Indigenous Sovereignty Under Attack
Date: Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Time: 18:00 - 21:00
Location: PSAC Boardroom (TBC)
Street: 233 Gilmour, 1st Floor
Town/City: Ottawa, ON
Indigenous Sovereignty Under Attack: Government Repression Through the Indian Act
Speakers will include:
Spokespersons from Barriere Lake
We are also hoping to have spokespersons from the Six Nations reserve, and from Akwesasne, but these speakers are still to be confirmed.
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Wednesday, May 26
6pm in the PSAC Boardroom
233 Gilmour
Wheelchair Accessible
Everyone Welcome
http://www.ipsmo.org
ipsmo@riseup.net
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The community of Barriere Lake, a small Algonquin community in Quebec, has been engaged in political struggle with both the Provincial and Federal governments, as well as Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) for over 2 decades.
As a result of their political activism they have been targeted by INAC for repression. INAC has invoked section 74(1) of the Indian Act in an attempt to silence the community by interfering in its governance system. Barriere Lake is currently one of only 26 indigenous communities that governs itself according to its traditional governance system.
Section 74 - the imposition of the Band Council system - has played a significant role the colonization of Canada. It has been instrumental in destabilizing indigenous political systems, creating divisions within indigenous communities, and illegally imposing the Canadian governments colonial system on indigenous nations.
Both Akwesasne and Six Nations have had section 74 of the Indian Act imposed on their communities. In both cases it had to be imposed by (police) force.
In 1899 in Akwesasne, one man, Jake Ice, was shot and killed by the police while trying to prevent them from arresting several Chiefs who were opposed to the Band Council system. Although the police and the government were successful in forcing the Band Council system on the reserve, the Mohawks of Akwesasne have also maintained their traditional governance systems despite this repression.
"In 1924, the Government of Canada entered Six Nations territory with armed force to end the centuries old system of governance outlined in the Gai yen sra go wa (Great Law). The Chiefs of the governing Confederacy were relieved of all responsibilities, and replaced by an elected band council under the Indian Act. Although the Band Council has been in place since that time, Six Nations continues to maintain their own governance outside the Indian Act through the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The Six Nations have never permitted the Confederacy to die. It remaines a source of moral authority, the repository of the Haudenausaunee languages and spirituality. The Chiefs of the Confederacy are to be chosen by highly capable women of each clan or Clan mothers." - http://www.mcmaster.ca/indigenous/SixNationsLandClaim.htm
Section 74(1) of the Indian Act: "Whenever he deems it advisable for the good government of a band, the Minister may declare by order that after a day to be named therein the council of the band, consisting of a chief and councillors, shall be selected by elections to be held in accordance with this Act."
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Indigenous Sovereignty Week by community
General Callout for Organizing Committees for the first annual Indigenous Sovereignty Week
Defenders of the Land, a cross-Canada network of First Nations in land struggle, fighting for Indigenous rights, is issuing a call to like-minded Indigenous people and groups in communities and cities, as well as non-Native supporters, to cooperate in organizing a cross-Canada week of educational events on Indigenous Rights and Indigenous struggles, from October 25-31, 2009.
We have in mind that this work will reach different audiences: Indigenous people living in communities, urban Indigenous people, and non-Indigenous people living in cities and towns. Events may take place on campuses, in community centres, in schools, or other locations.
The purpose of this week is to build local relationships between groups and individuals, disseminate ideas of Indigenism, and generally, contribute to building a cross-Canada movement for Indigenous rights, self-determination, and justice that is led by Indigenous communities but with a broad base of informed support.
There will be a range of events, including speaking events, cultural or arts events, and ceremony where appropriate. Speakers will include activists and leaders of struggles, elders, Indigenous intellectuals, and supporters.
Based on the direction of the first gathering of Defenders of the Land in Winnipeg last year, the following have been highlighted as questions to bring forward:
Struggles for Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination
- Overview of the history of Indigenous organizing
- Sharing histories and examples of struggle, successes, and challenges.
- Hearing from local struggles
- Current legal frameworks - UNDRIP, Section 35, court rulings; the concept of aboriginal title
- Who bears Indigenous rights? Who determines who is Indigenous?
- What does/would Indigenous sovereignty look like, practically? What would be the relationship to the Canadian state? What are viable models of cohabitation?
- What is solidarity? How to do solidarity work in a good way, learning from past successes and mistakes. Hearing from specific experiences.
Indigenous Knowledge, Culture, and Identity
- The importance of the relationship to the land, living on the land.
- Oral stories and histories
- The status of Indigenous languages
- The role of ceremony
- Documenting and maintaining traditional knowledge
Indigenous Peoples and the Environment
- Environmental racism and environmental justice
- Impacts of developments on Indigenous peoples and cultures - specific examples and campaigns
- Biodiversity and cultural diversity
- Traditional understandings of stewardship
History of Indigenous-Canadian Relations
- The period from contact to the historic treaties
- The history of the treaties and treaty-making
- History and impact of the Indian Act
- Residential schools and other policies of genocide and their impacts
- What's wrong with the poverty and service-dollars approach to Indigenous issues - the horizontal framework of cradle-to-grave dependency
- The government's current agenda: extinguishment of title, replacement of collective rights with individual rights, cash payouts, and assimilation. How to name this and resist it.
Other elements to include, where possible and appropriate
- Ceremony
- Drum + song
- Community feast with traditional foods
- Indigenous language programming
- Arts programming
- Youth-focused programming
What does "appropriate" mean in this context? Appropriate means if it is done under the leadership of Indigenous people, for Indigenous people, involving the participation of mostly Indigenous people.
If you are interested in organizing an Indigenous Sovereignty Week in your area
If you are interested in organizing educational events in your community during this week, please contact us by email at defendersoftheland@gmail.com. We will establish a list to cooperate on developing and organizing this event. Communities can plan their own programs according to their needs and capacities--the purpose of a joint organizing list is to share resources and coordinate speakers' itineraries for example. You can find out more about Defenders of the Land at our website (which will be up soon).
