"Woman Calling for Brantford Shopping Boycott"

A local woman is calling on Six Nations people to stop shopping in the city of Brantford.

Terrylyn Brant said she is disappointed the city is going after the community's "land defenders" for defending Six Nations land in the city.

An Ontario Superior court awarded Brantford $350,000 in costs related to an interlocutory injunction and protests in 2007 and 2008.

The protests drew attention to the city developing unceded Six Nations lands.

"The mayor (Chris Friel) knows that's Six Nation land. The people of the city know it. This is not the way you treat friends".

According to a 2009 Six Nations Economic Leakage study, the community spends more than $207 million a year in outside communities, the majority in Brantford.

"If they think they can take $350,000 from our people we can do the same to them," said Terrylyn Brant, boycott organizer.

Brant hopes to show how much Six Nations puts into surrounding, local economies like Brantford -and she's going to prove it to them with receipts.

Brant is encouraging all shopping be done outside of Brantford, and after, to keep those receipts as proof. "I want people to consciously stop going to Brantford to shop," she said.

The boycott is still in beginning stages and Brant is seeking not only volunteers but shop owners on Six Nations willing to function as receipt drop offs.

"We're taking $350,000 out of the city economically," she said. Brant is also collecting receipts through the mail at 1946 Third Line Road.

After $350,000 in receipts is collected, Brant will find an appropriate venue at which to present them to Brantford; possibly Brantford City Council or their chamber of commerce.

Brant is aiming to collect $350,000 in receipts by summer time, July 2013.

A group of Six Nations people including HDI lawyer Aaron Detlor, and interim director Hazel Hill have been ordered to pay the costs in 30 days.

"This is $350,000 from land defenders. That's the people, not government, or politicians. That's the people."

Brant said the days of having to rely exclusively on Brantford are long gone.

We used to "horse and buggy" up to Brantford and that's all there was, she said. "Now we don't need to - there's places of equal distance, like Ancaster and Simcoe. We have a selection without the subtle racism we still receive."