*Please forward widely*

Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24, 2008
Chiefswood Park, Ohsweken, Six Nations Territory

The third weekend in August will witness a historic gathering of the
people of Six Nations and their allies from across Ontario and Turtle
Island. From Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24, hundreds of people
will gather at Chiefswood Park in the town of Ohsweken, Six Nations
territory for a three day festival of friendship and solidarity.
The vision for this event was inspired from the work that has been
accomplished by the people of Six Nations in the spirit of the Great Law
of Peace and the good minds that have been tireless in moving this
vision forward. Many have lent their voice, strength and support to
building greater awareness, understanding, friendship and solidarity
between our peoples. The Peace and Friendship Gathering will facilitate
the opportunity for and all of us to learn, be inspired, and gather a
greater understanding and respect of the relationships that indigenous
and non-indigenous people have.

The primary focus of the festival will be a series of workshops, talks
and presentations related to indigenous sovereignty, environmental
politics and issues of anti-racism and social justice. In addition to
talks and workshops, we will also be holding a series of cultural events

What: An informative lecture and Q&A time with 30 year veteran of Six Nations land claims research Phil Monture and other leaned special guests.

When: Thursday, May 15, 2008, beginning at 7 pm.

Where: At the BCI Auditorium, Brant Ave. Brantford.

Why: Without the truth, it will be impossible to understand why Six Nations are blocking development in Brant/Brant County and elsewhere.

DID YOU KNOW:

Did you know that more than 50% of the present Six Nations land and resources disputes registered with Canada involve Brantford or Brant County?

Did you know there are dozens more yet to be filed?

Did you know that since 2002, the Supreme Court of Canada has ordered the federal and provincial governments of Canada as well as municipalities and developers to engage in meaningful consultation and accommodation with First Nations where contested land land claims or treaty rights are concerned?

Did you know that the Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 recognized and affirms Aboriginal Rights and Treaties?

Did you know that only 807 acres of Brantford is accounted for, and most of that has yet to be paid to the people of Six Nations?

Don’t believe it? Come and hear the real truth behind the settlement of Brant County and the expansionism policies of today’s City Hall.

Statement by Skyler Williams At The Cayuga Court House
Six Nations of Grand River Territory

April 28, 2008

My name is Skyler Williams. I am a Mohawk, Wolf, from Six Nations of The Grand River Territory. I am speaking on behalf of myself and several others that have been charged with criminal offences in connection with defending our land rights at Six Nations.

We have instructed our lawyer today not to proceed with our legal defence, so long as police have guns turned on our brothers and sisters in Tyendinaga.

Over the past months, Canada’s efforts to criminalize those of us who are standing up for our land rights has reached epic proportions. The message is clear: participate in negotiations that go nowhere as our lands are developed and destroyed - or go to jail.

Today, Six Nations is standing in steadfast solidarity with those in Tyendinaga whose lives and freedoms are in jeopardy because they are standing up for their rights. We also stand with those in Akwesasne, Kanawake and all peoples who have joined in this stand.

Also, we stand with those leaders of Ardoch Algonquin and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug that are in jail because they refuse to betray their people and allow for mining exploration in their traditional territories.

Six Nations spokesperson speaks on April 27th blockade of Highway 6 in Solidarity with the Mohawks of Tyendenaga. Video was filmed in the early evening of Sunday April 27th by members of the CUPE 3903 First Nations Solidarity Working Group.

***PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY***
Thursday October 25, 2007

Incarcerated Six Nations Man Threatened by Institutional Staff
by Janie Jamieson
Six Nations

Skylar Williams, a Mohawk Wolf from Six Nations has been held without
bail at the Hamilton Barton St. Jail since the illegal arrests at
Stirling Street September 19, 2007. Today we held a rally for him
outside the jail where he has been in the "hole" for two days.

We have reason to believe if Skyler is harmed in anyway, we know he is
the target of planned and deliberate threats and violence by jail
institution staff members.

A few days ago Skylar woke up to find the plumbing in his cell on range
5 was backed up. He notified institution staff on his range. He was
accused by staff of backing up the plumbing. The mess was left.
Skylar asked for a drink of water, he was told by staff to drink from
the toilet. Skylar responded, "there's sh*t" in there. The institution
staff's paid professional advise to Skylar was to "take the sh*t out and
then have a drink." Skylar refused and notified his lawyer of the
situation. At this point Skyler was without clean water for
approximately 18 hours.

By Tom Keefer

This article will address some issues which have arisen in the context of non-native activists doing solidarity work with the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) people of the Grand River Territory who recently reclaimed land near Caledonia, Ontario.1 I will begin by discussing the problems with how many non-native activists have used the concept of “taking leadership” to guide their activism around this struggle, and I then will look at the spaces and places where I think non-native activists should focus their efforts in support of indigenous sovereignty. In order to do so, I will draw on the work of black power activists Stokely Carmichael and Charles Hamilton as their work provides a relevant model for non-native activists looking to build solidarity with Six Nations. I will conclude by addressing the importance of the work being done by trade union activists supporting the people of Six Nations.2

Chris Hill’s family and friends, the CUPE 3903 First Nations
Solidarity Working Group, and Community Friends present:

*Hip-hop for Six Nations: a benefit for the legal costs of former
political prisoner and Six Nations warrior Chris Hill.*

Saturday, June 9, 1pm till 7pm - Chiefswood Park,
Ohsweken, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.

Featuring hip-hop artists including: Blues Brigade,

This roundtable was conducted in September 2006 with AJ Withers, Josh Zucker and Stefanie Gude of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

What led you to get involved in supporting indigenous struggles in general, and the Six Nations struggle in particular?

AJ: The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is a social justice organization and, as such, we support indigenous struggles. I hadn’t heard of what was going on outside of Caledonia until some friends of mine in Tyendinaga told us about it and suggested we go. We went to check it out and see if there was anything we could do to support it. We didn’t know anyone and were quite shy so we sat silently by the fire a lot and hoped people would speak to us. Finally, we learned about things we could supply, and asked if there were things in Toronto we could do to show our support.

Josh: I got involved with indigenous struggles through working with OCAP. When I joined OCAP in 2001 there were 5 paid organizers, one of whom was Shawn Brant, a Mohawk from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory which is near Belleville on the Bay of Quinte in southern Ontario. Most members of OCAP, I would say, started learning more about native issues and sovereignty through the links Shawn brought to OCAP, which went back to before 2001.

There were a number of actions over the years that built this connection, the most notable of which was the attempt to open up the bridge that runs from the U.S. through the Mohawk territory of Akwasasne into Canada. This action was planned when demonstrators came from the U.S. to attend the anti-FTAA demonstrations in Quebec, and it was done in conjunction with Mohawk people. The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte have also been providing OCAP with deer meat, fish, and other kill from their hunts for a number of years which we serve at demonstrations in Toronto. They always reminded us that “every hunting issue is a sovereignty issue.” These connections increased our consciousness about the issues grew greatly.

Upping the Anti is pleased to bring you a roundtable discussing the important land reclamation being carried out by the Six Nations people of the Grand River Territory and the role of non-native solidarity work in that struggle. To begin with, Tom K. provides a brief overview of recent events surrounding the reclamation to provide some context for the discussion. Brian Skye of Six Nations, who has been heavily involved in the activities of the site, then provides his perspective on the significance of the reclamation and the place for external support. Jan Watson, a local Caledonia resident and founding member of Community Friends For Peace and Understanding with Six Nations, then talks about the work she has been involved to build support in her community for the Six Nations reclamation. Finally, we interview three longtime members of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty – AJ Withers, Josh Zucker and Stefanie Gude – to ask for their thoughts about organizing support as non-native activists.

by Zainab Amadahy

Questions arising from the Six Nations land reclamation
Canadian Dimension Magazine, May/June 2007 issue

By mid-March, 2006, when activist communities discovered the land reclamation at Six Nations of the Grand River, carloads of non-Aboriginal supporters from Toronto, Montreal and beyond made almost daily trips to the site loaded with supplies and youthful activists eager to staff the cookhouse, help out in the first-aid tent, or do a security shift. At night gaggles of underdressed youth would huddle at the fire, soaking up community gossip directly from “the real grassroots” (as one white activist described members of the Grand River community).

Information about registering is at the end of the message. If you are
planning to come you need to register. Please bring snacks for the
potluck lunch/snack break. Contact tom@tao.ca or call 416-526-4255 for
more information.

DATE: 11:30AM – 5:00 PM Saturday, March 31st, 2007
LOCATION: Hamilton Horseshoe Club - 170 Brockley Dr
DIRECTIONS:http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=170+Brockley+Dr.,+Hamilton,+ON&ie=UTF8&z=13&ll=43.23895,-79.739799&spn=0.057526,0.215263&om=1

Taiga News

March 23, 2007 - by Joseph Quesnel and Heather Stevenson

A peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict near Caledonia can only be achieved if the federal government lives up to its obligations and negotiates in good faith with Six Nations, said organizers at a recent informational demonstration held at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

"The Federal Government can't try to pass the buck by pretending that the Provincial or other levels of Government, or the Band Council, are responsible for negotiations." says Dr. George Sorger, a spokesperson for the group. "We believe the authorized representatives of the Federal Government and the Six Nations Confederacy are the ones who will make the critical decisions and have to be at the negotiating table, because they are the ones who inherited the authority from those who made the treaties and agreements in the first place."

NYM Warrior Society, Skwelkekwelt Protection Center, Secwepmec Nation, Annishinabe from Grassy Narrows, Native Elders Council, No-One is Illegal, Anti-Poverty Committee, ; Anti-Olympic Coalition, Unite Voices against Sun Peaks Expansion, New road; the 2010 Olympics.

On Sunday March 18th Skwelkewkwelt Protection Center, Secwepemc Native Youth Movement Warrior Society, Supporters, Allies from many Native Nations, and International Observers Smashed on Sun Peaks Ski-Resort. The Protest and Press Conference was held to let the world know that Secwepemc People will continue to Fight against the illegal development on Un-Surrendered/Un-Ceded Secwepemc Territory. Sun Peaks is presently in

You can write Chris at:

Chris Hill

Wentworth Detention Center.

165 Barton Street East

Hamilton, Ontario

More information below...

Support Chris Hill: Six Nations indigenous prisoner

UNION EDUCATIONAL MEETING IN SUPPORT OF SIX NATIONS

DATE: 11:30AM – 5:00 PM Saturday, March 31st, 2007
LOCATION: Hamilton Horseshoe Club - 170 Brockley Dr

Community Friends for Peace and Understanding with Six Nations, a
grass-roots coalition of community and labour activists is hosting this
meeting in order to create a place for trade union activists in southern
Ontario to come together to build union support for the Six Nations
reclamation. From the beginning of the reclamation, the trade union
movement has issued statements of support and made financial donations.
However, this support needs to be sustained as well as extended into the
rank-and-file of the union movement, as we at the grassroots work
consistently to build bridges between the common values and interests of
the trade union movement and those of indigenous peoples.

AN APPEAL FOR TURTLE ISLAND WIDE SOLIDARITY
AND ACTION IN SUPPORT OF SIX NATIONS!

** Actions in Toronto and Montreal on February 28th, 2007**

One year is too long! Recognize the rights of Six Nations!

February 28th, 2007 marks the one-year anniversary of the Six Nations Land
Reclamation. One year ago, a group of people from Six Nations took back a
piece of their land that was under construction by developers and demanded

1) Update and Report on the Release of Trevor Miller

- Report by Sarita Ahooja

- Hamilton Spectator: Tears, Applause as Activist Freed

2) The case of Jeff "Hawk"

- Turtle Island News: Jeff "Hawk" facing Canadian Courts - Interview with Jeff Hawk by CKUT Radio in Montreal

3) Free Chris Hill! – update and call-out for Support and Solidarity

Robert Seth Hayes is a former member of the Black Panther Party and the
Black Liberation Army who has been imprisoned for the past 33 years. In
this video message he speaks about the Panthers, the struggle of the Six
Nations people and sends a message of solidarity to Trevor Miller, a Six
Nations political prisoner.

Dear friends,

We are writing to let you know of a number of important upcoming events
that will be happening in the course of the next week to build support
for Six Nations political prisoner Trevor Miller. Trevor is a Six
Nations Mohawk of the Turtle Clan who has spent more than four months in
jail after being arrested for his involvement in supporting the
reclamation site. Trevor has been politically targeted and faced

By Fiona Becker
Indymedia
November 30th, 2006

Over 50 people packed the Cayuga courthouse on Wednesday for Trevor
Miller, a Six Nations Mohawk of the Turtle Clan, as Trevor declared to the
court that the colonial Canadian system has no jurisdiction over him. When
the judge walked into the courtroom for the pre-trial hearing of Trevor
Miller, and the bailiff called “all rise”, only the cops and the lawyers

[please forward widely]

It has now been over 8 months now since the people of Six Nations
repossessed a tract of land that was stolen from the Haudonausaunee by
the
Canadian government and sold to developers. They have endured media
slander, racist settler violence, police brutality, constant
surveillance
and one OPP raid. Since the reclamation began, at least 23 people have
had
charges laid against them. Out of these 23 people, 3 are now in prison:

Here is a quick report about the Community Friends public meeting in
Caledonia this afternoon. First off, the event was a major success by
any measure. Over 120 people from across the Haldimand tract and beyond
attended the three-hour event which was addressed by indigenous rights
lawyer Kate Kempton, Caledonia resident Jan Watson and United
Steelworkers of America Local 1005 President Rolf Gerstenberger.

(a leaflet from the group Community Friends which is being distributed in Caledonia and elsewhere on the Haldimand tract)

1. BECAUSE THEIR CLAIM IS JUST AND RIGHT. Canada has a long and shameful history of mistreating First Nations peoples. Canada has broken treaty after treaty and has refused to fulfill its obligations to First Nation peoples, the Six Nations people included. Despite the fact that the Six Nations people have always been (and remain to this day) a national Confederation with whom the British crown entered into nation to nation agreements, the Canadian government imposed its own "Indian Act" by force upon them and encouraged the illegal sale and theft of land and revenue belonging to Six Nations. Respect for First Nations land and treaty rights and respect for indigenous sovereignty is a matter of upholding human rights, international law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Colonization and appropriation of other peoples resources is morally wrong and must be opposed, even if we or some of our ancestors have benefited from it.

Good Morning from Grand River. The sun has just peaked over the tree line and the world is looking beautiful and serene. Inside my house everyone is busy getting ready for school and work. Bus schedules are getting used to and the need of school fee's for art, drama, science, music etc. is being discussed while lunches are being prepared. That little glance outside is a gentle reminder, and helps bring about the balance inside of me, for the sometime chaos we feel in life. But that is the type of chaos we would never do without. The simplist things in life that might at times feel like chaos, but they are exactly what and who makes this life worthwhile. Our children, and the time that we get to spend with them. The time that while we may think we're teaching them all the valuable lessons in life, they are in fact teaching us. As I watch them go off to school and think about the sacrifices even they are making for the future of our people, I am filled with pride but also sorrow. How much of 'our' time has been taken away for meetings and interviews and time spent on site. In the end when we talk about it, we can all agree that we would have it no other way.

Caledonia -- August 16, 2006. "Community Friends for Peace and
Understanding with Six Nations" condemns the recent harassment directed
against one of its members by Caledonians opposed to the reclamation site.

Jan Watson, a Caledonia resident and a member of the group has been
repeatedly threatened by other Caledonians because of her peaceful but
persistent support of the Six Nations reclamation of the Douglas Creek

by Tom Keefer

from http://www.briarpatchmagazine.com/ August 2006

On February 28, 2006, members of the Six Nations of the Iroquois
Confederacy reclaimed a suburban construction site on lands belonging to
them and initiated one of the most significant anti-colonial struggles
in North America in recent years. With the people of Six Nations
fighting to regain ownership of the 950,000 acres of the Haldimand tract
originally granted to them by the British crown in 1784, the outcome of
the struggle at Douglas Creek Estates has major implications for white
settlers, the Canadian state, the Iroquois Confederacy, and indigenous
peoples throughout North America.

White residents from the nearby town of Caledonia have regularly
protested the indigenous blockades, and on numerous occasions have
attempted to break past police lines in order to take back the disputed
land. But many other whites, supportive of the reclamation, have also
been active in and around Six Nations and Caledonia. This article will
discuss the various kinds of solidarity actions that have been organized
by these supporters of the reclamation. By thinking strategically about
our work, white anti-racist activists can more effectively contribute to
a victory for the people of Six Nations, and, more ambitiously, can work
towards a transformation of the colonial dynamics of Canadian settler
society.

hey folks,

I was just down at Six Nations and Caledonia today, talking with people
from the site and Caledonia supporters, and I wanted to send the
following report as things seem to be taking a turn for the worse. (In
the next day or two, I will have uploaded video of interviews I've done
with people covering some of the issues discussed below).

First of all, the racist Caledonians seem to be getting much better

For the past two months, Community Friends for Peace and Understanding with Six Nations, a new organization that includes local Caledonia residents, members of the labor movement, community activists and representatives from Six Nations has been meeting every week in Caledonia to figure out ways to build support for Six Nations land rights and to pressure the Canadian government to negotiate with Six Nations on a nation to nation basis.

The group has been working within the Caledonian community to overcome racism and hatred directed against Six Nations people by peacefully engaging Caledonians within anti-native demonstrations, bringing information about Six Nations door to door within the community, and leafleting within town. The group is also working to build political and financial support within the trade union movement for the people of Six Nations and is networking with other community organizations and progressive networks regionally, nationally and internationally to share information and resources in support of the Six Nations struggle.

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
The Canadian Islamic Congress Friday Bulletin Wednesday,
May 17, 2006 - Rabi-al-Thani 19, 1427, Year:9 Vol:9 Issue: 67

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The independent voice of Canada's Muslims; Sunni and Shi'a, men and women,