[Indigsol] April, 22 Celebrating the Defence of Mother Earth: A Fundraiser for the Six Nations Land Defenders Legal Defence Fund

[ipsm ottawa]

Two great events on Monday in celebration of Earth Day and Indigenous
Resistance!

1) Celebrating the Defence of Mother Earth: A Fundraiser for the Six
Nations Land Defenders Legal Defence Fund

April 22nd 6:00 to Midnight
Rideau Curling Club, 715 Cooper Street

Movies, Speakers, Music and Free Food!

Free – suggested donation $10 - $20
Wheelchair Accessible
https://www.facebook.com/events/293250537474088/Contact us about ASL/LSQ
<http://ipsmo.org/>

http://ipsmo.org
ipsmo at riseup.net

2) Mother Earth Day

Monday April 22, Noon

Join Idle No More and Defenders of the Land in solidarity with Indigenous
Peoples across Turtle Island to stand up for Mother Earth! We will gather
on Parliament Hill at 12pm to enjoy drumming, singing, praying, and
inspiring speakers! Every day is Earth Day!

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/358590067575932/

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EVENT DETAILS

1) Celebrating the Defence of Mother Earth: A Fundraiser for the Six
Nations Land Defenders Legal Defence Fund

The IPSM is organizing a fundraiser for front-line land defenders from Six
Nations this Earth Day!

All of the money raised will be going directly to the Six Nations Land
Defenders Legal Defence Fund.

Movies:

1) Day Zero, about the Six Nations Land Reclamation
2) Rough Cut: Toad: Onkwehonwe Land Defende
3) the National Film Board film, Six Miles Deep (subtitled)

Speakers:
Francine “Flower” Doxtator
Tom Keefer
Bob Lovelace, Defenders of the Land, TBC

Music:

True Rez, award winning hip-hop artists from Six Nations
Balam Santos
Mosha Folger


Food will be provided by Food Not Bombs Ottawa, and there is a bar in the
Curling Club

Speaker: Francine “Flower” Doxtator – a Haudenosaunee land defender,
grandmother and member of the April 28th Coalition.

Speaker: Tom Keefer is a member of the CUPE 3903 First Nations Solidarity
Working Group and of the Two Row Society  who has been working in
solidarity with land defenders from the Six Nations of the Grand River
Territory over the past seven years. He is on Twitter @tomkeefer.

Finally, there will be music from Tru Rez, the award winning hip hop group
from Six Nations who have been making music together for past 10 years.
And we will have other performers and/or DJs To Be Announced.


In 2006, activists from Six Nations reclaimed a part of their territory,
“Kanonhstaton” that was going to be developed by several construction
companies who had, illegally, invested in Douglas Creek Estates. For most
of the summer of 2006, the land reclamation was highly publicized. Since
then, although it has not generated the same media attention, Haudenosaunee
activists have continued to fight to protect their lands and waters. Due to
this fight, the last six years have seen harsh criminalization of
Haudenosaunee Land Defenders. Dozens of people have faced criminal charges
and several have served substantial time in jail. In Brantford, an
injunction was passed making it illegal for anyone from Six Nations to be
involved in land claims protest within the city.

Several Six Nations activists have also been arrested and charged of
serious criminal offences due to the actions of Gary McHale, a racist
right-wing demagogue with ties to overt white supremacists.  On February
18th several Six Nations land defenders were arrested for allegedly
“obstructing” and “assaulting” OPP officers.      That day anti-native
rights activist, Gary McHale, marched onto Kanonstaton and succeeded yet
again in instigating conflict by unexpectedly marching towards the house at
Kanonhstaton and disturbing the Haudenosaunee people living there.
Later, on April 28th, the police claimed that by being at Kanonhstaton on
April 28th, Flower had breached conditions stemming from the charges on
February 18th.

We must continue to build support for Six Nations land defenders and resist
the actions of the colonial courts in criminalizing Six Nations land
defenders. Flower is still not legally allowed to return to Kanonhstaton
and in order to avoid jail she had to agree to live with her surety in
Toronto – away from her home, her community and friends, her daughter, and
her four grandchildren. All of us living on this land are treaty people,
and we as treaty people must overcome such outrageous and heartbreaking
violations of treaty and human rights by building support for our friends
and allies at Six Nations.

In terms of a legal strategy, money is still urgently needed.

The April 28th Coalition is asking for your help to support Flower in a
number of ways:

• Pass a motion within your union or political organization denouncing this
political repression of indigenous land rights activists.

• Invite Flower and other members of the April 28th Coalition to come and
speak to your group about her case and the larger issues of Six Nations
land rights and activism in support of treaty rights.

• Raise money to help cover the legal costs of appealing the court’s
decision to ban Flower from Kanonhstaton.

• Send money to help Flower cover the cost of replacing the glasses the
police broke while arresting her and to aid with her living costs while she
is in Toronto.

• Come to Flower’s next court appearance at 2pm on June 26th in Cayuga,
Ontario.

• Get involved in the April 28th Coalition.

Email april28info at gmail.com to get in touch with us and tell us how you can
help with any of these matters. Cheques can be made payable to “First
Nations Solidarity Working Group” and mailed c/o Laura Lepper to 193
Tansley Rd., Thornhill, ON, L4J 2Y8. You can also donate money via credit
card or paypal by clicking on the “donate” button at the
http://www.april28.net website.

For more information about the legal defence fund:
http://april28coalition.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/support-flower-stop-the-criminalization-of-six-nations-land-defenders/

For a preview of Six Miles Deep:
http://www.nfb.ca/film/six_miles_deep/clip/six_miles_deep_clip_1

This event has been endorsed by:

CUPE 4600
The Industrial Worker's of the World
Opirg-Carleton
Opirg-Ottawa

Recent interviews with IPSMO members on the April 22 event:
https://soundcloud.com/ipsmo/ipsmo-member-sixnatios-preview and
http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/425/11575.html

2) Mother Earth Day Rally

Noon Rally at Parliament Hill.

The demands of Idle No More and Defenders of the Land include a repeal of
sections of the now passed Bill C-45 that impact the environment along with
Aboriginal and treaty rights; changing the electoral system to proportional
representation; ensuring consultation happens before any legislation is
introduced that impacts collective rights and the environment; the full
implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
an end to the government’s policies of “extinguishment” of Aboriginal
title; the full implementation of treaties; and active resistance to
violence against women and a national inquiry into murdered and missing
Indigenous women.

-- 

In Solidarity,
IPSMO
on unceded Algonquin Territory
--

Web Site: http://www.ipsmo.org
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ipsmo
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