Six Nations: Defenders of the Land. Part 1

In February 2006, ten women and their children galvanized the community of Six Nations into occupying an area called Douglas Creek Estate to halt the growing land encroachment by the bordering town of Caledonia. The area, Six Nations land, had been illegally sold to a US-based developer to build a suburban housing complex.

This land, now called "Kanonhstaton" (The Protected Place), is part of the Haldimand Tract (10kms wide on either side of the Grand River) and is the cornerstone of Six Nations land negotiations with the Canadian government. The people have refused to leave until a just and equitable solution is reached.

In the early morning hours of April 20, 2006, the Canadian government betrayed the initial negotiations, and sent in OPP forces to arrest the defenders of Kanonhstaton. As the sun rose, the people gathered together and pushed back the 200 OPP officers and the sniper units in unmarked vehicles with high-powered rifles and guns. Several people were tasered and arrested, but they had taken back the land.

Now 2008, two years later, the community stands strong while the government stalls negotiations. Leroy Hill and Dawn Smith speak about why they continue to defend Kanonhstaton, and why the community is now forced to reclaim other lands where illegal industrial development is destroying the eco-system. Six Nations still demands a peaceful negotiated resolution despite the threat to send in the Canadian army and police forces, the ongoing criminalization, and the numerous court injunctions that attempt to stifle their protests.

For more information about the Six Nations Struggle, visit: http://sisis.nativeweb.org/actionalert, and http://auto_sol.tao.ca/node/2012.

To find out about Six Nations Land claims, visit: http://www.sixnations.ca/LandsResources/

To find out more about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, visit: www.deglyagoh.net, and www.kahnawakelonghouse.com

Year of Production: 2008

Country: Canada