The 1784 Haldimand Proclamation was a decree that guaranteed the Haudenosaunee of Six Nations a tract of land in Ontario as compensation for the alliance established with the British during the American Revolution. This granted land extended from Lake Erie all the way down to the Grand River in southwestern Ontario. However, much of this promised land was stolen back immediately and was no longer under Indigenous control due to disputes over land rights with the Crown and, later, the Canadian government. Over 230 years later, the Haudenosaunee are fighting to protect their sovereignty over the last remaining parcel of land in Caledonia, a city only an hour away from the University of Toronto St. George Campus.
Demonstrators from Six Nations have been occupying McKenzie Meadows, a residential development site, since July 19, 2020 in an attempt to stop Canadian construction on unceded native land. Protestors renamed the encampment “1492 Land Back Lane” and created a corresponding Facebook page to share updates and spread awareness.
The demonstrations were peaceful until recent violent clashes with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), began in August. Demonstrations on the campsite consisted of concerts, potlucks, and lacrosse games to unite people across Ontario and Canada in helping to protect the sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee. The peaceful resistance of Six Nations Land Defenders was met with harsh criticism from those in power.
Haldimand County Mayor Ken Hewitt views 1492 Land Back Lane as an “illegal occupation” and has urged the OPP to take measures against protestors and the barriers set up across the camp. The Ontario Superior Court issued injunctions which demanded that demonstrators leave the area immediately. Many demonstrators view these injunctions as justification of modern-day colonial mechanisms. Since August 5th, the OPP have arrested and charged over 17 people for disobeying court orders and mischief.
Among the 17 arrested was Indigenous journalist Karl Dockstader, the co-host of the radio show One Dish, One Mic on 610 CKTB. Dockstader spent time on the campsite to report on the demonstrations. After he shared a video of the escalating situation onto social media, the OPP arrested Dockstader and banned him from ever returning to the area, despite being a member of the press.
Courtney Skye, a Six Nations research fellow at Ryerson University was also arrested on similar charges to Dockstader. Skye was present on the site to conduct research, as her main study focus is on injunctions and land claims. During her short time researching on site, she distributed food to the demonstrators staying at the camp. She was then promptly arrested on her drive home. Skye’s identity as a researcher was also silenced by the OPP and her release depended on one condition: she never sets foot on the land ever again.
Skyler Williams, a spokesperson for the demonstrators, expressed his concerns for the increasing number of officers closing in on the area. During an interview with CBC, Williams stated, “We urge the OPP to grant us time to engage in traditional decision making and decrease their police presence in the area to allow for a peaceful resolution that is productive for our community and Canadians”.
In a reactionary statement, Hewitt, who’s “tired of hearing about stolen land,” stated that it is insulting for demonstrators to label their movement as peaceful. Following violent clashes with the OPP, demonstrators set up blockades on several roads, blocking some residents from moving around. Residents recently complained to the Hamilton Spectator that they are subjected to “domestic terrorism” each year from these movements.
For months now, the Haudenosaunee have been fighting for their autonomy from an active occupation attempt in Caledonia. Canada’s colonial history is certainly not a thing of the past; it unequivocally remains as a thing of the present. The reactions from residents, the OPP, and the mayor to the peaceful gatherings of Six Nations on 1492 Land Back Lane prove that racism still exists at the core of this country. The unlawful arrests of Indigenous journalists and academics undermines Indigenous livelihoods everywhere, including the livelihoods of Indigenous students at UofT and other academic institutions. Without opposition from all levels of society against the actions of the OPP and the Ontario Superior Court towards Six Nations demonstrators, Karl Dockstader, and Courtney Skye, it becomes acceptable to silence the voices of Indigenous professionals and academics for resisting injustice.
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