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FROM: THE BRANTFORD EXPOSITOR NEWSPAPER

_http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=75696
&catname=Local+News&classif=News+%2D+Local_
(http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/web...classif=News+-
+Local)

Native Plant Burtch Lands

By Susan Gamble
Local News - Saturday, June 17, 2006 @ 01:00

The first tangible fruits of the Caledonia protest were planted Thursday and
Friday on the old Burtch lands.

Farmers and traditional chiefs from Six Nations were on the site of the
former correctional centre this week, planting 260 acres of soybeans after
signing an agreement with Ontario for the use of the farm land.

A standing-room-only crowd at Six Nations Polytech received the news Friday
evening with applause and chuckled when Confederacy sub-chief Leroy Hill
added, “We even made (the government) pay for the seed.”

The announcement was just part of an update to the Six Nations community on
this week’s discussions.

Hill also said there’s no rush to move the title of the Burtch lands to the
natives because of some concerns about serious environmental issues on the
property.

“There are some storage containers buried there -- possibly asbestos in the
buildings -- and we’re putting it back on the Ontario government to clean
that up.”

Confederacy Chief Allen MacNaughton told the crowd that there’s now an
agreement in principle for the province to pay Henco for the disputed Caledonia
lands.

The property will be put in trust at this point.

“They won’t tell us the details of that agreement,” MacNaughton said. “It’
s hard to build trust with them, but we’ll keep trying.”

Hill told the crowd the negotiators had forced the government to “get rid of”
former premier David Peterson, who was negotiating the removal of the
barricades.

“He came in waving the magic wand and put Allen and I in a bad spot by
promising something and not following through. They’ve passed his issues over to
Jane Stewart.”

MacNaughton said the Caledonia protest has awakened people across the
country to the plight of natives who have had land rights taken from them by the
government.

“We’ve come farther than anybody has in 200 years,” MacNaughton said. “
They can’t back away from us now.”

The crowd was responsive, with many cheering on the few Confederacy chiefs
at the meeting and muttering about the elected band councillors, who were
fully represented.

“It’s not these councillors sitting here that everybody should hate,” said
Hill. “It’s the Indian Act.”

The act, passed in 1924, marked a pivotal change for Six Nations when armed
officers marched on the reserve, forcing an elected system on the people and
refusing to recognize the Confederacy.

“These are historic times,” said both Hill and elected Chief Coun. David
General.

Not only have both the elected and Confederacy councils been meeting
together to explore how they can effect change in the future, but this is the first
time since 1924 that the government has sat at the table with the traditional
chiefs.

Not everyone is keen on turning government back to Confederacy hands, though.

In the crowd, one woman said she had many questions needing answers before
she decided who to support. Another said she preferred the Confederacy system
but expected some adjustments to the old ways would have to be made.

One listener said the answer could perhaps be found in a system that was
half elected and half Confederacy.

“This is not representative fo the community,” said a woman as she left the
hall. “And what about the thousands that live off the reserve? What do they
think and how do we find out?”

Another part of the public meeting dealt with the two councils continuing
debate on eight points of jurisdiction that have been discussed and probed over
the past year and getting feedback on a presentation drawn up by elected
council.

That council formatted educational resources they want to share with
communities up and down the Grand River. Titled Six Miles Deep, the presentation
helps explain Six Nations’ position regarding the Haldimand Treaty that promised
the land on either side of the Grand to the natives and sets out some of the
tracts that are in dispute with the government right now.

The elected council has been seeking approval for Six Miles Deep from the
Confederacy chiefs for some time, but didn’t get it Friday night.

“It woefully misses the point,” said a statement read by moderator Ron
Thomas.

“While there are many errors in this draft that are correctable, you have
not captured our essence as a people and our unique status as a nation is
inferred rather than expressly stated.”

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