[IPSM] Hands Off Kanehsata:ke! A Public Assembly - March 19th

[shelly]

Hands Off Kanehsatake!! A Public Assembly to Support Kanien'keha:ka Sovereignty!

Once again, the community of Kanehsatake is facing colonial pressures on several fronts and some solid anti-colonial organizing is needed. Community members will be speaking about Niocan's renewed efforts to get their certificate of authorization for the "oka" niobium mine, the heavy sentencing of those trying to protect the community's rights against the January 12th, 2004 police coup and invasion of Kanehsatake, Chagnon's statement the Jan. 12th raid was illegal and the push for a public inquiry,  and the recent funds given to Kanesatake Band Council to work on implementing Bill S-24, the municipalization agreement for Kanehsatake, and the new Kanesatake Tripartite Policing Agreement. In regard to S-24, the first eviction notice has been served against a family using land handed over by the feds after to oka crisis. These are just some of the many fronts the Kanien'keha:ka are being forced to defend presently. Come show your solidarity and support, say no to canada's continuing colonial project!  

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When? Sunday, March 19th, 2-5pm
Where? Native Friendship Center Montreal
2001 St. Laurent, corner Ontario, Metro St. Laurent
Free food & childcare provided on site
Wheelchair accessible
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Kanehsata:ke Updates:

On January 20th, 2006, 13 Mohawk men were sentenced for "participation in a riot" & "forcible confinement of police" or "unlawful assembly" with sentences far greater than what was requested by the prosecution. While 6 of the 7 who were sentenced to jail time are now out of jail on conditions while the case goes to appeal, Gary Gabriel remains a political prisoner because his resistance was in breach of previously imposed court conditions. I addition to the defendant's appeal, a crown prosecutor in Montreal is also appealing the verdicts claiming the judge should never have accepted the defense of "self-defense" and that without it, all 24 accused should have been found guilty.

The current sentences are as follows: 

For rioting and forcible confinement - Gordon Lazore and Gary Gabriel, 15 months in prison; Robert and Bradley Gabriel, 12 months in prison; Hubert Nelson, 6 months in prison; Alistair Nicholas, 4 months in prison; and Terry Yaxley, 3 months in prison.

For unlawful assembly - Francois Pinsonneault, $1,000 fine; T. Nelson McDonald, $600 fine; Joey Daye, $500 fine and 50 hours community service; and Milton Gabriel, Keith Cree & Stuart Conway all got conditional discharges with a $500 charitable donation.

On February 11th there was a march and rally from the Oka ferry up the hill to Kanehsatake demanding freedom for Gary Gabriel, political prisoner, and for an inquiry into the jan. 12, 2004 illegal invasion.

The newly elected Grand Chief of Kanehsatake Band Council, Steve Bonspille, is in support of the community's demand for a public inquiry. He held a press conference on January 19th clearly articulating the community's demand for a public inquiry into the raid, which most mainstream media spun with headlines "Grand Chief calls for inquiry into riot". If this media coverage is any indication, the campaign for a public inquiry will be an uphill battle, irregardless of the fact Chagnon has come forward.

In a November 30, 2005 letter to the shareholders, Niocan stated they hired Golder and Associates to reassess the environmental studies regarding the impacts of opening the niobium mine, in an effort to satisfy the Environment Ministry on concerns raised at the BAPE commission. They said Golder's hyrdogeologists have been working on this assignment since October and their report will be ready shortly. Once this report has been submitted, the ball will be in the court of the Ministry once again to issue a certificate of authorization.

Regarding the implementation of S-24, or the Kanesatake Interim Land Based Governance Agreement, the traditional longhouse peoples have made their objections to this agreement clear. On December 21, 2005, the Department of Canadian Colonialism (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada), authorized $825,000 to Chief Clarence Simon as the Chief Mohawk Negotiator to move forward on S-24 and the Tripartite Policing Agreement. Indian Affairs makes in clear that all monies - $100,000 for communications, $260,000 for negotiations, and $140,000 for litigation including contests of the June 25, 2005 elections - are to be used only for the defense of the validity of said agreements, not to oppose or educate the people about them. In addition to these funds, however, Canada has committed an as yet undetermined amount for a "healing process" within Kanehsatake. 

If Judge Nicole Hesler's demand that the Kanehsatake defendants apologize to their attackers is any indication of what Canada regards as "healing" in Kanehsatake, some more colonial paternalism is surely to follow. The S-24 will municipalize Kanehsatake and impose a property-tax regime. All the properties the federal government were supposed to hand over after the Oka Crisis of 1990 (and that are currently occupied by Kanien'keha:ka freedom fighters), have still not been legally transferred, because the government made this transfer contingent on the quid pro quo of S-24. Once Bill S-24 has been implemented, all these properties will be subject to seizure by the band council. As a harbinger of things to come, Dennis Nicholas has already been served with an eviction notice.  S-24 brings a class-war to Kanehsatake.

So come out and show Kanehsata:ke community members that canada's propaganda machine has not won the hearts and minds of their Montreal neighbours. We will stand shoulder-to-shoulder and share in the burden of struggle because we know colonialism is not canada's "history" but an ongoing contemporary reality. Smash Bill S-24! Knock out Niocan! Demand a Public Inquiry! And Support Kanien'keha:ka Political Prisoners!

No More Colonial War!   Kanien'keha:ka Freedom Now!
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