WHY IS CANADA ABUSING INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND ELDERS? SURVEILLANCE, CONTROL AND THE
INVISIBLE BOUNDARIES OF “INDIAN COUNTRY”
For MNN by Ieriwa’on:ni ieriwaonni@live.com
MNN. July 1, 2008. Dear Friends and Supporters: Those of us who are close to
Kahentinetha and Katenies, the friends and family who spend time with them on a
daily basis, would like to thank all of you for your support and kind words. We
would like to share some of the reflections you’ve sent us.
Harriet Nahanni recently died in custody in British Columbia. 500 women have
disappeared without any investigation. Kahentinetha survived the trauma induced
heart attack inflicted on her by the Canadian Border Services Agency at Cornwall
Ontario. Katenies and her family continue to be harassed as they have been since
she filed a formal court motion in 2003 asking Canada to prove its jurisdiction over
her and her Nation. Her daughter Teiohontateh has filed a human rights complaint
over abuse at the same border.
What is MNN’s role in “Indian Country”? There are thousands of voices out there
struggling to be heard. By attacking women and elders they are trying to tell us
they’ll attack anyone. Will this keep us quiet? No way.
Today is July 1st ,”Canada Day”. There’s lots of drinking, flag waving and
fireworks. The colonial regime whose officers committed the June 14th, 2008 assault
on these two grandmothers is celebrating the foundations of their squatter state
with land and resources stolen from Indigenous peoples. Why are they in such a
drunken state? The violent attacks and the violations of international law
demonstrate that Canada is still at war with Indigenous people.
They’re trying to forget that every square inch they stand on is Indigenous.
Section 2 of Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982 declared that everyone has the
fundamental freedom of “thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom
of the press and other media of communication”. But does Canada respect its own
constitution? No.
Canada does not support freedom of opinion. It has a propaganda mill to control the
media. It doesn’t even allow scientists to speak to the public without running
their findings past spin doctors. It suppresses historical facts and current
evidence of its “serial killer” tendencies. It’s trying to make us invisible. This
is one of the reasons why the media have ignored the attack on MNN personnel. An
honest state would present the facts for public discussion. The public has no idea
what is going on.
Why do operatives hired by the Canadian government want to shut down MNN? MNN is
not a rant blog. MNN describes attacks on Indigenous Peoples. It puts into words
what people are thinking and checks it out to see what’s true. It conducts critical
investigations into Canadian and international corporate misconduct. It is based on
solid research and thorough discussion. This panics those who parasite on “Indians”
and on honest members of the Canadian public.
Recently lawyer Patrick Nadjiwan of North Bay Ontario accused MNN of libel and
slander. MNN proved that its information came from the websites of his clients, the
guys who were ready to sue MNN. They were slandering themselves. Their scam at
Sharbot Lake couldn’t stand up to the light of day. Suddenly he was silent.
MNN has also come under attack by colonial state operatives. What really gets to
them is the way MNN follows the principles of the Kaienerekowa, the Haudenosaunee
Great Law of Peace. They don’t like the way MNN recognizes that we all have minds.
We all have the capacity to see and hear, to think and feel. Every person’s ability
to sense and understand is important. The young and the old. The steel-worker, the
scholar, the tobacco-trader, the grandmother. The Onkwehonwe and the immigrant.
Each of us has a unique insight to contribute, no matter how big or small. We all
have responsibilities. That means we can’t just drift along following orders
without thinking or questioning.
In the past couple of years, MNN has exposed the colonial beast. The Canadian
government hired young men to guard an illegal border in the middle of the Akwesasne
community which was never meant for Indigenous people. They have been routinely
threatening and harassing Indigenous people who have to pass there. Someone gave
them orders to assault the two grandmothers. This violates the natural order.
Women and elders are essential to life itself.
There was no valid reason for this attempted assassination. The boundary is an
artificial abomination. It was placed there by foreign invaders without any right
to do so. Even so, these two grandmothers presented themselves peacefully. They
waited quietly in their car for a full hour while these “black shirts” prepared
their attack. Why the violence? Why the state sadism?
The appetites of the colonizers are insatiable. They do not maintain sustainable
economies. They depend on the exploitation of non-renewable resources. They are
conditioned to want more and more and more. Raised on mental “junk food”, they
“force feed” their children fascism and call it “democracy”. Bloated but
malnourished, their senses are shut down. They cannot access the natural principles
of self-determination that can be found in the “Kaianereh’ko:wa”. Their brains are
starved. They have become gluttonous hungry ghosts with no control over their
appetites.
The Supreme Court of Canada recently ruled that CSIS cannot destroy evidence. A no
brainer! This should mean the Canadian Border Service Agency cannot destroy the
video tapes and other evidence of their attacks on the two grandmothers. So why
does the CBSA claim nothing happened that day? Does the Supreme Court ruling on
CSIS mean the CBSA is suddenly going to start thinking and acting legally? It
doesn’t look like it.
How do we deal with such monsters? How do we deal with a state that uses violence
to try to shut down public discussion and the law?
These perverts are trying to create a climate of fear. They’re acting like the
caricature of a fascist third world state. It’s not working. Many people are
watching and waiting. They aren’t fooled. Canada has become a sick joke.
Some people are curious about what will happen at 9:00 am in the Cornwall Ontario
court house on July 14th when Katenies appears again. Will Canada obey the default
judgment? The justice of the peace who released her on June 16th was already
suspicious about the irregular treatment she received. The Supreme Court of Canada
is suspicious of CSIS.
Someone warned MNN: “Of course you know CSIS or RCMP have been monitoring you since
MNN started.” They started way before when the Women Title Holders raised the
constitutional jurisdiction question in 4 fraudulent New York State land claims in
2004 [USSC 06-165]. They all folded because they refused to respect the Indigenous
law that the land can never be surrendered. Katenies raised this in Cornwall and
won by default in March 2004. [Posted on MNN December 18, 2006 under “Jay
Treaty”]. They can’t keep ignoring the fact that they have no authority over us,
even if they have all the guns.
MNN has always advocated peace. MNN has always supported Indigenous people who
resist genocide. MNN often warns about the colonial states’ use of armed force to
attack unarmed demonstrators and suppress Indigenous opinion. Is Katenies a threat
to the rule of law? No way. Her motion and judgment are making them shake in their
socks.
Yep! All of the weapons of war belong to the Canadian state. The army and the
police are trying to scare people into doing whatever they say, whether or not it’s
legal. But it’s not working. As another reader pointed out: “The time has come.
The mistreatment of our people is going to stop because we are all watching and
telling the world about it”.
People know that these two grandmothers did not bring this on themselves. They are
not responsible for the illegal and life-threatening attack they suffered.
A century ago Louis Riel was hung for treason because he defended Metis rights.
Today the death penalty has been banned in Canada and in international law. Canada,
it is not OK for Canadian government officers to try to implement death sentences by
other means such as excessive use of force and extraordinary threats and abuse? It
is not OK for border guards to put people under so much physical stress that they
have heart attacks? It is not OK for the state to give their agents a license to
kill Indigenous people.
Ieriwa’on:ni
N.B. My e-mail address was written incorrectly at the end of the last article. It
should be ieriwaonni@live.com. Your responses are appreciated.
This border issue legal challenge will cost money. MNN has none. Canada has
unlimited funds from exploiting indigenous resources. Canada is apparently hiring
top law firms to fight the Mohawks. We need counsel that will not be intimidated by
this display of power. Your financial help is needed. If you could send
donations, it would be greatly appreciated: “MNN Mohawk Nation News”, Box 991,
Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Thank you very much.
Phil Fontaine of AFN is a partner in CBSA’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2007-9
See Apprendix 4 for list of external stakeholders; Chris Kealey, Canada Customs
Excise, Immigration Taxation Board, CBSA Media Relations 613-991-5197; Alain
Joliceour, President CBSA 613-952-3200, 613-957-0612; General inquiries
CBSA-ASFC@canada.gc.ca; National Aboriginal Initiative, Canadian Human Rights
Commission 204-983-2189, 1-866772-4880 info.com@chrc-ccdp.ca; Canada Customs Port of
Entry, Cornwall Island Ontario; Gaetan Cousineau, Quebec Human Rights,
presidence@cdpdj.gc.ca; Akwesasne Mohawk police 613-575-2250 ex 2400; Mohawk
Security Louis Mitchell 613-932-5183, 613-575-2340; Lance Markel, District Dir. CBSA
613-930-3234, 613-991-1214; Nurse Rachet at Cornwall Community Hospital
613-938-4240; www.,chrc-ccdp.ca; Brent Lefebvre Investigator for CBSA; Susan St.
Clair, Canadian Human Rights Commission, 344 Slater, Ottawa 613-995-1151,
1-888-214-1090, 613-943-5188; National spokesperson CBSA 613-957-6500; Quebec Media
Relations CBSA 514-350-6130; Handling arrest Scott Patterson; Chief MCA Nona
Benedict 613-575-2250 nbenedict@akwesasne.ca; Minister Stockwell Day, House of
Commons, Ottawa K1A 0A6 613-995-1702 day.s@parl.gc.ca 250-770-4480,
days1@parl.gc.ca; Dave MacKenzie, Parliamentary Secretary, Public Safety,
613-995-4432;Mackenzie.d@parl.gc.ca; Melissa Leclair Communications Pub. Safety
613-991-2863; OFFICERS: 17012; 16320; 16511; 16121; 16275;
Report: Mohawk grandmothers attacked by Canadian Border Services Agency
guards
nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2008/06/cbsa-attack.html
“Family furious with Customs” Posted by Trevor Pritchard, Cornwall
Standard Freeholder – Saturday, June 21, 2008
Family furious with Customs
See MNN Category: ” Border/Jay Treaty ”
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