Media Advisory: Caledonia Community Group Supports Six Nations Land Rights

Some good news for a change:

For the past two months, Community Friends for Peace and Understanding with Six Nations, a new organization that includes local Caledonia residents, members of the labor movement, community activists and representatives from Six Nations has been meeting every week in Caledonia to figure out ways to build support for Six Nations land rights and to pressure the Canadian government to negotiate with Six Nations on a nation to nation basis.

The group has been working within the Caledonian community to overcome racism and hatred directed against Six Nations people by peacefully engaging Caledonians within anti-native demonstrations, bringing information about Six Nations door to door within the community, and leafleting within town. The group is also working to build political and financial support within the trade union movement for the people of Six Nations and is networking with other community organizations and progressive networks regionally, nationally and internationally to share information and resources in support of the Six Nations struggle.

As Jan Watson, a Caledonia resident and spokesperson for the group states: “many Caledonians support the land rights of Six Nations, and we believe that the only way the tensions between Six Nations and Caledonians can be overcome is by the federal government negotiating in good faith on a nation to nation basis.”

The group has had representation and participation from native and non-native Caledonia residents, Six Nations residents, as well as members of CAW 707, CAW 555, CUPE 3903, CUPE 3906, CUPE 5167, USWA 1005, USWA 1998, the CUPE National Aboriginal Council, the McMaster Indigenous Studies Program, the Six Nations youth group “Spirit of the Youth”, the Niagara and District Labour Council, and the McMaster University Community. (Note: the listing of these organizations does not imply that the organization as a whole supports or is a member of the coalition, but identifies the organizational affiliation of those who have been present at our meetings.)

Jan Watson, a spokesperson for the group is available for comment and can be contacted at smiley100 [at] mountaincable.net or by phone at 289-284-0154. The webpage of the group is available at www.honorsixnations.com

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The following is the basis of Unity for Community Friends for Peace and
Understanding with Six Nations

friendsofsixnations@yahoo.ca 289-284-0154 www.honorsixnations.com

Mission Statement:

Who we are: We are a group that includes local Caledonia residents, members of the labor movement, community activists and representatives from Six Nations who have joined together to support the reclamation of the Douglas Creek Estates. We believe that the Six Nations people have been cheated of their land rights, and that the Canadian government needs to honor existing treaties with Six Nations and deal with them on a nation to nation basis.

Our Political Stance: We unequivocally support the people of Six Nations and do not view the tensions that have developed in Caledonia over the past month as having been caused by the people of Six Nations. The Six Nations people have legitimate grievances stretching back hundreds of years and their rights have been consistently ignored and misrepresented by Canadian authorities, the mainstream media and the education system. On April 20, 2006, the OPP conducted an early-morning raid on peaceful protesters occupying the Douglas Creek Estates. It is our understanding that the OPP guaranteed that the people occupying the land would receive fair warning and an opportunity to elect to leave the property. This promise was not upheld by the OPP. The blockades established by Six Nations on Highway 6, Argyle Street, and the railways were erected after they were physically attacked by the OPP. With these barricades, the Six Nations people have had their just claims noticed and recognized by the Canadian government and the Canadian public. The blockades and power outages may have been inconvenient for the people of Caledonia but they pale in comparison to the racism, colonialism and dispossession that the Six Nations people have faced for the past 200 years.

Our Goals: The goal of our coalition is to build a broad spectrum of support to pressure the Canadian provincial and federal governments to:

1. Immediately return full title of the Douglas Creek Estates to the Six Nations people.

2. Drop all criminal charges against all Six Nations people stemming from the resistance to the unprovoked April 20 OPP raid on the reclamation site. Furthermore we believe that the government should not lay any new charges on Six Nations people for defending their land and their rights.

3. Immediately begin full negotiations on a nation to nation basis with the Six Nations people to swiftly, fairly and peacefully resolve all outstanding land claims concerning the Haldimand tract.

4. We will work to educate people in Caledonia and elsewhere about the issue of Six Nations land rights and the wider issue of indigenous sovereignty on Turtle Island / the Americas.

5. We look forward to a future where the people of Caledonia and the people of Six Nations can heal the divisions within our communities and come together in peace and understanding.

The focus of our work will be to develop and build the widest possible solidarity and action in support of the reclamation of Douglas Creek Estates through the following initiatives.

What we will do:

1. We will work within the Caledonian community to overcome the racism and hatred which has been whipped up against Six Nations people. We will do this by peacefully engaging Caledonians within the anti-native demonstrations, bringing information about Six Nations door to door within the community, organizing within the high schools, and by encouraging community dialogue and discussion within public forums and events.

2. We will work to build political, financial, and active support within the trade union movement for the people of Six Nations. This will include encouraging trade union locals to pass motions of support and to send solidarity donations and delegations to Six Nations but will also involve encouraging unions to organize within their own locals to educate their membership about the issues and take political action in support of initiatives to meet our goals.

3. We will work with other community organizations and progressive networks regionally, nationally and internationally to share information and resources in support of the Six Nations struggle.

Our coalition currently has representation and participation from native and non-native Caledonia residents, Six Nations residents, as well as members of CAW 707, CAW 555, CUPE 3903, CUPE 3906, CUPE 5167, USWA 1005, USWA 1998, the CUPE National Aboriginal Council, the McMaster Indigenous Studies Program, the Six Nations youth group “Spirit of the Youth”, the Niagara and District Labour Council, and the McMaster University Community. (Note: the listing of these organizations does not imply that the organization as a whole supports or is a member of the coalition, but identifies the organizational affiliation of those present at our meetings.)

We can be reached at smiley100 [at] mountaincable.net or by phone at 289-284-0154. Our webpage is available at www.honorsixnations.com