Angry in the Great White North
Gambling profits and paramilitary parades
Monday, June 26, 2006 at 10:18 AM

Read other posts by Steve Janke published by the National Post
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From the Hamilton Spectator (June 8):

First Nations chiefs from across Ontario pledged their support to Caledonia protesters yesterday, and warned governments to expect more occupations if native land claims aren't settled.

The 100 chiefs arrived at Douglas Creek Estates on the eve of today's 100th day of the occupation.

They were bused in to provide moral support to protesters and to urge the federal and provincial governments to exercise caution.

Chiefs took turns issuing veiled threats of violence. However, the presence of the Chiefs was a coincidence:

The Caledonia dispute wasn't on the chiefs' agenda, but their hosts invited the delegates to visit the site. They were driven there in two large passenger buses.

With a colour party of flag bearers in military fatigues, the Ontario chiefs were led across the survey to the entrance of Douglas Creek Estates, for the impromptu press conference.

So what were the Chiefs doing on this reserve at this time if it was not to take part in paramilitary parades?

The Ontario chiefs had been attending a two-day conference at the Six Nations reserve, where they discussed the distribution of proceeds from Casino Rama.

Casino Rama is the Native-owned and -operated commercial casino near Orillia, Ontario.

The distribution of the proceeds to First Nations people is managed by the Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership. I saw a familiar name on the list of directors of the OFNLP:

Steve Williams --- Independent Director, Vice President

Steve Williams is also the name of the former chief of the Six Nations. That Steve Williams was also a member the Six Nations Council Gaming Commission, until he was fired for help business partners Ken Hill, Jerry Montour, and Art Montour set up an internet gaming licensing enterprise running out of the offices of their cigarette firm, Grand River Enterprises, behind the back of the Council firmly in opposition of the legally questionable operation.

I can't be sure it is the same Steve Williams, but my gut tells me it is. So on June 8, the chiefs come to discuss splitting up gambling profits. Coincidently they take a tour of the land the Ontario government is about to buy for the Six Nations as a response to violent protests and barricades. The vice president of the partnership in charge of managing those profits the chiefs were discussing just happens to be one of the main backers of having gambling on the Six Nations reserve. His business partner, also part of the same pro-gambling team, is on the barricades and gets arrested for assault, defending the land claim that was the subject of the chiefs' military parade.

But maybe it's all just a coincidence.

Just one more thing. The Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership has its address in Hagersville, Ontario. You might think they would be located near Casino Rama, near Orillia. But Orillia is almost three hours away. Find Hagersville on the map, and you find yet another amazing coincidence. Both Caledonia and Hagersville are on the borders of the Six Nations Reserve. It's about a 15 minute drive Route 6 to Caledonia from Hagersville -- a mere 10 miles apart. Hagersville butts up the southern corner of the reserve, while Caledonia butts up against the north-east corner. That's why I think we're dealing with the same Steve Williams. And that's another reason to wonder just how much gambling interests are connected to the events in and around the Six Nations reserve.

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