Great rally in Cayuga! I haven’t heard a word about the ‘militia’ since!

http://caledoniacafe3.proboards.com

for updates, info and discussion

@Andrew: Thanks! you’re absolutely right that it would be interesting to hear from some of the people involved in the formation of the militia. I’ve added several links that provide some good first hand accounts from the people involved in forming the militia. I’d like to cover their story as well, i just haven’t had the opportunity yet.

@Mark: Thanks for commenting, I’m very pleased to have you share your point of view on this. I added the link you suggested as well as a link to your own site and a few others.

You’re right, I wasn’t in town those days! I don’t live in Caledonia and, because I’ve spent most of my life elsewhere, I don’t have a Canadian drivers license so I don’t find myself in that neighborhood very often. I make no claim to be an expert on the situation there, which is why i have chosen only to write a very general introductory piece about one of the hundreds of indigenous land disputes happening all across Canada, based on my conversations with several Six Nations activists.

I recognize that the people involved in the Caledonia Militia have legitimate grievances, as do the Six Nations, and I agree that theirs is an important perspective on this issue, and personally I’d be very interested in learning more about how their lives have been affected by what’s going on and include their stories as well.

I have done work on similar indigenous issues in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Tanzania, as well as in Canada, and in most of these situations there were similar tensions between the indigenous groups and non-indigenous settlers. These are difficult and complex situations to make sense of. I have often wondered if both sides would be better off if they worked together to put pressure on the governments to find solutions that takes all stakeholders into consideration (isn’t that the reason we have governments in the first place?). Unfortunately, in most cases I am familiar with, the governments are usually happy to avoid the issue altogether while the groups on the ground fight each other.

I’d much rather see all that anger and frustration directed at the decision-makers.

thanks again,
-allan

I missed the photos of the sacred tire fire, the sacred road blockades, the sacred pushing of vehicles onto the highway below, the sacred attacking of police officers, the sacred attacking of old people, the sacred destruction of the power station, the sacred burning of the bridge, the sacred erection of illegal smokeshacks to sell sacred contaminated tobacco to children, the sacred attacks on peaceful non-natives, etc.

Guess you weren’t in town on those days.

If you and your fans want to know why residents feel the need to start an unarmed militia, they can go to CANACE.ca and click on ‘Race-Based Policing’ in the top menu. The answers are all there.

Thanks for inviting me to your site! Margaux is equally impressed with your work. Keep it up.

Cheers from London

Joy

Thank you so much for composing such a clear and supportive webpage!

Maybe you could elaborate on the context in which the visible recognition of Indigenous soldiers’ service in Canadian Army missions also involves on the ground in Six Nations territories at once practical constructive relations with peoples’ movements for self-determination such as in Chiapas, Mexico and Palestine, etc.?

solidarity,
chris

Peace, love & solidarity,
~~Niki

These photos (and whole piece) are amazing! Glad you went & reported on it.

Andrew: interviewing militia participants and supporters probably would be interesting to understand their motivations. Why don’t you go ahead and do that? I’m sure there are people who could help you with transcription, editing, publishing, etc, if you wanted help…

Niawen.

- sc

I think it would ad greatly to your story to speak with members of the militia. Not for the purpose of “balance” but because I think myself and others would be interested to know the motivations and the people behind such a crazy concept of a militia, in this day and age. But regardless, you’re doing great work.

Cheers

Andrew