[news] Police destroy Iroquois longhouse in Hamilton

[resist]

From: "indigenous_resistance at ziplip.com"
Date: Tue Nov 11, 2003  10:29:06 AM America/Vancouver
To: info at redwiremag.com
Subject: Police destroy Iroquois longhouse in Hamilton

RAID ON THE LONGHOUSE IN RED HILL VALLEY

On Thursday morning (November 6) beginning at 10:30 am, the City of
Hamilton sent its police and security guards to end the 13-week
aboriginal occupation of Red Hill Valley. The raid was conducted by
over 60 police and security personnel. Fourteen people were arrested,
four of whom were held overnight. They were released Friday between 10
am and 4 pm, and were greeted by dozens of supporters who had spent
most of the day waiting in court for their appearance. Their trial is
scheduled for November 21. They face fines up to $2000 each.

The police banned all media from the site while they conducted the
raid. They even arrested one Indymedia reporter for videotaping their
activities from outside the restricted area. Other Hamilton media
kowtowed to the media ban. The official reason given by police for
banning media was that their presence might "encourage the protestors
to act up". However, people arrested in the Longhouse report that they
were treated in a brutal fashion. For example, two women report that
police pulled at their clothing to expose parts of their bodies and
painfully twisted their arms. They were carted out by seven male and
one female officer and were taken out through the bush and across the
valley, apparently to avoid media scrutiny. Two separate sources have
reported that one police participant in the raid was the mysterious
"protestor" that screamed obscenities and abuse at police last week in
an attempt to discredit valley defenders. On the other hand, several
police officers told protestors that they were not happy about
attacking the Longhouse and were forced to do so by the City.

The police raid was immediately followed by construction crews and
heavy equipment of Dufferin Construction, the company whose general
manager is the brother of City Councillor Murray Ferguson. Dufferin
proceeded to rip out trees and around 4 pm they destroyed the
Longhouse. Floodlights were brought in and the destruction continued
into the night. The half-hectare site was completely denuded of trees
within 30 hours of the raid.

The following statement was released by the Haudenosaunee the day
before the raid:


Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Iroquois Confederacy defends occupation in Red Hill Valley

>From CHIEF ARNOLD GENERAL on behalf of the Confederacy to Governor
General of Canada, Prime Minister of Canada, and the new Premier of
Ontario.

The City of Hamilton has not satisfied all required approvals and
permits as it concerns Consecrated Sites and producing a Deed to
demonstrate how and when they acquired the land from the Iroquois
People. The federal Canadian crown, through its local Indian Agency,
the Six Nations Band Council, also agreed in August with the Iroquois
Confederacy People's position.

Iroquois and allied indigenous people from Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Quebec and the United States are beginning to arrive in the area to
support resistance to highway development through Red Hill Valley. The
Valley includes former Iroquois village sites, burial grounds,
medicines and sensitive wildlife habitats. Also, consecrated graves of
British and American soldiers killed in the War of 1812 are located in
the valley.

Iroquois Confederacy People in that area were removed in the early
1800's under Canadian governor Francis Bond Head's Indian Removal
policy. This followed the death of Joseph Brant.

The Iroquois Confederacy asserted its jurisdiction on the Red Hill in
Hamilton through posted notices August 6, 2003. By designating the Red
Hill Valley as Six Nations land, the Confederacy reopened the area for
Six Nations People to reestablish a presence. The Red Hill territory
comes under the jurisdiction of international treaties between the
Iroquois People and the Crown called the Two Row Wampum, the 1701 Five
Nations Chiefs Treaty, and the Haldimand Treaty proclaiming all lands
between lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron as indigenous people's country
in 1784. Haldimand was deeded land north of the Niagara Escarpment for
occupation by Europeans.

Recently the City of Hamilton has made a statement and taken actions
concerning the Red Hill Valley that need clarification at this time.
As Iroquois Confederacy Chief delegate to act on issues regarding the
Red Hill Valley, it is my duty and responsibility to clarify this
Iroquois nations' understanding.

1) The City of Hamilton and the Iroquois People have agreed to
consultations before actions are taken in the Red Hill Valley.

2) To this end the Iroquois People have agreed with the City of
Hamilton to negotiate a resolution to our mutual concerns over the Red
Hill Valley

3) At our last council meeting, the Iroquois Confederacy Chiefs
deferred a decision regarding the terms of the negotiations.


4) Currently, no body or team of Iroquois Confederacy has been
authorized to undertake negotiations with the City of Hamilton in any
way.

5) Iroquois People called Firekeepers have been authorized to protect
the Sacred Fire in the Red Hill Valley, and thus are also protected
from any threat to their safety.