Yakowennahskats

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Indian office, Toronto, Fifth January 1841

The Lieutenant Governor has directed me to inform the deputations of chiefs from the Grand River that he has maturely considered their speech to him and particularly that important part of it which relates to the occupation of their lands by white people without authority.

The Lieutenant Governor is of opinion that very great difficulties will be found in any medium course between the expulsion of all intruders or non-interference, as experience has shown that with all the anxiety to do justice, and with all the care exercised to prevent injury to Indian interest, the interference of the Indians themselves, continually, has created new difficulties, to which there seems to be no end, and yet the Government is expected to compromise its own character by judging what is right and wisely recommended by the Indians, or what, on the other hand, maybe capriciously or corruptly counselled by them.

The Lieutenant Governor is of opinion that there can be no remedy found for the continuance of this unsatisfactory and embarrassing state of affairs while the lands remain general property under circumstances in which it is no reproach to the Indians to say they cannot manage the estate for the general interests of the tribes.

The Lieutenant Governor, therefore, considers that it would be very much the benefit of the interests of the Indians if they surrendered into the hands of the Government the whole tract with the exception of such part of it as they may choose to occupy as a concentrated body, so that the same may be disposed of by Government; and the Lieutenant Governor therefore strongly recommends that this course be adopted by them, that they immediately select a tract of sufficient extent to give each head of a family or grown-up man a farm of 100 or 200 acres, for cultivation in the most eligible situation on the river, together with a further quantity to be reserved for firewood and other contingencies; that the Indians then remove to this track and live together as a concentrated body upon the farms assigned to them, and that the residue of the track be surrendered to be disposed of for the exclusive benefit of the Indians.

The Lieutenant Governor is also of opinion that when the Indians are to settle together there will be no difficulty in keeping away intruders or similar punishing them should they persevere in committing trespass on their attractive land.

The Lieutenant Governor feels confident that the proceeds of the sale of the residue of the land and the timber growing upon it will retrieve the affairs of the six nations Indians, as well as confer on the section of the province a lasting benefit, by bringing into cultivation a large tract of the finest description of land, which at present is not only unproductive to the Indians, but absolutely useless to them in every point of view, and which is considered by the public a bar to the improvement and prosperity of the districts in which it is situated, and in fact, a nuisance which the public have the right to call upon Government to abate.

It is a necessary for the Lieutenant Governor again to express the great anxiety felt by the Queen’s Government to promote the interest of the Indians and to carry out such a system in the management of their affairs as may conduce to this end, and the Lieutenant Governor, therefore, trusts that I remember of the community of the Six Nations Indians will believe him when he states that if he were not firmly convinced that the plan proposed in this communication was the most proper for their adoption he would not have recommended it.

Surrender of Residual Lands, 1841

Samuel P Jarvis to a delegation of Mohawk Chiefs on behalf of acting Lieutenant-Governor Sir George Arthur

Great Britain treaties, Indian treaties and surrenders, one, 119-120

(No correction for Grammer or spelling made)

If you believe this one, Have I got a deal for you!!

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When the snow melted away a few weeks ago, you got an opportunity to view the problems with small load dumping, animal carcass dumping, and even the fast-food packaging accumulated along the ditches and shoulders.

While this is not a problem exclusive to the Tract, nor the Grand River, This is where this particular story is taking place.

Christian Giles Photo Credit Yakowennahskats

29-year-old Christian Giles, accompanied by his mother, took the opportunity to tackle the trash head-on on his day off. He had already filled four trash bags when I caught up to him on Newport road in Brant county.

He was very humble and wasn’t doing this for accolades or attention. Giles reports this isn’t the first time he has taken on this task, but also, it is something that he just decided to do.

In a world where people often say that they don’t have the time, It was refreshing to meet someone who made the time to clean our Mother Earth.

Nya:wen Christian

Grand River

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OHSWEKEN – An investigation into medical care received by Indians at the Lady Willingdon Hospital here is being sought by the elected council of the Six Nations Indians.

Written complaints, which were read at Thursday night’s council meeting, concerning doctors at the hospital, spurred the council to action. Members will meet with John A. Charlton, MP for Brant-Haldimand, on Saturday.

Council members will demand that Dr. Charlton take the written complaints to the Department of National Health and Welfare in Ottawa and ask for an immediate investigation.

“We’ve heard verbal complaints about the hospital for years,” Chief Councillor George VanEvery said, “but this is the first time we’ve ever received written complaints. I feel it’s time for action.”

An attempt was made to have the complaints about the hospital’s three doctors – Dr. Tom Chiang, hospital supervisor, Dr. Ludwig Upenicks and Dr. Michael Dobrinoff – tabled until hospital authorities could be present. The motion was defeated.

Mr. VanEvery said he had asked hospital officials to attend the meeting.

“I received a letter saying Dr. Chiang had a previous engagement but would be pleased to meet with us at a later date at the hospital,” Mr. VanEvery said. “I then called M.C. Haw, assistant hospital administrator, and he refused to attend this meeting.

“They won’t even come and meet with us here. I’ll never go down there for a meeting.”

Councillor Fred Hill said it would be useless to attend a meeting at the hospital.

“You won’t get any place down there,” he said. “If you want action you have to go to the members of Parliament.”

Mr. Hill said a thorough investigation should be conducted.

“They treated me for flu when I had typhoid fever,” he said. “They insisted I had flu but when I didn’t get better I went to a Brantford doctor and he said I had typhoid fever and slapped me into hospital.”

Mrs. George Jamieson, a woman councillor, suggested a check be made to find out what qualifications the doctors hold.

Hugh Smith, welfare administrator on the reserve, said he thought his baby girl might have died had he followed instructions given his wife by a reserve doctor. Mr. Smith said his wife took the child to a doctor last Saturday and the doctor told her the baby had a congested chest cold. The reserve doctor suggested a treatment and told Mrs. Smith to return with the child in three days.

“I wasn’t satisfied,” Mr. Smith said. “I called a doctor in Brantford and he said my little girl was suffering from bronchial pneumonia. She’s been in Brantford General Hospital since Saturday.”

Three letters read to council followed a similar line.

Herman Styres wrote that a reservation doctor told him a cut in his daughter’s leg wasn’t serious. The leg swelled considerably, he said, but the doctor insisted there was nothing to worry about.

A Brantford doctor treated the girl for blood poisoning.

Mrs. Verna Jamieson said officials at Lady Willingdon Hospital told her that her daughter was suffering from a congested throat. It turned out the little girl had tubercular meningitis. She has been confined to the Hamilton Sanatorium since last October, the mother stated.

Mrs. Rodger Smith wrote: “I watched my infant song fail before my eyes.” She said one of the reserve hospital doctors insisted the boy was not seriously ill.

After two months she took the baby to a Brantford physician, who diagnosed the illness as tetany, a disease which creates spasms which weaken the body.

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The protective nature of municipalities like Caledonia or Brantford may have some believing that it’s pride or love for the land. But that appears to be the furthest thing from the truth.

Municipal employees such as Mayors, Councillors and even Municipal police contribute to the Ontario Municiple Employee Retirement fund. They are banking on their investor’s choices to keep them comfortable in their golden years.

Ontario Municiple Employee Retirement

The drive for development becomes much clearer when we understand that municipalities and municipal organizations directly benefit from these strategies. While simultaneously laying claim to land through squatters’ rights.

“Toronto-based Teranet, which has exclusive rights to offer electronic land registration services in Ontario and Manitoba, collects a fee every time a home in Canada’s most populous province and its Western neighbour changes hands or is registered.”

Bloomberg

The insidious nature of this tactic paints a wildly different picture than the one that Marc Miller has painted with his performative statement “It’s Time To Give Land Back” made in October of 2021.

On the world forum, this is tantamount to United Nations Convention on the Prevention and punishment of Genocide. The greatest barrier is the departure from rationale thought that death does not have to be swift for it to be Death; One can start slowly and torture can span many generations piece by piece.

Death does not have to be swift for it to be Death; One can start slowly and torture can span many generations piece by piece
Yakowennahskats

If you have anything to add, please let us know

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A request for provincial aid to renovate the Sour Springs Community Hall has been turned down by the community programs branch of the Ontario government.

In a letter to Oliver Smith, principal of No. 8 School on the Six Nations Indian Reserve, G. R. Bagg, assistant director of the branch, said grants are only available to organized municipalities or school boards. The Six Nations band cannot be considered an organized municipality, he said.

Mr. Smith said that, in view of this, it seems peculiar that all three candidates for the January byelection spent considerable time on the reserve soliciting Indian votes.

He said also that conservation officials turned down a request to restock the reserve area with birds and fish.

Brantford Expositor 1962

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By PAUL KIDD, Spectator Staff Writer

The 6,000 Indians who have their homes in the Grand River Country are sitting on a volcano.

And it is one which could explode without warning.

Behind what some outsiders regard as the incredible happenings of the last two days on the Six Nations Reserve, 25 miles from Hamilton, a dangerous situation is smouldering.

This is recognized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who are waiting for “a tribal showdown” at any time between the elective and hereditary councils.

It could, said Inspector H.C. Forbes, result in mob violence.

https://vitacollections.ca/sixnationsarchive/3175885/image/2724087?n=32

“IT’S OUR JOB to see that this doesn’t happen,” declared the officer commanding the London subdivision, who has moved on to the reservation to take personal charge of the Ohsweken detachment.

If and when such a fracas did come, armed Mounties would probably have to act as “referees”.

So far it has been a bloodless revolution. Some 1,000 supporters of the Confederacy, ignoring RCMP warnings that they were breaking the law, tore down the doors of the council house and reinstalled the hereditary chiefs in power.

BUT the elected councillors, who slipped out of a back door 10 minutes before the building was broken into, have the support of hundreds of Indians who favor the democratic system of internal government introduced in 1924.

This faction has so far voiced no protest. To the Mounties, it is an ominous silence.

It is believed that the elective system’s supporters – of which there are at least 700 – may soon hold a mass meeting to indicate their rejection of the hereditary council.

If the two groups clashed, it is hard to predict what would happen, observers say.

IN THE MEANTIME, the RCMP will continue to recognize the elected council as the legal governing body on the reservation.

But the Confederacy has proclaimed itself the territory’s “only government.”

For the hereditary chiefs are seriously applying every word of their proclamation of independence, which outlawed the RCMP as the law enforcement agency at Ohsweken.

Supported by at least 1,000 men, women and children – and maybe more – the Confederacy is showing disregard for Canada and its laws.

“If one of our people should break the law, we will arrest and try him,” said 26-year-old Irvin Logan, who has been named “Chief of the Iroquois Police.”

IT WAS YOUNG MEN such as Irvine Logan who were responsible for the overthrow of the elective system.

Several hundred of these “warriors” suddenly gave active support to the 50 old hereditary chiefs, who had been plotting to regain power for 35 years – and the revolution was accomplished.

The 80 men and women in the Iroquois Police Force are identified by black-and-white IP armbands, and each has been issued with a “deputy’s warrant.”

Their first arrest was that of two visiting Indians from Buffalo who had been involved in an auto accident.

FOLLOWING a brief imprisonment in the cellar of the council house and trial by the chiefs, the Indians were freed on condition that they paid all damages.

So far as the Iroquois Police are concerned, the two Indians have been punished for their “crime”. They are considered outside the white man’s justice.

Nevertheless, the RCMP have investigated the accident.

Word reached the RCMP that the Confederacy was planning to open a safe, containing documents and several hundred dollars, in the council house.

MOUNTIES MOVED in on the building to warn the chiefs that such a move was illegal, but their way was barred by Iroquois Police.

“THE MOUNTIES wouldn’t dare touch any of our people,” declared Irvin Logan. “Just let them try…”

Before 1924, the Indians had their own police force. Now, they maintain, they have it again.

“Police Chief” Logan said that the law would be carried out in the traditional manner of his people. All offenders would by tried by the council of chiefs, who would impose fines of imprisonment.

BUT, in accordance with a time-honored agreement, any Indians committing the crimes of murder, rape, theft or forgery would be handed over to the RCMP for trial by a white man’s court.

“The sooner the Mounties leave this reservation the better,” declared Irvine Logan. “They are trespassers here, and they are not wanted.”

The RCMP officers are disregarding this talk.

The alarming thing is, the Indians mean it.

Yakowennahskats

Proposing a Land Surrender

Trash Talk

Demanding Probe of Medical Care

Municipal Dirty Deeds

“Toronto-based Teranet, which has exclusive rights to offer electronic land registration services in Ontario and Manitoba, collects a fee every time a home in Canada’s most populous province and its Western neighbour changes hands or is registered.”

Reject Bid For Assist With Hall

RCMP Tense Amid Indians’ Uneasy Calm

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“Toronto-based Teranet, which has exclusive rights to offer electronic land registration services in Ontario and Manitoba, collects a fee every time a home in Canada’s most populous province and its Western neighbour changes hands or is registered.”

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