Recent news from Six Nations Land Defenders.
For just under three weeks Haudenosaunee Land Defenders, on their traditional territories, have been occupying a site slated for illegal development.
On August 5th Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) enforced an injunction against the land defenders. Eye witnesses described the officers firing rubber bullets at the land defenders and beating people as they arrested them.
In response to these violent arrests land defenders pushed police out of the territory, blocked roads, shut down railroad tracks, and have reoccupied the site.
The land in question is in the same territory that was at the heart of the 2006 blockades in Grand River, and many of the roads now blocked were also blocked this winter in solidarity with the Wet’sutwet’en.
Demonstrators retake Caledonia residential development as Premier criticizes actions. Police say rocks were thrown at officers and a rubber bullet was fired Wednesday by Dan Taekema, CBC News, Aug 06, 2020
Six Nations Land Defenders have mobilized to stop the the Mackenzie Meadows housing development project bordering the town of Caledonia. Mackenzie Meadows is one of several housing developments within the area that are directly violating the sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee. Collectively we remain firm in our stance that action must be taken to stop the ongoing development of our lands.
A Message from Chief Woos: Solidarity with Six Nations Land Defenders
Yesterday morning the OPP raided a land occupation in Six Nations, on Haudenosaunee territory using rubber bullets and tazers on unarmed Haudenosaunee land defenders.
They are a sovereign people and have the right and responsibility to occupy and defend their lands as they see fit. During the militarized raids on Gidimt’en territory in February of this year, the Mohawk people stood in solidarity with us in Six Nations, Tyendenaga, Kahnawake and urban centres across Haudenosaunee territory.
Today, we stand with the people of Six Nations and denounce the actions of the police. We stand with our brothers and sisters who have stood with us across thousands of miles who fight for justice and to reclaim their lands.
We demand the police stand down and that the province recognize Haudenosaunee ownership and control over the land in dispute. We are not criminals. We are not protestors. We are sovereign nations and we will not stand by and watch the violent oppression of our people now and into the future.
Follow 1492 Land Back Lane for updates
#1492LandBackLane #WeAreAllOne #OPPstandDown #DefundthePolice
Wet’suwet’en Access Point on Gidimt’en Territory
Gidimt’en Access Point exists at the direction of our Hereditary House Chiefs in support of their long standing position against oil and gas pipelines.
GoFundMe: Gidimt’en Strong http://yintahaccess.com/yintahaccess@gmail.com
Ontario Provincial Police enforce injunction at protest site in Caledonia | APTN News, August 6, 2020
The Ontario Provincial Police enforced an injunction at a “land back” protest camp Wednesday that resulted in blocked roads and arrests.
Two hundred and eighteen homes are set to be built at the McKenzie Meadows construction site in Caledonia.
The site has formal support from Six Nations elected chief and council.
But the land defenders say chief and council do not represent a majority in Six Nations.
Nine people were arrested, including one of the organizers, Skyler Williams.
Eyewitness to raid describes “brawl” with OPP shooting rubber bullets, tazers, and punching people. Real Peoples Media, August 5, 2020
SIX NATIONS: AUG 5TH, 2020 – An eyewitness interviewed by Real People’s Media gave his take on what happened on the August 5th OPP raid. According to the eyewitness, the OPP called at 10am on Wednesday and said they were coming to read off the rest of the injunction. There were supposedly 100 pages of the injunction but they had only delivered 30 pages of it in their last visit.
“But instead of reading out the rest of it, they showed up with their army of goons, pulled in, blocked off our exit point, and then started walking in on us. As they got closer to the line they started shooting us with rubber bullets, everyone hid behind their vehicles, everyone’s calling for people to come help us and calling for support, they kept shooting at us.”
A brawl broke out and people fought back, and a “bunch of people got arrested, a bunch of us got away, and this is the response.”
According to the eyewitness, “people were punched in the face, tazed in the back of the head” by the OPP. The eyewitness estimated that 7 warriors were arrested, and that there were at least 100 OPP officers on site for the raid at #1492landbacklane.
The #1492LandBackLane encampment that was set up to stop the MacKenzie Meadows development across the street from Kanonhstaton on unceded Mohawk lands. As of 4pm Wednesday August 5th, warriors are now holding the bypass, 6th line, Hwy 6 (Argyle street), and the train tracks.
People are gathering at Kanonhstaton which can still be accessed through 6th line when coming through Six Nations.
Follow Real People’s Media for more information and ongoing updates. You can donate to the camp and the #bailfund for those arrested by sending an etransfer to landback6nations@gmail.com
A documentary portrait of a group of women who led their community, the largest reserve in Canada, Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, in an historic blockade to protect their land.
Directed by Sara Roque – 2009 | 43 min
About the NFB The National Film Board of Canada produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries and fiction. Our stories explore the world we live in from a Canadian point of view.
Quakers, social justice and revolution 