OPP officer hurt, U.S. Border Patrol swarmed in Caledonia clash
Last Updated Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:27:27 EDT
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/10/caledonia.html
CBC News
Ontario Provincial Police plan to arrest seven more people after an OPP officer was hurt and a U.S. Border Patrol car was swarmed in Caledonia, a police official said Saturday.

Tension between native protesters, townspeople and police continued through the night. (CBC)

"The OPP investigated three violent altercations that took place within an hour of each other in the south end of Caledonia," OPP Deputy Commissioner Maurice Pilon told reporters.

He said the first confrontation was just before noon on Friday and involved an elderly couple visiting from Simcoe.

Two camera operators from Hamilton-based CH Television said native protesters attacked them and demanded their video footage as they tried talking to the couple in front of a Canadian Tire store.

Incident involves auto theft

"One [camera operator] was swarmed, assaulted and had his camera stolen," Pilon said.

"The third incident involved the theft of a motor vehicle, which was swarmed, its occupants forcibly removed and [the] vehicle taken. An OPP officer [was] deliberately driven at by the stolen vehicle. Other officers at the scene, fortunately, pulled him to safety," Pilon said.

That vehicle was later identified as belonging to the U.S. Border Patrol. Members of that group were visiting the area to observe how provincial police were handling the standoff.

The officer was treated and released. The stolen border patrol vehicle was later recovered.

Three people were arrested Friday night on charges of breaching the peace, but police hope to make more arrests on charges that include attempted murder, robbery, intimidation and assault causing bodily harm.

Debbie Walker, a managing producer at CH Television, said one of the camera operators was taken to hospital Friday with cuts and bruises to his head. A second camera operator also suffered minor injuries after he was kicked and punched.

Nick Garbutt needed a couple of stitches to close a head wound. His colleague, Ken MacKay, accompanied him to hospital, but did not require treatment.
MacKay alleged that he asked for protection from OPP officers standing nearby but they did nothing to help.

Pilon defended his officers and said: "Our members have been here for 102 days now. I think they have performed admirably under trying circumstances."

Insults thrown around

The conflict continued late into the night as dozens of natives and non-natives hurled insults at each other over a schoolyard fence. Townspeople also directed their anger at police, accusing them of being one-sided after finding out that two non-native residents were among those arrested.

The three-month standoff began Feb. 28 when a small group of Six Nations protesters from the Grand River Territory reserve moved on to a construction site in the town, southwest of Hamilton, claiming the land belongs to them.

Since then, there has been an abortive OPP raid to clear the site in April, a subsequent blockade of a major artery into town; strained relations between native and non-native protesters that led to a standoff down the road, and finally a period of calm after the protesters took down their blockade and moved back on to the construction site.

Native protesters still occupy that land.


TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE

Riot plice and protestors clash as residents protest early Saturday June 10, 2006 in Caledonia, Ont.

To the People of Caledonia and all Canadians.

Vive Le Canada, Canada - 18 hours ago

By Ahniwanika. To add some more persepctive to the ongoing situation in the Caledonia area, I would just like to express/reiterate a few things. ...

WHY WAS THE US BORDER PATROL THERE?

Six Nations Confederacy disheartened by incidents at Caledonia

Canada NewsWire (press release)

CALEDONIA, ON, June 10 /CNW/ - The actions which occurred at the Six Nations Reclamation site and within the town of Caledonia today are very disheartening. ...

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/2006/06/08/1620004-sun.html
First Nations chiefs arrive to back Caledonia protestThu, June 8, 2006
By CP

CALEDONIA -- First Nations chiefs from across Ontario pledged their support to Caledonia protesters yesterday and warned governments to expect more occupations if aboriginal land claims aren't settled.

The 100 chiefs were bused in to Douglas Creek Estates on the eve of the occupation's 100th day.

"We are all one nation across this country," said Grand Council Chief John Beaucage, who represents 43 First Nations across the province.
Six Nations spokes-person Clyde Powless said the mass show of support was about more than Caledonia.

"Canada," he shouted, "this giant you woke up grew enormously today and will continue to grow."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060606.wcale0606/BNStory/National/home

McGuinty brushes off Tory motion on Caledonia

KAREN HOWLETT
Globe and Mail Update
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has dismissed a motion seeking a public inquiry into his government's handling of the long-simmering Caledonia land dispute as ”mischief making.”

*snip*

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/07/abor-wed.html

Critics push for declaration on aboriginal rights

Last Updated Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:56:38 EDT
CBC News
Aboriginal leaders are putting pressure on the federal government to approve the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

But the Tory government appears to have put the necessary legislation onto the back burner.

The UN declaration would set international standards of how Aboriginal Peoples are treated in countries around the world.

It says Aboriginal Peoples should have the right to determine their political status, in other words their right to self determination. And it offers voluntary guidelines on the treatment of native women and children.

The Liberals supported the UN declaration, but the legislation died on the order paper when the former Liberal government called the January election.

Critics losing patience

Now, critics are losing patience waiting for the Tory government to reintroduce the bill.

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations wrote a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently, asking him to adopt the declaration.

Phil Fontaine said Canada's failure to support it will impede social justice and basic human rights.

Fontaine has also been lobbying for the approval of the Kelowna accord, a made-in-Canada document that would seek to improve the quality of life for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

The former Liberal government also supported that legislation, but it died on the order paper as well.

Harper has not reintroduced the Kelowna accord, despite calls from provincial premiers and native leaders.

Tories need more time

Jim Prentice, federal minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, was questioned about the status of the UN declaration in the House of Commons.

He said the government needs more time to study the legislation.

"This is a complicated subject," Prentice said. "It is before the government. We will continue to analyze the document that has been produced."

First Nations policy consultant Russell Diabo believes the Tories are stalling until after the next election.

"It's obviously still too controversial for the Stephen Harper government," Diabo said.

"I think the Harper government is just buying time until they go back to the polls and try to get a majority. They are putting off contentious issues until they have a majority."

As I've said, the Harper government should think twice before they count on a majority. Things are blowing up all over. The stories get stinkier and stinkier by the day, as the terrorist stories and the Caledonia stories keep proving how unconcerned they are with PEOPLE. No one really trusts him or his Ministers very much. I think we still have unrigged voting.