[IPSM] Caledonia Community Group Supports Six Nations Land Rights

[nora butler burke]

****please forward****

Media Advisory: Caledonia Community Group Supports Six Nations Land Rights.

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

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

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

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

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

-30-

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

friendsofsixnations at yahoo.ca | 289-284-0154 | www.honorsixnations.com

Mission Statement:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What we will do:

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

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

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

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

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