OPP “SNUBBED” BY SHARBOT LAKE ALGONQUINS
Mohawk Nation News
Sept. 3, 2007
Two-hundred or more Indigenous and their supporters shouted down a sheriff who was delivering a colonial court order. This is very strange. The colonial courts pretend to protect property rights. There is no evidence that the Algonquin people ever gave up their rights to this land. Why would the court make an order to support intruders? It seems to be taking orders from a private company that wants the Algonquins to remove a blockade and stop protecting their land. They’ve been blocking a proposed uranium mine north of Sharbot Lake since June 2007.
Superior Court Justice Gordon Thomson issued the order on Monday, August 27th. The Algonquins are not Canadians. Foreigners have no jurisdiction over them according to international law. The Ontario Provincial Police OPP, Frontenac Ventures and all the other non-Algonquins are trespassing.
The settlers could be given a temporary right to reside by the Algonquins. Such permission is not unprecedented. These were granted in early colonial times based on Algonquin law and consensual agreements. The settlers who have homes on Algonquin land are supporting their landlords. The Algonquins could grant them ‘permission’ to continue using their ancestral land so long as they respect Algonquin laws and protect the integrity of the environment for future generations.
The two sheriffs, escorted by OPP, were met on the road outside the mine by 24 Ardoch and Shabot Obaadjiwan warriors. They were not allowed on the property, which is located off Highway 509 about 12 kilometres north of Sharbot Lake. The sheriffs shouted from the road over the crowd who drummed, chanted and yelled.
The OPP had come to break the peace and the Algonquins refused to cooperate with them. Shabot Obaadjiwan war chief, Earl Badour, signalled for the native flag to be turned upside down to symbolize that "the colonial government has put them all in distress."
The sheriffs left with their armful of papers and could not get close enough to post one on the fence.
The native and non-native defenders want a peaceful resolution through talks and consensual agreement. This will be impossible so long as belligerent tactics like court injunctions are used.
The Algonquins are not leaving their land. Residents and Algonquins oppose uranium mining because of concerns over devastating environmental affects. The water table of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec from the lakes into the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers will be contaminated and make the area unlivable for humans, animals and vegetation. Algonquins environmental laws do not allow such exploitation by anyone.
Ontario has no right to issue “death warrants” to the Algonquin people and the settler population at large by granting permits and licenses to organizations involved in illegal activities or any other harmful ventures.
The trespasser, Frontenac Ventures, is suing the Algonquins for $77 million and is seeking a court injunction to have the defenders kicked off their land. The temporary injunction will
have a full hearing on September 20th in Kingston Ontario.
The Ontario government has no authority over the Algonquin. The Algonquins never accepted to become British subjects or Canadian citizens and there has been no conquest. They will accordingly be boycotting this kangaroo court. The judges, the government and the exploiters all sit on the same side of the table as the judge, jury and executioner. If Canada and Ontario are not willing to respect Algonquin rights, they should bring the matter before a neutral independent international court.
OPP spokesman, Paige Whiting, said they have no plans to move in on the Algonquin defenders for the time being [because they know they have no right to do so]. They usually prepare for
such an attack by considering a ratio of at least 4 cops or more to 1 victim. The estimate in this case of 200 people would mean they have to muster 800 or 1,000 policemen and soldiers to
conduct their oppressive operation.
This would be an international invasion of the Algonquin nation. Whiting said, “We’ll warn them a few minutes before the big onslaught to give them a chance to get out of the way of our
war machines”, or words to that effect.
OPP have set up a large command post at the Sharbot Lake detachment. More OPP have been brought in from neighboring counties [for the forthcoming ‘big’ action!]. It’s obvious they’re
getting ready for some kind of aggressive action against the Algonquin and their supporters.
Algonquin war chief Badour said his group has always been "non-confrontational" and is always ready to talk outside the colonial court with the police, the corporations, their government
puppets and the press at anytime.
The defenders have caught the attention of the Christian Peacemakers Team International, an organization that claims work to conserve peace through “pacifism”. Those who want to work with them have to learn the pacifist philosophy. They will teach us how to turn the other cheek. If that’s the case, then they’re visiting the wrong side of the issue. We have peaceful ways. They should use their philosophy to pacify the police and other colonial agencies who are constantly
threatening to break the peace and the laws and to commit atrocities against us.
The “Christian Peacekeepers” is another pacification group. They work with such police as the OPP that threaten to come onto independent Indigenous lands to attack us and
help the exploiters to our resources. These people should tell the OPP that we abhor their threats of invasions, court injunctions, demonization of us on the media and the impending contamination of our people and our land.
About 80 vehicles lined the roads for the protest yesterday. Many non-natives wore bright yellow T-shirts with the slogan "no uranium mine, there is a better solution." Ever since the
officers left, the crowd has been happy and relaxed. Everyone was happy to defy such a destructive court order. We like these kinds of pow wows!
Brothers, Sisters, Friends and Allies, to help please contact:
paulasherman@trentu.ca; chiefdoreen@aol.com;
john@plentycanada.com; http://us.f314.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=rcota@sympatico.ca
Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
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