Six Nations Public library - Digital Archive

"Highway #6 demonstration ends peacefully", p. 2

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Highway #6 story from page 4 ...demonstration. "What you should be doing is supporting everything we are doing there instead of coming here to try and lay some charges," he said. "Go ahead. Lay all the charges you want against me. My name is Bill Monture. That is my English name. My traditional name is Karihwa­noron. Take that to your leader, but this highway is staying shut down today and tomorrow. End of discussion." After attempting to serve papers on Monture, who refused them, the OPP pulled back from the intersection and set up roadblocks further down Highway #6 in both directions to divert traffic. There were no attempts made by the OPP to clear the roadway by force and as the demonstration continued into the night, the only contact police made was to ensure the protesters that they would be on hand should they be needed. Some had anticipated possible backlash from a certain element of Caledonia citizens who have been provoking the peace at the former Douglas Creek Estates lands, located just down the highway from the road block. Fortunately, there was no such negative response. "We ended it at around 5 pm Sunday to attend a vigil that was being held at Veteran's Park," said Men's Fire member Lester Green. "We made our point and the response was overwhelming." Traffic was not entirely closed at the intersection. Motorists were allowed through coming from 4th Line Road where the Men's Fire handed out flyers explaining the action and the need for a national inquiry to more than 1,400, mostly non-Native, travellers. Amongst those standing in support of the missing and murdered women were Six Nations lawyer and former president of the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) Bev Jacobs and her niece, Kaweryne. "Non-Indigenous people don't understand," she said. "I am angry; I'm pissed off that we have to keep doing this to get care. That's what I want. I want people to care about what is happening to our women." Jacobs has been trying every possible diplomatic means of bringing this issue to the attention of mainstream Canada since 2002. "I see movement at the grassroots with things like this (blockade), taking action at the community level, taking the responsibility to organize," she said. "But at the government level, it just keeps getting worse. It is producing nothing when all they want to do is sweep it aside. It creates animosity and continues the mistrust. I thin k they need to step up to the plate and I'm hopeful, with the election, the Liberals can get back in. I don't know. They may at least try. But we just continue to wait. For me, I'm not going to wait for the government, I'm not going to wait for the ones who make decisions." Her personal push for an inquiry started when she wrote a 2002 report for the Native Women's Association of Canada for the United Nation Special Rapporteur on Indigenous people's rights and freedoms. Jacobs became president of NWAC in 2004 where she served until retiring from her post in 2009. "I think Stephen Harper is a liar," she said candidly. "I have sat side by side with him and I was not comfortable even standing beside him. I don't trust him. I don't think he has an understanding of the history of our people and I don't think he wants to." Jacobs came in support of the Men's Fire and those who took part in the demonstration. The blockade was to have remained in place until 9 pm, Sunday, but was voluntarily removed early, opening the highway to regular traffic at around 5 pm. The Men's Fire thanks those businesses and residents along Fourth Line Road and the affected area on Highway #6 for their patience and understanding.

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