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Wayne VanEvery is stopped on this try but scored two others in the Demons 13-11 semi-final CLax win over the Durham Turfdogs at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. Teammate Chris Attwood scored five goals and assisted on three others to power the Demons in the elimination of the Turfdogs. See story on page 12. PHOTO BY DAVE LAFORCE PM42686517

TWO ROW TIMES

By Fernando Arce

Compensation sought for residential day-scholars KAMLOOPS – The Tk’emlups te Secwepemc (or Kamloops Indian Band) and the Sechelt Indian Band are in the middle of a class-action lawsuit demanding compensation for B.C. residential school day-scholars. These were students who attended the schools in the morning but lived somewhere else. The lawsuit was launched in 2012, and over the next month lawyers representing both First Nations will appear in court to ask for certification of the lawsuit. The lawsuit argues that day-scholars suffered just as much as regular residential school students, including loss of language and culture as well as physical and mental abuse. Yet, they were not included as beneficiaries in the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement implemented in 2007. It granted residential school survivors $10,000 for their first year at a school, and $3,000 for each subsequent year. Tk’emlups Chief

Shane Gottfriedson told the Daybreak Kamloops that now the bands are fighting to include day-scholars because it is a “human rights issue.” He added they’re also seeking compensation for their descendants and money for a healing fund, reports the CBC.

Heiltsuk Nation occupies DFO offices

BELLA BELLA – At 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, members of the Heiltsuk Nation announced they were occupying the offices of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans office near Bella Bella, B.C., to protest the government’s decision to open a herring-roe seine fishery on B.C.’s Central Coast. Earlier in the year, the First Nation declared a ban on herring fisheries for a year to conserve dwindling populations of herring, but the DFO chose to ignore their call. The First Nation has responded by issuing the DFO with an eviction notice. The Vancouver Sun reported that the First Nation had issued a press release, where Chief Councillor Marilyn Slett stated: “We will be here until DFO announces that

Area 7 is closed to a gillnet fishery.” The DFO has denied that herring populations are depleting, arguing there was enough stock to support a modest commercial harvest. Kelly Brown, who directs the Heiltsuk’s resource management department, said that only about half of the 32,000 tons of herring predicted by the DFO have been detected. Members of the band took up camp at the DFO’s lawn and refused to leave. Mounties and DFO officers remained at the scene of the protest, reported the Vancouver Sun.

Premier Christy Clark cancels new B.C. Treaty Commission Head

BRITISH COLUMBIA – Citing an incredibly low achievement record, B.C. Premier Christy Clark suggested the entire B.C. Treaty Commission might be shut down. She said this as she announced the cancellation of George Abbott’s appointment as the new head of the commission. Abbott was offered the job last fall by Clark’s government, and was supported by both the

federal government and the B.C. First Nations Summit, the other two official treaty-commission partners, reported The Province. But Clark said that over the last 23 years the commission has been active, it hasn’t done much except cost the government millions of dollars in payouts to First Nations – about $627 million to about 50 First Nations in “negotiation support funding,” states The Province. Moreover, she cited the fact that in all that time, only four treaties have been finalized, signed and ratified. The commission was created to mediate modern-day treaty negotiations between B.C. First Nations and the federal government, since most of the province is unceded native land.

APRIL 1ST, 2015

PMO wants to undermine Gladue principles

worked on the Victims Bill of Rights Act, Bill C-32. The PMO first directed then Justice Minister Rob Nicholson to work on the wording in 2012. It was introduced to Parliament in April 2014 by current Justice Minister Peter MacKay. The bill would reword section 718.2 (e) of the Criminal Code by adding a clause to consider “the harm done to victims or to the community.” Originally, this section of the Criminal Code was meant to ask courts to consider all alternatives to imprisonment “with particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal people.” Critics of the bill have testified before a parliamentary committee on the bill, saying the new wording will undermine Gladue principles in sentencing.

OTTAWA – APTN News has learned that the Prime Minister’s Office tried rewording portions of the Criminal Code in order to “diminish” the effects of Gladue Reports for indigenous offenders. This happened during the height of Idle No More, in 2013, while the PMO

WINNIPEG – The University of Winnipeg senate has approved a motion put forward by the student union that called for a mandatory indigenous studies course. This means that all

U of Winnipeg mandatory indigenous studies course

students at the university will have to take at least one course that looks at many of the various facets of indigenous culture and tradition in order to graduate. The idea is to create a more understanding society within the school and across Canada by fostering conversations about colonialism and racism. The motion was announced in February by both the U of W Student Union and the U of W Aboriginal Students’ Council. The program is being introduced a few months after Maclean’s rated Winnipeg the most racist place in Canada. Thunder Bay’s Lakehead University will introduce a similar mandatory indigenous studies course tailored to student’s main subject of expertise in 2016.

TWO ROW TIMES

APRIL 1ST, 2015

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APRIL 1ST, 2015

Education on the hot seat at Council Chamber By Jim Windle

OHSWEKEN – Six Nations Elected Council received a report on education from Michel Burrows from the Brantford office of Aboriginal Affairs Canada, and education consultant Michelle Sault on Monday at Council Chambers. The gallery of the Council Chamber was filled with Six Nations educators and concerned parents curious about the findings from the report on federally managed schools at Six Nations. Although polite, there were several criticisms of the report as well as the general lack of support for Six Nations educators and schools voiced from the full gallery. According to the PowerPoint presentation, the goal of the review was

Retired Six Nations educator Claudine VanEvery-Albert questioned why two French schools in Ontario with the same number of students receive $41.5 million and the other get $50,115.376 while Six Nations receives $11 million annually. PHOTO BY JIM WINDLE

Michel Burrows from the Brantford office of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, and consultant Michelle Sault deliver a report on federally funded education at Six Nations. They were critiqued by several educators and parents who spoke of their concerns over chronic underfunding for education among other issues. PHOTO BY JIM WINDLE

to obtain up-to-date information on the six federally operated schools in Ontario to assess the schools’ performance and operations, which could be used to inform decision making around the schools. Some of the information gathered in the report was troubling, to say the least, but not much was surprising to Six Nations residents, teachers, and parents. Under the title, “Continuing need”, the report concluded that operation of federally operated schools remains relevant and requires continued investments for management and delivery of on-reserve education programming for elementary education for the approximately 1,100 First

Nation children at Six Nations. Admittedly, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, at least in Ontario, is not well suited to operate federal schools on reserve. The report commended the staff and teachers at all Six Nations primary schools as being of high quality and having a low turnover rate, despite the slow responsiveness to their needs and few opportunities for professional development. It was also pointed out that the transportation of young students with older students is seen as an issue and further it was found that bullying is common on the school buses at Six Nations. The role of language

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and culture plays a critical role in the education of students at Six Nations and there is a big need to implement Haudenosaunee values more. Compared to the provincial average, fewer students at federally managed schools on-reserve are achieving the desired outcomes in math, reading and writing. However, there is a marked improvement in outcomes from Grades 3-8 in all three categories. While highlights from the study were expressed in the report, chronic problems like underfunding and disproportionate funding were brought to the attention of presenters from the gallery. Claudine VanEv-

ery-Albert who is a retired educator from Six Nations had many questions and recommendations for the presenters and would not allow the important issues facing Six Nations educators and students be swept under the bureaucratic rug. She was not sure if the meeting accomplished the goal of moving Six Nations education ahead or not. “The issues were brought back to the forefront and at least they are on the front burner now,” she commented following the meeting. “The real movement that needs to be made is whether of not we are going to be given a sufficient amount of money to deal with education properly.” She told the presenters and those in attendance about figures that clearly show the lack of urgency when it comes to First Nations education. “Six Nations receives $11 million a year for education while two French school boards with about the same number of elementary and secondary students as the Six Nations community receives much more. One gets $41.5 million and the other get $50,115.376.” VanEvery-Albert stated. Consultant Michelle Sault, admitted after the meeting that she too is left wondering why this is the case. “That is one of the major issues,” she told

the Two Row Times. “It’s always the least amount. I’m an independent consultant, and I can’t rationalise it. I can’t wrap my head around it. It’s not unknown. In First Nations communities across the country education is one of the top priorities. It’s a complex issue for many reasons. But I can’t rationalise the lack of funding at all.” One of the problems Sault saw after her research and consultation is that no one working on the federal schools file actually has a background in education. She also says that from her vantage point, “a critical link that is missing is a Superintendent with a background in education.” For his part, Burrows felt the meeting went well and now that the report has been delivered, his job is over and someone further up the chain of bureaucracy will have that information to process and implement, should they choose to. “The purpose of today was to present what in essence is the final report on education,” he said. ”I am quite pleased that it was well received. I’m happy that it generated the conversation in the chamber that it did, to the extent that that conversation has restarted, with what I would consider to be reasonably objective information around money and facilities and outcomes.”

We are looking for someone in the Six Nations / Brantford area who is willing and able to cover local news stories for us on a full time basis. At minimum this will include, writing and taking pictures of local events and issues, posting to social media, and potentially recording audio and video. Minimum Salary - $500 a week (depending on experience) The Two Row Times follows an Affirmative Action hiring process and will privilege Onkwehon:we applicants. Please drop off your resume at the Two Row Times office at 657 Mohawk Rd or email to tworowtimes@ gmail.com

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APRIL 1ST, 2015

Letters to the Editors Send your letters to tworowtimes@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Letters are opinions of the writer not those of 2RT. Helen Miller on draft tobacco law The Haudenosaunee Tobacco Law (HTL) – where do I start? First of all, according to the draft HTL, any business that grows, manufactures, retails, imports, exports, distributes and transports tobacco must be licensed under the HTL to operate. Secondly, the working group who developed and wrote the HTL never sought input from the elected council. Nor did they consult with the community. Currently, the HCCC is holding three community meetings to inform the community about the HTL and presumably to seek approval. The HTL is in response to Bill C-10 – the federal tobacco law that will criminalize all aspects of Six Nations’ tobacco industry except those business owners who have a federal license. My analysis concludes that the HTL mirrors Bill C-10. The only difference between the two laws is

that the HTL doesn’t fall under the Criminal Code of Canada. So how can the HCCC call the HTL our law? There’s nothing “our” about the HTL. The HTL even refers to tobacco and tobacco products that do not have the HTL stamp as being “illegal.” The HTL gives authority to a Tobacco Governing Body to administer stiff penalties, including suspension of a business licence or denial of a business licence to business owners who are non-compliant with the HTL. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the HTL will be the enforcer. He/she determines if a violation exists regarding a business license and will have the discretion to determine penalties and/or shut down the business. The CEO can also impose a fine based on a recommendation from the Business Licensing Administration (BLA). The BLA can authorize the seizure and sale of any business property, equipment if the business owner fails to pay the fine. According to the HTL, the purpose of the

fine is to defray the costs of administration and enforcement of the HTL. There’s more. According to the HTL the business owners or any partners or investors must be 100 percent Haudenosaunee. But the HCCC can’t dictate to people who they can and can’t do business with. This is Six Nations, not Russia. Business owners have rights. The HTL also says all members of the Tobacco Governing Board have to be 100 percent Haudenosaunee. So how does the HCCC propose to determine who is 100 percent? Are they going to use Blood Quantum like the feds and province? For one thing, the HCCC has to practice what it preaches. The HCCC themselves are partners with non-Haudenosaunee developers. The HDI is operated and managed by people who are not 100 percent Haudenosaunee. The HCCC has advisors and spokespeople who are not 100 percent Haudenosaunee. This all reeks of a double standard being ap-

plied here. But wait, there’s more. The HTL calls for the removal and banishment of a non-Haudenosaunee business partner at Oswe:ge, except any person authorized by the HCCC to be present on the territory or any person who leases real property within the territory. So, again, a double standard is being applied here. A non-Haudenosaunee business partner can stay as long as he/she is buddies with the HCCC or maybe a chief’s family. I don’t know what leasing property has to do with it unless the HDI is leasing land to a non-Haudenosaunee farmer. Then the HTL says HCCC Peacekeepers are going to remove the non-Haudenosaunee at Oswe:ge. Who is going to pay the non-Haudenosaunee business partner or investor his/her due? These people are not just going to walk away without getting their money back. Equally disturbing is that the HTL allows for the Business Licensing Administrator, within 48 hours

prior notice, to enter a business and look at the books. This sounds so much like the Ontario government, who have been trying to get at the books or financial records of Six Nations business people for years. So are the business owners going to now have a Six Nations Revenue to contend with? That should be interesting, and certainly fodder for conflicts and confrontations. And there’s still even more. There are eight fees that have to be paid yearly. Some businesses may have to pay more than one fee. According to the HTL, the fees will be based on factors such as the price of raw tobacco, changes in the Haudenosaunee at Oswe:ge economy – whatever that means. But according to the HCCC’s presentation, these fees are not “taxes.” No sir, these fees are the community taking care of its own. The fees will go into a Haudenosaunee Contribution Fund supposedly to meet community needs. But that’s only after the administration, enforcement and legal costs are covered.

That is the same thing the HCCC said about all the money they are getting and will be getting from developers. These monies, we were told, will go into a community trust for the community to access. So far this trust has been non-existent. Anyway, I strongly encourage everyone who is involved in the tobacco industry to read this law. You need to understand the implications of this law. You need to understand what it all means to you as a business owner and as a member of Six Nations. You need to understand what it is you’re signing into. I believe a tobacco law is the right thing to do, but it should be our own law not a law that simply mirrors the provincial and federal government laws and not a law that takes the rights away from Six Nations business owners. And that’s what the HTL does.

children, as most like to stand underneath the taps for a taste of a single drop. The buckets fill with a drop every couple of seconds. After a short period the buckets will fill, but it is that single drop that makes it important. Teaching the young ones that through hard work and dedication, small acts multiplied by many can benefit all. The nutrients found in the sap water are different than other sugars. Instead of being destroyed by heat they actually are concentrated, and in turn, more effective. It can aid those with diabetic problems

as well as clean the body of toxins. Drinking the sap water when it is fresh flushes out the organs of the winter diet, which in the old days consisted of mostly dried meat. Most boil the sap into syrup to be stored away. The water content can’t be too high or the syrup will mold. Simply bring back to boil, and by removing the mold, it will become purified once again. Others will boil the syrup while mixing it until it is like wet sand, creating sugar. One can also let the syrup dry in a shallow pan, creating crystallized

rock candy. Warriors used to carry a medicine bag filled with a powdered substance containing maple sugar, dried strawberries, dried meat and lyed corn flour. All that needed to be added was water to make a corn mush or bread. This was a necessity on long hunting trips. The corporate world is starting to market our sweet water as a heal-all drink, creating a demand for the nectar. It was the Haudenosaunee that showed them hospitality, gifting them the knowledge to fend for themselves.

The first settlers depended on this tree so much that they eventually put the Wahta leaf on their flag. Know the world sees Kanata as the place where Maple Syrup comes from. Venturing out to commercialized sugar shacks, you will hear stories of lazy Indians falling asleep under a tree where they had stuck their hatchet, awaking drenched from the sticky liquid. This couldn’t be further from the truth. They fail to acknowledge the kindness and respect given to them by these indigenous nations, while plundering the goods to be

shipped out to the world. They give no thanks, only take without acknowledgement. This mentality will no longer be accepted or given a safe place to colonize. The sugar bushes throughout these lands have a great deal to teach about this place and must know that our sacred gift to them was not to be hoarded like gold, but to be shared with those in need. Those trees were there before any of us were born and they will be there long after we’re gone, Ton a:to.

Wahta Nikarontoten By Rahkaratahkwas

Once again the maple trees have followed their original instructions by providing that sweet water after a long, cold winter. When the temperature hovers above freezing, the sap will flow like a heartbeat. Those who collect their own sap know that the seasons are slightly off, so storing as much of that golden nectar as possible is a necessity. When the bush is opened we give thanks and ask that no trees may fall and cause one harm, offering Tobacco. It is a great teaching tool for young

Volume 2, Issue 34 657 Mohawk Road Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Ontario, N0A 1H0 Make all cheques payable to: Garlow Media Printed at Ricter Web, Brantford ON

Councillor Helen Miller 2251 Chiefswood Rd Ohsweken 519 445-4561

Publisher: Garlow Media Founder: Jonathan Garlow General Manager: Tom Keefer Senior Writer: Jim Windle Production: Dave LaForce Advertising Coordinator: Josh Bean Web Manager: Benjamin Doolittle Social Media: Nahnda Garlow Advertising Sales: Bob Bradley & Melissa Jonathan Editorial Team: Jonathan Garlow & Tom Keefer Copy Editor: Alicia Elliott Main office: (519) 900-5535 Editorial: (519) 900-6241 Advertising: (519) 900-6373 For advertising information: ads@tworowtimes.com General inquiries: tworowtimes@gmail.com Website: www.tworowtimes.com

TWO ROW TIMES

APRIL 1ST, 2015

Bill C-51: An Act to criminalize indigenous defenders of the land

By Ellen Gabriel Turtle Clan, Kanien’kehá:ka Nation from Kanehsatà:ke

The following is an edited version of Ellen Gabriel’s submission to the Parliamentary Committee dealing with Bill C-51. It was submitted to the Parliamentary secretary by email on March 23, 2015 and is reprinted with permission. Since I have not been provided with the opportunity to be a witness in person, I write today as a citizen of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) nation from the community of Kanehsatà:ke, whose un-ceded lands continue to be appropriated and stolen through the support of third party interests by Canada. As a citizen of my nation, I have spent the last 25 years educating the Canadian public on Canada’s history of colonization and genocide. My journey in participating in the protection of Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) lands and resources began before 1990 but became more intense during and after the 1990 Occupation of Kanehsatà:ke, known as the “1990 Oka Crisis.” During the “1990 Oka Crisis,” myself and other members of the communities of Kanehsatà:ke and Kahnawà:ke came un-

I met a young native man in Barton Street jail a while ago that had ties to family on Six Nations in some distant way. He was a Dene from out west who was only 24 years old, and had already been in the federal penitentiary in Manitoba for four years. He got done his parole and moved to Thunder Bay where there’s active gangs branching out from Manitoba blending in with the 20,000 natives in T-Bay. These gangs are trying to recruit women and young men for their drug activity and prostitution. When I asked him what he was doing in Hamilton, he said him and some of his boys were checking out the scene. There is a lot of big city Toronto crime/gang ac-

der police surveillance in which we were notified of through the mail. In this notice authorities informed me that all my telephone conversations had been recorded and provided me with a photocopy of a page from the Criminal Code of Canada which highlighted in yellow articles that referred to the justification of my surveillance as “threats to public security” and “suspicion of criminal activities”. I received three of these types of notices up until around 1995, each with the same reason of ‘criminal’ activities highlighted as the justification for their surveillance. As a person who has been directly affected by the surveillance of policing authorities, I would like to address some of the serious concerns regarding the impact that Bill C-51 will have on the dignity, security, freedom and access to justice of Indigenous peoples. Of grave concern is the section on “interpretations” whose vagueness of definitions allows for unilateral interpretations of terms by Canada and its policing authorities thus endangering Indigenous peoples enjoyment of their human rights and right to self-determination. Canada’s assumed sovereignty upon Indigenous

peoples, their lands and resources is based upon legal fictions from centuries’ old Doctrine of Discovery, Doctrine of Conquer and Terra Nullius. These doctrines of superiority have been declared by the United Nations as: “…racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and social unjust.” It has been mentioned by the government of Canada that this Bill is to protect its citizens from those who are a threat to “… the sovereignty, security or territorial integrity of Canada or the lives or the security of the people of Canada.” However, as previously mentioned, the incessant criminalizing of Indigenous peoples who defend their lands from development perpetuates the historic injustices designed to undermine and devalue the hope for a peaceful co-existence for the sake of economic and energy security. Particular attention should be paid as well to ability of government institutions to share information to other agencies. Bill C-51 states that government institutions may not only share private information but they have a right to detain and prosecute individuals who appear to be a threat to “…sovereignty, security or territorial integrity of Canada or the lives or

the security of the people of Canada: Thus the question remains: Who will be monitoring government institutions on whether or not the information is a) accurate, b) relevant to an investigation c) does not violate domestic and international human rights Act, Conventions, Treaties and Declarations, d) is respectful, e) is non-discriminatory, f) confidential g) if wrongly persecuted, provides an effective mechanism of redress, and many other issues which seriously impact Indigenous peoples’ collective and individual human rights. As development intensifies in Canada and Indigenous peoples, defenders of the land protect their right to self-determination, government and policing authorities alike must become knowledgeable of the universality, indivisibility, non-discriminatory, and inter-dependent of human rights in their efforts to uphold the rule of law. Creating more laws without examining how it impacts human rights, in particular, the collective and individual human rights of Indigenous peoples robs society of the richness of its democracy. Be they civil, political, cultural, linguistic or social rights, the respect and enjoyment of one, is inter-con-

COLUMN: LUV, RESPECT & DEFIANCE

nected to the advancement of the others. Equally, the deprivation of one right adversely affects the enjoyment of other rights. In 1990, I and many citizens of the Kanien’kehá:ka nation were labelled criminals and terrorists by the policing authorities and the governments of Quebec and Canada for simply defending our lives and our lands. I am one of countless generations of Indigenous peoples whose human rights have been threatened and violated by the colonial state due to Canada’s assumed sovereignty over our peoples, lands, and resources. The root causes of the dispossession and oppression of Indigenous peoples are personified in colonial laws and language. What has been deemed ‘legal’ or sometimes ‘criminal’ in Canadian legislation is often to the detriment of Indigenous peoples to control and contain us for the benefit of the prosperity of Canada. It is with a heavy heart when I consider the realities and treatment of my Onkwehón:we (Indigenous) ancestors in examining Canada’s colonial history; one can conclude that the term “genocide” is appropriate to depict part of Canada’s history. Genocide as “crimes against humanity” includes: “to deal

with the persecution and physical extermination of national, ethnic, racial and religious minorities. Resisting assimilation is an ongoing occurrence for Indigenous peoples in Canada. We can never rest until Canada upholds and respects the human rights and dignity of Indigenous peoples to our rights to self-determination. As Indigenous peoples who have suffered from historic injustices we must remain vigilant in protecting and promoting our ancestral teachings and customary laws that teach us how to care for the land and all our relations. The UN Declaration, and the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Human Rights system itself, requires the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in all decisions affecting their rights. It is the globally accepted minimum standard for the collective and individual human rights of Indigenous peoples. I hope that this committee will take into serious consideration the implications of this Bill, Canada’s colonial history and how it continues to impact the integrity, security and well-being of Indigenous Peoples today.

The last Onkwehonwe stronghold tivity in Hamilton. Crystal meth or jib is the new thing and that’s what this tatted faced guy from out west got arrested with. It can be smoked, sniffed or injected just like crack but it’s cheaper and ten times more low down than rock. Jib turns young people into schizophrenic zombies. The body excretes it through the face in the same crystal form it initially was in when ingested. Addicts pick at their face and some even eat it or smoke it again. These are some serious man-made chemicals that this guy was trying to push. I kindly told him to leave his jib in Thunder Bay or to go back there. He laughed but he knew I was serious. People know there is a lot of smoke money on

Six Nay and they wouldn’t mind a piece of it. It would seem that some federal forces don’t care too much about drug enforcement as long as it stays on the most populated rez in Canada and as long as the drugs aid in the destabilization of the Haudenosaunee. There’s power in our numbers. It’s definitely a cold war of attrition, and they have their eyes on our youth. Another native gang member was looking around for prospective kids, men and women to set up chapters of the Manitoba Warriorz. He said that there’s also members of the IP or Indian Posse and Red Alert in Hamilton. It won’t be long before

they find girlfriends from Hamilton or Six Nations and then start recruiting them as prostitutes in Hamilton. We of the Rotisken’rakéhte should be aware of these eyes on our women and the lure of gang life to the thousands of young people on Six Nations that make up more than half of our population. One thing though is that no matter how many drive-bys this guy had under his belt, he was definitely fidgety when talking about the Mohawks. He had heard a lot of stuff and wanted to know if it was true. I told him. Yep. We scalped a couple people for coming around with bad intentions toward us. I’m not beyond bringing some scalps home for

my flag pole if some punk gang banger wants to traffic my daughters. I have seen and applied Tekanawita’s concept behind skenna/peace kanikonrioh/good mind and ka sa sten sera/power. They are as applicable today as they were when we cut down the tree by the waterfall with the peacemaker sitting at the top. These gifts of the great law are unconquerable as long as we stick together. I’ve seen it work beautifully. Sometimes you have to fight in jail to keep the peace. Protecting your sanity from destroyed people is a daily chore. It makes you strong. There are a lot of Six Nations men in jail in Ontario. We must remain vigilant of every threat to our circle.

Toronto practically touches Hamilton and the plank road is under expansion. Six Nay doesn’t exactly fit into their expansion plans unless we conform to their schematics. This isn’t a far off theory. Its real and its here. We have been through a lot of fights throughout eternity. Looking into our history we must remain steadfast and united as the great Iroquois confederacy. People are watching us from all over the world. We are the last Onkwehonwe stronghold. Surrender isn’t an option. Wakiro – those are my words.

TWO ROW TIMES

APRIL 1ST, 2015

OPINION Zero Waste in four easy steps By Bryan Smith “It’s not waste until you waste it,” says Paul Connett in his ground-breaking book, Zero Waste Solution. If you are concerned about garbage and its effects on human and environmental health, his work is worth reading. Not only does he describe North American society’s problem in astonishing ways, he offers more than one solution. It is full of examples of “untrashing the planet one community at a time” which work. The greatest revelation in Connett’s book is the fact that many of his solutions are not new. Old wisdom has a place. Any community worried about the damage which burying or burning garbage can have on the environment would be wise to read it. The foreword by Jeremy Irons reminds us that when solving a problem,

you don’t want to create another. Or several. Or worse. Rather, he’d drive you to consider the phrase, “Waste not, want not,” and to certainly steer clear of incineration. To avoid garbage, you need to convert it into treasure. Most people think of recycling as labour and energy intensive. It may be a necessary evil, though. Recycling suggests that if I put out six bins of recycling weekly, and you only two, I am three times better for the environment than you. But perhaps it only means that I buy more recyclables while you reuse. Maybe it means that I have several more people living in my house. Or, it may mean that you are thinking more carefully about each purchase and living more consciously in harmony with our environment. One solution that was tried in the 1960’s in Cal-

ifornia with disastrous results, then revised in the current millennium, is the free store. Counter-culture types bought clothing, then told people to come have it for free. The stores went bankrupt quickly. Then in 2014, the brilliant people of Transition to Less Waste in Ingersoll asked for gently used clothing, which they repaired if necessary, and in a free store-front did roaring business for four days. They broke even. A giant community swap meet in honour of that “Aha” moment will see its fourth iteration on April 11th in Oxford County. “TrashapaloozAha! 4” will invite people to clear out their garage, basement, shed or home and donate all the goods, as well as take any treasures from the others’ trash. Community charities will be invited to pick anything they

This delicate balance is maintained by never walking faster then the slowest in the group. At times it may seem like the tail is slowing down the head and body, but from the eagles view, it is the head that makes the tail follow along, for without the body the two would not be connected. It’s easy to get caught up in saplings and webs when one veers from the path. To the left is the inner circle and to the right is the outside. Many times along the way people will be enticed to create a new path. Some get lost, some are never seen again. Those who go left will eventually end up back on the path sometimes in the lead scouting the way, but those who go to the right can only be called back by the distant chants and echoes of the path walkers. Some are so far gone that they forget they were ever

in the group. They make camp and on the next lap it is their children that hear the old chants of the ancestors and return to the path. Along the path will be many camps, most overgrown, but there will always be shelter. When night approaches, the group will band together replenishing their energy and spirits. In the fire shall be a clay pot filled with soup that will never empty no matter how many bowls it fills. In this pot is the knowledge of the ancestors. It is what will keep the pack moving at daybreak and what will provide sustenance for the long journey ahead. So remember the words of the old ones when you walk that road, for one day you maybe the one who hears the chanting and returns to the path.

OPINION The old red trail By Rahkaratahkwas

It has been said that walking the righteous path is like walking in a big circle. There is no specific destination, but rather it is the journey that inspires us. The way it was explained to me was that we’re all walking down this red road together, on the beaten moccasin trail. Some old, some young but all headed in the same direction. In the front will emerge natural leaders clearing the path of any debris that may cause the others to lose their footing. Pushing aside these sticks and stones gives the others time catch up. Those in the back are usually slower and follow the crowd never really knowing what obstacles had obstructed their path. Sometimes they are too slow and they need to be waited upon. Without proper guidance they may be lead astray into the thick brush where prickly ash and poison ivy lay waiting. That is why the greater body of people in the middle must bridge the gap between the front and the back and essentially tie them together.

PUBLISHERS NOTE: In February the Two Row Times expanded its distribution to send 12,500 copies to over 300 locations in Northern First Nations communities. As some of you may have seen or heard, a portion of those papers found their way into the Six Nations landfill site. There was a serious communications error and the papers were not returned to us for redistribution in other communities. The Two Row Times takes full responsibility for this matter and will ensure that it will not happen again. The papers have now been taken to a recycling facility.

can use to support their continuous programs. Free stores and Trash to Treasure meets are events; sustainable communities support the charity stores which retrain, support, hire and build skills among the marginalized. Reusing is clearly better than recycling, saving materials and energy as well as building community. Waste diversion is a second option. The collection of scrap metal, electronic waste and vehicle batteries keeps contaminants out of dumps. Better still than diversion is aversion. Why would you have that garbage at all? Do you need that plastic bag, that Styrofoam clamshell with leftover food, that composite material when a reusable cloth bag, a sealable container or a travel mug would do? Do you need to expand your closet for

all the clothing you’ve bought? Though they might have been cheap at the store, they are actually ruinously expensive to the environment when you consider the transportation, the exploitation of the workers who made them or the hideous profits of the transnational corporations who have profited by your purchase. Poor old Sweden is suffering – from a garbage shortage! No, don’t out of sympathy ship our trash to them. That would burn fossil fuel, contribute to environmental damage and climate change. Instead, we should imitate their model. Let’s refuse the refuse. Retail stores can be told to keep the blister pack, the extra packaging and the extraneous plastic. Manufacturers can get the message from you that you’d rather buy hardware in bulk – that as much as

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you like popping the bubble-wrap, you’ll have recycled cardboard packaging where absolutely necessary, please and thanks. So, it’s not rocket science – and I beg the indulgence of all of those who think we should alternatively colonize Mars because we’ve made such of this planet, or that we should project our garbage into space and live happily while trashing Mother Earth. Zero waste is an achievable goal. To get there, communities need to develop an aversion to garbage, to divert garbage, to think deeply about following generations and to value the places we live. Bryan Smith is the chair of the Oxford Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at bryasmit@oxford.net.

B O A R D

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Shelter Relief Counsellor

Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Services $15/hr April 1, 2015 Ohsweken Right To Play Community Mentor Hamilton Regional Indian Centre $40,000 - $45,000 April 2, 2015 Youth In Transition Worker Hamilton Regional Indian Centre TBD April 2, 2015 Community Health Representative Munsee-Delaware Nation, Muncey TBD April 3, 2015 Teacher Nimkee Healing Centre, Muncey TBD April 3, 2015 Community Health Worker Anishnawbe Health Toronto TBD April 6, 2015 Creative Production Assistant HarbourFront Centre, Toronto TBD April 7, 2015 Employment Support Assistant Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation TBD April 8, 2015 @ Noon Gym / Weight Room Worker Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation TBD April 8, 2015 @ Noon Licensed Security Guard Oneida Nation of the Thames TBD April 9, 2015 Canada Prenatal Nutrition Niagara Regional Native Centre TBD April 10, 2015 Program Assistant Literacy Assistant Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre TBD April 17 @ 3pm

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Accounts Receivable Clerk Personal Support Worker Personal Support Worker Secretary to The Manager Chiefswood Park Attendant

Public Works Iroquois Lodge Iroquois Lodge Child & Family Services Parks and Recreation

Job descriptions are available at GREAT Weekdays... Monday through Friday from 8:30 - 4:30 pm 16 Sunrise Court, Ohsweken

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Contract (6 months) TBD April 1, 2015 Contract ( Mat Leave ) $15.45 April 8, 2015 Casual Contract ( 1 Year ) $15.45 April 8, 2015 Contract (One Year) $14.52/hr April 15, 2015 Contract (Apr – Oct) $13/hr April 15, 2015 Phone: 519.445.2222 • Fax: 519-445-4777 Toll Free: 1.888.218.8230 www.greatsn.com

TWO ROW TIMES

APRIL 1ST, 2015

Liberal ‘Day of Engagement’ sees and hears issues first-hand By Laurel Curley

OHSWEKEN – Brant Liberal candidate Danielle Takacs had a day of engagement with Six Nations and New Credit on Thursday, March 19, aiming to help draw wider attention to our concerns. Takacs believes that, “Any policies to help First Nations people must be informed by their perspectives and adopted in collaboration with them.” “I wanted to make sure a wide section of Liberal politicians and officials hear local First Nations’ perspectives firsthand so they can inform our policies in government,” she said. “Our government must adopt a more respectful and collaborative relationship with the people of Six Nations and New Credit. I am absolutely committed to ensuring this occurs.” To begin doing this, she invited Liberal Aboriginal Affairs Critic and MP Carolyn Bennett, and Liberal candidates Karina Gould (Burlington), Katie Omstead (Chatham), Jennifer Stebbing (Flambor-

ough), and Filomena Tassi (Hamilton West) as well as Lynn Steele, President of the Ontario Women’s Liberal Commission. The day included tours of the Reserve and some relevant program and service areas in Brantford, followed by invited community member presentations in the GREAT theatre. The presentations, which were open to the public, were intended to be a learning experience for those in attendance. Brandi Martin spoke about transportation in our community, stating that, “Research shows a lack of transportation results in barriers to employment and academic pursuits. Even day-to-day activities like shopping, visiting, medical and dental appointments can seem impossible when you don’t have a ride.” “Poverty plays a huge role in transportation difficulties which can lead to problems with other things like the judicial system. Without a way to get to off-reserve courts, people with court dates can get

in a lot of trouble. This impacts our people in a lot of ways, so we can’t do what we need to do to look after our families” she said. Kahsenniyo Tahnee Williams spoke passionately on youth issues, reciting a poem she’d written about the ongoing difficulties faced by our women and children. “As a mother, as a woman, it’s my responsibility to help our kids, whether they’re my own or not. The things our youth face, if we had to walk a day in their shoes, most of us couldn’t,” said Williams. “If one’s not doing well, we’re all not doing well.” Williams also stated, “The issues they deal with on a daily basis, things like bullying, violence, and abusive relationships, molestation, alcohol and drugs in the community, are in addition to straight up bullying, prejudice and racism in their school lives on and off reserve. As adults, we’ve got to get our heads out of the sand and help them.” Claudine Albert spoke about federal underfunding of education for aborig-

Mohawk Workers host turkey shoot

Community members discussed issues with Danielle Takacs during a recent tour of Six Nations. PHOTO BY LAUREL CURLEY inal students. She asked the Liberal candidates, “Are you going to speak for our children? The way our kids talk about their lives, it breaks our hearts. When you go to Ottawa, speak for our children and you’ll be speaking for the future of First Nations communities.” Regarding land rights, Phil Monture said, “Six Nations doesn’t fit in Canada’s policies of extinguishment or extermination. The Liberals will have a chance to address our issues. Lands and justice, that’s what we expect from you.” Charlie, a community

member, spoke of issues faced by our older people. He said, “I spoke with an Elder who fought in two wars and was shot many times. He read about Post Traumatic Stress and said that now he understands why our people are so messed up.” He urged the candidates to “Do right. Uphold the Two Row Wampum Treaty for peaceful co-existence and honour the Silver Covenant Chain to ensure continued communication and understanding.” Chief Ava Hill reminded the candidates they came to the community wanting to know how they could help. She said, “We’ve got a whole list of issues

here. We’re constantly having to deal with legislation being passed without our input. With education, our post-secondary office had to turn away 400 kids who wanted to go to school because the federal government won’t provide enough resources for education even though it’s a federal responsibility.” She identified issues with health care, child welfare, safe water treatment, infrastructure needs such as housing, roads and bridges, land rights, policing and fire services. She said, “The government continues to cut back on funding. It enables bills to consult with us, then they don’t even.” Hill cited Bill C-10 as an example, saying, “It criminalizes community people in the tobacco industry, but that industry created an economy here and made jobs for people in our community.” The Liberal candidates in attendance listened respectfully, were attentive and clearly interested in helping. The day of engagement ended on an optimistic note with an air of friendly cooperation.

Tuesday , May 5, 2015 5:00 - 7:00 pm Six Nations Child & Family Services 15 Sunrise Crt., Ohsweken, ON Interactive Booths, Face Painting, Stilt Walker & Balloon Artist

Food, Fun and Activities for the entire FAMILY For Questions: 519-445-0408

The Mohawk Workers hosted a bow and arrow Turkey Shoot at the Kanata Village in Brantford, which was well attended by archers from the area and a few from other territories. The event included a great meal and some good fellowship. Proceeds went towards the maintenance and upkeep of the former Kanata Village Museum site located on the original site of the Grand River Mohawk Territory, established in 1784 by Joseph Brant. PHOTO BY JIM WINDLE

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