"Canada": The Name of an Invasion

Assaulting Mohawks on their Land

On April 20, 2006, near Caledonia, Ontario, a force of heavily armed police invaded lands belonging to the Six Nations Mohawks who were peacefully demonstrating in defense of their legal land rights and against the invasion of a private company, Henco Industries, which claimed to have legally purchased the land in order to build another tribute to Western civilization: 250 condominiums at Douglas Creek Estates. Faced with unarmed prostesters, police pointed automatic assault rifles mere inches from the faces of the prostesters.

For weeks prior to this assault, Mohawk spokespersons had warned of this possibility, given their intimate knowledge of how different arms of the state are quick to respond with violence against any demonstration by First Nations in Canada. The Montreal Gazette, in a shameless editorial of April 21, was quick to denounce not the use of illegitimate and immoral force by the state, but the Six Nations demonstrators who were occupying their own lands. Likening the traditional owners of the land to thugs and criminals, the "newspaper," owned by one of Canada's largest media congolmerates, did not hesitate to proclaim the Mohawk hold on their own lands as illegal, and also complained about the overly generous nature of court judgments on native land title cases, when it is widely acknowledged that such cases, when successful, are resolved in a little over a generation, at the soonest.

On behalf of the members of the editorial board of the Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink (www.centrelink.org), a small working group of indigenous and non-indigenous scholars and activists, I am writing to express our unqualified support for the Six Nations demonstrators protecting their lands in Caledonia, Ontario, and to ensure that we help to get the word out, further afield, amongst our Caribbean and Central American partners, so that the world is reminded of the anti-indigenous injustices perpetrated by a Canadian state which still seems intent on conquering indigenous territory on the behalf of capitalist corporate interests.

It is not with shock or surpise, but grief, that we witness the forces arrayed against the Six Nations: the forces of state-sanctioned violence, media disinformation, internal collaborators and racist attitudes that continue to be exhibited by both the Euro-Canadian residents of Caledonia and, unfortunately, across Canada. It seems that many of the colonial residents have resented the Mohawk presence as a nuisance--"the Indians are in our way", "they ['the Indians'] are disrupting our lifestyle" (this is a statement rich in ironies), or, "this needs to be over", without bothering to reflect for a moment on the foundations or effects of their presence in someone else's home.

The land in question (a question more for the imperial authorities) belongs to the Mohawks. They never "lost" it and they never gave it up. As they have explained time and again, this land is under the protection and jurisdiction of the women, according to Wampum #44 of the Kaianereh'ko:wa. The Women, hold the land in trust for their future generations. No alienation is legally valid. They filed this objection with the Crown and others. Moreover, the British Crown made a commitment to the Mohawks in 1784 when General Haldimand promised to protect their right to occupy a stretch of land for six miles wide on both sides of the Grand River from its mouth to its source. This includes 800 square miles of every body of water within the Beaver Hunting Grounds for natives to hunt, fish, trap and collect medicines for all time to come. Since then the British government and its colonial agents did not keep their word. Most of their land has been stolen through illegal transfers and squatting.

This is a situation that is all too familiar, and painful, to many indigenous communities in the Caribbean who retain not a stitch of land to which they have recognized rights. As a direct descendant of Caribbean slaves, who should be painfully aware of the miseries wrought by oppressive colonial regimes, the Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean, should be speaking out on this issue forcefully. As a Haitian, and official head of state of Canada, chief representative of the British Crown which was party to the original commitment of 1784, her continued silence on this issue shows moral weakness and an abdication of legal responsibility. When the Canadian fish starts to rot from the head down, nobody should complain about the stink that ensues.

We would like to affirm our support for the courage of the Six Nations in defending their territory against further armed and illegal invasion. We call on the Canadian state, at all levels, to avoid any further violent assaults. As for corporate and other squatters, we ask that they withdraw from indigenous territory. To those Canadian citizens who continue complaining about, ridiculing, and insulting the traditional owners of the land on which they erected their homes, we pray that they will achieve their own decolonization and reformation before it is too late. We are all watching and we all have long memories.

Readers, please send your objections to: Henco Industries Ltd., Fax (519) 442-3461; City of
Brantford: Fax (519) 759-7840 mhancock@brantford.ca; Corporation of Haldimand County: Fax (905) 772-2148 mayor@haldimandcounty.on.ca; Oxford County info@city.woodstock.on.ca; Onondaga: Customer Service Fax (519) 758-1619; South Dumfries: Customer Service Fax (519) 448-3105; Dufferin County: Fax (519) 941-2816 warden@dufferincounty.on.ca; Kent County, Michigan: Mike Cox, Attorney General Fax: (517) 373-3042; Waterloo: sken@region.waterloo.on.ca; Innisfil: bjackson@barint.on.ca; Attorney General: Fax (416) 326-4007 Media Relations Brendan.Crawley@jus.gov.on.ca ; Governor General: Michaelle Jean Fax (613) 998-1664 E-mail: info@gg.ca; Chinese Consulate in Toronto Fax: (416) 324-6468; Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace; Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty Dalton.McGuinty@premier.gov.on.ca; Canadian Prime Minister Hon. Stephen Harper, pm@pm.gc.ca.

For more information, and to receive regular updates on the situation, contact:
Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
Kahentinetha2@yahoo.com

New Book on the Amerindians of French Guiana

Editions Chandeigne
10 rue Tournefort – 75005 - Paris
Tél : 01 43 36 34 37 - Fax. : 01 43 36 78 47
www.editions-chandeigne.com

sortie le 14 avril 2006

LES INDIENS DE LA SINNAMARY
Journal du père Jean de la Mousse en Guyane (1684-1691)

Introduction, transcription & notes de Gérard Collomb

Le père jésuite Jean de la Mousse arrive à Cayenne en 1684 comme missionnaire, quelques décennies après l’installation définitive des Français en Guyane. Pendant une dizaine d’années, il parcourt les villages sur la côte pour entreprendre l’évangélisation des « Sauvages », dont il apprend la langue. Chargé de la conversion des esclaves africains de l’île de Cayenne, il est le témoin de la naissance d’une colonie qui prend forme sous ses yeux. Avec lui s’ouvre véritablement en Guyane l’entreprise missionnaire jésuite auprès des Noirs et surtout auprès des Indigènes, qui se développera quelques années après sa mort avec la création des missions de Kourou et de Sinnamary. Son Journal, qui relate également le voyage qu’il effectue aux Antilles et aux îles du Cap-Vert, est aussi un regard inédit sur l’histoire de la traite des esclaves, objet d’une concurrence entre les puissances coloniales européennes.

Relié
Collection Magellane – 320 p., 25 € - isbn : 2-915540-09-8
diffusion & distribution : Belles Lettres
Editions Chandeigne
10 rue Tournefort – 75005 - Paris
Tél : 01 43 36 34 37 - Fax. : 01 43 36 78 47
www.editions-chandeigne.com

sortie le 14 avril 2006

Le père jésuite Jean de la Mousse est né le 30 novembre 1650, d’une vieille famille de la petite noblesse bourbonnaise.. Il est ordonné prêtre en 1682, puis part pour Cayenne en 1684 comme missionnaire, quelques décennies après l’installation définitive des Français. Il séjournera en Guyane pendant une quinzaine d’années. Il revient en France en 1698, malade, et meurt au collège jésuite de Moulins le 3 février 1699, âgé de quarante huit ans.

Pendant une dizaine d’années, il parcourt les villages sur la côte de Guyane pour entreprendre l’évangélisation des « Sauvages », dont il apprend la langue. Chargé de la conversion des esclaves africains de l’île de Cayenne, il est le témoin de la naissance d’une colonie : avec lui s’ouvre véritablement en Guyane l’entreprise missionnaire jésuite auprès des Noirs et surtout auprès des Indigènes, qui se développera quelques années après sa mort avec la création des missions de Kourou et de Sinnamary.

Son Journal, qui relate également le voyage qu’il effectue aux Antilles et aux îles du Cap-Vert, est aussi un regard inédit sur l’histoire de la traite des esclaves, objet d’une concurrence entre les puissances coloniales.

Jean de la Mousse a été un fin observateur du monde amérindien dans lequel, peu à peu, il lui a fallu apprendre à vivre, et sur lequel il a jeté un regard sensible, curieux. Nombre de ses observations sur la culture Galibi, tout comme celles que livrent à la même époque un Antoine Biet (1664) ou un Jean Chrétien (1718), sont proches des ethnographies plus récentes. Elles apportent un éclairage passionnant sur un univers indigène encore peu éloigné du monde précolombien, qui est certes déjà profondément marqué par l’Europe et par le fait colonial mais qui ne s’est véritablement transformé que brutalement et, somme toute, assez récemment.

Bien différent des textes calibrés et convenus des Lettres édifiantes et curieuses qui accueilleront au XVIIIe siècle les écrits d’autres pères de Guyane, le récit de Jean de la Mousse, dont nous proposons ici la première édition, est un témoignage qui fait droit à l’émotion et à une soif de connaître véritablement moderne, dessinant l’image d’un humaniste qui excuse plus qu’il ne condamne, et qui s’efforce de comprendre plus qu’il ne juge.

Gérard Collomb est anthropologue, membre de l'équipe Enseignement et Recherche en Ethnologie Amérindienne du CNRS. Depuis plusieurs années, il conduit des recherches sur l'histoire des sociétés amérindiennes des Guyanes, et sur les transformations sociales, culturelles, politiques dans lesquelles elles sont aujourd'hui entraînées. Il a publié de nombreux articles, notamment dans le Journal de la Société des Américanistes, Recherches amérindiennes au Québec, Ethnologie Française et Socio-Anthropologie. Il est l'auteur, avec Félix Tiouka, de Na'na Kali'na, Une histoire des amérindiens kali'na en Guyane, paru en 2000 aux Editions Ibis Rouge.

New Book on Taino Culture

From Sebastián Robiou-Lamarche:

Me permito informarle la publicación de mi libro Mitología y Religión de los Taínos (ISBN 0-9746236-4-4, 100 + xiv p., ilustrado) con presentación del Dr. José Juan Arrom. $20.00 con gastos de envio a USA. El libro comienza a circular en Puerto Rico. Agradecemos su difusión.

Sebastián Robiou-Lamarche,
Editorial Punto y Coma,
P.O. 19802,
San Juan,
Puerto Rico,
00910.

Dr. Roi Kwabena: Indigenous and African Heritages

Introducing you to a friend of the CAC:

Dr. Roi Ankhkara Kwabena was born in the Caribbean island of Trinidad. He is a cultural anthropologist who has worked with all age ranges in Europe, Africa, Latin-America and the Caribbean for over thirty years. His positive cultural advocacy has engaged him in a variety of specialist projects addressing wide ranging issues such as functional and cultural literacy, therapeutic harvesting of memories by elders and young people (including cross generational dialogue) anti-racism, community cohesion, social inclusion, cultural diversity, redefining the heritages of indigenous peoples plus confidence building for prisoners, excluded and traumatized students, refugees, etc. Dr. Kwabena is renown for using critical analysis to examine the historical roots of racism and to assess the direct relevance this has on our lives today. Dr. Kwabena is also the editor of the journal Dialogue. That journal specifically addresses issues relating to indigenous cultures and their impact on the post modern world. He maintains a varierty of websites which can be found at:

http://nefertamu.tripod.com

http://www.ankhkara.blogspot.com

http://www.roikwabena.blogspot.com

http://www.roikwapoetry.blogspot.com

http://www.lulu.com/roikwabena

Dominica: More on the Dissolution of the Carib Council

According to an item posted by the Dominica Broadcasting Service on Dominica's news website at http://www.news-dominica.com/flashnews/datelistqry.cfm, dated 12 April 2006, the Government of Dominica has also announced the cancellation of elections for the Carib Council:

"Govt. have announced that there will be no new elections for the Carib Council. This after previously saying there would be elections after Carnival. There has been a long-standing dispute within the Council. Source: DBS Radio."

While the legality, not to mention the necessity, in making such a decision is open to question, we are at least able to address a question posed in an earlier post concerning the legality of the Government's dissolution of the Carib Council (ref: http://cacreview.blogspot.com/2006/04/dominica-government-overthrows-carib.html).

The following extract from the Carib Reserve Act of 1978 was provided by Arthur Einhorn:

SECTION VII, Item 91

(1) If the Council in the judgement of the Minister, persistently makes default in the performance of the duties by law imposed upon it, or exceed or abuse powers, it shall be lawful for the Minister, by an order published in the Gazette, to dissolve such Council.

(2) In the case of such dissolution, the following consequences shall ensue----

(a) all members of the Council shall, from the date of such order, vacate their offices as such members;

(b) all the powers and duties of the Council shall, until the constitution of a new Council under this Act, be exercised and performed by such person or persons as the Minister may appoint in that behalf, and any payment made to such person or persons for his or their services shall be a charge upon the Reserve fund;

(c) all property vested in the Council shall, during the period aforesaid, vest in the person or persons aforesaid until the constitution of a new Council, whereupon all such property shall again become vested in the Council.

(3) No order for dissolution as aforesaid shall be valid unless in such order provision is made for the constitution under this Act of a new Council in lieu of the Council so dissolved within a period not exceeding four weeks from the date of such order.

Item 92

In the case of the dissolution of the Council under the last preceeding section the Minister may appoint a collector of rates (local taxes), who shall have all the powers and dutie conferred and imposed by this Act upon the Council or the Clerk.

Another site, http://da-academy.org/caribhist.html#legal, has posted a summary of the main points of the Carib Reserve Act, amongst these are the following:

• The Carib chief holds office for approximately 5 years unless he or she resigns of his or her own accord or is removed from office.
• The Chief may be removed from office before his or her term comes to an end, if (a) he or she steals property which comes under his or her control because of the office of Chief, (b) he or she is convicted of so doing, (c) the Carib Council has passed a vote of “No confidence” in him or her, (d) he or she becomes a bankrupt, or (e) approximately 5 years have passed since he or she was elected to office.
• An Acting Chief may be appointed by the Prime Minister based on the advice of the Chief to perform the duties of Chief, when the Office of Chief is vacant or the Chief is out of State or the Chief is unable for one reason or the other to carry out his or her functions.

Of course, without more detailed information concerning the events leading to the dissolution of the Council, it is very difficult to ascertain whether the law was respected, or applied prematurely and heavy-handedly.

The cancellation of elections, as stated in the item above, may prove far more serious.

In either case, it seems clearer that the Carib Council possesses only minimal if not symbolic autonomy.

"Developing" the Carib People of Dominica?

As readers will have seen in the previous post at http://cacreview.blogspot.com/2006/04/carib-cultural-village-opens-in.html, the Government of Dominica seems to have developed an instrumentalist and top-down view of the "role" to be performed by the indigenous population of Dominica. Added to the Government's recent overthrow of the elected Carib Chief, this seems to be more than just distant conjecture.

It seems clearer now that the Government desires to not only politically control the Carib population--a Government embarrassed internationally by Chief Williams' campaign to denounce the entry of Disney onto Carib soil in a venture that would feature Caribs, once again, in a colonial light as mindless cannibals--but the Government also clearly wishes to use the Caribs as an economic tool. The Caribs seem to be slotted as mere window dressing in a professed strategy of developmentalist diversification, thus reduced to playthings for foreign tourists, and reduced to "resources" in the calculations of economists.

This is not an unusual strategy for any government that has inherited and upheld the colonial heritage at the basis of the putatively independent state. "Recognition" and "celebration" of the Carib presence, by a variety of contemporary Caribbean states, are tactics revealed in the light of day as instruments of control and containment. While on the one hand they are useful for countering outmoded assertions of extinction, on the other hand they are equally useful for ensuring the centrality of the state as a legitimate arbiter of authorized identifications.

Unfortunately, if established and recognizable historical patterns are anything to go by, one will find a few indigenous collaborators who are willing to suck up to those in power and who hunger after the tourist dollar. What is lost in the process is consciousness of how the "development" process often is a mere gloss for older campaigns once referred to by terms such as "civilization" and "assimilation." Obedience to both capital and the state may appear to be a tactic of survival, at least in the short-term; in the long-term, it is nothing but negotiated surrender. One is reminded here of Peter Tosh's famous line, "peace is the diploma you get in the cemetery."