charter.rights

Are you opining based on your own milking of the welfare system, or do you have another point of view your are trying to advance? First Nations politicians play the game by the rules laid out by our politicians. Who can blame them when the mudslinging and accusations are used to manipulate politicians into action? We expect no less of our lobby groups and insiders to push the politician when they won't change their policy. A morally and financially corrupt system like the Canadian Government can only produce morally corrupt and financially self-interested players. The failure of this system lies not only in those who play by the rule, but those who criticize while taking hand-outs from the system in their own self-interest.

Notwithstanding that in the true sense there is no such thing as a definable "Canadian culture", the cultural ethic in Canada does not resemble the Americans or the British. There are smackings of French and native cultures intermingled in our society but that doe not make it a Canadian culture. It is just individual cultures in a multi-cultural context.

A "border" is an imaginary line. Can you see something that really isn't there? It would be consistent with your belief in myths......though....

No you don't. From what you have presented here you are stuck in the myths that plague most Canadians. You have a limited sample and have tried to draw generalizations from it. You really haven't got a clue. When you learn the legal, social and geographical history of our contact with First Nations and the effects they have had on our presnet day society then come back and we'll discuss it further. Right now you are in lala land with the rest.

Ha ha ha....This whole thread demonstrates the problem in Canada. The question was asked: So far as I understand it only one native responded. Yet there are many comments and opinions from everyone but native people. Seems you all think you are experts on aboriginal issues. I can tell you from my direct experience from working closely with native people, that the majority of you don't have a clue what you are talking about. The rest of you are wrong. Now. Are there any native people here that want to offer an opinion on the questions posed?

Give the archeological evidence that the Amercas were occupied 10-15,000 years before the occupation of Europe, it is more likely that people from here travelled to Europe and parts of Asia and populated those reasons, in addition to the out of Africa migrations.

I have all the proof the Crown needs. Our Justice group recognizes and affirms their sovereignty. All Canadian land sits beneath Aboriginal title. The treaties that were made did not give up rights to the land but created a concept of sharing the land. Under the Royal Proclamation 1763 none of the land could be alienated to any British subject for any reason. If land was transferred to the Crown it had to be done through a specific process. In the case of Ontario and Six Nations jurisdiction, there has never been any surrender or treaty, or process that allowed land to change hands, or for Canada to assume title. Even the Haldimand Proclamation 1784 was an act to secure a specific tract of land from the same kind of encroachment the IIroquois were experiencing in the south. The government could not have bought land form the Mississauga since the British recognized in 1763 that the territory was all Six Nations territory. So the Mississauga were merely paid a traveling fee to relocated to their homeland north of Superior. When you find the surrender of Ontario by Six Nations - especially before 1784 where they surrendered to the Mississauga, which allowed the Mississauga to surrender to the Crown - then provide the links. I'm sure a number of judges and Supreme Court justices would be interested. The fact is Six Nations never surrender and their territories have always remained separate and independent from Canada. The assumption of jurisdiction is myth at least in the case of the Mohawks and most of the nations in BC.

No it didn't. The concept of Peace, Welfare and Good Government came from the model of the Iroquois Confederacy. The term "welfare" was co-opted for "Order" by the Victorians since they were not concern with the welfare of the people, but only in their obedience so they could be exploited.

See there is the flaw in your logic. You want natives to prove they are not part of Canada. I gave you the lead to the answer - The Mitchell Map 1757 and the Royal Proclamation 1763. It is up to you to prove they are. Mohawks have never capitulated nor surrendered their land or their sovereignty to Canada or the Crown. Under the UN it is illegal for a country to assume jurisdiction over another nation without their consent. The burden of proof is yours. The Indian Act was invented but it does not address Moahwks. No where does it say that Mohawks are subject to it. You are lost on your own myths.

Where do you think the concept of Peace, Welfare and Good Government came from?

The most recent find in the Topper site in South Carolina, evidence of human occupation dates back 50,000 years ago. A highly disouted site in Mexico has determined that the artifacts found there sit below a geological layer carbon dated to 150,000 years ago. In any case your statement is absurd and the Bering Strait ice bridge has been disproven as the only source of American population. Goven the dating of artifacts from South America northward archeologist have suggest that there is an indication of south to north migration, meaning that many native people originated in South America. This would have occurred if South America was populated out of Africa at the same time as the aborigines began migrating to Australia. An Antarctica migration is plausible.

I won't wast my time furnishing links when you wouldn't read them anyway. I cited my sources. You want more information, I suggest you go look them up.

Maybe you should read some SCoC rulings. It is all there.

Nope. Sovereign territories. Mitchell Map 1757. Royal Proclamation 1763. Everything else is non-existent. Try to prove that Six Nations ever surrendered Ontario south of the Ottawa River. You won't find it because it never happened. And I'll tell you the Crown can't do it either which is why we are spending many evenings trying to hammer our a deal with the Mohawks to return their people for their own justice. It would be easier if their were Canadians, or under reserve status but since they are not we have no choice but to deal with it up front in order to maintain the honour of the Crown. Our task BTW is mandated by the SCofC.

You do realize that according to the SCoC oral histories have more legitimacy than British written records. Do you know why?

Mohawk lands are not "reserves" They are "territories" not surrendered and the Indian Act doe not apply.

I am involved in a justice working group along with some Mohawk people in Ontario who are working together to get their people out of the courts and jails and into their own system of justice. While the transfer of people from one system to another does present some problems it follows a Treaty the Crown made 150 years ago in the Cartwright Treaty that provided we would return Six Nations people to their own communities along with our grievances and vice versa. The treaty protected British subjects from being subjected to Six Nations law and punishments. There are a number of Superior Court judges Crown attorneys and constitutional lawyers who are behind this initiative, and the working group has an implementation strategy that we hope have in place in the next couple of months. I'm sure you know how to use google. Look up the Great Law. Otherwise the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that only laws of general application apply to natives and only where their own laws do not provide a remedy. I'm too tired to look up the SCofC rulings so that is something for you to do.

Nope. The numbers are based on INAC's annual compounded interest paid on Indian moneys and trusts set out under an Order In Council for every year back to 1840, then estimated for the 60 years prior to that based on the principles used in former Supreme Court of Canada cases. The numbers are accurate. There is lots of sympathy for native issues in Canada. People like you are a minority and pretty much unheard in the mainstream. That is why you have to work so hard at making up myths and lies in places like this. No one believes you so you have to grow the stories to make yourself feel better.

Of course I do. You did know that John A McDonald was a blatant racist...right?

Nope. They are not. The Indian Act only governs federally imposed Band governments on Mohawk Territories. Essentially they are simple money managers as agents of the federal government. The Iroquois Confederacy have their own laws that are not subject to the laws of Canada and the Crown and the courts recognize it.

The average lifespan of an Iroquois citizen before contact was about 120 years old. They had much better hygene, less disease and far better physical fitness than our European ancestors did. In fact in Europe at the same time it was lucky for any of them to see 40 years old. The government of Canada owes Six Nations more than $1 trillion dollars just for their unaccounted trust. Add to that the costs of lands and rents not paid for, it would break the bank of Canada just to pay off Six Nations. On top of all that all of BC is unceded and I would guess that $100 tillion is likely a nice round number the government owes BC natives. The $10 billion budget that INAC receives (and which 60% is spent in salaries and programs that never benefit First Nations, doesn't even put a dent into the interest we owe on those trusts, leases and unpaid occupations. The government runs the casinos and profits from 2/3s of the cigarettes sold in Canada. According to the RCMP 90% of the tobacco seized along "the Corridor" (401) are from China and destined for Asian controlled variety stores and markets. The real criminals are getting away with it under our noses.

Of course you mean crime in the sense of cigarette smuggling? The kind that RJ McDonalds and Reynold Tobacco got caught with at a estimated $100 billion in lost tax revenue, and when convicted got fined $10 billion for? The same fine that was negotiated down by the Harper government to $1 billion to be paid over the next 20 years? That crime? It is non-natives doing most the crime. The majority of tobacco manufacturers and wholesalers at Akwesasne and other Mohawk territories are ma and pop operations making a moderate living off a traditional natural product that has been exploited by big corporations and government. You want to talk about crime do you? Maybe you should start pointing your finger in the right direction. Akwesasne, as well as all other Six Nations territories are sovereign independent nations, not Crown controlled or governed. They have their own set of laws (and the Crown is negotiating with them at this point in time to create extradition agreements so their people will be tried according to their own laws). Maybe if our government started telling the truth you would have known that. They are also looking at compensation and land reunification as part of the continued negotiation for the lies and cheating they have perpetuated in the past. Things like Caledonia and Deseronto, really are small potatoes in the scheme of things. While the government likes to talk tough in media events like this they will end up giving in. They will have to because the Border station is sitting on Mohawk territory and it does not belong to or under the control of the Canadian government. Yet the location of this border station is critical to stemming off illegal entry and traffic that would cripple Cornwall. They will capitulate once again to the Mohawks because they forget that the land that we all live on and use daily in Ontario really belongs to them. And "the Corridor" is under their control.

No it is not "Canadian soil" It is sovereign Mohawk Territory and existed long before Canada was even thought of. The Mohawks have never treatied for land, surrendered their sovereignty, never been conquered or nor have they ever capitulated. You should brush up on your history before you continue spreading myths.

A number of Border Guards had deliberately targeted Mohawk people and delayed, harassed, beaten and threatened them. Mohawks had a unfettered right to cross the border any time they want and do not have to stop for the guards. Yet the Guards have made a point to delaying Mohawk people. This really isn't a protest. It is an eviction of the Canadian Border Agency from their territory. The Border station is only there with the agreement of the Mohawks of Akwesasne. If they want guns, then they will have to move off the territory. Of course for the Mohawks, traveling to and from the US or to other parts of Ontario isn't a problem, since CN, CP railways, the 401, the St. Lawrence Seaway, Lake Ontario etc. are all on their territory and most run right through Mohawk communities. MP Van Loan might want to reconsider what may happen if he thinks he can force the Mohawks of Akwesasne to accept border guards with guns. It seems that the we have our entire Ontario transportation network exposed to Mohawk action...if the choose. And they are organized enough from what we have seen in the past to totaly disrupt the traffic and economy in Ontario and Quebec for some time....

To be fair....you don't know what you are talking about. There were 400 residents of Cornwall Island that gathered at the Border Station last night. And they were supported by the Chief and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, The St. Regis Tribal Council and the entire community. Chief Tim Thompson has been petitioning the government for 1 year to negotiate over the proposal to arm the Border Guards at Akwesasne. They have enacted a law with the consent of the community banning guns at the border station and have largely been ignored. They have a right to deny the Canadian Government access to their sovereign territory. They did not block the bridge, nor are the people of Akwesanse responsible for the closure of the international crossing. That was entirely the decision of the Canadian Border agents to abandon their posts and the Cornwall police's decision to block access to the Cornwall side of the bridge. However, as of this afternoon the bridge will now be opened to Akwesasne residents and they will be able to cross the international bridge to the other side of their territory without interruption. At the end of the day I am confident that there will be no guns at this border crossing on Mohawk territory. The government better be prepared to move the border station into Cornwall if they want their guards armed.