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American Indian Movement of Colorado

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Thursday, April 27, 2006

Six Nation solidarity actions

Here are some solidarity actions in support of the Six Nations defense of their lands.
TORONTO-Rally against colonialism and in support of the Six Nations blockade
Minister of Indian Affairs Jim Prentice speaking in Toronto!
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This Friday, April 28
6:30pm at U of T, King's College Circle
(in the field north of College St., west of University Ave.)
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For almost 60 days now, the community of the Six Nations Haudensaunee Confederacy has held a blockade to defend land that is rightfully theirs from further encroachment by real estate developers and the Canadian government. Last Thursday, OPP forces mounted a pre-dawn raid to assault those taking this stand, deploying cops with guns drawn to pepper spray, beat and arrest community members. The government had hoped to remove resistance to the development of Six Nations land by real estate developer Henco Industries Ltd. The Six Nations community mobilized in response and drove the OPP out. The community's determination to assert its national sovereignty and legitimate treaty rights, like the blockade itself, has only strengthened since.

Audaciously, less than a week after this unprovoked attack, the Harper government's Minister of Indian Affairs is speaking in Toronto on the topic of "Native Self-Government." No First Nations leader has authorized Minister Jim Prentice to speak on this topic, and it is an issue that he clearly does not understand in even the most basic terms. In fact, since Ontario's McGuinty government has actively distanced itself from these OPP actions, the possibility that federal hands were in on this operation is a very real one. Meanwhile, the threat of possible RCMP or military intervention continues to hang over the Six Nations community. The government of Minister Prentice and Prime Minister Harper still refuses to uphold its treaty obligations and respect the legitimate leadership of First Nations people. Until they do, there is nothing Jim Prentice can say that is worth listening to.

It is imperative that this government understand that people will not tolerate further attacks on the sovereignty of the Six Nations Haudensaunee Confederacy or other First Nations communities. Come out this Friday to join in sending this message, and talk to friends and allies to ensure that we do so in the maximum numbers possible. Solidarity actions and demonstrations have already been organized in Tyendinaga, Kahnawake, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and elsewhere. But the Canadian government remains two-faced, and especially given the underlying racism of last Monday's demonstration in Caledonia, it is extremely crucial that solidarity activities spread.

For more information, call 416-997-1562 or email:
amadahy@rogers.com / ocap@tao.ca

Ottawa: Six Nations solidarity rally
Stand in solidarity with Six Nations!
Demand an end to violations of First Nations sovereignty!

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12:00 Noon
Friday, April 28th, 2006
War Memorial (Elgin @ Wellington, next to the PM's Office)
Ottawa, Ontario
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For almost 60 days, the people of the Six Nations Haudensaunee Confederacy have taken a stand against the theft of their land by property developers and the Canadian government.

While negotiations with the government may be underway, the threat of state violence against the Six Nations remains. The OPP and the Canadian military continue to lurk just beyond the barricades in Caledonia, Ontario. A nearby prison has been emptied, and a hospital ward prepared for casulties.

Your strength and support is needed to end the encroachment of Six Nations land and remove the constant threat of violence that hovers over the Six Nations people, their friends, and allies.

Join us on Friday, April 28th, in demanding the Canadian state get its HANDS OFF SIX NATIONS LAND!

BRING BANNERS AND NOISEMAKERS!

For more information on the situation in Caledonia, see http://auto_sol.tao.ca/

For more info about Friday's rally, call 613 316 0341

Montréal public assembly to organize solidarity with Six Nations
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When? Friday April 28th @ 6pm
Where? DIRA
Address: 2035 St-Laurent, 3rd Floor
Metro: St-Laurent
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This is a call-out for all groups and individuals interested in joining forces to organize support for the ongoing Six Nations Land Reclamation. The Assembly will focus on the formation of committees, and strategizing for each area of work.

Groups who've expressed interest include: IPSM, PASC, SAB, PPL, CLAC Latin America, NOII, CAPMA and ISM.

The proposed committees, so far, include:

1. Transport: coordination of rides to and from Six Nations
2. Finance/Legal: budgets for transportation, supplies, money for Six Nations, legal support, etc.
3. Action: Montreal solidarity actions and coordination with Toronto support
4. Information: collecting and creating info, from the ground, and translating it into French and Spanish.

Letter from Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca

Brothers and Sisters,
We would like to send you our deepest salutations from the heart, we know about the hard path we Indians have to walk due to the rich peoples ambitions, but our love of Mother Earth and liberty is stronger, that's why we will keep defending them even if the price to pay could be death.

We want to tell you you're not alone, and that we have sent letters, by fax and email, to your governments to demand justice for your peoples

Our solidarity is with you
From Indian communities of Oaxaca,
For the reconstitution and free association of the peoples
Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca "Ricardo Flores Magón"
CIPO-RFM
Dolores
CIPO-RFM Representative
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SENT LETTER TO:
Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, México, April 13th of 2006. MICHAEL BRYANT,
ONTARIO ATTORNEY GENERAL. STEPHEN HARPER PRIME MINISTER
OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER MICHAELLE JEAN GOVERNOR GENERAL. JIM PRENTICE MINISTER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT
PARLIAMENT HILL: HOUSE OF COMMONS OTTAWA, ONTARIO
Sirs,

With great shock and discontent, we learned from Six Nations Mohawk people's press releases that on March 3rd, Ontario Supreme Court gave to Henco company a legal order so the OPP could dislodge by means of force Native Mohawk people of Six nations from the land where the company plans to build 72 houses, the same projects that sits in ancestral territory, for which Natives have never in any way been consulted and which will not bring any good to the communities.

The Six Nations communities are defending their land based on Haldimand tract that was signed in 1784, which represent 9,6 kilometres on each side of Grand River from his source to its mouth. The Mohawk of Six Nations, since February 28th, have mobilized themselves to stop their Territories' illegal invasions and eviction menaces.

The Judge said in his verdict, during an audience held without Six Nations peoples even knowing, that if they didn't get out of the place by March 22nd at 2pm, they could be arrested and jailed for 30 days. On march 29th at noon, 6 boats, 3 vans and 15 polices came nearby the Mohawk camp, looking at them and taking notes. We oppose to the eviction and jail menaces they are subjected to for defending their territory. Canada must stop using repression to solution its legal disputes with Native Peoples.

We know that John and Don Henning, from Henco Industries Limited, say they have a title of property certificated by Ontario Provincial Government and which guarantees the company is the "legal landowner" of these lands, and they say "we are confined between a group of Natives and Federal Government". Canadian government has to solve the jurisdiction ant titles problem by political means, not with weapons.

In both international and Canadian Law, when negotiations are broken between the two Parties, " any person should have the access to an audience in a competent, independent and impartial Court." Since when is Ontario Court a neutral Court in a fight between Ontario and Indigenous Nations ? It is necessary to find an international mediator without any interest in the affair, or to create a meditation team that would include representatives from Native peoples and other States which are not involved in this particular case. But the mediators have to understand both colonial and indigenous Laws, such as the kaianereh'ko:wa. Canada has to find a peaceful solution to this conflict, establishing a nation-to-nation dialogue with On'kwe'hon:we people.

For all of the above and facing a possible unjustified eviction and serious Human Rights violations which could endanger the life and integrity of Mohawk people of Six Nations, we demand:
1. Henco Industries to cease immediately all construction on Six Nations ancestral territory ;
2. That the conflict get to a political and negotiated solution without Police interventions.
3. That a Nation-to Nation dialogue be established between Canada and On'kwe'hon:we nation.
4. That a resolution of the conflict should pass by a solution to the Titles and

Jurisdiction problematics, and would mean for the Federal Government to take responsibility for his actions towards Six Nations, accordingly with its international law obligations.

From our countries, we will closely follow this situation Six Nations peoples have to get through.

For the reconstitution and free association of the peoples.
Popular Indigenous Council of Oaxaca "Ricardo Flores Magón"
CIPO-RFM
The Organizers Group
Dolores Villalobos Cuamatzi
Rosario Gómez Hernández
Leonardo López Sarabia
Miguel Cruz Moreno
Pedro Barrios Vásquez
Agustina Reyes Martínez
Rosario Ortega Luciano

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