Let healing begin with Six Nations apology

Posted on June 9, 2009 | 4 Comments

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UPDATE 0006 EST June 12/09: It seems that the extremists on Six Nations aren’t ready to apologize to the people of Caledonia. See, ‘BULLETIN: Natives build smoke shack on private property,’ and ‘Thanks to Six Nations women for helping to expose racial policing during highway protest.’
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Now that native leaders have begun to acknowledge that victimizing their non-native neighbours is not conducive to the long term interests of native people at large, an apology from Six Nations to the people of Caledonia & Brantford would go a long way to beginning the healing process between the communities.

Just as the government of Canada apologized for residential schools, so do the representatives of Six Nations need to acknowledge and apologize for the crimes committed by the extremists in their community against innocent non-natives:

The people of Stony Point also should encourage their leaders to acknowledge the suffering of the non-native victims of the Ipperwash lawlessness as well.

Once native leaders have renounced the use of violence and apologized for the crimes committed against non-natives then, true healing and reconciliation begin. This is in keeping with the CANACE vision as presented to Brantford Council on Sept 29/08:

Reconciliation can never be forced upon victims by ignoring or suppressing the truth as was done by the Ipperwash Inquiry, nor can it be brought about by allowing one race to dominate others with violence or intimidation. It must flow from acknowledgement of wrongs and the seeking of forgiveness from those who have been wronged. But most all, it begins with the ending of aggression against the innocent. Fortunately, some native leaders are coming to the same conclusion.

Will Six Nations do the right thing?

We have tried our best to reach out to people from Six Nations, but our hands have been slapped away at every turn:

  • We allowed Clyde Powless to speak at our Oct 08/07 Remember Us March, but on Dec 01/07 he led the swarming attack on Gary McHale that sent him to hospital.
  • We asked former Chief David General to speak at the same event, but he refused.
  • Merlyn Kinrade lives next door to Chief General’s advisor Daryl Doxdator, but Doxdator refused to come share a meal with us at Merlyn’s home or even meet with us. 
  • When Merlyn and I spoke in Brantford about reconciliation and healing based on truth and mutual respect we were given a Nazi salute by a member of the Haudenausaunee Men’s Fire.
  • When I wrote a post on VoC calling for the people of Six Nations to join our Jan 20/07 protest against Two Tier Justice I was accused of being a “self-hating individual” who was “spreading hate and racist views.”

I hope that the good people of Six Nations and their leaders are now ready to accept the truth into their hearts that remaining silent and/or encouraging those who victimized your non-native neighbours during the past 3 years was the wrong thing to do. I beg those in positions of respect on Six Nations to now collectively renounce the use of violence and apologize for what has taken place in the past so that we may all move to a much better time. I believe that the people of Haldimand are ready to take your hands in friendship and forgiveness, but the first move is up to you.

As the government of Canada has shown, it’s never too late to do the right thing. Will Six Nations now do the same?

“My hope is that one day people will come to Caledonia, not to study the destruction caused by those who would do evil to other human beings for their own selfish purposes, but to learn about your culture, about the damage that was done to it, and how Caledonians – native and non-native – came together as one in the dark days to peacefully proclaim Six Nations and the rest of Haldimand County as a sanctuary from that evil.” 

VoiceofCanada to native reader, Jan 12/07

Mark Vandermaas, Editor
VoiceofCanada
info@voiceofcanada.ca
Co-founder, Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality
www.canace.ca

References

This entry was posted in Native Protests - Brantford, Native Protests - Caledonia, Native Protests - Hagersville, Native Protests - Ipperwash, One Law for All!, Six Nations. Bookmark the permalink.

4 responses to “Let healing begin with Six Nations apology”

  1. Tax Serf | June 10, 2009 at 6:33 pm |

    Before the so called healing begins, we need to see some act of good faith. How about Six Nations cutting the taxpayers a check for the costs of damages and policing as the direct result of their government failing to contain extremists and terrorists.

    VoC REPLY: Yeah, that would be good, too. Thanks for that one and for writing. Mark

  2. voiceofcanada | June 10, 2009 at 8:14 pm |

    This comment was sent to VoC via email by a Caledonia resident:
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    Mark:

    I do not believe that we will see and apology coming from 6N – not ever. There is more at play here than meets the eye. This farce “land claims” is nothing other than to a way to beg money from the various government agencies and a way to keep things stirred up so that organized crime can operate.

    If things were calm, governments and authorities would be free to look at the goings on at 6N. Development infringing on the 6N territory would allow for people to notice the illegal activities centered at 6N. The good people of 6N are as much hostages in their community as we are hostages in ours. There is no way the thugs and/or organized crime will want to lose control of this, we are talking big money.

    I sometimes think of the dirty 30’s and Chicago. The government has no control over law and order on the reserve, they have given this authority over to the reservation police who are in the pockets of the community. They rarely turn over any of their own people.

    Education has been turned over to the reserve there by allowing for native predjudices to be taught at home and school. This helps to fuel the illegal activities on the reserve. We need an Elliott Ness to push back and free both communities.

    VoC REPLY: Thanks for the comment, Resident. I’m not naive enough to believe that SN will be drafting an apology anytime soon, but demanding one sends a strong message that Caledonia/Haldimand are the victims and deserve to be treated as such.

    You are so right about how SN people are being held hostage by the gangsters – let’s remember that there were only 8 whackjobs (not counting the Appeasement Police from OPP & HPS) blocking the highways today. Clearly, the vast majority of the people on the reserve don’t support them.

    Nice to see natives getting police escorts from OPP/HPS for their criminal activities. Non-natives on the other hand get charged for merely suggesting that the road be blocked, or arrested for walking down a road with a Canadian flag. Nope, definitely no racial policing here!!!
    Regards, Mark

  3. mark | June 11, 2009 at 6:15 am |

    Until the terrorists leave DCE and illegal smoke shacks are removed, healing and forgiveness are a smoke screen. End the crime! I don’t want an apology, I want the cowardly OPP to do their job. No crime, no apology necessary.

    VoC REPLY: Hi Mark. I agree with you whole-heartedly. First step is to stop the crime, then apologize, and then – as one reader suggested – pay reparations to Haldimand. Thanks for writing, Mark

    P.S. How about all those 10 natives (8 women (including Ruby Montour), 2 children) shutting down the highways today, huh? They just don’t know when to restrain their silly urges for attention. Nothing like helping our cause by pissing off thousands of people who otherwise probably didn’t care one way or another. Many thanks to Janie, Ruby and their fellow gangsters for another PR fiasco that can only get us closer to the day when the police do their jobs.

    Gary McHale gets persecuted by the OPP/Crown for merely suggesting that the road be blocked while Ruby and gang get police escorts from two separate police forces. No, there’s no such thing as racial policing – just ask them.

  4. Pingback: Six Nations women march in support of terrorism « Caledonia Wakeup Call