Gerald

The idea that native groups represent 'Nations' is a polite fiction created to justify race base rights. It is no different than saying the gov't of South Africa should go treat the white minority as a 'Nation' and grant that 'Nation' a right to create enclaves within South Africa where apartheid is legal.Natives groups are ethnic minorities living in a nation called Canada - nothing more - nothing less. The only thing that should be discussed is what assistance can be provided by the country to a group of people who have been poorly treated by governments in past and a number of intractable social and economic problems. Why give assistance and continue with the dependency on the colonial system. We were nations before the Europeans came to this land. We are not an ethnic minority. We are nations and Canada is actually a nation within these nations. Your position of giving assistance is again maintaining the status quo and throwing a few bucks at us will not fix the problems your imposition has caused. Have your systems and governments give us an independent autonomy and we will show you that we can develop a far better system than what your occupation has imposed on through your colonial laws and systems.

Education and healthcare are a stipulation in all of the treaties and these rights are to be honored by the crown in right of Canada "for as long as the sun shines the grasses grow and the rivers flow". This means forever. The resource ownership I would invisage is a fair and equitable share of ALL revenues generated from the sale of all natural resources be given to the First Nations so that we as nations can have an independent autonomy that would finance our own legal,political social and economic systems (with the proper check and balances of total accountability). This way the imposed system that is failing us miserably would not be in play and we can go back to our traditional governance structures that were probably the most successful governance models in the world. Prior to first contact we had the participatory democratic system that was overwhelmingly successful. The colonial powers that became imposed the representative democratic system (which most clear minded people would agree is a dismal failure for everyone) with the one size fits all approach. This is something that never has and never will work for First Nations. As for enviromental damage compensation, most of the money goes to colonial lawyers and such and then there are ridiculous restrictions imposed on how, where and what you can spend the money on. The pragmatic solution is for Canada to go back to the "Nation to Nation" agreements and treat the First Nations as actual partners, rather than subordinates. I have written many positions that have been taken to very high levels of governments both at the domestic and international levels and , sadly I will say the status quo will remain unless Canada starts to realize that we as the original inhabitants of this land are tired of being peasants in our homeland and we will start taking control of our destinies with or without the cooperation of the corporation called Canada. I do not condone violence, but the First Nations populations are growing, the cost of living is rising, the First Nations fiscal positions are shrinking and the First Nations frustrations are getting too strong for the leaders to control. Wake up Canada before it is too late...or is it?

Here is the wording of the derogatory article that was published by the National Post. (Relayed to us & thanks to Gerald McIvor) Read the article first, then the response by Grand Chief Ron Evans Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs: Sunday » April 23 » 2006 Hardly a ‘nation’ National Post Saturday, April 22, 2006 We have some sympathy for the Six Nations’ land claim that led to Thursday’s fiery confrontation between provincial police and Six Nations demonstrators in Caledonia, Ont. But we have considerably less empathy for the protestors’ insistence that Canadian law does not apply to them because they are citizens of a sovereign Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) nation, and none at all for their violent tactics. If they want a settlement that respects their claims, they must give up the fantasy that they are not Canadians and cease all violence now.

We did not and do not ask for"Your Money". The Colonial entity enacted the Indian Act making us wards of the state with no legal rights whatsoever. Once they did this, they imposed the Natural Resources Transfer Act or the NTRA, 1930 effectively taking away First Nations owned resources through legislated theft. The Treaties were and still are peaceful coexistence treaties and Canada breached the treaties even before the ink was dry. The dependence on government funding was imposed by your occupation and is nothing less than a control mechanism that benefits the colonial powers. If the colonial occupation agreed to let us have our own systems and we didn't have to depend on yours, the colonial sqatters would have the highest unemployment rate in the free world. It is in the interest of Canada to keep the First Nations in abject poverty as we are a 9 billion dollar a year industry of misery for you Euro-Canadians. So do not give me your redneck position and cry me a river. Throughout the history of what you guys call Canada, every successive government in collusion with the Churches have tried everything to eradicate the original peoples of this land through various forms of genocide. Yet at the end of the day, we as proud people can still say to you and your fellow rednecks, it is okay, we forgive you , let us move on. The difference between the First Nations and the colonial people is that we are happy with what we have to live on and you people want more and more. Look at the weird weather patterns. You are poisoning mother earth and she is turning on us. Remember this First Nation proverb someday when it is too late to turn back and save mother earth ' When they have cut down the last tree, when they have caught the last fish, when they have polluted the last drop of water, they will realize too late that they cannot eat that almighty dollar" I feel sorry for you and your kind and I pray to the creator that someday you will broaden you narrow mindset and realize the atrocities your systems have committed on my people. Think about it...

RE: The Caledonia Land Repatriation The reclaiming of traditional and legally owned lands by the Six Nations should be a loud and clear message to the Crown in Right of Canada that enough is enough and that Canada must in true partnership with the First Nations of Canada agree on an expedient, meticulous fair and transparent process to settle all land issues with the First Nations of this land. This Native expropriation of land started receiving media attention at the eleventh hour. Why is it that it is allowed to get to the point of physical confrontation before Canada will act on these land issues? The land in question was illegally taken by Canada and should be returned to the Six Nations and Canada should give financial compensation for loss of use retroactive to the land appropriation by Canada in 1835. This was allegedly a land lease with lease payments forthcoming and this is something that was not honored by Canada. Why did Canada wait until their unethical treatment of the Six Nations forced these sovereign people to act in their future generation’s interest and take matters into their own hands? The Six Nations submitted a land claim in 1987 in which the Six Nations irrefutably proved that there was no surrender of the land, no fair and equitable compensation for the land and no trust for the alleged lease payments. Canada has steadfastly ignored this very valid land claim and to date have not responded to it. The Six Nations are taking the land back so that their future generations can have a land base that they can call their own. Canada has always employed delay tactics with all First Nations in the land claims process. The First Nations have limited fiscal resources and any delay tactics utilized by Canada can force the First Nation to frustratingly put their land claim in an indefinite state of abeyance. What is obviously needed here in an independent, neutral international body that would hear the case from both sides, decide the merits of the case and award any compensation that is owed to the First Nation by Canada. This body should also have the binding authority that must be recognized and followed by both parties in question. I am a band member from the Sandy Bay First Nation in Manitoba Canada as it is presently known and in the past have worked on my First Nation’s land claim. The biggest problem I saw through being involved in the land claim process through the Indian Claims Commission is that the Department of Indian Affairs (INAC) is the defendant in all land claim cases. INAC is in a blatant conflict of interest as they allegedly have a fiduciary responsibility towards the First Nations. This means they must act in the best interests of the First Nations and yet are working against the First Nations in either stalling or attempting to refute minute details of every claim, incurring legal cost that the First Nations cannot afford. The Crown in Right of Canada and the Governor-General of Canada must be the ones that actually sit down with the First Nations and negotiate the claim and work with the First Nation on a “Nation to Nation basis and settle the outstanding land issue. The situation in Caledonia should be a waking call to Canada that First Nations want justice and need land for their growing memberships. Does Canada need another OKA? Ipperwash? Williams Lake? Sun Peaks in British Columbia will be ignored until something happens. But what needs to happen? Does there have to be bloodshed before Canada will start meeting legal domestic and international obligations regarding Treaty Rights? Why do our First Nation people have to keep on suffering in substandard, third world conditions while mainstream Canada lives off the wealth created through the revenues generated from the sale of resources? The resources and land still legally belong to the First Nations of this land and this issue will be brought to light in the near future as First Nation frustrations are increasing, our populations are growing, the cost of living is growing and yet we as the true owners of this land do not get a fair and equitable share of the vast resources and revenues while mainstream Canada continues to rape and contaminate our lands. I wholeheartedly support the Six Nations in their endeavor and I realize that this is only the beginning. Canada, take heed, the First Nations are waking up and you will be held accountable for all of your genocidal processes and policies that you have imposed on us. We are supposed to be in partnership with Canada and we ended up as subordinates. (Peasants in our own homeland). Go Six Hundred and thirty four First Nations Go! Gerald McIvor Indigenous Citizen of Turtle Island