One native to another: Get off my land!
A bizarre story concerning last night's fire in Caledonia. It is alleged that it was set on purpose, by an angry native being told by another native that he had to move out.
You reap what you sow.
One day after we heard that there were intentions to finish some of the unfinished homes on the reclamation site in Caledonia, trouble has found its way back to the disputed territory. A fire was set in one of the homes, allegedly by someone who was staying in the home, after they were asked to leave so that the house could be worked on. The person that was staying there said that they had been staying there from the start and that it was their home. They also said that they would set it on fire if they were forced to leave.
Three people from the site had to be treated for smoke inhalation after they attempted to put the blaze out themselves. Minimal damage was done to the building and the person that is alleged to have set the blaze fled the scene.
Police were not allowed on the property so it’s not known whether or not anyone was apprehended. Six Nations firefighters were allowed on the property to extinguish the fire.
Is that irony I smell mixed in with the smell of smoke? I guess when you throw away the rule of law, you had better be prepared to live with the consequences, especially if you are the poor sod tasked to get people to follow new instructions.
Let's assume the report is accurate. If so, I have a message for one of the persons involved.
To the person who asked the firebug to leave, what has happened is that person did not recognize your authority to ask him to do anything. You might work with the Six Nations Confederacy, you might have a napkin bearing the autograph of every Clan Mother, you might wield Hiawatha's very own sandal as a symbol of your authority -- it doesn't matter unless you are willing to force others to listen to you, and the majority of the others recognize that you are the sole agent allowed to use force to compel obedience.
It's called the monopoly on violence.
That person did not recognize your authority, so he burned the house and injured a number of people rather than submit.
You have a situation in which you and your compatriots each believes he is a power unto himself. The Clan Mothers, the Confederacy, the Council, the Chiefs, the Mohawk Warriors, every Tom, Dick, and Harry -- each thinks he is in charge and doesn't have to listen to anyone else. Not to the Ontario government, not to the Council, not the Clan Mothers, not to each other.
And especially not to you.
It's the situation you yourself created.
And if this sort of thing keeps happening, that is if you, whoever you are and whoever you represent, can't manage to do something as simple as asking someone to move from one unfinished house to another without the whole place going up in smoke and people being sent to hospital, no one is going to recognize your claim to that land. The reason is simple -- you have not been able to establish that you are the true governing authority. And while that vacuum exists, this dispute will continue.
Until someone fills in the vacuum, of course. If you are not up to the job and the chaos escalates, don't be surprised if the government steps in. And then you will have lost, ironically because you thought throwing the law out the window was going to help your cause.
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Hobbes said: "Contracts without the sword are made in vain."
(Oh, as a side-note, wielding Hiawatha's slipper may or may not be good enough to get people to yield their authority to you. It depends on what everyone else thinks, and what role the slipper plays in their talk of power. Sometimes symbols are sufficient to generate compliance, even without the literal sword.)
Posted by: Peter Jaworski at August 31, 2006 03:33 PM
If you fly with the crows you get shot with the crows
Posted by: ian at August 31, 2006 06:50 PM
Well said Steve.
The airy fairy assertions of the various and sundry leftoids that the first nations/clan mothers/heriditary chiefs will govern justly and peacefully is a crock of shit.
Anyone who has spent any time on the rez recognizes that nepotism, clanism and personal politics are the order of the day.
But I suppose these are just bad habits they picked up from whitey.
I'm sure if we just give them all the money, land and autonomy they want all will be utopic.
cough...cough
syncro
Posted by: Syncrodox at August 31, 2006 06:57 PM
Very well said, Steve, and with authority... ;-)
'Reminds me of Frankenstein's monster. You create it, and it turns on you, and there ain't nothing you can do about it--because you flicked your finger at rules, regulations, and restrictions, for the protective good of everyone, and now there are no rules, regulations, or restrictions protecting you.
What goes around comes around--and it didn't take long, did it? More chaos to come, I can just feel it.
Posted by: 'been around the block at August 31, 2006 07:05 PM
Peter do you mean like the swastika? Or the burning cross? Maybe draping yourself with bedsheets...?... no? Doesn't qualify?
Posted by: at September 1, 2006 01:01 AM
Just a little point I want to make.
I believe a big problem with what is going on in Canada in regards to the natives and everyone else is – knowledge and information. That is why I think sites like Caledoniawakeupcall.com are need and hope to see more sites like theirs soon popping up.
The truth is that the natives are going to have to learn to live without having the government of Canada paying their way all the way. As more people take notice to what is happening, the more scrutiny the Canadian government will come under by the other 30+ million people inside the wonderful country.
The Tides Of Change Are Upon Us!! Try to ignore the movement started and it will be thrown back up at you, try to crush it and the stronger it will become. The people of Canada are saying STOP to the government and treat these people (natives) just like any other Canadian. Then the movement towards peace will come over the land as all are equal and treated fairly. One step at a time and we'll all start moving towards a better path.
Posted by: True Canadian at September 1, 2006 10:17 AM
Nice plug for your site True Canadian surprised you aren't begging for money like they do on wakeupcall so that they can continuously sit on their asses and run the tabloid full time. I take my hat of to Steve at least he allows you to respond for all to see despite your political preferences and does not hid behind the control of editing e-mail. Open blog that is the way to go, one sided tabloid spew...no.
Posted by: at September 1, 2006 08:55 PM
I agree that free and open bloging is a good thing. Now if you go to caledoniawakeupcall.com and scroll down you’ll see that they show many views from the natives and have links to the native news groups. You talk about asking for money, well I am sure that you dare not forget about the billions we give the natives to do nothing. The two people working day and night on caledoniawakeupcall.com had put their own jobs at risk to bring the true story to the forefront as I am sure you have noticed the media groups seem not to be able to get it right.
As for my political views, they are mine as yours are yours! That’s why we have here in Canada ‘freedom of speech’. The natives and the government of Canada need a wake up call and to start working together instead of a big game of tug-a-war. The natives need to stop trying to claim all or majority of Canada and the government needs to come up with a better plan on getting them off the funding programs and using the billions of dollars for a better use that benefits all Canadians.
Posted by: True Canadian at September 4, 2006 11:57 AM
Oh by the way I don't own or have any relation to caledoniawakeupcall.com!! I just support people who are willing to stand up and speak up against the government and a group of people acting unlawfully. That's it.
Posted by: True Canadian at September 4, 2006 12:00 PM
 
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