This is Coast Salish Territory

On Monday April 28th, 2008 Indigenous Warriors on Coast Salish Territory blocked a vital intersection used for commercial shipping to the United States. The action was done in solidarity with the Tyendinaga Mohawk community. Five Warriors from Tyendinaga had been arrested and attacked by the OPP days before. SWAT teams and paramilitary units were on Tyendinaga Territory surrounding dozens of other unarmed Warriors who were peacefully occupying a rock quarry claimed to be on their territory.

Solidarity actions also happened in Six Nations and Guelph. With the mounting pressure from coast to coast, and steadfast position of the Tyendinaga Mohawks the SWAT teams and paramilitary units left Tyendinaga Territory without additional attacks.

Since their arrest, three of the five Warriors have been released on strict bail conditions. Two Warriors, Clint Brant and Shawn Brant are still in state custody.

For more information;

mostlywater.org
friendsofgrassynarrows.com
ottawa.indymedia.ca

Shawn Brant's Arrest – Statement by Sue Collis, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

(May 4th, 2008) Eight days ago, on Friday, April 25th, 2008, my
husband, Shawn Brant, was arrested and detained on assault and weapons
charges. Since that time, Commissioner Julian Fantino and the Ontario
Provincial Police have issued numerous public statements that have
wildly and, it seems, purposefully misstated the events leading to my
husband's arrest, and sought to vilify and criminalize him personally.

I believe it is important to the public good for people to understand
the circumstances that have lead to Shawn's incarceration at this
time. Those circumstances are as follows:

On Sunday, April 20th, 2008, the community of Tyendinaga responded to
threats from a Kingston developer to bring "a crew of 25 to 30 guys",
in order to begin development on a property which falls within in the
Culbertson Tract land claim. Mohawks from Tyendinaga did peaceful
road closures on Highway 2, adjacent to this proposed development site
on Mohawk land.

My husband Shawn has been living and complied with very strict
conditions imposed when he was charged in relation to community rail
and highway blockades on the June 2007 Aboriginal Day of Action. One
of his conditions is not to attend protests. During the evening of
Monday, April 21st, 2008, my husband was some distance away from the
road closures erected in response to the Kingston developer, talking
to a Tyendinaga community member, while he also checked a nearby creek
for fish.

During this conversation, Shawn became aware of some commotion down
the road, and made his way towards the commotion, parking his car some
50 feet away from where a small group of people was gathered on one
side of the road. The first thing Shawn saw a 10-year-old girl
shaking and crying uncontrollably. He had no idea what was going on.
As he approached the scene, someone yelled "Shawn help us!" The little
girl screamed, "They hurt my Mommy! They're gonna hurt my Mommy."
Someone else yelled, "He has a ball bat!" At this time, Shawn noticed
two trucks were parked facing the people who were in obvious distress.
Shawn returned to his car and retrieved his fishing spear. By the
time Shawn returned to where the people were gathered, the occupants
of the trucks were back inside their vehicles. Shawn shouted at the
occupants of the trucks to leave. The windows were so tinted that he
could not make out their faces. The drivers of the trucks sped away
with such force that one of their truck tires was raised in the air,
spraying much gravel and stone at the women and the child, some of
which they later discovered was imbedded in their skin.

Shawn turned his head to avoid catching stones in the face, and held
out his spear in an effort to create some distance between the group
of Mohawks and the trucks, out of concern that those in the vehicles
would strike those on the road with their vehicles. The trucks then
sped away. That is the extent of Shawn's interaction with the
individuals he is now charged with assaulting. To be clear, he is
charged with assaulting the men in the trucks.

A 911 call was made during this incident on April 21st, 2008, in which
the trucks' licence plates were recorded. Shortly thereafter, the
women made statements to the police, identifying the men driving the
trucks as known Deseronto inhabitants, subsequently identified as
Jamie Lalonde and Mike Lalonde. The women also testified in police
statements that one of the men swung a club at them, drove one of the
trucks into them, and threatened further violence. The women also
described being injured by flying stones, and described the trauma
endured by the young girl. No one but Shawn has been charged.

The men from Deseronto sought out this group of people, deliberately
caused them injury and issued threats of further violence. They were
targeted for assault and abuse for no other reason than that they are
Native. The actions taken by the men from Deseronto were driven by
bigotry and racial hatred. By definition, these were hate crimes.
Again, no one but Shawn has been charged.

The men are presumed to have filed a complaint against my husband,
resulting in a police search of his car on Friday, April 25th, when
his fishing spear was taken from his car, and charges of assault and
possession of a weapon – the spear – were laid. My husband remains in
prison, in maximum security, as a result.

It is our understanding that the prosecution is seeking yet another
publication ban on all future court proceedings in this matter. A
pattern has emerged with respect to my husband, Shawn Brant. The
police and prosecution make sensational and vilifying statements about
Shawn in the media, and then seek a publication ban during court
proceedings, when the actual evidence is introduced. The starkly
different narrative of events that emerges in court is withheld and
the public forbidden from hearing it. The version of events I have
just presented will all but disappear.

Less than a month ago, my husband was acquitted of charges he carried
for more than 18 months. When issuing the ruling in this acquittal,
the judge described the investigative practice and evidence employed
and presented by the cops and the Crown as "problematic" and
"troubling," as they related to Shawn. During this same period, CBC
Radio aired a documentary in which several Mohawk people recounted
conversations with OPP Commissioner Fantino that occurred during the
2007 Aboriginal Day of Action, in which they say he threatened to
"ruin" Shawn. During Shawn's detention at the Napanee OPP detachment
last week, several different police officers threatened to "slit his
throat" and "cut off his head."

As I deal with the tears of young children who have been robbed of
their father once again, Commissioner Fantino claims the OPP is an
apolitical and professional organization, dedicated to upholding the
rule of law. The events of the past week indicate it is anything but.

- Sue Collis
Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backgrounder Updates
from the Tyendinaga Support Committee:

Friday May 2, 2008

Tyendinaga Mohawks are currently standing strong at the quarry site,
last week's roadblocks have been removed, and police presence in the
immediate vicinity of the territory has decreased, although OPP remain
present in the surrounding areas.

Of the three Mohawks who remained in jail after last Friday's arrests
and stand-off, Matthew Kunkel was released on bail yesterday. Clint
Brant was denied bail today, and remains in prison in Quinte Regional
Detention Centre in Napanee, as does Shawn Brant. Shawn will appear
in court on Tuesday, for scheduling purposes.

Given that Shawn Brant has only just beat the previous set of
trumped-up charges (acquitted of all charges relating to the incident
involving Canadian Army solidiers in November 2006) a mere two weeks
ago, Shawn's legal counsel is currently assessing how best to deal
with this new set of fabricated charges.

Shawn's arrest sparked off police actions which led to the jailing of
four other Mohawks, the OPP puling their weapons on community members
at the reclaimed quarry site, and a weekend of tense stand-offs and
road blockades.

Please stay tuned for further updates next week.

To send letters to Clint Brant or Shawn Brant:

Shawn Brant
Clint Brant
c/o
Quinte Detention Centre
89 Richmond Blvd
Napanee, ON K7R 3S1

- Tyendinaga Support Committee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday April 28th, 2008

After a tense exchange this morning, in which the OPP informed Mohawk
spokesperson Jason Maracle to get people out of the area or they would
come in, the OPP instead disbanded a Mohawk roadblock erected on the
perimetre of the reclaimed quarry site. This psychological warfare on
the part of the police resulted in a tense face-off between the OPP
and community members. At present, the OPP has removed one of the
roadblocks on the Slash Road and pulled back, but remains present in
the direct vicinity of the quarry in great numbers. At the centre of
the dispute is the Culbertson Tract, land which rightfully belongs to
the Mohawks of Tyendinaga. Community members have been occupying a
gravel quarry site for over a year.

In addition, a blockade of Highway 6, taken in support of the
Tyendinaga Mohawks, continues by people of the Six Nations of the
Grand River Territory. Six Nations community members have said they
will remove the Highway 6 bypass blockade once they receive
confirmation the OPP have withdrawn from the Mohawks of Tyendinaga.
The road is now barricaded with a downed hydro tower, wires and a
telephone pole.

Important to note is that, despite the reporting in mainstream press,
Mohawk spokesperson Shawn Brant's arrest on Friday, April 25th stems
from an incident which took place on Monday April 21st. Specifically,
Shawn Brant has been charged for his role in allegedly preventing
further attacks on a woman from Tyendinaga and a young child by racist
rednecks from the town of Deseronto.

These new charges were laid less than two weeks after Shawn Brant was
acquitted of charges alleging that he threated Canadian Forces
soldiers during a demonstration to prevent development of the
Culberston Tract in 2006.

Once again, for his role as a spokesperson in the community, Shawn
Brant is facing trumped-up charges. Arrested during an interview he
was conducting with APTN, Shawn's final words during his arrest on
Friday were "This is it, justice for first nations communities: lock
us up. Anybody who speaks out, lock-em up. KI6, Bob Lovelace: lock-em
up...Don't fix the problems, lock-em up." (to watch, click on
http://www.aptn.ca/streaming/index.php?wmv=friday/six)

Supporters rushed to the quarry after watching or hearing of Shawn's
arrest. An altercation with the OPP is alleged to have ensued. Four
Mohawks were then arrested and jailed. The OPP were reported to have
drawn their guns on the Mohawk community members remaining the quarry.

According to Mohawk spokesperson Jay Maracle, "The OPP led us into
this incident by jumping five of our men, arresting them and taking
them to jail and then sticking guns in our faces, in women and
children's faces," he said.

There has been open communication between the Mohawks and the OPP but
Maracle said things will not improve unless OPP retracts a statement
indicating there are armed Mohawks at the quarry. He said there are no
guns at the site.

Matt Kunkel, Clint Brant, Dan Doreen, and Steve Chartrand remain in
custody and will appear in bail court in Napanee today. The group
includes Dan Dorene, spokesperson for the Mohawk blockade on Highway 2
one week ago, erected to prevent development on the Culberston Tract,
land which rightfully belongs to the Mohawks.

A couple from the community who were also arrested by the OPP on
Friday were later were released unconditionally.

Shawn Brant will also likely appear in court today.

This brings the total number of First Nations people in Ontario jails
for defending their land to 12.

- Tyendinaga Support Committee
--------------------------------------------------

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Listen to the recent CBC radio documentary:
The Long Hot Summer
The Current CBC Radio 99.1FM
Link to hear the documentary at:

http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2008/200803/20080326.html

In June 2007, thousands of native Canadians turned out for the
national Aboriginal Day of Action, a day of peaceful protest designed
to educate non-native Canadians about the issues that plague native
communities. Despite concerns of violence, the day came and went more
or less peacefully. Those in power -- native and non-native --
congratulated each other on how well it all went and concluded that
the predicted "long, hot summer" of aboriginal discontent had been
skillfully, peacefully and -- in the most Canadian of ways -- quietly
averted. But that very nearly wasn't the case. And the day came closer
than most people realize to ending with a violent confrontation.
Freelance broadcaster Susanna Kelley investigated what happened that
night.

2. Donate money to the Tyendinega Legal Defence Fund, which divides
funds raised between Shawn's legal costs and maintaining the quarry
reclamation site. Cheques can be made out to "Tyendinaga Legal
Defence Fund" and mailed to the address below.

3. Host a facilitated workshop or information session with a member of
the Tyendinaga Support Committee. Contact us at support.tmt@gmail.com

4. Put forward a resolution in your local or organization in support
of Shawn Brant and the struggle of the
Tyendinaga Mohawk community to reclaim their land.

5. Officially endorse the TSC campaign to support Shawn Brant's legal
defence and the quarry reclamation site by contacting us at
supporttmt@gmail.com

6. In Toronto, contact us to become actively involved in the work of
the TSC and come to one of our meetings.

7. Visit our website to sign an online petition or to join our
mailing list: http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html
Tyendinaga Support Committee
c/o 10 Britain St. Toronto ON
M5A 1R6
support.tmt@gmail.com
http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html
_______________________________________________

URGENT! CALL OUT FOR SUPPORT OF TYENDINAGA

Action of Support on Coast Salish Territory


Tyendinaga and Six Nations Solidarity Action of Support on Coast Salish Territory
Monday, April 27th, 2008
2:30 - Meet @ China Creek Skate Park
Located at East Broadway and Clark Drive
Bring your flags, banners and voices!Wear Red to show your solidarity!

On Friday April 25th at 2:45pm EST OPP surrounded the quarries inTyendinaga demanding the surrender of the Mohawks. Guns were drawnand violence ensued on the part of the police. This is following theOPP's swarm of Mohawk Territory earlier this week which was theresponse to halting of construction of a development site thatencroaches onto Mohawk territory that a group of warriors had taken over.

2 years ago we made a promise that if the OPP harmed the Haudenosauneagain, we would take action and show KKKanada that we will standunited against police oppression and the governments theft of ourlands.

Actions have already taken place in Awkwesasne and Kahnawake, SixNations has resurrected Barricades and were threatened with an OPPraid yesturday afternoon. Because of the overwhelming support thatreturned to Kahnonstaton reclamation site (the protected place andformerly the Douglas Creek Estates) the raid was called off and theHighway 6 Bypass remains closed.
In Tyendinaga, the quarries have been blocked off by police and thereis only one entrance through the reserve to the quarries. They arestill holding strong despite 6 arrests, physical violence inflicted onyoung people (a young man had both arms broken by police) and despitenews reports that denied this fact, guns were pointed at our children. They are currently requesting actions of support as well asdonations for food and supplies. See more info at bottom of email.

Tyendinaga and Six Nations SolidarityAction of Support on Coast Salish TerritoryMonday, April 27th, 2008
2:30 - Meet @ China Creek Skate ParkLocated at East Broadway and Clark Drive
Bring your flags, banners and voices!Wear Red to show your solidarity!
Banner/Sign/Placard Making PartySunday April 26th, 20083:00 - 9:00@ Purple Thistle Centrehttp://www.purplethistle.ca/ for location details*** purple thistle is one block SOUTH of Venables and one block WEST of Clarkring buzzer to be let in.All Welcome and there will be food!

==> Requested Action from Mohawk Nation News:

CALL Ontario Provincial Police & advise them that the world is watching: 24hour communications center OPP: 1-888-310-1122OPP Eastern Headquarters: 613-284-4500

Swat Team Attacks Mohawks at Tyendinaga

UPDATE: OPP BRINGS IN FULLY ARMED SWAT TEAM.
MOHAWKS OF TYENDINAGA RETREAT TO QUARRY - OPP CLOSE PERIMETER AT 9:00 A.M. TUESDAY APRIL 22, 2008 OPP USING CHILDISH VIDEO GAME TACTICS 300 SWAT IN FULL GEAR, SHIELDS, ARMS AND ALL. ANOTHER 80 TO 100 OFFICER IN “GHOST CARS” AND “MARKED AND UNARKED” CARS. REAL ESTATE AGENT EMILE NIBOURG STAYS AWAY.

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2008/04/swat-team-attacks-mohawks-at-tyendinaga.html

Choppers flying overhead. Low flights over our heads at Culbertson Track and the quarry. On the water there a dozen OPP surveillance boats.

BACKGROUND
Mohawk Nation News

Apr. 22, 2008. Last night the non-native Deseronto squatters, whose town is on Tyendinaga Mohawk land along the Bay of Quinte, made human chains along the road leading up to the demostration. They held up signs for the Mohawks to see, with messages, like “power to people [themselves]” “Remove your masks” and “You are a disgrace to your race”. Pictures available. Are they copying us or what? They get the tactics but not the principle! Band council chief R. Don Maracle distanced himself from the blockaders saying “Blockades are not the way to settle land claims. it takes time to resolve these issues. They need to remain calm to allow [me] to negotiate peacefully in a climate that is not hampered by protests and blockades”, he told the local radio station. His treasonous comments set us up for the colonial attack that followed. R.Don Maracle is wrong. One, a negotiator needs to be picked by the people for the purpose. You can’t assume the right to negotiate because you’ve been elected to a colonial band council office who function on colonial capitalist brains. You are not legal! Two, negotiations have to be in public to meet the requirements of both Haudenosaunee Law and international law. Agreements cannot be the result of the informed consent of the people if the people have not been informed. In camera closed door negotiations are not legitimate.

The land in question is the Culbertson Track of 1832 which was never given up. The Ontario government knows full well that there’s a problem with squatters on the Tract since 1832. How long do they expect us to wait for them to uphold the law. The roads trespass on our land. It’s our land. It’s our business where we stand on it. The OPP, the squatters, the trucks carrying toxic waste to the quarry and the construction crews are all trespassers. The illegal colonial governments and agents defame us by accusing us of saying we’re the law breakers instead of doing their duty to protect to us from their unruly law breaking people. Why are the cops breaking the law? The squatters roamed around all night shooting verbal threats left, right and center, “You better take down your blockade or else!”, with the OPP standing behind them probably setting them up and urging them along. The OPP are following the same “Whiskey Trench” tactics used by the SQ during the Mohawk Oka Crisis of 1990 at Kanehsatake and Kahnawake. They’re just standing there watching as their citizens break the law. By doing this they are encouraging them to act like rabble. What needs to happen in a proper democracy is that the legal rights and principles have to be set out and recognized by all responsible parties. In keeping with the requirements of both international law and the Great Law of Peace/Kaianereh’ko:wa, we have set out our rights.

The British Crown agreed to recognize and protect our right to our land on the Culbertson Tract. Ontario has not set out its rights. It has provided no legal authority for its claims. Instead it’s using armed force to support those who would violate the law. This is totally dishonorable behavior. This isn’t the 19th century anymore. When are Canadians going to leave colonialism behind? It’s been formally recognized as illegal for almost a century now. They should know by now that their strong arm strategy to wear us down and scare us into submission by defaming us and our ancestors just won’t work. We have been unwavering since the time of first contact. We never agreed to be British subjects. We never became Canadian citizens. We never agreed to accept the injustices that have been visited upon us. We will continue to ask questions about their illegal actions. We will overcome this nonsense. The Rotiskenekete did take down some of the blockades last night in good faith as we feel we had made our point about the fraud that is taking place. The condominium construction on the Bay of Quinte is illegal. Ontario should stop feeding into the scam artists who are trying to use us to extort cash pay outs out of them.

They should simply uphold the law and evict the squatters. Succumbing to these tactics is unfair to Ontario tax payers. When the Deseronto squatters started attacking us, it was left to the Mohawks to defend ourselves and our land by putting the blockades back up. The OPP should have been cooperating with these efforts to ensure the safety of everyone. The OPP came in yesterday morning and set up a perimeter further out. This morning at 8:00 am they moved closer. The OPP came to every area where there was a Mohawk blockade pushing threats from OPP Headquarters that they are “coming in” and “taking us out”. Constables Ron Van Straalen and C. Flynn of the OPP at Napanee Detachment are in charge [613-354-3369, Fax 613-354-9183]. We had 4 sections blocked. The roads are open, #2 highway going through Deseronto to Napanee. Emile Neibourg, the real estate agent created this situation. He is trying to extort a pay out from Ontario by threatening to build condos on our land. Caught on video was the police saying, “We know that he created this to deal with this land issue”. Then he can help Canada say, “We don’t have any money to pay the Mohawks for the disruption of their land, or to relocate the Deseronto squatters. We gave it all to Mr. Neibourg. The OPP has become a tool of corporate corruption. They’ve been turned into a private army of the opportunistic scumbags who will stop at nothing to line their pockets. To our brothers and sisters, “We need help. Pressure the OPP and the governments of Ontario and Canada to stop the violence and stop the corruption on sovereign independent people. Nobody has spoken to us.

They just came in and attacked. Is this the new OPP protocol? These OPP look like they are itching to converge on us at the quarry and take us out. They want to try out their new Faschist Fantino tactics. Their ultimatum is, “get out of here!!” They know we are right. They refuse to talk to us. Ontario citizens should be asking why their government is letting itself be used for this organized thuggery.

Rotiskenekete 613-849-1314 – 613-827-4991 email davidrmaracle@aol.com OPP Eastern Regional Headquarters 613-284-4500 fax 613-284-4597 lg.beechey chief supt. Commander, Eastern Region, Smiths Falls . MBQ R. Don Maracle, 613-396-3089, CELL 613-391-9249 RDONM@MBQ-TMT.ORG 613-396-3424 ext. 106 info@mbq-tmt.org Jan Hill 613-396-6742 Emile Nibourg 613-561-0984 fax 613-544-7868 enibourg@sutton.com

Hollow Victory: Shawn Brant Acquitted of Threat Charges

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Update: April 18, 2008
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Monday, April 14th, a trial involving highly political charges laid
against Shawn Brant and two other Mohawks from Tyendinaga, ended in
acquittals for two of the three charged. The charges stemmed from a
demonstration that was part of the struggle for the Culbertson Tract.

Shawn Brant was found not guilty on Monday on three charges of
uttering threats at soldiers during a 2006 demonstration against a
proposed development on Mohawk land. Justice Charles Anderson, in
Napanee, Ont., also cleared his co-accused Jerome Barnhart on two
charges of uttering threats and one charge of mischief. Mario 'Skin'
Baptiste Jr., was convicted of two counts of assault soldiers and one
count of mischief for attacking a vehicle. Sentencing of Skin will
occur after the completion of a pre-sentencing report, which could
take eight weeks to prepare.

These particular charges stemmed from an earlier demonstration around
the Culbertson Tract, land which the federal government has long
acknowledged rightfully belongs to the Mohawks but which is
languishing at the negotiation table. On November 15th, 2006, Mohawks
from Tyendinaga erected posters at the site of a proposed 140-home
development project which was later scuttled due to Mohawk resistance
to building on their land. During the protest, five Canadian Military
vehicles were spotted traveling in a convoy through the reserve. In
the context of the history of military involvement in policing Native
protest across Canada, the convoy was seen as a veiled threat. The
Mohawks blocked the vehicles' path with cars and trucks, eventually
allowing the O.P.P. to escort the military away. No one was charged
until two months later - just days after Shawn Brant announced that
Tyendinaga Mohawks planned to take blockade actions as part of the
upcoming June 29th Aboriginal Day of Action, the three Mohawks were
charged.

The defence attorney argued during this trial that the laying of these
charges was politically motivated, in order to ensure that Shawn Brant
would have outstanding legal issues before the Day of Action, and
would likely be held without bail if he participated in any future
blockades. After this week's acquittal, Shawn Brant told reporters, "I
know it weighed heavy on the judges when I was denied bail on two
different occasions." He went on to say, "I spent two months in jail
because of this; I've been on conditions for 18 months. To have them
set aside like this is a hollow victory at best." In addition, Shawn
Brant is the sole Mohawk facing charges in connection with Tyendinaga
Mohawks' highway and rail line blockades in April and June 2007. The
latter blockades happened in conjunction with the Assembly of First
Nations' National Day of Action.

The political nature of this trial, and the on-going criminalization
of Tyendinaga Mohawks around their struggle for the land, continues to
be made clear through the heavy police presence each time the Mohawks
appear in court. On Monday, OPP officers in tactical uniforms were
stationed at the courthouse, and anyone entering was scanned with a
metal detector. People attending the verdict were not allowed to bring
cellphones inside, after being told that explosive devices could be
smuggled in this way.

Similar to previous occasions when Shawn Brant and other members of
his community have gone to court in 2007 and 2008, this excessive
security presence is repeatedly implemented in an effort to influence
the outcome of the court proceedings, and is another form of
intimidation and threat against people who are fighting for their
land.

A CBC documentary aired last month (see below for link), revealed that
OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino had heavily armed tactical units on
hand, to use lethal force against the Mohawks if necessary, in order
to re-open Highway 401, which was shut down during the actions of June
29th. The OPP ignored the recommendations of the Ipperwash Inquiry
Report, which resulted from Dudley George's death, and disregarded
their common practice of obtaining injunctions before considering
using force against indigenous occupations.

The lengths to which the colonial state, cops, and courts are prepared
to go, in their efforts to repress and destroy indigenous resistance
and struggle for sovereignty, self-determination, and justice, is laid
bare by these facts. Shawn Brant goes to trial in January 2009,
facing a possible 12 years in a federal penitentiary.

The personal sacrifice and the tremendous price he stands to pay for
his leadership and courage warrant our utmost efforts to ensure Shawn
Brant does not go to trial isolated and unawares of the depth of
respect and support that exists across Turtle Island, and how deeply
tied the struggle for social justice must be with First Nations
peoples. It is vital that people of conscience act to support the
Mohawks of Tyendinaga.

The Tyendinaga Support Committee
support.tmt@gmail.com

--------------------------------------------------

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Listen to the recent CBC radio documentary:
The Long Hot Summer
The Current CBC Radio 99.1FM
Link to hear the documentary at:
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2008/200803/20080326.html

In June 2007, thousands of native Canadians turned out for the
national Aboriginal Day of Action, a day of peaceful protest designed
to educate non-native Canadians about the issues that plague native
communities. Despite concerns of violence, the day came and went more
or less peacefully. Those in power -- native and non-native --
congratulated each other on how well it all went and concluded that
the predicted "long, hot summer" of aboriginal discontent had been
skillfully, peacefully and -- in the most Canadian of ways -- quietly
averted. But that very nearly wasn't the case. And the day came closer
than most people realize to ending with a violent confrontation.
Freelance broadcaster Susanna Kelley investigated what happened that
night.

2. Donate money to the Tyendinega Legal Defence Fund, which divides
funds raised between Shawn's legal costs and maintaining the quarry
reclamation site. Cheques can be made out to "Tyendinaga Legal
Defence Fund" and mailed to the address below.

3. Host a facilitated workshop or information session with a member of
the Tyendinaga Support Committee. Contact us at support.tmt@gmail.com

4. Put forward a resolution in your local or organization in support
of Shawn Brant and the struggle of the
Tyendinaga Mohawk community to reclaim their land.

5. Officially endorse the TSC campaign to support Shawn Brant's legal
defence and the quarry reclamation site by contacting us at
supporttmt@gmail.com

6. In Toronto, contact us to become actively involved in the work of
the TSC and come to one of our meetings.

7. Visit our website to sign an online petition or to join our
mailing list: http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html

Tyendinaga Support Committee
c/o 10 Britain St. Toronto ON
M5A 1R6
support.tmt@gmail.com
http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html
_______________________________________________
Tyendinaga_support mailing list
Tyendinaga_support@masses.tao.ca

CALL FOR ART SUBMISSIONS::::FREE SHAWN BRANT

* please forward widely **
__________

CALL FOR ART SUBMISSIONS ::: PUNCHCLOCK SHOWCASE no.2 ::::FREE SHAWN BRANT

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!SUBMISSION DEADLINE TOTALLY
CHANGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://punchclock.org/submissionsfreeshawnbrant

Punchclock is calling all artists on Turtle Island and beyond to
submit art to our upcoming show Shawn Brant Is No Criminal. The show
will take place from MAY 16th to 18th at Whippersnapper Gallery,
and will be host to a LIVE music show . It will feature art by
indigenous, and anti-colonial artists all over. Money from the door
will go to Shawn's Legal Fund- Money from the Art sales will go to
Shawn or the Artist.

WHO IS SHAWN?

Shawn Brant is a Mohawk activist and friend of ours who landed in jail
a few months ago on a cocktail of charges. His most recent offense is
that he participated in a blockade which you might remember - it shut
down the rail lines between Montreal and Toronto. This happened during
the Day of Action for native rights in Canada - a day meant to call
attention to the ridiculously long and ineffective process that the
state has put in place in order to settle Aboriginal land claims.

Below are a few links so you can learn more about him. He was denied
bail for a long time, but is now out, awaiting trial in 2009. Stakes
is high - the prosecution is seeking 12 years of incarceration in
penitentiary. Atrocious.

BACKGROUND RESOURCES ABOUT SHAWN

News about the day of action that landed him in jail:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/06/28/protest-aboriginal.html

Official Support Site:

http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html

This is a cool interview that happened way back ago. but it gives you
a sense of the man.

http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/brant.html

Youtube of Shawn speaking at the PArkdale Activity Recreation Centre

http://youtube.com/watch?v=udsVBwdY41M


SUBMISSION INFO

**** HAS BEEN CHANGED - Submissions deadlines: April 1st, 2008

Please e-mail us with your intent to submit art prior to sending it-
so we know it's coming and don't freak out because artists are so
tardy with the mail post, and all that.

email: punchclock.printing(*)gmail.com, and we'll tell you where to send it...

WE WILL PAY FOR THE SHIPPING COST IF YOU CAN'T DON'T WORRY.


PROCEEDS FROM ART CAN GO TO THE ARTIST OR SHAWN, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE
ARTIST WANTS.

For information about Punchlcok go to: www.punchclock.org

Free Shawn Brant: Taking A Serious Stand 5-9

Part 5



Part 6



Part 7



Part 8



Part 9

Free Shawn Brant: Taking A Serious Stand 1-4

A panel including Sue Collis, Howard Morton, Natercia Coelho, and Naomi Klein on the criminalization of Native resistance to colonization, the political persecution of Shawn Brant, and the struggle of the Tyendinaga Mohawk community.

http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stoplicensingplunder/index.html

Part One



Part Two



Part Three



Part Four

Shawn Brant: Another Case of Kkkanada's Political Persecution of Indigenous People

Take note, Australian, Kkkanadian, New Zealand and the United States couldn't give a rats arse about Indigenous rights,so they not only share a minority racist attitude, but also share all the ways they have perfected oppressing us. Treating an Indigenous father and activist Shawn Bryant as some internal threat is the thin edge of the wedge and denies the legitimacy & justice of his and his peoples history, present and future.Thats State Sanctioned Genocide.

Much Aroha & Tautoko Shawn, Kia Kaha brother, Respect, Regards & Love to our Relations defending their ancestral rights for your generations to come.

by Justin Podur; September 19, 2007 - Znet

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=30&ItemID=13830

On August 30, about two weeks before Canada became one of only four countries to vote against a UN declaration on indigenous rights, Tyendinaga Mohawk father and activist, Shawn Brant was released from Quinte Detention Centre on bail. Bail had been denied him twice before, when he first turned himself in on July 5th and again after a bail-review hearing on August 10th. The conditions of his bail were restrictive: $50,000 cash bond with another $50,000 surety, 30-day house arrest, curfew, no protests, and above all, no returning to the struggle for the Mohawk territory the government hoped to disrupt by putting him in jail in the first place. His trial will take place some time in 2008. He is to stand trial on 9 charges having to do with two blockades, one that occurred in April 2007 and the other in June 2007, including 6 charges of indictable mischief (for which the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison), and 3 charges of breach of bail. His actual crime, for which he is being persecuted, is being an articulate and militant spokesperson for his community and indigenous struggles in Canada more generally.

The bail hearing also featured massive, militarized security, all for a community activist who had been involved in activities no more violent than blockades of roads and reclamations of sites, and who had turned himself in. It was a disgraceful display by the state, an attempt to generate fear of violence as a diversion from the substantive issues.

Exclusion and Environmental Destruction

The Mohawks of Tyendinaga, and community members from sister Mohawk territories Kahnawake, Akwesasne, and Kanehsatake, are no strangers to repression and persecution by governments. Indeed, with borders transecting Quebec, Canada, and the US, the Mohawks have known three different flavors of violence. The variations, however, are less striking than the similarities. In the 1990s, these communities faced a military occupation, with thousands of Canadian troops besieging the Mohawks, who were protesting that their sacred sites were slated to become condominium developments and golf courses. An all-out invasion was planned for these communities in 1994, called off at the last minute because of concerns that the political fallout from the bloodshed would be too high. More recently, Kanehsatake, for example, has faced tense standoffs with Canada’s federal police and Quebec’s provincial police, including the creation of a privatized police force to invade the community in 2004 (1). Before that, the Canadian police and military presented these sieges of communities as “law-and-order” activities, using force to stamp out the crimes of Canada’s indigenous people. But the massive, ongoing crime is one committed against indigenous people, and the law-and-order posturing, to which we will return, is intended to present an inversion of reality.

The Canadian state and corporations view the country’s economic development in terms of extracting resources from the land and selling them off, mainly to the United States, for profit. In this model, indigenous people, who live on the land and have their own ideas about how to treat it, are an obstacle, and have been treated that way historically. Even though rights to exploit the land were as often won by negotiation and treaties that included mutual obligations by Canada and indigenous nations as by force, Canada has treated indigenous people as a colonizer treats its victim, disrespecting agreements with them, dispossessing and excluding them, and using force with impunity. “Development” on indigenous lands, whether of resources or, in more densely populated areas, of suburban housing construction projects, is a sort of development that provides no benefit at all to them. While indigenous people from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory neighbouring Caledonia in Ontario watched their historic lands turned into suburban developments, and Mohawks in Tyendinaga watched trucks carting tons of gravel out of their lands, the majority of indigenous communities in Canada (75% in 2001) have substandard, dangerous water quality and inadequate housing.

Beyond merely excluding the indigenous, Canada has destroyed the very basis of their survival through environmental destruction. The Mohawk territory on the Ontario/Quebec/New York border has been thoroughly poisoned. Canadian authorities have been destroying Mohawk fishing grounds since they started manipulating the flow of the St.Lawrence River in the 1830s. When Canada opened the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950s, it offered cheap hydro power to industrial investors, and heavy industry, from General Motors to Alcoa and Reynolds, responded, contaminating the rivers and lakes of the region and the groundwater table with PCBs, DDT, mercury, Mirex, and more. Poisoned water killed both the wildlife and the traditional economy. With no more hunting or fishing, there was no more traditional diet and, consequently, a whole set of new health problems (2).

Environmental destruction and exclusion from the economic benefits of their own territories has led to poverty and unemployment in indigenous communities. This has provided the state with another lever of control over the communities – small amounts of money distributed through the welfare system and through institutions of “self-government” that were imposed on indigenous communities, often at gunpoint. These meager and humiliating funds have an additional value to the state besides control: they also enable the state to sow racism by claiming that indigenous people are “lazy” and “don’t work”, living off of “handouts” from the state.

Adaptation of Tobacco

But the indigenous were never excluded quietly or easily, and the Mohawks found a way to adapt even to this narrowing of their options. Taking advantage of their position on the border, they created businesses selling a traditional sacred plant – tobacco cigarettes. Canada’s establishment treated the “native cigarette” trade as a major crime, alleging associations with organized crime and threatening brutal action. Indeed, from 2004-2006, the government threatened the Mohawk communities, repeatedly, on the basis of the tobacco trade. In an interview with the CBC in April 2006, Shawn Brant explained some of what the tobacco trade had meant for Tyendinaga:

“We have approximately 6 to 7 million dollars a month which comes into the community as new revenue from the outside, that we’ve been able to establish infrastructure within our community. We’ve been able to put forward our first institution of government, as we call it, the longhouse. We showed them that we were going to use the proceeds from tobacco in order to recreate ourselves within the society, that we would allow for something greater to come from it than just padding the pockets of a few people.

“So Tyendinaga now sits in a unique situation, where we have this money coming in, where the stores bring it in at retail level, where construction crews and workers are working, people are preparing their roofs and contributing in a way to, not only the local economy, but also to the surrounding economy in a way that we never had. We’re in position now where we are able to have, as a community, some influence in the outside world. When our people go out shopping, because of the availability of revenue within here, they’re not treated like shit anymore, they’re treated like consumers that have access to revenues, that are going out and making purchases. They’re treated in a way and a standard that we’ve never enjoyed before.” (3)

When the interviewer asked him about rumors of a Canadian military raid into Tyendinaga with cigarettes as a pretext, Shawn Brant answered:

“We’ve always known, and we’ve always been told to prepare for this time, when they would stop at nothing to remove us, to have us not exist. We’ve been through the assimilation process and it didn’t work, and now there’s one option that as a nation, a military option is very real. I believe the day will come, and with Kanesatake in 1990, when the people of that community stood up and everything changed, we talked about the transition time.

“Kanestake has got nothing in the 16 years since 1990: they haven’t settled the land claims, their status within the Indian act, they haven’t settled their financial and fiduciary responsibilities with them – it’s a community where schools barely exist, their programs are non-existent. While everything changed in people’s minds across Canada, and maybe the way in which people perceive us has changed, nothing has changed for them and that’s their punishment for 1990. If Tyendinaga can take on that responsibility, and take the brunt of the force and the government’s wrath, and it allows for some peace to exist in Kanesatake, then we’ll gladly shoulder that responsibility. We don’t just see it as being something just around us. It’s time for our sisters and brothers that have fought for so long to have a break and let them turn their attention to us, and we’ll welcome it.” (4)

Resistance to Dispossession

The tobacco trade is not the only indigenous adaptation to legal and economic exclusion and dispossession. The more direct adaptation has been to resist dispossession, using legal arguments and, when Canada ignored these, resorting to the very measured and restrained use of reclamations and blockades.

One such reclamation began in February 2006, at the Douglas Creek Estates bordering the town of Caledonia and the Six Nations reserve. The Douglas Creek Estates were in the process of being converted to a suburban subdivision when members of Six Nations reclaimed it. They wanted the land, which, like so many other pieces of indigenous territory, had been taken from them in a process of very dubious legality, to be returned to them (5). Instead of negotiating in good faith, the provincial police attempted to dislodge the indigenous people from the reclamation site in April 2006, and succeeded for several hours, after which the indigenous reclaimed the site yet again. Six Nations called on people outside the territory to speak up and to mobilize on their behalf. One community that heard the call was Tyendinaga.

The day after the police dislodged the Six Nations reclamation on the Douglas Creek Estates (April 21 2006), Mohawks from Tyendinaga blocked a CN Rail line that runs through their territories, both the Culbertson Tract and Surrender 24 (discussed below) demanding that the government negotiate with Six Nations in good faith. Later that year, the government would force the Mohawks of Tyendinaga to conduct a reclamation on their own behalf. The Culbertson tract, like the Douglas Creek Estates, had been stolen from the indigenous through a dubious swindle (6). When, on November 15 2006, Mohawks went to the site of a proposed subdivision on the Culbertson tract to publicize their claim and their intention to stop the construction of a subdivision there, coincidence had a convoy of Canadian Military vehicles just passing through the reserve. The Mohawks blocked the convoy with cars and trucks and asked them what they were doing. Provincial police eventually escorted the military away. In January 2007, Shawn Brant and another Mohawk activist, Mario Baptiste, were arrested. Shawn was charged with ‘uttering death threats’, Mario with ‘assault’ and ‘mischief’, in conjunction with the November 15 2006 incident (7).

On another part of Tyendinaga territory, a gravel quarry owned by Thurlow Aggregates, the corporation busily strived to make off with as much of the land as possible, while the government of Canada took a decade to even sit down to land claim negotiations. Strikingly, the Mohawks had submitted an official land claim in 1995, after the claims process was finally created by Canada, and in 2003, this claim had been acknowledged as legitimate by the Canadian government - in many land claim disputes, achieving this recognition of legitimacy from the colonial government is in and of itself a huge battle. Negotiations around the Mohawk’s claim did not begin for several years after that, during which time the Government of Ontario continued to renew the license to Thurlow Aggregates to ravage the now-recognized Mohawk land. So, on March 22, 2007, 125 members of Tyendinaga took control of the quarry. Shawn Brant explained the reclamation: “It’s very difficult to have negotiations at a time when they’re taking out 10,000 truckloads of our land. It’s an affront to our process.” (8). The Mohawks announced a campaign of blockades if the quarry’s license was not revoked. On April 20, 2007, they blocked the CN Rail line again. The Mohawks held the line for 30 hours and packed up, having negotiated with the police that no one would be charged. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Commissioner, an aggressive and militaristic former chief of Toronto’s police named Julian Fantino, ordered the arrest of Shawn Brant for mischief, disobeying a court order, and breach of recognizance – ignoring the agreement made on April 21 2007. On May 9, CN Rail announced a civil suit for damages for the rail stoppage – the authors of the essay “What Landed Shawn Brant in Jail” said the following about CN’s lawsuit:

“The civil case will likely bring to light some of the checkered history of railway construction in Canada, from forced expropriations to illegal seizures of land; CN’s lawyers may find themselves arguing a case that does the company more harm than good.” (9) The rail line CN is suing over runs through both the Culbertson Tract and what is called “Surrender 24”, a 33,000 acre tract that was stolen from the Mohawks in 1820 by force, and despite much resistance (10).

The final set of charges against Shawn Brant stem from June 29, 2007, which was planned as a national aboriginal day of action. Originally conceived and presented as a day of militant action to show that indigenous communities would not be shunted aside or disappeared, the day of action was weakened by Canada’s threats and successful isolation of communities from one another. Tyendinaga took the call to action seriously. Via Rail cancelled its rail service, anticipating a shutdown. The Tyendinaga Mohawks blocked Highway 2. The OPP blocked the Highway 401 pre-emptively, and the Tyendinaga Mohawks moved on to the highway and the CN tracks. The blockades were all lifted by the end of the 29th, and no one was hurt. Shawn Brant, however, was charged with mischief and breach of bail, and turned himself in on July 5 (11).

Shawn Brant’s trial, and the civil suit by CN Rail, could indeed prove counterproductive to the Canadian state and corporations. At a public event on August 29, 2007 in support of Shawn Brant, author Naomi Klein suggested that part of why the Canadian establishment, from Ontario’s police commissioner to the mainstream media, seems to be so vindictive against him is because he has had some success raising indigenous issues not only inside, but also outside of native communities. Sue Collis, an activist who has been instrumental in building this bridge between native and non-native activists (and who is also Shawn Brant’s wife), noted that the colonial relationship between settler and indigenous in Canada could not occur without the participation and complicity of the citizens. Racist myths about native people being “lazy” or “lawless” can’t hold up to reality, and the indigenous actions have been about confronting Canadians with the reality. If the myths collapse, could the whole project of dispossessing the indigenous be at risk?

The colonial playbook is a limited one. In 1990 and 1994, Canada used the military and the police against the Mohawks. It also mobilized racist whites to press a counter-claim against indigenous people, and then presented itself as an honest broker between the two extremes, allowing the racists plenty of leeway and persecuting indigenous people whenever possible. This strategy also allowed plausible deniability. The same thing occurred in 2006 on Six Nations land, with “residents of Caledonia” rallying to demand action against the indigenous (12). Other standard plays include attempts to sow divisions in the community, arming some indigenous people against others, offering money in exchange for land, and presenting small sacrifices as immense in order to create obstacles for future negotiations. The repetitiveness of these standard tactics is frustrating, but it could also make them more transparent, for those who wish to see. If there were enough such people (13), Canada would have to back off, and perhaps actually change its relationship with indigenous people.

Notes

http://mostlywater.org/shawn_brant_another_case_of_canadas_political_persecution_of_indigenous_people

1) See my “Kanehsatake”, 2004, ZNet, for a discussion of what was going on at the time: http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=5556. See also the following leaflet: http://arab.sa.utoronto.ca/preparing.for.invasion.pdf

2) See chapter 2 of Bruce E. Johansen (1993), “Life and Death in Mohawk Country”, North American Press, Colorado. See also the work of Boyce Richardson, including “The People of Terra Nullius” and “Drumbeat: Anger and Renewal in Indian Country”.

3) CBC Interview, April 23, 2006.

4) CBC Interview, April 23, 2006.

5) For an overview of the Six Nations reclamation, see my “Six Nations Does Not Stand Alone”, 2006, ZNet. http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=10152

6) See the excellent pamphlet, “In Support of the Mohawks of Tyendinaga”, from which much of this article was drawn. See specifically two essays: “What Landed Shawn Brant in Jail?”, and “Surrender 24 and the Culbertson Tract: How Tyendinaga’s Land Was Stolen”. The PDF of the pamphlet is here: http://www.ocap.ca/files/fsb-rgb-final.pdf

7) “What Landed Shawn Brant in Jail?” - http://www.ocap.ca/files/fsb-rgb-final.pdf

8) “What Landed Shawn Brant in Jail?” - http://www.ocap.ca/files/fsb-rgb-final.pdf

9) “What Landed Shawn Brant in Jail?” - http://www.ocap.ca/files/fsb-rgb-final.pdf

10) “Surrender 24 and the Culbertson Tract: How Tyendinaga’s Land Was Stolen”. http://www.ocap.ca/files/fsb-rgb-final.pdf

11) “What Landed Shawn Brant in Jail?” - http://www.ocap.ca/files/fsb-rgb-final.pdf

12) See my “In whose interests are the ‘residents’ rallies’ in Caledonia?” ZNet, 2006, http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=10313

13) There are people working on this, and there should be many more. Join the Tyendinaga Support Committee, visit their site, sign the petition, work wherever you are on this. http://www.ocap.ca/supporttmt.html

see also:

http://uriohau.blogspot.com/2007/04/canadas-military-manual-exposed-to.html

http://uriohau.blogspot.com/2007/05/canadas-military-plots-war-crimes.html

Picket and Demo Against CN Rail and SPP

- Support indigenous struggles for sovereignty, dignity and self-determination on Turtle Island ...

-- Oppose CN Rail's racism and colonialism ...

-- Protest Bush, Harper, Calderon and the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" (SPP)

::::::::::::::::::::
TUESDAY, AUGUST 14th, NOON
Picket and Demonstration
Montreal Central Train Station
metro Bonaventure
(enter via the metro,
or via the street at 895 de la Gauchetière West,
between University and Mansfield)
::::::::::::::::::::

** Meet at the large departures/arrivals sign in the main lobby of the train station. Bring your banners, placards, flags and other symbols of dissent. **

-- We demand that CN Rail drop their racist lawsuits against Mohawk activists at Tyendinaga;
-- We stand in support and solidarity with indigenous struggles for sovereignty and self-determination all over Turtle Island;
-- We denounce CN Rail's role in the corporate North American
Competitiveness Council and the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

"When justice fails, block the rails!"


CN Rail is a multi-billion dollar company, headquartered in Montreal, whose tracks and installations occupy native lands from ocean-to-ocean.

CN Rail is currently pursuing multi-million dollar lawsuits against Mohawk activists from the community of Tyendinaga who are actively involved in the defense of their land.

The Mohawks of Tyendinaga are demanding the return of the Culberston Tract, which was stolen from them in 1832. Recently a portion of the land was reclaimed, with the Tyendinaga community demanding that the Ontario government revoke the license legitimizing a private quarry operation that is literally removing land from the Culberston Tract. For more info, consult:

http://ocap.ca/firstnations/tyendinaga/culbertson

CN is threatening more lawsuits against other indigenous communities and activists who block CN rail lines.

CN Rail and their executives are targeting indigenous community organizers who have effectively brought the issue of native sovereignty to the forefront. In the context of unsettled land claims, and the fact that their tracks sit on appropriated native territory, CN Rail's actions are colonial and racist.

While CN uses the courts to attack native activists, their CEO -- E. Hunter Harrison – is a member of the North American Competitiveness Council, a key promoter of the recently formed "Security and Prosperity Partership" (SPP) between Canada, the United States and Mexico. The SPP continues the imposition of the neo-liberal North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), combined with paranoid "Homeland Security" policies.

The SPP is an attack on all working and oppressed peoples, especially the indigenous peoples of "North America". The SPP leaders – George Bush, Stephen Harper and Felipe Calderon -- will be meeting later this summer, from August 20-21, in Montebello, Quebec (just 90 minutes from Montreal).

Join us on August 14 in Montreal, as we build towards the protests against Bush, Harper and Calderon in Montebello on August 20 (info: www.psp-spp.com )

Organized and endorsed by: Block the Empire-Montreal (BLEM), Liberterre, NoOne Is Illegal-Montreal, La Rue Brique, Solidarity Across Borders, Tadamon! Montreal, La Pointe Libertaire and others (to add your group endorsement, please contact noii-montreal@resist.ca)

-> Text of the flyer passed out at the picket against CN on July 1,
2007 in Montreal:

http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/07/flyer-text-why-we-are-protesting.html

-> “About the SPP” Background: http://www.psp-spp.com/?q=en/aboutthespp


INFO: 514-848-7583, noii-montreal@resist.ca