quote:

---

A tense standoff between Mohawk protesters and provincial police lasted late into the evening Friday after two officers were assaulted near Deseronto, Ont.

Police say a group of demonstrators became agitated after OPP officers arrested Tyendinaga Mohawk leader Shawn Brant, 44, during a traffic stop around 1:45 p.m.

Mr. Brant, who had been under a court order to stay away from any protests or acts of civil disobedience after his involvement in last June's aboriginal national day of action, which saw Highway 401 shut down for 11 hours, was charged in connection with an alleged Monday assault. ...

Meanwhile, there were reports that police saw one of the demonstrators pointing a long gun at them. Sgt. Rae would not confirm this, but did say that officers were ordered at one point during the standoff to draw their weapons.

“We are staring down the ends of gun barrels,” protester Jason Maracle said in an interview from the quarry. He said the protesters had no weapons with them – declining, for tactical reasons, to say how many demonstrators remained at the site.

“This is our land and we're not going anywhere. They're going to have to shoot each and every one of us if they want to get us out of here.”

---

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/360076

Six Nations group forces closure of Highway 6 bypass at Caledonia

Protesting OPP actions in Deseronto standoff with Mohawks
April 25, 2008
By John Burman and Daniel Nolan

CALEDONIA - More than 100 Six Nations residents forced the closure of the Highway 6 bypass at Caledonia late Friday to protest OPP action against Mohawks occupying a quarry near Deseronto, Ont., earlier in the day.
The OPP closed the bypass “in the interests of public safety” after a large gathering of natives on two overpasses above it.
Native spokesperson Brian Skye told reporters the Caledonia action was taken because of the situation between the natives and the OPP near a quarry in Deseronto, in eastern Ontario.

Just as a background the crux of the protest in Deseronto is development on land that is under claim and there are currently talks going on. The latest tension this week have to do with a developer coming in despite what has been happening over the year.
It looks like the developer himself may be under some sort of investigation as well.
From here..
http://www.intelligencer.ca/PrintArticle.aspx?e=997015
Meanwhile, a number of criminal investigations - which may include a probe into a Napanee-area developer's comments thought to have sparked the protest - have been launched by provincial police, Const. Perry said.

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/sireenaonthe6/APRIL%2025%202008/

[ 26 April 2008: Message edited by: ElizaQ ]

The Hamilton Spectator

A council of Six Nations men are meeting at this moment to decide on a course of action regarding the blockade of the Highway 6 bypass in Caledonia.

The protest, which continues, began yesterday and involved up to 100 activists upset with OPP actions against Mohawks near Deseronto, Ont..

The Ontario Provincial Police remain on the scene, directing traffic and blocking the road.

“Things were quiet last night because there is a stalemate in Deseronto, so there is a stalemate here too,” said protest spokesperson Brian Skye.

“That is why this is being put in place, as a show of support, solidarity, unity.”

He said that the Tyendanaga are one of the Six Nations.

Released by: Six Nations of the Grand River Men’s Council

Date: April 26, 2008

Six Nations of the Grand River Territory - The road blockade of what is known as the Highway 6 Bypass continues today, as community members from the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Territory stand in solidarity with the Mohawk community of Tyendinaga. There are no immediate plans to take down the blockade.

The bypass blockade began last evening (Friday, April 25) around 4:00 p.m. after reports that the OPP drew guns on a group of Mohawk people near a quarry on the Tyendinaga Territory. The Mohawks there have been protecting the quarry and keeping a local mining company off the land, as negotiations with the Canadian government proceed.

Six Nations of the Grand River Men’s Council spokesperson Degonudogee points out that the local action is peaceful, despite the fact that he has personally seen photos of police with guns drawn on women and children in Tyendinaga.

“The armed presence of the OPP that are surrounding the quarry in Tyendinaga is alarming, and tensions are rising because of it,” said Degonudogee. “We are united in this action with our Haudenosaunee people.” He cited reports that approximately 200 armed provincial police, with up to 100 additional SWAT team members, are still surrounding the group of Mohawks near the Tyendinaga quarry.

Degonudogee pointed out that the OPP don’t seem to understand that this is one whole Confederacy across the land. “It’s not just little, tiny reserves that can be abused or intimidated by the OPP; they have to understand that they (Tyendinaga) have support here.” The Highway 6 blockade is being manned by community members of all six of the Haudenosaunee nations of the Grand River Territory and is organized by the Men’s Council of Six Nations of the Grand.

Degonudogee said the solidarity blockade is proof that the words of the Great Peacemaker are still in use today. The Peacemaker illustrated the weakness of one nation by breaking a single arrow. Then he held five arrows in a bundle to represent the original five nations and couldn’t break it, so the people could see the power in unity.

There is no opportunity like the present Jack to show that you can actually lead a country into peace and reconcilliation!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by remind:

There is no opportunity like the present Jack to show that you can actually lead a country into peace and reconcilliation!!

---

Mohawk protesters remanded in custody

quote:

---

One aboriginal leader distanced himself and community leaders from actions of some of the protesters Saturday.

“The council did not sanction nor support Monday's blockage, or any blockage of the roads, to Highway 2 and Deseronto Road, nor do they condone violence,” Chief Donald Maracle of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte told CTV.

“Our people have has a long history of being peaceful and diplomatic, and the recent events are not representative of our community,” he added.

“People must take responsibility for their own actions.”

Mr. Maracle insisted community leaders don't believe blockades or violence will resolve what he calls “170 years of injustice done to the Mohawk people,” and pointed out negotiations continue to try to settle the land claim that's sparked the occupation of a quarry that's been ongoing since March of 2007.

---

To be fair unionist, the NDP were way ahead of the curve on the ATM issue, the poll just came out and here we were yelling about it a year back!

Having said that, I am very serious about Layton, stepping up to the plate, but at this point I would be happy with Paul Martin stepping up.

We all know Harper will not put pressure on McGuinty to make the OPP back down, so that leaves a serious situation and not a word from any national party leader.

I've been told by people involved that apparently there are more protests going up or are up already up across all of the Confederacy reserves from Ontario to Quebec. Yet I can't find a peep about this anywhere in any media. So that leaves me with a question, is the initial info wrong? Are communication lines being crossed as sometime happen in tense situations? Is it rumor becoming 'truth' as its passed on? Is it just not a big enough story? Is it to early to have reports out yet? Is it the weekend? Or something worse. I had one person express to me fears about a media blackout on this issue. It has happened before. I just don't know.

The ironic thing is that with all the complaints about media out there I'm sitting here wondering whether I should even post about what I've been told regarding some of the other things happening because I can't find any 'news' media confirmation.
I guess it's probably prudent to wait and see what happens tomorrow and perhaps get it sorted out.
You'll have to excuse me here, I'm a little frustrated. I think it's important to get this info out, but I don't want to be getting wrong info out.

In terms of an update on what I know for sure. This are basically the same and nothing is changed.
At this point no one is backing down in either protest.

This evening however in Caledonia, there was a tense situation with a group of residents along with several of the what now is the normal outsiders who have taken it upon themselves to 'fight' for Caledonia and a lot of other twisted BS about 'two-tiered justice' and 'race based policing' with non-natives as the victims.

The SN's protest is not by the town but on one of the hwy's the bypasses the town. The development Douglas Creek Estates, which is the site of the ongoing dispute over the past two years is on the edge of town. To be clear it is not the site of the current hwy blockcade.

This group of residents (and others) took it upon themselves to have a gathering at the local Canadian Tire parking lot which is a couple of blocks away in distance. Their response to the hwy protest. Members of this group are well known to people in the area as being the types that will use any excuse whatsoever to provoke confrontation. To be diplomatic that 'racist' overtones have been and are a large part of it.

At one point about a dozen or so of this 'gathering' moved out of the parking lot towards the DCE, soon followed by 20 or so more. The OPP who were there keeping an eye on things, stopped the group from the town side about maybe 100 yards from the entrance to the DCE site. Well by stopped I mean got between them and the site. More people gathered on both sides and the OPP called for reinforcements. The Tactical Unit was put on standby because of what the town side was doing.
It was tense for a while and eventually the riot squad came in a moved the town side people back. They dispersed and then group went around the site, through the streets, to attempt to get to another entrance. Again the OPP moved in and they were dispersed. There was few reports of what are gathered to be residents going through backyards, to heck I dunno do some sort of dumbass 'flanking' maneuver. The police stopped them.

What exactly this group was trying to accomplish besides provoking a confrontation with the 'natives' I really have little idea. The people on the DCE basically stood back and watched the OPP deal with them and most left. Last I heard that situation had calmed and that the Ontario Police Commissioner Julian Fantino actually came in to town and was doing a press conference at 11pm to talk about both Caledonia and Deseronto.

I'm really waiting to see what sort of media comes out about this. As far as I know there was no press there at the time, but I expect they were at the conference. I think it's quite telling that Fantino
felt it necessary to do this at 11 o'clock at night! That he even came to the town is a big deal and even during the height of the actual reclamation this never happened. Maybe this will be enough to get people paying more attention. Who knows what he said though.

With whatever media does come out about tonights events I just want to make it clear that it is only a small group of residents involved in this. Many, many other people in the town do not support this sort of crap and many work really hard to keep the peace and understand what is going on. Caledonia has a population of 10,000. Unfortunately it situations like this it doesn't take many to cause trouble and have things blow up. Personally I think there are few who want things to blow up and go out of there way to try to have that happen and drag unsuspecting people with them. That's the sad thing. There are already those that are trying to spin it as another example of the police protecting the native thugs and criminals... and yes the 'terrorist' line has been flung around today more then I've heard in months. To them these all are 'terrorist' actions.

Part of the irony in all this or perhaps it's an illustration of just how complex these situations are is here you have in one place, SN's in a solidarity protest because of what the OPP are doing in Deseronto and in another place you have the OPP basically keeping the peace, using full geared riot squad and close to 100 officers by the reports I got by dealing with the people who are trying to provoke something against people from SN's.

So there it you go, my 'news' report with a bit of editorializing thrown in. Can't wait to see how this is actually reported or even if it is.

[ 26 April 2008: Message edited by: ElizaQ ]

Macleans:

quote:

---

Fantino, who spent Saturday meeting with residents and First Nations leaders in both Deseronto and Caledonia...

---

http://www.macleans.ca/canada/wire/article.jsp?content=n042702A

Ha!

Also, seems the old Argyle Street bridge over the Grand River was scheduled to be shut down for repairs starting May 1. That won't happen if the bypass remains closed at both ends, including the bridge, on the reserve. It's a sensitive issue; the old Stirling Street bridge was burned down on the weekend of the reclamation, and Argyle Street has been blockaded by various parties at different times since then.

However, there doesn't seem to be anything happening at this point anyway other than the bypass road being closed by police.

Any news on that Bill C-30 land claims tribunal?

About 4 hours before that conference the OPP told the SN'rs protesters that the video van was moving in to take pictures and anyone not leaving would be charged and arrested and that they best leave.

Until that time the only thing on the road were a few cars. After what was basically an ultimatum, a hydro tower was carried across the road where it remains to this morning. It was there when he told press nothing was blocking the road but the OPP 'for safety reasons' and when it was repeated on the news the next morning. All of yesterday we saw conflicting articles coming out where some repeated, 'no blocks but OPP blocks' and ones by reporters who actually went there and saw for themselves.
The most interesting one I think was CTV, who's news van was there on the very evening the barricad e was up, did interviews at it and the very next morning had Fantino on saying there wasn't anything and nothing else.

Then we have this gem from the Toronto Sun that came out yesterday morning.
http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/04/26/5397931.html

quote:

---

Fantino: 'We are not interested in taking land'
OPP commissioner slams 'unnecessary' standoffs
By JOE WARMINGTON, Sun Media

A propaganda campaign of “untruths” by native and non-native activists utilizing modern communications is helping fuel two “unnecessary” standoffs with police, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said tonight.
.......

Some protestors claim they are under attack and that the OPP are invading their property but Fantino said it’s a “dishonest” spin to suggest police are “abusing our authority” since “we are not interested in taking land, holding land or negotiating land.”

He said most of the demonstrators are not involved in any investigation and are able to leave without any contact with police. “If they are peaceful, they are free to come and go as they please.”

It’s a message, he said, the OPP officers on the scene have not been able to get across thanks to a lot of “mis-information” protesters are sending out through the media, on cell phones, blackberries and websites.

---

Now my opinion on the OPP and Fantino is more nuanced then just a simple black and white OPP bad/racist. The situation is much more complex then a simple drawing of sides like that. However in this case I think the line that's being taken here is playing right into the hands of systematic racism and prejudice. Let's just set up the situation in the public of disbelief of everything as propaganda and 'mistruths.' It's easier to believe because of who the people are. I have no idea of whether that point played into the decision making process from OPP strategy end. I really hope not. Regardless of whether it was intended though the outcome is just the same. More silencing.

It's a controlling strategy of course, not surprised either and as was blatantly shown by the example of the *ahem* 'mistruth' about the state of the blockcades above appears to be a part of the strategy as well. Well hunky dory so how many more are there then?

In Caledonia this particular 'mistruth' didn't go over well, it added to the confusion of people both on SN's and in Caledonia as the actual fact of it were easily verifiable. (One just has to drive down another road to see it) It increased tension.

What's left is more anger and frustration...not what is needed right now imo. On the outside, for people just reading about the issue, of course things appear to be fine. It did however do what I think was likely one of the purposes of it was to 'dampen' the media at least for the day. It wasn't until late in the day and this am that I'm actually seeing articles about what 'actually' went on on Saturday. Namely the barricade going up in Caledonia and the fact that a trench was dug across the road in Deseronto.

The main issue for me though are the comments and spinning about the propoganda campaign by the protesters and their supporters. Heck reading that article it hit me, that it could be referring to places like this site and people like me. Yowsa. So yes, I see more blantantly then I think I ever have before how insidious a strategy like this is against the people it's played against. That in this case strategy depends on a 'racist component' component to make it work is abhorent. If anyone ever needs an example of the insidious nature of systemic racism and how it weaves it's subtle forms this is a good one.

So before I can continue I'm just going to say. "Mister Fantino, even though I know what you're doing and understand why you are doing it, I don't agree that it's in the best interest of anyone and in the best interest of 'truth' and real justice.

You can kiss my butt.

I'm still going to talk. I'm still going to convey what I know in the best way I can and if I'm conveying 'mistruths' and just being used in all my innocence in some sort of 'propoganda' campaign then so be it. It will all come out in the end. I know it. At least the info will get out there and people can decide for themselves."

Now with that out of the way...

Here's some more detailed info on some of the other 'media' that's been floating around from a person directly involved.
Open Letter to Julian Fantino

So with that Fantino issue dealt with I'm now going to defend him a little and the OPP. Yes...it's true, but only a little.
The OPP are being put into tough position here, not excusing here or justifying, just stating the position. It does play into what is going on in a very big way. They are in the middle and there is only so much they can do in the role that they are designed for.
This is a POLITICAL situation and will only be solved politically. I can't stress that enough. It is not like many would like make it; a Law and Order issue. There are those that would and are be perfectly happy to have it dealt with in a 'bash them over the head and make it disappear way' Fantino has been quoted as saying the he and the OPP are not here to solve land claim issues. He is right. Those statements were more for the politicians then anyone else.

As long as the OPP is put in the position of just being an enforcer of the State things are going to get worse not better. The two groups, OPP and Natives facing off with each other right now are going to solve nothing, both sides know it, yet things continue on because they're left to deal with a situation that they can't solve on their own. It's a losing position for everyone.

We have just been informed by the Tyendinaga Mohawk community spokespeople that SWAT teams are amassing right now on the Deseronto and Slash Roads, bordering the Tyendinaga quarry reclamation site. Community spokesperson Jason Maracle has just been told by the OPP to pull people out of the quarry because they are going in.

Please call the premier's office immediately and urge them to:

-Honour Mohawk land, call off the OPP: Do not risk people's lives for a gravel pit the government has already acknowledged is on Mohawk land!

-Release all First Nations political prisoners!

Premier Dalton McGuinty: 416-325-1941 (phone) 416-325-3745 [email protected]

[ 28 April 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]

It is a political situation, which is why I stated that Layton should be there, and/or Paul Martin. Harper is going to do sweet fuck all, surfacely, what he would be doing behind the scenes is another story.

quote:

---

Originally posted by remind:
Thanks Eliza for the updated info, this is unbelievable, if the SWAT team starts "taking out" protestors, after warning their supporters to pull out, it will be catastrophy.

It is a political situation, which is why I stated that Layton should be there, and/or Paul Martin. Harper is going to do sweet fuck all, surfacely, what he would be doing behind the scenes is another story.

It is a travesty!

---

Yes it is. Here's what I know right now.
The OPP have been sending messages that they do not have any intentions of moving on the quarry. That they are just ensuring that the road that was dug up is fixed so it can be opened for public safety reasons. They are only there to open the road. That people need to remain calm and verify rumors.

On the other hand the people there are saying that there are a heck of a lot of OPP precense around the quarry. Last report I got was that it is tense but nothing has happened.

Right now the issue is one of trust, because of events of the past days it's pretty much zip between the protesters and the OPP. So I hope people can see where the issues are. I'm not going to speculate here about whether what the OPP is saying their intentions are is correct. The question is one of trust. I don't think that they're planning to go in with guns blazing. I don't want to be wrong here though. The consequences are to big.
However right now imo the issue is whether the people involved feel that is a possibility and the threat of it happening HAS to be diffused.

IMO the call to action that Michelle posted is warranted. The most important thing is that people let it be known that they want this threat, whether it is actually intended or not, removed. If indeed there is an actual threat then that has to stop too.

SN's has said that they aren't budging from their position until all of the threat or perception of threat is removed from the people at the quarry. The hwy is staying blocked until it is. Yes it's hardball, but I can convey that people are fed up.
Back off is the basic message.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**please note that circumstances on the ground continue to change
constantly,
so full updates are not possible at this time **

DETAILS FOR TORONTO SUPPORT DEMONSTRATION BELOW: COME OUT ON TUESDAY,
APRIL 29, 2008 AT NOON TO 720 BAY STREET

After a tense exchange this morning, in which the OPP informed Mohawk
spokesperson Jason Maracle to get people out of the area or they would
come in, the OPP instead disbanded a Mohawk roadblock erected on the
perimetre of the reclaimed quarry site. This psychological warfare on
the part of the police resulted in a tense face-off between the OPP
and community members. At present, the OPP has removed one of the
roadblocks on the Slash Road and pulled back, but remains present in
the direct vicinity of the quarry in great numbers. At the centre of
the dispute is the Culbertson Tract, land which rightfully belongs to
the Mohawks of Tyendinaga. Community members have been occupying a
gravel quarry site for over a year.

In addition, a blockade of Highway 6, taken in support of the
Tyendinaga Mohawks, continues by people of the Six Nations of the
Grand River Territory. Six Nations community members have said they
will remove the Highway 6 bypass blockade once they receive
confirmation the OPP have withdrawn from the Mohawks of Tyendinaga.
The road is now barricaded with a downed hydro tower, wires and a
telephone pole.

Important to note is that, despite the reporting in mainstream press,
Mohawk spokesperson Shawn Brant's arrest on Friday, April 25th stems
from an incident which took place on Monday April 21st. Specifically,
Shawn Brant has been charged for his role in allegedly preventing
further attacks on a woman from Tyendinaga and a young child by racist
rednecks from the town of Deseronto.

These new charges were laid less than two weeks after Shawn Brant was
acquitted of charges alleging that he threated Canadian Forces
soldiers during a demonstration to prevent development of the
Culberston Tract in 2006.

Once again, for his role as a spokesperson in the community, Shawn
Brant is facing trumped-up charges. Arrested during an interview he
was conducting with APTN, Shawn's final words during his arrest on
Friday were "This is it, justice for first nations communities: lock
us up. Anybody who speaks out, lock-em up. KI6, Bob Lovelace: lock-em
up...Don't fix the problems, lock-em up." (to watch, click on
http://www.aptn.ca/streaming/index.php?wmv=friday/six)

Supporters rushed to the quarry after watching or hearing of Shawn's
arrest. An altercation with the OPP is alleged to have ensued. Four
Mohawks were then arrested and jailed. The OPP were reported to have
drawn their guns on the Mohawk community members remaining the quarry.

According to Mohawk spokesperson Jay Maracle, "The OPP led us into
this incident by jumping five of our men, arresting them and taking
them to jail and then sticking guns in our faces, in women and
children's faces," he said.

There has been open communication between the Mohawks and the OPP but
Maracle said things will not improve unless OPP retracts a statement
indicating there are armed Mohawks at the quarry. He said there are no
guns at the site.

Matt Kunkel, Clint Brant, Dan Doreen, and Steve Chartrand remain in
custody and will appear in bail court in Napanee today. The group
includes Dan Dorene, spokesperson for the Mohawk blockade on Highway 2
one week ago, erected to prevent development on the Culberston Tract,
land which rightfully belongs to the Mohawks.

A couple from the community who were also arrested by the OPP on
Friday were later were released unconditionally.

Shawn Brant will also likely appear in court today.

EMERGENCY RALLY: TORONTO

TOMORROW: Tuesday, April 29th
12 noon

Ministry of the Attorney General
720 Bay Street
(Bay, just north of Gerrard, eastside)

OPP back off!
Free all First Nations Political Prisoners Now!
Hands off Stolen Land: Return the Culbertson Tract to the Mohawks of
Tyendinaga!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please continue to call the premier's office and urge the Provincial
Government to:

Honour Mohawk land, call off the OPP: Do not risk people's lives for
a gravel pit the government has already acknowledged
is on Mohawk land!

Release all First Nations political prisoners!

Premier Dalton McGuinty: 416-325-1941 (phone)
416-325-3745 (fax)
[email protected]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Press Release from TMT:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FROM TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY:

Ontario Jails Five More First Nations People Involved in Land
Struggles

(Sunday, April 27, 2008 -Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory) Five men from
Tyendinaga are in jail today bringing the total number of First
Nations
people in Ontario jails for defending their land to 12.

Ontario, it appears, has opted for the incarceration of First Nations
people over the resolution of outstanding land issues as their status
quo.

As for the Ontario Provincial Police, it appears the adoption of
Justice
Linden's Ipperwash Inquiry recommendations is experiencing some
delay.
While in custody at the Napanee Detachment several different officers
repeatedly informed Shawn Brant that they were going to "slit his
throat"
and that he was a "dead man."

This followed a similarly disturbing incident that occurred on
Monday,
April 22nd during the road closures in Deseronto when an officer on
the
scene clearly and audibly commented to her colleagues "we should just
shoot them (Mohawks) all."

Meanwhile, road closures continue in Tyendinaga and Six Nations
until, as
one man said, "We finish the job."

Contact: Jay Maracle: 613-243-4993

Canadian Press

quote:

---

Time to break off negotiations until native blockades come down: Ont. Opposition

6 hours ago

TORONTO — The Opposition says the Ontario government should immediately break off all talks with aboriginal groups until their roadblocks come down.

Provincial police have removed a roadblock set up by aboriginal protesters on an eastern Ontario rural road north of Deseronto. But a southern Ontario highway around Caledonia remains blocked by Six Nations protesters.

They closed the highway to show support for their fellow aboriginals in eastern Ontario and say they won't remove the blockade until police back down around Deseronto.

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory says the Liberal government has allowed the situation to escalate by tolerating law-breakers in Caledonia.

He's calling on the government to break off negotiations with Six Nations and send a message through the courts that blockades aren't tolerated.

"The government can send every signal that it possibly can - we're not going to put up with lawless behaviour and we're not going to sit at negotiating tables with people who break the law," Tory said.

---

Hopefully lots of Toronto babblers can make it out tomorrow at noon the Ministry of the Attorney General for the protest. I'm going to try to make it myself.

I'm not sure whether the government can call off the OPP (wouldn't that be political interference in police actions, like what Mike Harris did?) but they can certainly try to negotiate in good faith and to call a moratorium on future development until all claims are settled.

[ 28 April 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]

Ministry of the Attorney General
720 Bay Street
(Bay, just north of Gerrard, east side)

[ 28 April 2008: Message edited by: writer ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Michelle:
I'm not sure whether the government can call off the OPP (wouldn't that be political interference in police actions, like what Mike Harris did?) but they can certainly try to negotiate in good faith and to call a moratorium on future development until all claims are settled.

[ 28 April 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ][/QB]

---

And us white folks tell each other pretty lies about this country, what it represents, how good it is to the people confined by its invented borders.

quote:

---

Originally posted by remind:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FROM TYENDINAGA MOHAWK TERRITORY:...on Monday...during the road closures...an officer...clearly and audibly commented..."we should just shoot them (Mohawks) all." You know, I keep getting more and more speechless about this situation, I simply cannot relate to, nor even comprehend, the type of mindset that could contemplate, let alone say, such things in this day and age and in Canada. I mean WTF kind of people do they seek when they are recruiting?

---

Having grown up near Tyendinaga, and visiting the area regularly still, that sentiment and similar ones are not uncommon at all among the locals and townies in neighbouring communities. And those are the people the police recruit.

[ 28 April 2008: Message edited by: Michelle ]

the goal is not to have any outstanding claims in context of Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10. (currently 2 million acres)

Currently, as per The Claim Settlements (Alberta and Saskatchewan) Implementation Act , over half a million acres are being processed.

a lot more work to be done, of course, but its a start, and things are progressing.

[ 28 April 2008: Message edited by: TemporalHominid ]

After a meeting of the people of SN's Grand River Territory, this am, it was decided that the OPP and MTO could open the road.

The other news is that the action over the previous days has received the support of both the Confederacy AND Band Council. The Band Council made that support official at last nights council meeting.

Here's a scan of the council document so it's clear that this isn't BS because it's a significant event in signifying a unified front and support. Quite historic actually. There should be more statements forthcoming sometime today.

edited: It's been just clairfied that this article came out 52 minutes ago. Not five hours that's the internet for you...

Canadian Press

quote:

---

Roadblocks and barricades are coming down in Caledonia: Minister

5 hours ago

TORONTO — The province's aboriginal affairs minister says peace is being restored in the southern Ontario community of Caledonia.

Michael Bryant says both the road barricade of a local highway and the recent blockade of a rail line are being dismantled.

He says the blockade - which was erected in solidarity with aboriginal protesters in eastern Ontario - went up because of rumour and misinformation.

---

[ 29 April 2008: Message edited by: ElizaQ ]

[ 29 April 2008: Message edited by: ElizaQ ]

April 29, 2008
Lisa Varano
Mercury Staff; with files from Kate Hopwood and The Canadian Press

GUELPH

A group of non-native protesters blocked the Hanlon Expressway for about half an hour last night in a show of support for a group of Mohawks involved in a standoff near Deseronto, Ont.

About 20 young people stood in the southbound lanes below Paisley Road, near a small bonfire.

Three cars and a truck were stuck in the southbound lanes, between the intersection and the blockade.

Many other cars were temporarily caught in bottlenecks at the intersection. One man got out of his car to briefly push and yell at some of the protesters.

Protesters held a sign that read, "Solidarity with Tyendinaga," referring to the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory near Deseronto, in eastern Ontario. A group of natives has set up a blockade at a quarry there, claiming the land belongs to them. The standoff drew media attention last week after leader Shawn Brant was arrested; a scuffle between some of his followers and OPP officers followed after which two officers were taken to the hospital.

Edited to add: To get involved please contact us at support.tmt (at) gmail.com. For more information please see
http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html

Donations, letters of support and protest, and people power are much appreciated. Thanks.

[ 29 April 2008: Message edited by: blake 3:17 ]

Brand new rabble columnist and Shameless blogger (and babbler!) Jessica Yee might be in 6N right now, but I'm not positive about that. That was the last I heard.

I stayed up half the night last night editing a video for rabbletv of yesterday's protest outside the office of the Ministry of the Attorney General. I was thinking while I was there that I'd just do a 3 or 4 minute clip of people's signs, a bit of chanting, and some Raging Grannies. But the main speaker at the event was so fabulous, and outlined and clarified the Shawn Brant situation so clearly and succinctly that I made it a 10 minute video around her speech.

She had just talked to him that morning and gave us an update on how he is doing (apparently while in custody, the police have been threatening to "slit his throat" and to "do his family") and how the charges against him are trumped up and have been misreported by the media.

So yeah, Fantino, as long as you have racist cops and the media takes your side, activists will continue to use sites like this to get out their side of the story!

Support Aboriginal Land Rights

April 30, 2008

The Canadian Peace Alliance (CPA) joins the calls for an immediate halt to the repression of the Tyendinaga Mohawks. The actions undertaken by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) – tacitly approved by the McGuinty Ontario government and Stephen Harper – are unacceptable and have threatened to escalate into yet another tragic incident such as the murder of Dudley George at Ipperwash. While the situation has become more calm, the threat of police violence against peaceful protesters shows an unwillingness by the provincial and federal governments to negotiate in good faith with Indigenous peoples.

Deploying armed force against people asserting their right to self-determination within the Canadian state gives the lie to the statements of the Harper government that Canada is in Afghanistan to assist the Afghan people. The same repressive forces that are being used against the Tyendinaga are serving Canadian foreign policy interests by acting as “trainers” for the police forces of the installed regimes in Haiti, Afghanistan and Iraq. Indigenous people in both Central Asia and here at home have seen the real face of Canada’s use of police and armed force – the road to Kandahar passed through Gustafsen Lake and Oka.

News recently leaked about the forthcoming Canadian Forces Counter-Insurgency Manual, that specifically targets Aboriginal peoples as military opponents. An early draft of the manual cites “ambush, deception and killing” as potential tactics that may be used against the types of “insurgents” discussed. It is time to stop demonizing, threatening, and arresting Aboriginal people and begin upholding their human rights.

The CPA, recognizing the Harper government's shameful act of voting against the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, applauds the majority of Parliamentarians who passed a motion adopting the wording of the original declaration. The CPA calls on the Harper government to respect the will of the House of Commons and the rights of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

Specifically, the CPA calls on the Canadian and Ontario governments to uphold Aboriginal people's rights to say no to "development" on their traditional lands. The CPA also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Robert Lovelace of the Ardoch Algonquins and the six leaders of KI (Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug) who have been imprisoned for exercising their fundamental human right to peaceful protest. The CPA also calls for elimination of all imposed fines, which in addition to the imprisonment, are nothing more than a heavy-handed tactic to stifle legitimate protest.

The CPA urges the people of Canada and Quebec to support the next National Day of Action in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples on May 29, 2008. See http://www.afn.ca/nda.htm for details.

The Canadian Peace Alliance is Canada's largest umbrella peace organization, with 140 member groups and a combined total membership of 4 million people.

quote:

---

Tyendinaga Update and Letters to Prison
-----------------------------------------------------------

(Friday, May 2, 2008) Tyendinaga Mohawks are currently standing strong at the quarry site, last week's roadblocks have been removed, and
police presence in the immediate vicinity of the territory has decreased, although OPP remain present in the surrounding areas.
Of the three Mohawks who remained in jail after last Friday's arrests and stand-off, Matthew Kunkel was released on bail yesterday. Clint
Brant was denied bail today, and remains in prison in Quinte Regional Detention Centre in Napanee, as does Shawn Brant. Shawn will appear
in court on Tuesday, for scheduling purposes.

Given that Shawn Brant has only just beat the previous set of trumped-up charges (acquitted of all charges relating to the incident involving Canadian Army solidiers in November 2006) a mere two weeks ago, Shawn's legal counsel is currently assessing how best to deal with this new set of fabricated charges.

Shawn's arrest sparked off police actions which led to the jailing of four other Mohawks, the OPP puling their weapons on community members
at the reclaimed quarry site, and a weekend of tense stand-offs and road blockades.

Please stay tuned for further updates next week.

To send letters to Clint Brant or Shawn Brant:

Shawn Brant
Clint Brant
c/o
Quinte Detention Centre
89 Richmond Blvd
Napanee, ON K7R 3S1

---

(May 4th, 2008) Eight days ago, on Friday, April 25th, 2008, my
husband, Shawn Brant, was arrested and detained on assault and weapons charges. Since that time, Commissioner Julian Fantino and the Ontario
Provincial Police have issued numerous public statements that have wildly and, it seems, purposefully misstated the events leading to my
husband's arrest, and sought to vilify and criminalize him personally.

I believe it is important to the public good for people to understand the circumstances that have lead to Shawn's incarceration at this
time. Those circumstances are as follows:

On Sunday, April 20th, 2008, the community of Tyendinaga responded to threats from a Kingston developer to bring "a crew of 25 to 30 guys",
in order to begin development on a property which falls within in the Culbertson Tract land claim. Mohawks from Tyendinaga did peaceful road closures on Highway 2, adjacent to this proposed development site on Mohawk land.

My husband Shawn has been living and complied with very strict conditions imposed when he was charged in relation to community rail and highway blockades on the June 2007 Aboriginal Day of Action. One of his conditions is not to attend protests. During the evening of
Monday, April 21st, 2008, my husband was some distance away from the road closures erected in response to the Kingston developer, talking to a Tyendinaga community member, while he also checked a nearby creek for fish.

During this conversation, Shawn became aware of some commotion down the road, and made his way towards the commotion, parking his car some
50 feet away from where a small group of people was gathered on one side of the road. The first thing Shawn saw a 10-year-old girl shaking and crying uncontrollably. He had no idea what was going on.
As he approached the scene, someone yelled "Shawn help us!" The little
girl screamed, "They hurt my Mommy! They're gonna hurt my Mommy."
Someone else yelled, "He has a ball bat!" At this time, Shawn noticed
two trucks were parked facing the people who were in obvious distress.
Shawn returned to his car and retrieved his fishing spear. By the
time Shawn returned to where the people were gathered, the occupants
of the trucks were back inside their vehicles. Shawn shouted at the
occupants of the trucks to leave. The windows were so tinted that he
could not make out their faces. The drivers of the trucks sped away
with such force that one of their truck tires was raised in the air,
spraying much gravel and stone at the women and the child, some of
which they later discovered was imbedded in their skin.

Shawn turned his head to avoid catching stones in the face, and held
out his spear in an effort to create some distance between the group
of Mohawks and the trucks, out of concern that those in the vehicles
would strike those on the road with their vehicles. The trucks then
sped away. That is the extent of Shawn's interaction with the
individuals he is now charged with assaulting. To be clear, he is
charged with assaulting the men in the trucks.

A 911 call was made during this incident on April 21st, 2008, in which
the trucks' licence plates were recorded. Shortly thereafter, the
women made statements to the police, identifying the men driving the
trucks as known Deseronto inhabitants, subsequently identified as
Jamie Lalonde and Mike Lalonde. The women also testified in police
statements that one of the men swung a club at them, drove one of the
trucks into them, and threatened further violence. The women also
described being injured by flying stones, and described the trauma
endured by the young girl. No one but Shawn has been charged.

The men from Deseronto sought out this group of people, deliberately
caused them injury and issued threats of further violence. They were
targeted for assault and abuse for no other reason than that they are Native. The actions taken by the men from Deseronto were driven by bigotry and racial hatred. By definition, these were hate crimes. Again, no one but Shawn has been charged.

The men are presumed to have filed a complaint against my husband, resulting in a police search of his car on Friday, April 25th, when
his fishing spear was taken from his car, and charges of assault and possession of a weapon ?the spear ?were laid. My husband remains in
prison, in maximum security, as a result.

It is our understanding that the prosecution is seeking yet another publication ban on all future court proceedings in this matter. A pattern has emerged with respect to my husband, Shawn Brant. The police and prosecution make sensational and vilifying statements about Shawn in the media, and then seek a publication ban during court proceedings, when the actual evidence is introduced. The starkly different narrative of events that emerges in court is withheld and the public forbidden from hearing it. The version of events I have
just presented will all but disappear.

Less than a month ago, my husband was acquitted of charges he carried for more than 18 months. When issuing the ruling in this acquittal,
the judge described the investigative practice and evidence employed and presented by the cops and the Crown as "problematic" and
"troubling," as they related to Shawn. During this same period, CBC Radio aired a documentary in which several Mohawk people recounted
conversations with OPP Commissioner Fantino that occurred during the 2007 Aboriginal Day of Action, in which they say he threatened to "ruin" Shawn. During Shawn's detention at the Napanee OPP detachment last week, several different police officers threatened to "slit his
throat" and "cut off his head."

As I deal with the tears of young children who have been robbed of their father once again, Commissioner Fantino claims the OPP is an
apolitical and professional organization, dedicated to upholding therule of law. The events of the past week indicate it is anything but.

Brant's wife damaged case: lawyer

Posted By Jeremy Ashley and Barry Ellsworth
Posted 11 hours ago

The wife of well-known native protester Shawn Michael Brant issued a statement about his April arrest, charging the provincial police and Crown attorney are "vilifying" her husband in the media.

Further, in the e-mailed statement - which was widely circulated to media organizations and posted to a website established to promote the activities of the Tyendinaga protesters - Sue Collis accused the provincial police and OPP commissioner Julian Fantino with issuing "numerous public statements that have wildly and, it seems, purposefully misstated the events leading to my husband's arrest, and sought to vilify and criminalize (sic) him personally."

In the most jarring accusation, Collis said police officers "threatened to slit his throat and cut off his head" when Brant was arrested and taken to Napanee OPP detachment two weeks ago.

By issuing such statements, Collis could have seriously damaged her husband's chances in court, a noted Toronto criminal lawyer says.

"As the wife of Shawn Brant, Sue Collis enjoys a special protection," Lenny Hochberg said. "More specifically she is not a compellable witness against her husband in a Canadian Court of Law. All conversations between husband and wife are privileged. That being said, the Crown could argue that by making a public statement she unilaterally waived her privilege and should be ordered to testify for the Crown against her husband.

"The Crown will want her to testify as to what information she has and from whom it was received."

Brant, who has been in custody since his arrest April 25, is expected to be in Napanee court today for a bail hearing on assault and drug charges - less than a month after he was acquitted of uttering death threats against Canadian soldiers in Deseronto on Nov. 15, 2006 during a native demonstration.

When contacted about Collis' allegations, OPP spokeswoman Sgt. Kristine Rae said Brant's charges were before the criminal justice system, which would ultimately determine the validity of the allegations the protester faces.

"The processes are before the court ... and we can't comment on an ongoing criminal process," she said. "We present the information to the courts and it's up to the courts to decide."

Local Crown prosecutors also declined to comment on the statements issued and posted on the website by Collis, stating it wouldn't be appropriate.

Brant, 44, whose arrest the afternoon of April 25 sparked the fiery encounter between police and other protesters, is facing charges including assault with a weapon, mischief under $5,000, breach of recognizance, possession of a controlled substance and carrying weapons dangerous to the public peace.

Standing shackled and handcuffed in the prisoner's box, the well-known native protester told Justice Geoff Griffin the pact - which will see Brant remain in jail until his trial on five criminal counts in late June - was merely a ploy to keep him held in the Quinte Detention Centre's "super-max wing for something I didn't do."

In addition, Brant, 44, said his incarceration "is all about May 29 ... because that idiot in Ottawa called for another Day of Action," he said, referring to the Assembly of First Nation's Chief Phil Fontaine.

Fontaine, Brant said, wants natives to erect blockades and cause disruptions similar to those seen last year.

Brant is facing charges including assault with a weapon, mischief, breach of recognizance, possession of a controlled substance and carrying weapons dangerous to the public peace stemming from an alleged incident along Deseronto Road on April 21 that "was not related to protest activity," police said.

Tuesday, after meeting with defence lawyer Rob Smart and Crown attorney Robert Morrison behind closed doors, Griffin emerged to ask Brant if he would be willing to adjourn his bail hearing in exchange for a quick trial on the charges.

"I'm not stopping you from having your bail hearing right now, if you're determined," the justice explained, adding that "by agreeing to this trial date, really what you are doing is getting your ducks in a row."

What: Punchclock Showcase No. 2: Shawn Brant Is No Criminal!

Two Days of Art and Music in Support of Indigenous
Sovereignty and the Tyendinaga Legal Defense Fund

Date: Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 2008

Time: Gallery open for viewing daily at 11 am

Friday Night Music: doors at 9 pm (19 +)

Saturday Night Music: doors at 8 pm (All ages)

Where: Whippersnapper Gallery, 587A College Street

Admission: free during the day; evening shows $5 - $15 sliding scale

Punchclock Launches Showcase No. 2: Shawn Brant Is No Criminal!

Two Days of Art and Music in Support of Indigenous Sovereignty and the
Tyendinaga Legal Defense Fund

The Punchclock Collective invites Toronto to Showcase No.2, a music
and art extravaganza held over two days in May at the Whippersnapper
Gallery.

Shawn Brant Is No Criminal! presents works by emerging, outsider, and
established artists in diverse media, interpreting themes of
anti-colonial resistance, indigenous sovereignty, and silencing
through sentencing. Artists whose work will be featured in the
showcase include David Morrisseau,Branko, Nidal El-Khairy, Angela
Steritt, Riel Manywounds, Luis Jacob, Schuster Gindin, Alana
Svilainis, Gord Hill, Tania Willard, Ibrahim Shalaby, Gabrielle
L'hirondelle, Fancy Gordon Zero, Christopher Cubitt-Cooke, and an
array of infamous Punchclockers, including Michael Comeau, Rockey
Dobey, Shannon Muegge, Agata Mrozowski and Stefan Pilipa.

Showcase No. 2 will also feature two evening performances by three
generations of Toronto's most solid musicians. Friday's opening night
show will feature performances by an eclectic mic of the best
independent musicians in Toronto- ANAGRAM, Nif-D, and $100.
Saturday's All Ages show presents The Phonemes, Bob Wiseman, and
Richard Laviolette, followed by DJs and dancing late into the night.

Money raised will go to the legal defense fund of Mohawk Activist
Shawn Brant and to the quarry reclamation site . Like seven other
First Nations leaders across Ontario who have opposed non-native
mining on indigenous land, Brant is currently being held in jail.
Singled out for taking part in rail blockades during a national day of
action last June, he is facing up to twelve years of incarceration and
a multi-million dollar civil suit laid against him by CN Rail. "Shawn
Brant is part of the current Canada-wide struggle to expose unsettled
land claims, and native poverty, which have been misplaced on the
desks of power, and buried in a century of colonial haggling," says
Shannon Muegge. "He's also our friend, and has supported and inspired
us over the past decade."

This weekend long event will also feature live hair cutting by
donation, live portrait drawings, also by donation, live screen
printing on your clothes, again, by donation and this workshop:

Workshop: Saturday May 16th, 5pm - 7pm, Whippersnapper Gallery
Tyendinaga: Criminalizing the Struggle for Self-Determination
Presented by members of the Tyendinaga Support Committee

An in-depth look at recent developments in Tyendinaga Mohawk
Territory to understand what indigenous nations fighting for their
land, and the right to self determination, are facing when they take a
stand.

Participants will gain an understanding of the history and struggle of
Tyendinaga Mohawks and the insane legal implications for community
leaders. We will discuss the web of injustice maintained by federal
heel-dragging in a land claim proccess, resource extraction
legislation that allows the land to be gutted and stripped in the mean
time, and an OPP dominated media circuit feeding the public the same
old racist messaging.

Join us for this discussion and to learn about ongoing support
initiatives and ways to get involved.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
OPP Weaponry and Escalation:
Update on the Struggle for the Culbertson Tract
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Update from the Tyendinaga Support Committee
--------------------------------------------------------------------

While the quarry site, part of the disputed Culbertson Tract, has remained under Mohawk reclamation since March 2007, the Mohawks of
Tyendinaga recently successfully halted another non-Native development effort on the Tract – this successful action led to a series of alarming and serious events.

In late April, a Kingston realtor, Emile Nibourg, made loud public plans to begin construction on the Culbertson Tract, culminating in a written commitment to bring a crew of "25 to 30 guys" to the site. The Mohawks of Tyendinaga responded by closing roads immediately adjacent to the proposed site, which they held for several days. While the OPP swat team was eventually brought in to remove the
Mohawks from the roads, no confrontation ensued, and Nibourg backed away from his plans to build on stolen land.

Several days later, after the roads had been reopened, Mohawk spokesperson Shawn Brant was arrested during an interview he was
conducting with APTN. Shawn's final words during his arrest on Friday were "This is it, justice for first nations communities: lock us up.Anybody who speaks out, lock-em up. KI6, Bob Lovelace: lock-em up...Don't fix the problems, lock-em up."

Despite the reporting in mainstream press, Shawn Brant's arrest on Friday, April 25th stemmed from an incident that took place days
before. Specifically, Shawn Brant has been charged for his role in preventing further attacks on two Mohawk woman and a young child by
racist rednecks from the town of Deseronto (see below for more on
Shawn's arrest).

Supporters rushed to the quarry after watching or hearing of Shawn's arrest. His arrest sparked off police actions that led to the jailing of four other Mohawks, the OPP pulling their weapons on community members at the reclaimed quarry site, and a weekend of tense
stand-offs and road blockades. Psychological warfare on the part of the police resulted in a tense face-off between the OPP and community
members that lasted for days.

The same weekend, Six Nations community members erected a blockade of the Highway 6 bypass, near Caledonia, in support of the Tyendinaga
Mohawks. This blockade was not removed until Six Nations received confirmation that the OPP had withdrawn from the Mohawks of Tyendinaga.

Following Shawn's arrest, Matt Kunkel, Clint Brant, Dan Doreen, and Steve Chartrand were charged and jailed. Dan, spokesperson for the
earlier Mohawk road closures on Highway 2, and Steve have since been released with strict conditions. A couple from the community who were
also arrested by the OPP were later were released unconditionally. Matt and Clint, along with Shawn, remain in maximum-security pre-trial
custody in Quinte Regional Detention Centre in Napanee, until trial.

Ontario has opted for the incarceration of First Nations people over the resolution of outstanding land issues as their status quo. As for the Ontario Provincial Police, it appears the adoption of Justice Linden's Ipperwash Inquiry recommendations is experiencing some delay. During the road closures in Deseronto, an OPP officer on the scene
audibly commented to her colleagues, "We should just shoot them (Mohawks) all." Following the arrests of the 5 Mohawks, the OPP claimed to have seen 'one long gun' at the quarry site, prompting the officers on the scene to pull their weapons out. The Mohawks at the
quarry were not armed. The memories of Dudley George have not faded.
And while in custody at the Napanee OPP Detachment, several different officers repeatedly informed Shawn Brant that they were going to "slit his throat".

Once again, for his role as a spokesperson in the community, Shawn Brant is facing trumped-up charges. These new charges were laid less
than two weeks after Shawn Brant was acquitted of charges alleging that he threatened Canadian Forces soldiers during a demonstration to prevent development of the Culbertson Tract in 2006. Shawn is now forced to remain in jail at least until his trial on these latest
charges, which is to take place in mid-June. Further updates on those charged will be coming soon.

As well as dealing with five of their community members now facing charges, the people of Tyendinaga are also facing another serious
challenge. The OPP has struck a deal with the Band Council to build a new police station on Tyendinaga territory, ostensibly for the
Tyendinaga Reserve Police force (employed by the OPP). Community members have questioned why the four-man force needs a bullet-proof,
5,000-square-foot facility. An identical structure on Mohawk land the Akwesasne Reserve in Quebec is now home not only to the local Reserve cops, but also to the OPP and the RCMP. The deal between the Band
Council and the OPP, in which the Band will spend $1.2 million on the new station, with an additional $1 million contributed by the Province
of Ontario and Stockwell Day's Federal Ministry of Public Safety, was made without proper consultation with the community. The Men's and
Youth Councils, who meet at the recently constructed community longhouse, have openly voiced their opposition to the station, saying
the money is needed more urgently elsewhere on the reserve. Meanwhile, construction on the new station has, as of printing time,
now begun.

The Province of Ontario refuses to take responsibility for the actions
of its police force, the OPP, while also continuing to abdicate responsibility for their role in the licensing of the non-Native
quarry operations. The quarry itself now sits partially flooded, while the Mohawks continue their reclamation of the site until government acts to return it to them. The federal government continues to languish at the negotiation table, while making noise in
the mainstream press about crackdowns on the Native cigarette industry, and the land – long acknowledged as belonging to the Mohawks
– remains unreturned.

New charges laid against native protesters
Posted By Jeremy Ashley
Posted 5 hours ago
A number of additional criminal charges were laid Tuesday against native protesters in connection to road blockades and several violent confrontations with police last month.

And officers investigating the heated events during the week of April 21 vow further arrests and charges are imminent in the coming weeks.

This week's charges, according to a statement issued by provincial police, were laid Tuesday afternoon in connection with "events that occurred in and around Deseronto," between April 21 and 26.

To send letters to Clint Brant or Shawn Brant:

quote:

---

----------------------------------------------------------------
More Charges Laid: Clampdown Intensifies
Support Tyendinaga Mohawks!
----------------------------------------------------------------

(MAY 20, 2008) In the wake of recent road closures, OPP intimidation, and jailing of Mohawk community members, charges have now been laid by the OPP against at least 9 additional Tyendinaga Mohawks. These charges, according to police, stem from "events that occurred in and
around Deseronto," between April 21 and 26. According to the OPP, the investigations are ongoing and additional charges may be laid against other Mohawks. While none of the 9 people recently charged were forced to remain in police custody, and are free to go home to their
families, all carry conditions of 'no protests' and 'not to be present at the quarry site'.

Three men remain in custody at this time, awaiting trial - Clint Brant, Matt Kunkel, and Shawn Brant. Shawn Brant's trial date has been set for mid-June.

The current situation in Tyendinaga is developing into a sweeping crack-down on community members, the stifling of resistance to
increased policing and further development of the Culbertson Tract, while federal monies are being poured into the Territory for policing
matters and an RCMP report is released, citing federal government intentions to dedicate police "to fighting contraband, which he
[Stockwell Day] said is funding organized crime and possibly even terrorists" in three Mohawk communities, including Tyendinaga.

It is important to remember that the feds' concern with Native-made smokes and sales go much deeper than their own pocket book. It is not
simply the lost tax revenue that they suffer, but the fact that the lost dollars go to sustain Mohawk families and other services and allows for the Mohawk Nation to stand, as it always has, as a clear and organized force of resistance against the Canadian government's
practices of assimilation and control of First Nations peoples.

It is the efforts to strengthen Mohawk Nations' economies and sovereignty that threatens the implementation of Canada's colonial
agenda. The policing agendas of the Canadian government aim to crack down on this assertion of self-sufficiency and strength, not, as they
claim, "organized crime".

- Tyendinaga Support Committee
** NEW WEBSITE: http://ocap.ca/supporttmt/
[email protected]

----------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Please send letters to the men in jail:

Shawn Brant
Clint Brant
Matt Kunkel
c/o
Quinte Detention Centre
89 Richmond Blvd
Napanee, ON K7R 3S1

2. Donate money to the Tyendinega Legal Defence Fund, which divides
funds raised between legal costs and maintaining the quarry
reclamation site. Cheques can be made out to "Tyendinaga Legal
Defence Fund" and mailed to the address below.

3. Host a facilitated workshop or information session with a member
of the Tyendinaga Support Committee.
Contact us at [email protected]

4. Put forward a resolution in your local or organization in support
of Shawn Brant and the struggle of the
Tyendinaga Mohawk community to reclaim their land.

5. Officially endorse the TSC campaign to support Shawn Brant's legal
defence and the quarry reclamation site by
contacting us at [email protected]

6. In Toronto, contact us to become actively involved in the work of
the TSC and come to one of our meetings.

7. Visit our website to sign an online petition or to join our
mailing list: http://ocap.ca/supporttmt/

Tyendinaga Support Committee
c/o 10 Britain St. Toronto ON
M5A 1R6
[email protected]
http://ocap.ca/supporttmt/

---

Niki Karennenha:wi believes the arrests, which included her brother and parents, were an attempt by the provincial government to "oppress the Mohawk people."

Saturday afternoon, Karennenha:wi and several other Mohawk activists spoke about the arrests during the Day of Indigenous Solidarity held at the Organic Underground.

"Everything they have set out to quash, they have only made stronger," Karennenha:wi said.

In late April, Mohawk spokesperson Shawn Brant was arrested on assault and mischief charges. The OPP then attempted to arrest suspects of an earlier road blockade, leading to two confrontations with Mohawk protesters that resulted in four injured officers and numerous arrests. The OPP and the Mohawks then set up road blockades, which blocked Deseronto traffic over four days.

"They arrested Brant, who they believe is our leader," Karennenha:wi said. "They thought that was our stronghold, our big gun I guess."

Karennenha:wi explained Brant is merely the spokesperson of the Mohawk activists and has never been considered the leader.

"No one is the leader, everything is based on consensus," she said.

Since the events in April, Karennenha:wi's long house has seen attendance jump from 50 to 200 people.

quote:

---

A confrontation that could cripple community ties
Tense standoff between a native activist and a business owner has left a man behind bars and threatens to fracture a town
KATE HAMMER

Globe and Mail Update

May 29, 2008 at 4:34 AM EDT

DESERONTO, ONT. — No one seems to argue that the weather was bright and warm, that the creek ran high and that the pickerel were biting on Monday, April 21 in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. But the details of what happened that day, just north of the creek at the intersection of Slash Road and Bell's Road, remain a matter for the court.

Mohawk activist Shawn Brant and Deseronto business owner James LaLonde crossed paths that day, and the events that unfolded reduced an eight-year-old girl to tears, put a dent in the back of Mr. LaLonde's Dodge pickup, and landed Mr. Brant in jail.

Mr. Brant would not be behind bars, save that the police account of what happened constitutes a violation of his conditions of release for offences that put him briefly in custody - and on front pages - last year.

That's when he led a group that shut down Canada's busiest highway and the main line of the Canadian National Railway to mark a national native day of action. When this year's protests take place today, Mr. Brant will be, likely to the relief of many, safely in jail.

He will remain there until a court rules on the conflicting accounts of that spring day.

"It all hinges upon whose version of events is believed," said Howard Morton, the lawyer who is to represent Mr. Brant in court June 19 on charges of assault, possession of a dangerous weapon and possession of marijuana.

The events of April 21 are rooted in a dispute over the Culbertson tract, a 375-hectare area owned by Kingston-based company Nibourg Developments. The Mohawks claim title to the land, based on an agreement dated 1793.

As a crew prepared to begin work on the property that morning, Tyendinaga community members blocked parts of Highway 2, the main road through the town of Deseronto, past the rusted rainbow of cars outside LaLonde Auto Repair, a garage Lyle LaLonde sold two years ago to his only son, James.

As he closed shop early that day, James LaLonde, 39, a stout man with a square goatee and squarer oil-stained hands, was frustrated. An appointment book filled with scheduled repairs had brought little business, as most of his customers had been deterred by the roadblocks.

He and his eldest daughter, who works in the shop after school, climbed into his red Dodge Ram and, knowing the highway was blocked, took an alternate route north on Bell's Road. Mr. LaLonde's nephew, Michael LaLonde, followed in his silver pickup.

The fishing season had just begun, and only two kilometres away Shawn Brant was bounding along the creek's edge on his long, sinewy limbs, scanning the waters for pickerel.

The 44-year-old carried a trident fishing spear and his cell phone. According to Mr. Brant, OPP officers had taken his number and asked him to keep the phone on hand, in case his help was needed to defuse any disruptions at the roadblocks that day. As part of the conditions of his bail, Mr. Brant was barred from participating.

Two pickup trucks speeding north along Bell's Road caught Mr. Brant's attention. Minutes later he heard the screams of a little girl and decided to investigate.

That was when Mr. Brant met the LaLondes, and where versions of events part ways.

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Posted By BY JEREMY ASHLEY, THE INTELLIGENCER
Updated 1 day ago

Say his actions against former Mohawk police chief were wrong

A retired Ontario public servant who served as advisor to almost a dozen provincial attorney generals, has come to the aid of the ousted chief of the Tyendinaga Mohawk police service.

Stan Jolly, a former senior policy and programs advisor on aboriginal justice issues for the Ministry of the Attorney General, circulated his 41-page report into the suspension and dismissal of Tyendinaga police chief Larry Hay to a variety of media outlets this week.

The scathing report criticizes the actions of OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino in first suspending Hay for eight months before firing the veteran officer for allegedly making a series of racially-charged comments about the OPP and RCMP to a student newspaper reporter last April.

"Our desire is to try and push this issue publicly in the hope that it can be resolved in a mutually respectful and practical way," Jolly said from his Toronto home Tuesday.

"I think it's also an effort to try and resolve the situation without going through the lengthy and extremely costly process of a court action."

The release of the report, which Jolly said he compiled voluntarily, was done in partnership with Hay's legal counsel.

Hay was fired from his position as the chief of the Tyendinaga police in January for comments he made last year to a Loyalist College journalism student while at the scene of the native occupation of a gravel quarry near Deseronto.

Hay, who lives on the Tyendinaga Territory, had served as police chief of the sixth largest First Nations Territory in Canada since 2000 and is a 19-year veteran of the RCMP.

Hay made national headlines in April 2007 when comments attributed to him in an edition of the Loyalist College newspaper accused the OPP and RCMP of being "racist" organizations.

In the article, published April 14 in The Pioneer, Hay is quoted as calling the Royal Canadian Mounted Police "a racist organization" and that he "came here to learn that the OPP and the SQ (Surete du Quebec) are no different. It's deep-seated racism and they will do all kinds of things to show that it isn't so, but we know better."

Posted By BY JEREMY ASHLEY, THE INTELLIGENCER
Posted 1 day ago

After weeks behind bars, Clint Brant and Matthew James Kunkel were released Thursday into the arms of family members and friends.

The pair of Mohawk protesters, who had been incarcerated since last month, were released this week after a two-day bail review by Superior Court judge Julianne A. Parfett determined neither represented a danger to the community.

"By releasing them, the judge did not believe that they represented a danger to the public," said defence lawyer Sarah Dover Thursday.

Dover said the judge determined the previous detention orders against the pair did not consider the Tyendinaga community.

"And that would be a true measure of whether or not someone would be a danger to the public ... the people of the Tyendinaga community had to be included," in the decision, she said.

There is a court-imposed publication ban on the evidence presented during the course of the review.

Both Brant and Kunkel were released on a range of conditions, including not to attend the quarry on Deseronto Road, which protesters have occupied since early last year.

Brant, 29, is facing six criminal charges following native blockades and heated confrontations in April with police in Deseronto.

Brant's charges stem from three incidents, two of which occurred on the same day.

Charges of dangerous driving, obstructing police, assaulting a police officer and mischief were laid in connection to allegations surrounding the native blockade of several roadways in Deseronto on April 21. On the same day, he was charged with mischief in connection to an incident at the site of a blockade on Slash Road involving an elderly couple.

Brant is also facing an additional charge of uttering threats during an incident along Deseronto Road on April 25 in which provincial police and native demonstrators clashed in the wake of the arrest of well-known protester Shawn Brant.

TORONTO EVENT:
Tuesday, JUNE 17th, 2008
Cervecería
842 College Street West (just west of Ossington)
Doors open at 6pm / Event begins at 7pm
PWYC - Donations appreciated
(all proceeds go to the Tyendinaga Legal Defence Fund)

Speakers:

** Jerome Barnhart, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

** Representative from CUPE Ontario, to speak on the recent passing of CUPE Ontario's Resolution 38, in support of indigenous struggle for the
land, against the criminalization of indigenous resistance, and in support of the Mohawks of Tyendinaga, and spokesperson Shawn Brant,
and how we can build on this important step forward.

** Jackie Esmonde is a lawyer member of the New Socialist Group and the Law Union. She acted as co-counsel for members of the George Family at
the Ipperwash Inquiry.

Also featuring Slide-Show / Audio from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and short films.

Hosted by the Tyendinaga Support Committee.

Provincial police wanted to pin criminal charges on Shawn Brant in order to keep the well-known protester behind bars during this year's aboriginal Day of Action, his lawyer charged Monday.

The allegation was levelled by defence lawyer Howard Morton during the opening day of a trial into a number of charges against Brant including assault with a weapon, mischief, breach of recognizance, possession of a controlled substance and carrying weapons dangerous to the public peace.

The majority of the criminal counts stem from an alleged incident that occurred just north of Deseronto on April 21 involving a confrontation between native protesters -- including Brant -- and nearby residents.

On that date, there were a number of native protests and road blockades in and around Deseronto after a developer promised to forge ahead with a plan to build on disputed native land.

Consequently, the majority of the trial's inaugural day didn't dwell on specific details of the incident, but rather was spent setting the context in which the occurrence took place such as issues surrounding the Culbertson Land claim, a tract of disputed piece of land that encompasses a large portion of Deseronto.

However, during cross-examination of the lead investigator of the incident, OPP Staff Sgt. Robert Hagerman, Morton charged the officer was selective in who he interviewed regarding the incident involving the confrontation.

The officer's goal, suggested Morton, was to "make sure he (Brant) was behind bars" during the aboriginal Day of Action in May.

Further, Morton questioned why provincial police were involved in a dispute that occurred on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, especially considering protesters had already contacted members of the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory Police (TPS) to look into the incident.

"If this is a TPS investigation occurring in their jurisdiction, why would the OPP get involved in that investigation and exclude the TPS from that investigation?" Morton asked.

Hagerman said the two police agencies agreed to work together to probe the incident -- essentially, OPP would look into allegations made by non-native residents, while members of the Tyendinaga police would investigate any complaints made by protesters.

To complicate matters further, Hagerman said the complainant -- who lives in nearby Deseronto -- didn't want to be involved with anyone from the Tyendinaga Territory Police Service.

quote:

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To complicate matters further, Hagerman said the complainant -- who lives in nearby Deseronto -- didn't want to be involved with anyone from the Tyendinaga Territory Police Service.

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Do you remember the Ipperwash inquiry? It was an inquiry into the circumstances of the killing of Dudley George and, more generally, into the policing of blockades and protests by First Nations people in Ontario.

George was killed by an Ontario Provincial Police sniper after he and other members of the Stoney Point First Nation ("Aazhoodena") reclaimed Ipperwash Provincial Park.

The OPP sniper was found criminally responsible, but the Ipperwash inquiry had the mandate to make recommendations directed at avoiding violence in similar circumstances in the future.

After an extensive two-part inquiry, Commissioner Sidney Linden and his staff compiled a four-volume report that contained a great deal of information and a made a number of recommendations.

Toward the end of the inquiry, the OPP presented its Framework for Police Preparedness for Aboriginal Critical Incidents, a document said to be an element of the OPP strategy to improve the policing of First Nations protests and blockades. The OPP asserted that it had applied the principles of the Framework for several years before formally adopting them as policy early in 2006.

Linden expressed concern about the sustainability of the Framework and its related programs; subsequent events demonstrated the validity of that concern.

Linden transmitted his report to the then attorney general of Ontario on May 30, 2007. The OPP commitment to those principles was tested less than a month later.

June 29, 2007, was the First Nations' "National Day of Action." The participation by some of the Tyendinaga Mohawks included blockades of both Highway 401 and of the main railway line between Toronto and Montreal for a part of the day. The spokesperson for the Mohawks who participated was Shawn Brant; he was subsequently arrested on a number of charges related to the blockades.

The preliminary inquiry into the charges against Brant took place in August 2007. (His trial before a judge and jury is scheduled to begin in late January 2009, with pre-trial motions set to begin in late September of this year.)

OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino testified at that preliminary inquiry. Prosecutors went to great lengths to ban the media from reporting the evidence tendered at Brant's preliminary inquiry but finally, on July 18, lawyers for CBC and for Brant managed to get the publication ban lifted. Since then, there has been some public discussion of whether Fantino should remain as commissioner in this post-Ipperwash era.

You can decide for yourself. Fantino's testimony is posted on the CBC's website, as are transcripts of three conversations between Fantino and Brant obtained from OPP wiretapping of Brant's phone. The recommendations of the Ipperwash inquiry (and the entire report, as well as all the testimony, expert reports and submissions) are still posted on the inquiry's website.

One of the recommendations of the Ipperwash report (number 11, on page 694 of volume 1) was that "the OPP should ensure the involvement of First Nation police services and the assistance of First Nation mediators when it responds to aboriginal occupations and protests."

The evidence at the preliminary inquiry shows that this was indeed taking place on June 29.

However, the evidence also shows that Fantino repeatedly undercut such involvement by interrupting negotiations between the people blockading the 401 and First Nations constables with threatening calls to Brant's cellphone.

quote:

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As if the tapes weren’t enough, there’s another another disgruntled Indian in Fantino’s cupboard. An officer from that same community also rocked the canoe. Last year, in an interview with a student newspaper, the police chief of the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Larry Hay, called the RCMP “a racist organization” and said “the OPP and SQ (Sûreté du Québec) are no different.”

A few days later he was suspended with pay, and the professional standards branch of the OPP launched an internal investigation. Eight months later, Hay was fired.

Just this week, a report from a retired adviser on Aboriginal justice issues for the Ministry of the Attorney General called into question the legality of that firing. It seems the band council of Tyendinaga was not consulted.

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