Ontario: Six Nations being targeted by OPP

On this day in 1877 Crazy Horse was killed. After he had been arrested for leading the rebellion of the Lakota against the United States government, he was taken into a dark building and bayoneted while still tied up. Now years later First Nations on both sides of the border are still treated without dignity and respect. It can be shown by the disregard when Aboriginal womyn go missing, or in the sad state of reservations or, through police violence.

Here in Ontario, the Six Nations are the most systematically targeted group. For the past few years in Caledonia blockades have gone on and off the most extreme of which in 2006. The most recent set of attacks by Ontario Provincial Police happened over the weekend. According to Mohawk Nation News:

[Sunday], a man was grabbed by the cops from his van and held incommunicado for hours. His 14 and 16 year old sons were arrested. The cops ransacked another van looking for something to charge the driver with. Eventually they charged him for driving without a license. Two more youths were arrested. None of the parents were allowed to speak to their children.

Today, at 7:00 am. Labor Day, the OPP raided the demonstration at the illegal construction site of the Irish company, Kingspan. This had been shut down by Six Nations defenders. Two more youths were arrested, according to sporadic reports.

These blockades result in three groups on the highway, the Six Nations blocking the section on their land, Ontario Provincial Police surrounding them and, on the other side caucasian Caledonian residents. In the past this has resulted in a lot of violence being committed by the OPP on the Six Nations as well as, increasing racism from Caledonian residents.

As we saw the brutal violence by police on demonstrators in St. Paul this past week, we forget that, that type of police brutality occurs in Canada as well. However, it is targeted at those who are already disadvantaged like the homeless, poor, and sexual or racial minorities. The worst of which First Nations experience. As is stated in the article:

Canada must start listening to our legal reasoning. The violence against Indigenous peoples has got to stop. We know what’s right and wrong. The more they beat us, the more they make it clear that they are wrong.

The Six Nations want to take these claims to a true court of law. The truth of the matter is though in international law the Six Nations would win. The Government of Ontario and despite the residential schools apology neither does the Government of Canada.