huge protest over land rights in ontario, caledonia

the natives of sixnations are fighting over land on the reservation a housing company in caledonia are trying to take it away i live right near there its been goin on for 52 days now today 15 natives were arrested, there was a tire , fire road block ,people beeing assualted, there are about a 1000 protesters today cops every where camera crews ...i was trying to get in to take pics it was crazy theres talk that the army is comming in now to ... i know sum of the the protesters an they wont give up the fight ...ill keep u guys updated an get pics tomorrow

heres sum links i found
ocap.ca...
mostlywater.org...
www.bbc.co.uk...
friendsofgrassynarrows.com...

Information about Six Nations of Grand River

News Story

Yeah, it's pretty nutty. I've heard all kinds of stories coming out of Caledonia. Hamilton and Peel have put together a response force of about two hundred officers, and local militia units have been issued unofficial 'in-case' word to be prepared in case this turns into another Oka .

Now, according to Wikipedia, the Six Nations sold that land more than a century ago and the protesters are in the wrong- from a legal perspective. Also, we have no clear idea about how the OPP went in there. Me, personally, I would have been considerably more unfriendly than the natives portrayed officers to be. In fact, I suspect if the protesters had been driven off the land with CS/CR and more officers, we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe my perspective is skewed- as a young man, I lived about the same distance I am from Caledonia from Oka during the crisis. The radical natives were inches from starting a shooting war with the Van Doos, who would have basically killed anyone interpretted as a threat. Both Ipperwash and Oka were total cluster****s in my mind, mostly because the police were hamstrung. I mean, tear gas and flashbangs to disperse men with AKs isn't a brilliant idea. Anyways, we'll see how thigns go. Hope there's no bloodshed, but with the situation as it is...well, I don't expect anything good.

DE

i got an update from a friend there more natives commin from different reserves to join... this is turning into the million man march...when u look at it from the protestors eyes they had canada before anyone ... they got bad deals for land, sum forced an were ... put into little reservations smaller than a city... wouldnt u fight if you had a small town an people were comming saying hey i want a good chuck of your town.. i would.. ill be getting alot of pictures an hopefully video i have friends there so i can get in an out..an tru duesex dont want this to be another oaka an hopefully no bloodshed

It's definitely not looking good this morning -

A simmering land-claim standoff in southwestern Ontario spawned a sympathy protest today that has halted at least a dozen CN freight trains and disrupted VIA Rail passenger service east out of Toronto.

Mohawks from the Tyendinaga reserve about 20 kilometres east of Belleville lit bonfires beside a CN track to show support for natives maintaining barricades in the dispute in Caledonia, south of Hamilton.

edit: forgot link:
Toronto Star


The resistance will build considerably over the next couple of days and this is just one example of it. I think this time around the protestors know exactly what's what and may be seeing how these types of issues are going to be dealt with.

I just hope this ends peacefully. Another Ipperwash or Oka would suck. We don't need people getting hurt or killed.


[edit on 21-4-2006 by parrhesia]

Wow that sounds pretty serious. What do the people in your area think of it all?

I've been in touch with some friends at Six Nations and I'm hearing that things are much worse than being reported

I'm hearing that maybe 100 people have been arrested, there's been a lot of violence on women, children, elderly who are said to be unarmed. There's also fears that the military might be called in.

If this had to go down in some way why the hell didn't the OPP do it right first time around. Every time something like this fails or gets messed up the movement only grows and brings more people and attention to it.

Maybe they knew this and there's something else planned. I don't know.

Here's some links.

sketchythoughts.blogspot.com...

mostlywater.org...

dominionpaper.ca...

Damn, and here I thought Canada was perfect.

i have sum more updates for ya guys its getting hard to get supplies in to the protestors an the opp are giving hastles to everyone native even if there not protesting ... at a canadian tire sum employes were ripping up there native status cards ... an theres a tim hortans right beside the protest rumor there only goin to serve whites...i think its starting to get a bit racist ... on both sides an yea the army is on the way

another update native universitys are goin to send me to protestors to show support ...all of canada probably knows about this by now sum are showing support protestors sum are against ... least they wont be starving an freezing now that there getting sum money from supporters

another update native universitys are goin to send MONEY to protestors to show support ...all of canada probably knows about this by now sum are showing support protestors sum are against ... atleast they wont be starving an freezing now that there getting sum money from supporters to get food an blankets an camping supplies:up sorry mods about my spelling mess ups in the previous msg im at work trying to help keep ats updated an getting phone calls like every 5 mins about whats new and happening there

Originally posted by zerotolerance
Damn, and here I thought Canada was perfect.

No, somehow we elected Stephen Harper as our Prime Minister.

As far as the land goes, our government stole it from them fair and square.
It's hard or impossible to get back what has been lost

seems to have calm down sum what on both sides just allowing natives only threw the blockcade at the momment.. police are there jus not as close they are wacthing from a distance .. no caledonia residents allowed threw the blockade latest update for you guys ....im trying to upload sum pics i got ill keep updates.... im 5 mins away from the blockade an protest..so ill do my best job at reporting what i hear on a daily basis

Right on, this would have to be better or at least purer and more truthful than the news on TV.
Have you considered selling some footage to the MSM? (main stream media)

im thinkin of getting a camcorder an gettin sum footage i have sum pics right now at the momment im deciding what ones to post an how to do it .. one thing i will say dont under estimate the natives they have alot more money to work with in the past... due to all the low priced ciggs.. btw has this situation been on cnn yet? jus wondering i dont have cnn?

I am wondering, why hasent this been covered at all on the American News Stations, because this seems to be pretty serious.

We should send in the army and kick some @$$. I read in the paper today that one of the protesters said they want to be dealt with nation to nation. If it's nation to nation then they have just invaded and now occupie part of another nation. And we have tanks and planes. So if Six Nation want a war thats exactly what we should give them. IMHO

Your a redneck when...
The Indians were here before us, they should have more rights to the land.
Look at it from their point of view.

“Redneck”? I think thats first time I've ever been called a redneck, I don't think I like it.
I also think that the “white man” took this continent by right of battle some time ago.
Furthermore Six nations sold that piece of land over one hundred years to allow the construction of highway 6 then known as the plank road. If they sold the land back to Canada then they lose the right to say what happens on it. The Protester/worriers did not come in in till the land had some value in the form of a multi-million dollar housing development going up on it.
I don't WANT there to be violence but if they want to play sovereign nation they should find out what happens when a small country starts a war with a larger nation. IMHO

Well sorry, that was kind of rude.
For sure it is certainly a complex issue, what with treaties and whatnot.
I think that where I am coming from is, to what extent have the Indians been screwed? And I must admit I don't yet know the full story of this situation.

I was just coming from the point of view of the natives, I tend to root for the little guy, that's my problem,