5-15-06, 9:01 am

The Six Nations barricades are still up on the main street of Caledonia and also across Highway #6 that by-passes the town. This makes it necessary to use a few rural roads to get through or around the town if travelling from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie - a trip between Hamilton and Port Dover. This is the only inconvenience suffered by residents of this area of southern Ontario. The Grand River runs through Caledonia spanned by an ancient and ugly two lane bridge that needs replacement. When this happens the effect will be the same on the townspeople. Their main street will be closed. I wonder if this will bring violent racist attacks on the Ontario government and the construction crews?

Originally the Six Nations protesters only shut down the construction site on the disputed land to stop an irreversible development of their land and thereby force negotiations. A March raid by the Ontario Provincial Police against the peaceful protesters was responsible for the retaliatory closing of the roads. If people in Caledonia are upset by the closing of the road they should put blame where it belongs, the result of violence against peaceful protesters. Since then the OPP have behaved with moderation, a compliment to the discipline and determination of native people. The Six Nations people have a tradition of rising to a threat, of kicking the odds up a notch. The levels of government are well aware that this is not just a local protest, this is a time bomb.

Marie Trainer, the Mayor of Haldimand, which includes the town of Caledonia, dishonoured herself and her office by making a stereotypical racist public statement, saying in part '...residents of the town are being hurt economically by the protest and don't have a cheque coming in automatically every month.'

The implication is of course that aboriginal people are welfare recipients who live off the state. Imagine saying this to people who are amongst the most famous ironworkers in North America - legends in a legendary trade. Imagine saying this when there are probably more unfortunate people forced onto social assistance in nearby Hamilton than there are residents of the entire Six Nations. Marie Trainer, in making these ignorant inflammatory statements, stands alone among her Haldimand County associates, stands in dark subterranean contrast to the reasoned calm reply of the elected chiefs, and does not in any way represent the majority of the citizens of southern Ontario.

Trainer's statements were discussed later the same day by the Six Nations Elected Council and by members of the Haldimand County Municipal Government. In separate independent discussions both bodies arrived at the same conclusions. The Haldimand County Council, in disassociating themselves from the Mayor's comments, issued an apology to the Six Nations for consideration of the chiefs. They also appointed deputy mayor Tom Patterson as the County Council's official spokesperson on all matters relating to the Douglas Creek dispute. Take that, Marie Trainer.

The elected chiefs reply was reasoned and friendly. These are the bodies that really represent public opinion. There may be a fair amount of confusion because not everyone is a historian. But this should never be interpreted as anti-Six Nations.

I have been to the barricades many times, to take the People's Voice and give support. The people there are friendly and polite. I have never heard a threatening word or seen a threatening gesture. Peaceful solution is in every statement. That is the mood of most people in Southern Ontario. The recruited agenda-driven few hundred who have attempted to stir up attacks are mentioned in almost daily press reports. But these are a dismal minority in an area where perhaps 750,000 people live within forty kilometers. These few hundred losers are probably how many votes Marie Trainer should get in elections this fall.

There are about 600 Aboriginal land disputes currently registered between First Nations and the Canadian Government. The Government addresses about six every year, and the implementation time on these average about ten years. Figure out the math.

Remember the 1990 Oka struggle. The deal that ended the dispute has never been delivered. Another betrayal.

If all the lovers of so-called law and order had to wait at least one hundred years to resolve an issue I wonder how long their faith in the courts would last. This is the conundrum of First Nations. Have faith in a system that has been passive or actively participant in your misery, a virtual burial ground of aspirations and justice, or take whatever actions you can to recruit allies and force the issue. What would anyone do?

What did the working class do over a hundred years of tortuous struggle for a slight portion of justice? Labour has been present at the barricades. Over the last month I have seen Steelworker and CAW flags. I have heard that Postal Workers were turned back by police when they tried to reach the barricades with their flags. The CAW Human Rights Conference passed an emergency resolution of support; Buzz Hargrove has been interviewed several times and his statements have always been supportive. The St. Catharines District Labour Council have been there, and the Palestinian Flag flies proudly with the Mohawk Flag in solidarity. This is indeed a small world. The Six Nations are not alone.

From People's Voice