Saturday, September 23, 2006

Six Nations and the Grand River

Today the Record has a front page story about the Six Nations and their claim to the Grand River in Southern Ontario.

This is an exceptionally well-researched piece complete with diagrams. The subtle nuance between the elected council and the Confederacy council is explained. It certainly helped me put things into perspective.

There are a lot of highway improvements hung up over talks with the Six Nations, since some proposals involve crossing the Grand River, so the natives must be consulted. Meanwhile, Waterloo Region's traffic is grinding to a halt in many areas.

One of the major problems appears to be the confusion about who officially represents the Six Nations now; especially in light of the Caledonia occupation/reclamation.

Anyway, it is worth the read for anyone following the situation at Douglas Creed Estates.

* * * *

Update: It seems that natives are allowed to hold protests and occupations, but if ordinary citizens plan to hold a rally, they are wachos! (H/T Dust My Broom) Nice. That's what Dolton's friend David Peterson thinks about some of the people who will coincidentally also be voting in the next provincial election.

Well, if those folks vote Liberal, I guess they truly will be wachos!!!


Further Updates: I love this native! H/T to Angry and others.
Steve Janke also discusses the Six Nations Leadership confusion.



For anyone who gets the National Post, please check out the two page spread in Saturday's front section - Cold War in Caledonia:

Maria Rauscher, a 61-year-old German immigrant lives with her husband on the Sixth Line.

The road has been deemed an official no-go zone for Ontario Provincial Police.

Six Nations officers are supposed to patrol it, but Mrs. Rauscher, her husband and others on the road say that in reality the Sixth Line is a legal "no-man's land" where law-breaking is rampant and property values have plunged.

"I can't live like this anymore," said Mrs. Rausche, wiping at her eyes and trembling with anger. "If something flares up again we're right in the middle. It's a time bomb."

Mrs. Rauscher and her husband, Dieter, 65, say their quarrel is not with the natives, but the government. They have lived in harmony with the nearby reserve for 27 years.

A return to that harmony seems unlikely, considering the complexity of the land claim.


11 comments:

Red Tory said...

Totally off topic...

And you thought we couldn’t find anything to fight about. Heh. Go check out my latest post. I'd be interested to know what your thoughts are after having watched the program.

Anonymous said...

The text of the Haldimand Proclimation and the Simcoe Patent can be found at www.library.askus.ca/native/critic/vol09/115.html. Both documents(Appendix B & Appendix C) state the land for six miles from the Grand River was granted to the Six Nations. In ordinary usage this wording would exclude the Grand itself. To include the Grand you would say, "The Grand and the land six miles on either side." Does anybody have any knowledge of whether or not the legal meaning of "from" would include the river bed? ps I think the web address is vol 09 not vo 109. I got to the page through a link

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Daristotle, thanks. I think this is what they were discussing in the article - that the meaning is not clear. You'd have to be some archive expert to be able to understand this stuff. The problem is that all the negotications and paperwork are tying up plans to expand highways, etc. and are thus having a negative impact on various municipalities.

Red Tory said...

Why does Joanne hate aboriginal peoples...?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Why does Joanne hate aboriginal peoples...?

That comment was obviously made to stir the pot! Please explain what would lead you to make such an outrageous statement.

Anonymous said...

I'm gonna go out on a limb here... I'm guessing there's no aboriginal word for irony.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Neo - It's certainly too subtle for McWimpy.

Sara said...

Why does Joanne hate aboriginal peoples...?




probably the same reason why you hate all women RT....

Inquiring minds want to know.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

probably the same reason why you hate all women RT....

lol!!! Sara, you just made my day!

Red Tory said...

Sara –- So, when did you stop beating your husband?

Anonymous said...

Lots of information at www.CalidoniaWakeUpCall if anybody does't know about the site. Red Tory might take a look.