Asserting jurisdiction within the Haldimand Tract, last month Traditional Chiefs at Six Nations announced a plan where they would set up an organization and begin to charge fees and require permits for construction to occur within the Haldimand Tract; a region that is by all legitimate means Six Nations Territory.
Well, this past Wednesday the Province of Ontario’s negotiator, Murray Coolican, told Confederacy Representatives that they do not have the right (therefore jurisdiction) to collect payments or issue permits.
As quoted by the Globe and mail, Mr. Coolican said that while the institute is a way to further dialogue, “consultation does not mean a veto over development.”
For all you Canadians reading this, I’d like you to think closely about that statement, because it speaks volumes about Canada’s hypocrisy regarding the Nation-to-Nation relationship with Six Nations.
On behalf of the Province on Ontario, Mr Coolican is assuming a position of Superiority over the Confederacy while boldly claiming jurisdiction over the Haldimand tract; speaking as if Ontario granted the Confederacy permission to be ‘consulted;’ and fallaciously usurping the Confederacy’s effort for their own benefit.
Secondly, of course “consultation does not mean a veto over development;” but did the Confederacy say it does? Or has the Confederacy somehow managed to confuse the terms and conditions the government of Ontario needs them to submit to? No, no.
The simple fact is the Confederacy does not need Ontario’s permission, recognition, or approval to exercise their Sovereignty.
Finally, perhaps the most revealing thing to me is how Ontario asserts that it is allowed to collect payments, issue permits, halt development projects, and do whatever they want on the Haldimand tract—meanwhile they can’t even prove they have jurisdiction on the land! (but the Confederacy can and has.)
On the bright side, I’ll give Mr. Coolican some credit for acknowledging the Confederacy’s right to be consulted. Now if only Ontario would engage in an actual consultation process.
For further reflection, here’s a statement recently sent out by Janie Jamieson…
We Ogwehowe (the real men and women) have stood firm with the knowledge that the jurisdiction of our grandchildren’s land was illegally taken for the sole benefit of PRIVATE CORPORATIONS.
We Ogwehowe have stood strong knowing CANADA and the CROWN have historically and currently (since the Doctrine of Discovery) created legislation to “save the man, kill the Indian…”.
We also know CANADA and the CROWN will not stop with their constant interference in the lives of Indigenous People until their gradual assimilation policy has been successful. CANADA refused to sign the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous People…meaning they refused to agree to “peaceful resolutions to land issues”.
Another goal of the CROWN is to completely take away the spirit of our people so we will no longer have the inner strength to not only resist but to fight for the existence of our future generations. The CROWN achieves this by use of HER judicial system (arrests of our people, courts, jails, prisons, etc.) and the Children’s Aid Society.
CANADA and the CROWN’s greatest aspiration is to do away with the traditional languages, customs, traditions, ceremonies and culture of Indigenous People. Canada continues to work under it’s archaic policy that treats Ogwehowe as subhuman (Aboriginal perhaps!!) and under the assumption we have no birth rights.
CANADA and the CROWN continue to upohold it’s belief the only rights Indigenous People have are the rights the CROWN or CANADA grants them. CANADA and the CROWN also believe since they “gave” us these rights, they can “take” them away… This is illegal and it’s called the CROWN’S Genocidal Policy.
The CROWN must stop denying it is illegal and unjustifiable for us Ogwehoweh to protect the existence of our future generations. The CROWN and CANADA must stop with its smear campaign against us people who are fighting for a healthy environment for our children to prosper. Their children are breathing the same air and drinking the same water as ours… We are fighting for their right to exist too!!
We are being lawful by protecting the land and the environment from irreversible damage. Here in Southern Ontario, it is fact, our waters are too polluted to drink and the air too polluted to breathe. The prophecies of our ancestors are today’s reality.
Is the solution to environmental problems to arrest those who will stand up to protect mother earth? Is the solution to the problem of polluted air to build thousands of houses and bigger highways on farmland? …or is the solution to polluted water and water shortages to move 4.5 million people into the golden horseshoe region where the water problem is the worst despite the fact we have such a great water supply (two great lakes, many rivers and streams)?
The leaders in CANADIAN Society should be subject to the same thought process our hodioniso (traditional chiefs), clanmothers and people are. Before decisions are made for clans and nations these three criteria must be considered…
1. What will the effect of this decision have on peace?
2. How will this decision effect the environment?
3. How will this decision maintain the existence of our future generations?
CANADA and the CROWN must cease and desist immediately with the illegal arrests and prosecutions of our people. Under our natural law we are justified in defending our existence. Under international law, we all have the right to self-defense when under attack by an invader.
CANADA and the CROWN must cease and desist immediately with the use of force by the ARMY, RCMP, OPP and CITY POLICE FORCES to uphold the genocidal policies of the INDIAN ACT, CAS and the CANADIAN COURT OF “justice”… Finding a politically correct method of killing people does not justify murder.
CANADA and the CROWN must stop denying we, as Ogwehowe (real men and women), have birthrights and responsibilities. We all have the right to exist as we were born. Those rights are given to us by our mothers by rite of birth passage. No man or man made law can take away our birthrights.
Under all laws, we have the right to nationhood. Us at Oswego (what some refer to as Six Nations) are born Ogwehowe, with a constitutional law, a nation, a clan, a distinct language, traditional ceremonies, a defined territory (turtle island), traditional customs and also a willingness to defend our territory.
All of which meet the international criteria for nationhood status!
Despite CANADA refusing to acknowledge our birthrights or our traditional jurisdiction to turtle island, we and our children, will always remember who we are and remember what our rights and responsibilities are under the Gayenashagowah.
Ogwehoweh is what we are born and Ogwehoweh is what we will remain, …regardless of the CROWN’S or CANADA’s genocidal policies for “Indians”, “Aboriginals”, “First Nations” or “Natives”…no matter how big their enforcement weapons or how many enforcements there are…none of their efforts will change who we are at birth.
After all, if we weren’t meant to be Ogwehowe and if we weren’t meant to protect the earth and the coming faces, we never would’ve existed.
janie jamieson
Oswego territory
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