Protest Rally Against AFN Sell-Outs and Commemoration of 16th Anniversary of Oka Crisis

Tuesday, July 11, 2006,
4 PM at Canada Place

On Tuesday July 11, 2006, at 4 PM, the Indigenous Resistance Organizing Committee (IROC) will rally at Canada Place to denounce the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) as a state-funded agent of colonialism, comprised of collaborator chiefs from the Indian Act band council system. The AFN is holding its annual general assembly there July 11-13. It began July 10 with a golf tournament in Surrey.

The AFN claims to be the national representative of Indigenous peoples across Canada, one that fights for our ‘rights &
title’. In reality, it is through the AFN that Canada is able to impose its colonial policies at a national level. Since the enactment
of the 1876 Indian Act, through to the 1969 White Paper, and up to today’s treaty & self-government negotiations, Canada’s policy has always been to assimilate Indigenous people & extinguish our title & rights.

Canada’s control over Natives has taken many forms, including police & military violence, biological warfare, churches,
the Indian Act, Residential Schools, & Indian Agents. Today, chiefs & councilors acting as collaborators have become a vital part of the colonial regime’s ability to control our people.

Colonialism always prefers to deal with collaborator chiefs, who can more effectively control their people than can
government agencies directly. This is most often done by setting up puppet governments comprised of Native collaborators. The state gives its full support & recognizes only them as legitimate representatives of the colonized. It is a common practise of colonial powers historically & in Asia, Africa, & South America (referred to as neocolonialism).

These types of collaborators serve to pacify & confuse Natives, appearing to fight for our ‘rights & title’ when in reality
they are working right along with the government & corporations. Many are themselves politicians, businessmen & lawyers, who gain wealth, status & power from the colonial system. This also involves acting as a legal agent (i.e., as a band council or political organization) on behalf of Natives, legalizing the theft & exploitation of our ancestral territories.

Today, band councils & their political organizations (i.e., the AFN, First Nations Summit, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, etc.)
are selling away our lands & resources as part of treaty or self-government negotiations. They are surrendering our rights &
title through their constant erosion in these negotiations (which always recognize the ultimate power & authority of Canada, its
provinces, and constitution).

We are rallying today to denounce the AFN collaborators for assisting Canada in its ongoing theft & destruction of Native
lands, enabling the government to impose its policies of assimilation upon our people, and for helping to maintain a system of racist apartheid & colonialism.

We have chosen today, July 11, to also commemorate the 16th Anniversary of the 1990 ‘Oka Crisis’, when Mohawk Warriors successfully defended their territory against a violent police invasion. This set in motion a 77-day siege, with some 4,500 Canadian soldiers deployed against the Mohawk communities of Kanesatake & Kahnawake. Oka served to revitalize the Warrior spirit of our people & our will to resist.

The rally will consist of speeches, drumming & singing, as well as placards & banners. Our theme is Resist the Assimilation of First Nations! An informational leaflet & comic will be distributed to those that attend. A member of our committee will be on hand to answer questions from the media.

For more information, contact the Resistance Committee at 604-682-3269 ext. 7424

E-mail: IROCommittee@gmail.com