Review: Six Nations presents its case (2006) Update from Grand River November 16, 2006 Our lands side table meeting was held on November 14th. To me, it was an excellent day and opportunity to not only put our position on the table, but also to put OUR records and documentation of history on the table, our Wampum. Chief Pete Sky and Sub-Chief Leroy Hill spent the morning giving an oral presentation explaining the history of our people from the time the Creator gave us our Law, the process to uphold it, to the coming of the Europeans, right to present day; using several of our original wampum which they had brought in, to explain that history and relationship with the Crown. The first wampum explained was the Circle Wampum and how it was a very old record, given to us by the Creator, binding on the Nations and the people. They explained the roles of the chiefs and how they are on the outer rim of the circle and how everything else, the people, our languages, our beliefs and everything else in creation is in the middle. How the Chiefs are bound by rules and responsibilities given by the Creator and how the circle ties all the Chiefs in there and how they cannot go outside of it. They further explained how that it is possible for our people to get lost and to pass outside of this circle and how it is up to the Chiefs to give guidance. An example of this is when the Indian Act came in and this was something outside of the circle and how we've kept it outside, even today; and they explained how the Indian Act takes away from what the Creator gave us. They explained the roles of each nation, how the council process works, the keepers of the eastern and western door and how consensus is reached. They explained further the process when there is something that is spoiling the minds of our chiefs and when consensus can't be reached and how throughout this process, how the Chiefs represent the wishes of the people and how that still exists today. They then went on to explain the Tree of Peace and how the tree being a shelter and shaded everyone, and that there were alot of policies and arrangements so that if others wanted to follow it, there was a mechanism where they follow these roots to the tree. Next they explained our wampum used during council, saying the best way to describe it was it being our Mace. Back in the beginning when it first came to our people, and how there were policies in place to deal with other nations who wanted to be a part of that Peace and how some others that had heard about it and wanted to take shelter under it, and how they were welcomed under that. Talked about how the Five Nations became Six Nations when the Tuscaroras came and how it was kinda like in modern day times would be like a probation period, but how they were brought in, and while they didn't add new strings or titles on the wampum, they fit them on the Condolence Cane with the younger nations. They explained how the Tutello's and the Deleware followed the roots as well, and how we made peace and alliance with them, and how there were many others who came as well and how alliances were made where they sat and counselled. They then explained why we have two strings of wampum/mace and how when the RCMP came in in 1924, they stole the orginial mace along with all of our council mintues and records and how we didn't get the orginal mace back for over 60 years. The Crown thought that by stealing our wampum we would be unable to council, but the Chiefs got together and made a new one, and have been using that one ever since. They explained further how it came to be known that some of those that were on probation having taken shelter under the Great Tree, were actually part of the conspiracy, and that they worked against the Law; but how it didn't work, they were unable to break that circle and today, our council still functions. They then began to explain the Dish with One Spoon Wampum. They talked about a time when there was constant fighting amongst the Onkwehonweh and why the Creator sent the message to help us when we were fighting over Game. This belt shows ruling and policy and how the whole earth is covered in goodness, the white shell representing one dish, the beaver tail was symbolism that no knife (no harshness) was used, and that all the earth is goodness and everything you survive from was to belong to everyone equally, including the newcomers. It was for everyone's use and benefit. No one was left out and we all had rights and responsiblities to protect that dish. This is how the war was settled and how the Peacemaker came, and gave us the Law of the Land. They explained a little more how the Creator had sent His Messenger and that still today, this is how it is suppose to be, we have shared hunting, shared fishing, and what we are guiding ourselves by. How we can still go to other areas, where there might be salmon, or buffalo or other agriculture, and how we still all feed from the same dish. This is one area that we have constant problems with and that this is what the Creator gave to us, and this is what we have to follow. He explained how today, it gets us in conflict with their law and there is a lack of understanding and respect there and why he has pointed this out. They went on, now we are coming to the point of contact and how we had come to a really far reaching agreement with many nations and tribes were under the policy of eating with one dish. They explained how the British and the French were always fighting and how this area, became known as the Beaver Hunting Grounds because the beaver pelts were the economy of the day, and how the British and French were fighting over who would control it. How the British put his hand over this area on a map saying he wanted to protect it from the far north to the far south, with the King saying "I will put my hand over it and protect it, but how they needed to build forts and put weaponry in there in case the French came in" and since our ancestors and the French were at odds, our warriors could come and work with them to protect it. This is where the 1701 agreement came from. The King asked for this to protect the area, this is what they done, and to this day, they are still suppose to protect it. It is still under agreement today, the Law of the Land was functioning when they got here, and it is still here today. Our instructions were to uphold the Law, and they explained how this was the first land scam, because the British made it a deed. For our Chiefs and our people, there was no giving up the land at all, it was only suppose to be protection, and how we didn't sanction the 1701. Again, they explained how at this present time, we struggle with that because we still have that same concept of one dish, with our land and our resources. It was this dish that caught the British's eye, actually, the law of the land from our Creator. Our ancestors were promoting that, the four white roots to all ends of the earth, and with the arrival of the Dutch, the French and the English, we applied those ideas from that to deal with those who arrived.....with a good mind, Peaceful, and that there'd always be good friendship between us. This is when they wanted to proclaim us as son, and we told them we have to be equal or we'll run into problems, and that we'd be as brothers, standing at the same level. And once again they explained how this is an area where we still have problems today. This is where the Two Row Wampum and the Covenant Chain comes in. How there were issues between their ship and our canoe and the many problems to be resolved and the first to make an agreement with us was the wooden shoe people, the Dutch. Recognizing the difference between us, different ways, different beliefs, different laws, different language, and they said, what you do you keep in your ship, and we have our canoe; and how we'd travel the river as two separate ships and these things or ideas between us will be tied together with a chain of friendship and how that comes from that Circle Wampum and the Chiefs being the holders of that, and that how the Dutch, the English and the French sanctioned it, as well as the United States when it was born, and they sanctioned it as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, the rivers flow, this the the Law of the Land between us, and we've never broken it, and that it still exists as long as things are in motion on earth. They also explained how at the beginning it was a rope tied between the two, and how it later changed to a chain, and then to a chain of silver and that how every so often we'd get together to repolish it and remove the tarnish that would be the troubles between us. They told of how it was said that anytime there was trouble that they'd only have to shake their arm, and how this is what made the Crown wealthy. Many times they would shake their arm, and this made them wealthy from us. We have no other way to relate to the Crown and we have never abandoned this, this is how our ancestors laid it out for us. When this part was done, they then went back to the mace and explained how this knowledge has been handed down and preserved and how it is in these things (our wampum) and embedded in there. It is our records, and how the Great Law was here for many generations before the arrival of the Dutch the French and the English. They explained how in the past, just as they do today, when there is something to be investigated, the Confederacy Council will appoint delegates to go out and examine the issue thoroughly and report back to council. Just like today that this delegation has been mandated to try and resolve this and bring it back to the council fire for sanctioning. They then went on to explain how Deskaheh was given sanctioning by council to represent the Six Nations issues and how he tried all he could with the Crown with no luck, and he thought maybe we can get help from England, but no help. Then he heard about his place where the world sits together and he went to try and get justice and freedom for our issues and how he spent close to a year there. He went with an international lawyer who explained to him how the actions of the Crown were that of Genocide and that they would get protection. This never happened. What he got was banished and Canada told him if he comes back, his body parts would be spread across the world because he humiliated Canada. He died and was buried in Tuscarora, and Canada did this to him. His nephew know well what happened to him and what his family experienced. They tried to use those laws, supposedly world laws, to protect our interests and the Chiefs of the day were in agreement, cause they thought if this was true, he wouldn't have been exciled or threatened with his life. At this point, a video of Deskaheh's nephew, Chief Cleveland General was played. In the video Chief General explains how it was the understanding of our people that there came a time when the Crown wanted to build a road connecting Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, and they would build this road of planks. This is how it became known as Plank Road. He talked about how this was only a lease and how today, that road is still a lease and title still is with the Six Nations. He explained how the lands around it were to be leased only to ploughs depth and that anything below that, they were suppose to get sanctioning from the confederacy council. He also talked about how there was to be no liquor sold on that road. He then explained how Joseph Brant was sanctioned to deal with some of the land. When the video was finished, Pete asked Jock to explain more about what Chief General had told about Joseph Brant and what went on back then. Jock explained how Brant had been given sanctioning by the Six Nations who had formulated an idea to get the land cleared for agricultural purposes and how the money that would come in from leases would be on a continual basis as an ongoing income. This is where the original 4 blocks of Brantford were leased, under a 999 year lease. The chiefs had figured this idea would work back then and how in almost 1000 year lease, the income would be coming in before the mortgage was up. What Brant did though, was he went beyond his mandate and leased blocks 5 and 6 as well. Jock also told them how what Chief General told us is the understanding here, in this mace, and how the decisions and words of record are in the mace and the knowledge that we're relying on is what has been passed down, and that Chief Generals uncle's father was sitting there, and how it is fairly fresh in his mind like these issues with Plank Road. Jock also explained when questioned, how the records that were stolen along with our mace in 1924 were never returned, how our Confederacy Council puts things under their pillow if they don't have concensus, and how these things that are embedded in our wampum, meaning that at each council we refresh our minds with the past council minutes so that things aren't forgotten, and that this is how our history has been handed down, generation after generation. Chief Sky also continued explaining the relationship between the ship and the canoe and how it was clearly defined what was going to happen and that the Crown created a force, and some matters were given ie; murder, rape and theft, and it was defined clearly. They were there supposedly to protect us - it was a mutual protection, and how it went beyond that and how the crown took it further with the RCMP in 1924. Chief General explained to him how the one's who taught him told him about the red jackets, and how the red coats were there to control the crowns people, not ours and how it is clearly defined by treaty and the reason we are telling you this is because you are making it like our people are lawless and that there is no lawlessness on our side, and how the role of the police was clearly defined by treaty and that how they were suppose to protect what was between us, but now they use it against us, and this is another thing we need to get straightened out. The Creator gave that to the Confederacy to look after as far as the well being of our people. And then they talked about "surrender" and the difference of understanding. It was always the understanding of our Chiefs that what they were doing was authorizing the Crown's peacekeepers to look after the squatters. Back then there were friends of the Six Nations that had agreed to follow the concepts of the Great Law and how we agreed to keep them close by, and that they would help with agriculture. They referenced the Nelles', the Youngs' the Empire Loyalists, and how the Six Nations have not given up the land to this day and what the Chiefs had sanctioned and what was written as a surrender by the Indian Agent and his friends had a different thinking and idea than the truth. They were exploiting and taking advantage of the generosity and benevolance of what we had in place. Again, the Six Nations had a long range plan to have the non-natives clear the land and remove the stumps as a short term lease so that it would be ready for our future use. What the Chiefs were doing was giving the Crown sanctioning to protect us from the squatters, and how when the Crown presented their legal position two weeks ago, they blamed the squatters on us. It was the Indian Agent and his colleagues who were encouraging squatters to get the land, and the Six Nations were sanctioning the Crown and their police force to protect us from the squatters so that we'd always have land. This is altogether different than what was written and what is in our mace. What we thrashed out in council is different than what the Indian Agent put down and it began with the 1701. Blocks 1 - 4 in Brantford is still ours, with roughly 797 years of payments to be made. Our understanding of sanctioning the crown to uphold and protect, was taken and written down as a surrender. This too has to be clarified. It was never said we'd given up our land. It is forbidden for Chiefs to think that way, we have to help our people preserve for the future. Chief Sky ended the morning further explaining what was being presented and what they are seeing here, is what decrees who we are. Our policies and what we've done with the land. This is what's been handed down and these wampum are the record of that memory. This is to show our proof and has been our proof of what our ancestors put there for the coming faces and what the Crown has, can't cancel this out, and what happens between us, this can worked out. The afternoon was filled with more current facts and documents presented by local historian Rick Hill, and Six Nations/Haudenesonne Research Delegate Phil Monture. Both men gave a detailed accounting and rebuttal of the document tabled by the Crown at our meeting a couple of weeks ago, and clearly pointed out many dates, council minutes, documentation and correspondence between Six Nations and the Crown, concerning many areas of conflict with respect to the underhanded and double dealing of the Indian Agent at the time, summarizing how it was all part of a scheme by the Crown to get our lands from us. While Rick Hill pointed out that for every conclusion they have, we can find published documentation to the contrary, Phil cited document after document as proof that there was a constant notice to squatters from the Crown and that it was quite explicit in notice given to settlers on plank road who were without license to vacate our lands. There was even documentation in January of 1844 from the Governor General at the time to a number of persons who had intruded on Six Nations lands and that such persons were to be removed from the tract. Rick Hill challenged the Crown that there is no documented evidence that the Plank Road itself was ever surrendered, and Phil backed up that position stating that the Plank Road, Hwy #6, is still under the jurisdiction of the Six Nations. Phil also tabled a colour coded map which showed specifically lands that the Six Nations had never been paid any monies toward their leases, and that the majority of the town of Caledonia falls under those lands. The Crown began issuing patents for lands within the town plot of Caledonia in spite of the many protests from the Six Nations. They also went into detail of how the Grand River Navigation Company put a system in place to induce the selling of our lands, and promoting squatters to staying on the land telling them if they have to be moved, Six Nations would have to pay for it. There was even evidence from some of the trespassers to say the Crown weren't in any way giving option to Six Nations in what was to happen with their lands and how it was a scheme to get the land away from Six Nations with no compensation. In the 1800's the Six Nations wanted to hire lawyers to stop this fraud, and Canada passed a law forbidding Natives from hiring lawyers. Six Nations position remains the same, there is no surrender document. Clearly, the Six Nations presented a full and complete history not only of how the Crown had frauded our lands away, but also how they had usurped the authority of our Traditional Government, imposed their laws on our people which is a violation of the ancient agreements between us, but far more concerning, a Direct Violation Against Creation. It is my opinion, that as of the 16th of November 2006, the Crown has been put on notice, and has been spirtually reminded of their responsiblity in upholding the Law of the Land. It is the Honour of the Crown that is in question as the Onkwehonweh have continued to uphold our responsiblities to our lands, our law, and our people. And it is the Crown who will answer to the Holder of the Heavens for the many violations of the Law of the Land that was given to us, and the violations against His Children who were given the job to protect it. In Love Light and Peace, Hazel