Indian standoff in Caledonia

[KarenCee 3]

Along the same line here....I could be very upset with the white man for doing what they did to my people...the Cherokee...on the Trail Of Tears...but that was almost 170 years ago so what would be the point? We move on and learn from history and the mistakes made and try not to make those same mistakes again. Just MHO...

[Leafgal 3]

One of the main reasons I have a problem with the Natives in this case is they are being allowed to get away with things any white man would be prosecuted for. Burning tires, hello. And since they say they are doing nothing wrong, why cover your faces why not be proud to stand up for what you believe in because that is what they should be doing. The reason they aren't is those ones with covered faces have nothing better to do with their lives except jump on the bandwagon.

[ceriserose 1]

From the sounds of that article, they were more than happy to avail themselves of the services provided by the police in protecting them from the angry tax-paying citizens of the town they're terrorizing. Double standard?

I think that's the part that bothers me most in all of this...if there is such a need to deal with land claims to sort out these kinds of situations once and for all, why is it not happening? Possibly in part because the Native Americans alone can't agree on who owns what; in BC alone Native American claims are something like 160% of the land. (Hello? I'm no math afficionado but even I get that you can't claim more than the sum total.)

Add to that the real or perceived 'free ride' that continues, with one more bandaid slapped on the bleeding aorta, it's not surprising these kinds of situations percolate. As my hubby just put it, if it were here in the US, upon the first act of 'terrorism' someone would have been shot and it would have been done. (Not saying that's the solution, but the Cdn government is notoriously without teeth when it comes to these types of situations.)

[happyimmigrant 0]

Well it sounds like the Indians are not happy sitting and waiting, and are looking to stir things up some more. This is an email sent to me by my aunt who lives in Caledonia:

Roxanne just emailed me that Bud Searles and Ron Clarke got the heave ho off their own property by natives. Kyle heard last night that those renegade natives (from Kingston/Quebec) were walking around Williamson Drive with their bandana's covering their faces and were handing out notices to the homes telling the occupants to get off their land.......thats just beyond Ross Street in that fairly new subdivision.

[Leafgal 3]

Well Scott my thoughts are with your family there. Hopefully it will turn out ok when it finally gets resolved. Be careful if you visit, I know I couldn't go down there right now cause I am so unhappy with the situtation and how the locals seem to be being treated.

If the Indians want the land let them have it. But make no mistake, hopefully no one will go and help them rebuild what they destroyed. And the Natives should let the workman have their tools back, and if those have been destroyed, the Natives can pay for new ones. Oh and lets go and pile up and burn tires outside their places. And trust me I wouldn't have my face covered...

[cmartyn 0]

Could be worse, at least they are not flying over your backyard every five minutes terrorizing you with supersonic propeller noise.

This is just part of the cost of doing business. You take the good with the bad. There is no easy solution. You cant just start shooting the natives when they get a little riley. It will take a while to negotiate a settlement. In the mean time. A closed road has its advantages... enjoy the peace from the traffic.

[happyimmigrant 0]

If the Indians want the land let them have it. But make no mistake, hopefully no one will go and help them rebuild what they destroyed. And the Natives should let the workman have their tools back, and if those have been destroyed, the Natives can pay for new ones. Oh and lets go and pile up and burn tires outside their places. And trust me I wouldn't have my face covered...

Why should they have the land? Just because they claim it is theirs, and set up some roadblocks? They are now trying to chase people out of their own homes, telling them the land belongs to them.

If they want to contest the ownership of the land, behave like normal, civilized people and take it to court, instead of terrorists, blocking roads, lighting fires and threatening people.

[Leafgal 3]

Scott I agree with you, I just am sick of everyone saying how the gov't isn't bargining or hasn't bargained in good faith.

I do agree that the fact that I see the Natives not bargaining in good faith by allowing the hoods of the clans ruin the process for the rest.

Actually what I would like to see is the actual elders kick the asses of the hoods in the tribes and run them off like the terrorists they are and then sit at the bargaining table and get a deal done. I do agree that they should not be allowed to be out there bullying the locals, but I am sure the OPP are not going to do anything about it because of Ipperwash, count on that.