Complaint to United Nations concerning attack on Mohawk grandmothers
Kahentinetha Horn, publisher of Mohawk Nation News, filed a complaint with the United Nations, following the attack on her and Katenies at the border. Kahentinetha suffered a trauma induced heart while handcuffed in a police stress hold during the attack by special forces at the Canadian border. Katenies, editor of Mohawk Nation News, was beaten and jailed. The Mohawk grandmothers live in fear for their lives after exposing the truth of Canada's genocide of First Nations peoples, including the genocide of uranium mining, the murder of innocent children in residential schools, the seizure and rape of Indigenous Peoples lands and digging up the graves of the ancestors for housing, industrial development and the NAFTA highway. The complaint to the United Nations sent today follows:
Box 991, Kahnawake of Haudenosaunee Territory
[Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0
REGISTERED MAIL
Mr. Rudolpho Stavenhagen
Office of High Commission for Human Rights
Ms. Tonya Gonella Frichner
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples
United Nations, UN Plaza, S294, New York 10017
COMPLAINT OF ATTACK BY CORNWALL BORDER GUARDS ON 2 MOHAWK WOMEN
She:kon - Mr. Stavenhagen and Ms. Frichner:
In the past we have informed you of the problems that we Kanion’ke:haka face at the U.S.-Canada border. As you know, our territory is comprised of vast areas of the eastern half of Onowaregeh/Turtle Island. The colonial border has been placed through the middle of our territory. We are not Canadians or Americans. We are Kanion’ke:haka. We have always traversed freely on our territory. Treaties and international laws confirm this right.
We have reason to believe that many of our peoples’ lives are in “danger”. They have particularly been targeting youth, women with children and elders, particularly if these people are known for speaking out in favor of our rights.
I am a 68 year old grandmother. We run MNN Mohawk Nation News, a website that is known for reporting on issues of interest to the Mohawk Nation.
On June 14th 2008 two other people and myself were crossing the border at the Cornwall checkpoint that is placed in the middle of our community of Akwesasne so that it seriously impedes normal community life. We were attacked by a swarm of muscular young guards under the direction of the Canada Border Security Agency.
They attacked us so violently that I suffered a heart attack. I am presently under a doctor’s care and ordered to avoid stressful situations. However, Canadian authorities seem determined to create as much stress for me as possible. They are blocking my internet, intermittently withholding my phone service and my mail service.
Katenies [aka Janet Davis] was a passenger with me on that day. She was assaulted and held incommunicado for three days. Instead of investigating this violent incident, they are trying to serve us with charges.
We have reason to believe that the Canadian “State” conspired to kill us. This attempt appears to have been carried out by the Canada Public Safety and Security, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Services and Mohawk Security Officers, all agencies of the Canadian government. The courts of “Canada” are issuing false charges and attempting to serve warrants on us.
In 2003 Katenies was falsely charged with “running the border”. She has filed a question which the court refuses to answer: “How did you get authority and jurisdiction over me and my land“? We understand that we have a right to ask this question and to have a proper answer. We are aware that Canada does not have authority according to international law.
The same checkpoint agents have physically and psychologically attacked Katenies’ daughter, Teiohontathe. A complaint was filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission in 2006 with no proper response to this date.
Killings of our people by the Canadian state are not uncommon. We are concerned about these recent developments because two Mohawk men were killed in Akwesasne in 1989 during a political conflict. There is strong evidence to suggest that they were killed by agents of the Canadian government under the direction of the Department of Indian Affairs. These crimes were never resolved by the Canadian justice system. The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne are under the direction of the Canadian State. They do not represent the people of Akwesasne. We are afraid for our lives.
The Canada Border Services Agency has hundreds of documented complaints of abuses committed by their agents against our people. Policing agreements, Joint Investigative Task Force and Remission Orders have all been applied to Akwesasne illegally without consultation with the community. The community has been unable to get copies of the agreements that the band council has signed with the Canadian government.
The video footage of the June 14th 2008 assaults on us and Teiohontateh have been confiscated by Canada‘s Department of “National Defense”. We are informed the only way to obtain these videos is to “waive our rights”. Canada has defined us as “terrorists”, “insurgents” and a “global risk”. We have no army or weapons. In reality, we are a peaceful people who want to live quietly with our families.
The international relations between Canada and our people have degenerated seriously. There is a desperate need for an investigation by a neutral and independent tribunal.
Canada’s courts are not neutral. Canada is a party to the disagreement between our nations. A fair decision can never be reached when one party is allowed to judge the other, especially when there is a serious power imbalance of the kind that exists in this case.
We would appreciate your immediate intervention. We are afraid for our lives. Please help make sure that no more of our people are killed or threatened.
Onen ki:wahi
Kahentinetha /s/ ________________________ kahentinetha2@yahoo.com
Katenies /s/ ___________________________ katenies20@yahoo.com
cc: Members of the United Nations
tonya@aila.org
pespinilla@ohchr.org
tihs@unitednationsofturtleisland.com,
Unrepenter unrepenter@aol.com
UNOisikaChakrabarti, chakrabarti@un.org
UNMurtizastrvyenberg unat@un.org
UNIndigPermForum indigenouspermanentforum@un.org
UNIndigForum TB-petitions@ohchr.org
UNIndigenousPeople IndigenousPermanentForum@un.org
UNHumanRights tb-petitions@ohchr.org
UNfrance france-presse@un.int
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