Pilalt/Sto:lo people appeared in court in Chilliwack, British Columbia, to face charges related to defiance of government fishing regulations and to present evidence of their sovereign indigenous right to fish. Several people from Vancouver, indigenous and supporters, travelled to Chilliwack to show support and build solidarity, which the Cheam people said they appreciated.
One person from Cheam was taken into custody in the court room in the morning on another fishing charge and was to be released on probation and conditional discharge afterwards.
Evidence was presented by a Cheam member, without the presence of a lawyer, of indigenous traditions, family ties and teachings handed down through the generations regarding fishing in the area. The immensely destructive impact of residential schools on indigenous traditions was also presented.
A solidarity message from people of the Katzie reserve and information on their salmon sovereignty blockade of the Golden Ears Bridge on February 13 as part of the anti-Olympic convergence was also shared with the Cheam people at the courthouse and was well received.
The judge put the trial over to May 25, setting aside three days for evidence to be presented by Cheam members. More support and solidarity then is requested.
A short background pamphlet on the Cheam struggle can be found here:
Disillusioned with the service of Treaty Three Police Service, a group of demonstrators blockaded the road to Asupeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) First Nation on Tuesday afternoon.
“There are a lot of complaints from the community members about how the police do their service around the community. There’s really slow response time,” said Chrissy Swain, who was one of the leaders of the community’s logging blockade that began in 2002. “Some calls, they don’t even respond to. There are complaints about intimidation and the way they handle situations when they do answer calls. I guess it’s mainly safety issues for our community.”
Swain began a dialogue with the police two years ago to address response to calls for the community over 60 kilometres from the Northwestern Ontario city of Kenora. Swain said she has seen no progress.
“Treaty Three says there’s not enough funding. They don’t have enough police officers, stuff like that. There’s always something and nothing’s being done,” she said. “It’s getting pretty sickening just sitting back, waiting for something to happen.”
Coun. Randy Turtle said sometimes it can take up to half a day for the police to respond to an emergency call. He has been in discussions with Treaty Three Police regarding the issue as recently as two weeks ago.
“I have spoken to the Sergeant before and the chief of police before and told him we’re not happy with the response time and the service we’re getting for our community. The explanation has always been that there’s a lack of manpower to adequately serve our community. Hopefully with this, we’re hoping that the federal government will give us more money so we can have the manpower to have more police in the community so we can have service for our people.”
Coun. Darryl Fobister expressed interest in seeing a unit stationed in the community.
“Apparently, they don’t want to stay in our community and that’s kind of odd,” he said. “It would be nice if we had officers that got to know the people and we got to know them as well so that there’s less of a chance of anything really violent happening because it’s more of a one-to-one basis.”
Ultimately, Swain is proposing a volunteer force of peacekeepers to respond to safety concerns in the community.
“The bigger picture is I want to see our own people taking care of our own people as peacekeepers so we can enforce our own laws,” she said, adding Treaty Three doesn’t enforce traditional laws or community bylaws.
Last year, a Safety Committee was established in Asupeeschoseewagong, which councilors on the site of the blockade felt could complement a police presence as its mandate grows.
Blockade leaders are meeting with Treaty Three Police deputy Chief Louie Napish Wednesday to hand over concerns they have compiled.
Posted in Resistance on March 24, 2010 by wiinimkiikaa
Two-person logging road blockade in Wet’suwet’en territory near Smithers, BC. The last stand of intact forest of their traditional territory is in question, following 10 years of Indigenous opposition and government inaction. Featuring: Richard Sam Produced
Feb. 13, 2010, as part of the Anti-Olympics Convergence in Vancouver B.C., members of Coast Salish Katzie First Nation and supporters blocked the Golden Ears Bridge.
The Bridge spans the Frazer River between Pitt Meadows and Langley, and is adjacent to Katzie 1 and Katzie 2 Reserves. It is about a half hour drive outside of Vancouver.
The bridge opened on June 16, 2009. It is owned by Translink, who say, “it will have major long-term impacts on the region, improving travel times and promoting economic activity.” Clearly disregarding the negative impacts on Indigenous people.
Construction of the bridge desecrated a 3000 year old burial ground. It’s massive pilings in the river disrupt currents, and the ability of local Katzie fishers to fish. Situated at the mouth of the Frazer River, the bridge effects already threatened habitat for Salmon and Indigenous fishing communities all up the Fraser River.
Statement by a participant in the action:
“My people have been told when to fish and how big our net can be since our book of rules (Indian act) in 1896. My family has been arrested for fishing when they were not allowed.”
“The bridge affects my family in many ways. For thousands of years my family has been fishing on the Fraser River. The exact same spot where they built the Golden Ears Bridge is where my father, my grandfather and so on, is where we were taught to fish. The exact same spot we have been fishing is where there is a 6 lane bridge.”
“That bridge has caused hurt and pain with me and my family. The bridge is built on my people’s sacred burial grounds. That bridge has destroyed the river far beyond Katzie’s boundaries. Because of the bridge I’m forced to change my teachings and ways of fishing. That bridge has destroyed the natural path for the salmon to continue up the river for indigenous people to eat to survive. Dredging gravel out of the river to build bridges and highways for the Olympics is destroying the delicate ecosystem and putting declining fish stocks at further risk.”
These people worked on the site where the bridge is now built – they asked to be anonymous because they would lose their jobs:
“We dug up history of our ancestors – human remains, arrow heads and beads. They gave us a choice: either we dig up our peoples history or they were going to send non-native people to do it. We were forced and no options from our community!”
–Anonymous hired archeologist worker.
After the remains were found, members of Katzie First Nations people were paid to build tiny coffins and bury the bones where they were found. Many of the workers thought this meant they wouldn’t build the bridge at that spot.
“So many bones were found, in fetal position, and scattered bones were found These are my people; these bones are my grandfathers and grandmothers. After we had a ceremony to bury the bones in small coffins we made, they went ahead and built the bridge anyway right over top of our sacred burial ground.”
–Anonymous Katzie First Nations worker.
**Part of the media strategy of this action was to avoid the use of mainstream corporate media and utilize alternative media and personal networks. Please post this to your site and/or forward this message along to your contact lists. Tnx.
Vanoc/AFN Olympic Promotional Event Disrupted in Toronto
[Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympics = VANOC / Assembly of First Nations = AFN]
[Posted March 14, 2009, to no2010.com]
On March 8, 2009, a promotional event for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Aboriginal torch bearers was disrupted in Toronto [Ontario] by 2010 Solidarity. Here is a video link to the action:
Protesters facing court injunction
Developer fed up with land dispute
February 25, 2009
Rachel De Lazzer
The Hamilton Spectator
HAGERSVILLE (Feb 25, 2009) [Six Nations territory, Ontario]
Pressure was mounting yesterday for natives to leave a housing development site where construction has been delayed for four months.
Developer Voortman & Associates Ltd. is seeking a court injunction to keep natives away from the site and plans to be on site at least four days this week.
The natives have blocked workers from developing the 46-unit condominium site on Main Street North several times.
Company officer John Voortman says he’s at “wit’s end” trying to move things forward on the 2.4-hectare site.
Workers returned to the site Monday for the third time since seeking the injunction last fall, only to be prevented by about 10 members of the men’s fire circle, parking their cars in front of one of the excavators.
Natives arrived at 6:30 a.m. yesterday before the workers, who planned to return today and tomorrow.
“Every day (the contractor) is there and not able to work, I’m sure it’s going to cost a few thousand dollars easy,” Voortman said.
OPP officers told him yesterday that they would read a declaration to the natives every day and ask them to leave.
“They’re going to say that we own the land, we have total rights to the land and we’re able to work on the land and they have no rights to be there,” Voortman added. “They will give them 15 minutes to vacate the site and then after that they could be charged with mischief.”
Voortman says he is still waiting for a court date for the injunction. He says the natives are stalling and previous court dates for the injunction have been postponed twice.
Both sides were in court Feb. 13 when three members of the men’s fire circle asked that the hearing be delayed a few weeks until they could bring someone from their circle with the appropriate authority.
Workers attempted to resume construction in October and again in December.
A member of the men’s fire circle who goes by the name Whoodat, said they would stay on the land until the workers left.
OPP Detective Matt Watson said criminal charges would be laid if any actions meet the criteria.
For some time now women and men at Six Nations have been slowly re-asserting their sovereignty . This includes exerting the right to provide for their families within their own well defined homeland. (Turtle Island). This includes exerting their right to provide for their families on their OWN LAND and IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR TRADITIONAL LAWS AND GOVERNANCE.
However today the method in which these people provide for their families came under fire. These people operate “smoke shops” on what is traditionally known as Hamilton-Port Dover Plank Road. Today it’s known as Highway 6 south and Upper James Street South and Argyle Street among other things. This parcel was NEVER sold or surrendered by the Mohawks. (The recognition of that parcel being the property of the Mohawks is documented in the Haldimand Deed of 1784). However, Canada laid claim to this parcel despite never providing a “legal” bill of sale. (Don’t you normally keep your receipt of “big box” purchases??? Especially something as important of a piece of land???)
Anyways… Marie Trainor and the rest of Canada has laid claim to this parcel and claims “jurisdiction”. Today for some reason the Six Nations Police (Rocky Smith and Terry Martin were saying they were acting under the direction of Elected Chief Bill Montour and Director of Public Works Dayle Bomberry and also had signed agreements from the above mentioned) moved in and removed all product from one of the smoke shops. They attempted to remove the building itself but they were stopped by our men and women.
The Six Nations Police also claimed the “chiefs” directed them to dismantle the smoke shop, however this has not been verified.
Marked and undercover police were throughout Caledonia and at one point an OPP cruiser was turned back from entering onto Six Nations. This “dry run” was reminiscent of the “dry runs” done at other raids. The police would feign being lost and end up on the reserve. What actually was happening was the OPP were testing to see what our response would be. This helps the police figure out how many and what type of officers will be required and what type of weaponry and media they will need to execute an attack on us.
Some well informed community members and even the Six Nations Police themselves have already stated if the SNP can’t “get the job done” outside authorities will do it.
Six Nations Police had the audacity to call our men “squatters” for building on “band owned land” or “community land” and told one of the men he needed to vacate.This man was also told some of “our people didn’t want him on that land”.
Some of the officers said they took an oath to protect.
Any employee of the crown doesn’t understand birth gives Ogwehowe the responsibility to protect life in all forms. Any crown employee doesn’t understand birth gives Ogwehowe the responsibility to uphold and teach their own law. Birth also gives Ogwehowe the right to provide for their families on their territory in accordance with their own law. Ogwehowe are accountable to their mothers, grandmothers, aunties and sisters. Ogwehowe are accountable to their clanmothers, chiefs, clans and nations.
Crown employees are not allowed to understand our way of life nor are they ever allowed to accept it. Crown employees take an oath to uphold a way of life that is created to destroy Ogwehowe. The Crown has always existed to undermine and tear apart the Ogwehowe. It was proven again today at Six Nations.
It’s obvious the SNP and Six Nations Band Council have a lot of lost men and women on their “force”. Hell even Merle Haggard got it… wasn’t it him who put it so simply and straight forward…”They love their milk and honey but they preach about some other way of living… When your running down my country hoss you’re walking on the fighting side of me…”
Anyways, things are slow at the negotiating table. Despite the recession booming and the housing market coming to a crashing halt, illegal development continues.
Despite the recession booming, some Ogwehowe women and men are still able to provide for their families without Canada or Band Council’s assistance. So it seems like an attempt to spice things up was made today.
Despite the corporation of Canada being the largest employer on Six Nations, some just won’t buy into that and will continue to feed, clothe and shelter their families under traditional law. It just doesn’t matter how big the “gun” or pay check is on the other side…
