Open Letter from Williams Family
October 9, 2020. Toronto Land Back march.
About a hundred years ago, in 1927, when First
Nation peoples were increasingly organizing land
claims, the federal government amended the Indian Act to
make it illegal for anyone to fundraise for First
Nation peoples' legal representation. It also made
it illegal for any litigator to represent any
First Nation person in a judicial proceeding. The
penalty for such activity was a fine and/or
imprisonment.
As Haudenosaunee people continue to fight the
colonial theft of land along the Grand River, the
government still criminalizes our resistance.
 Today, it is legal
under Canadian law for us to hire lawyers and make
land claims. But now, court injunctions allow
those who desire our land to legally swoop in and
take it while we are forced to navigate costly and
lengthy court proceedings. This is hardly
progress. When Haudenosaunee Land Defenders and
our allies are required to defy injunctions to
protect our territories, we are arrested, charged,
and threatened with incarceration. It is still a
crime to fight for our lands, but we are still
fighting. Land defence criminalization is meant to
divide families, nations, and allies, in order to
scare us into submission. Knowing this, Caledonia
mayor Ken Hewitt has publicly applauded the police
for "taking a stand" in arresting and charging our
family for participating in the 1492 land defence.
Hewitt said he looked forward to more arrests of
our family members, and suggested the courts keep
us in jail.
This is especially alarming as these comments
from Ken Hewitt come several weeks following the
Haldimand Police Service Board's comments and
recommendation that the OPP re-evaluate their
"Indigenous Critical Incidents Policy"-- crafted
to ensure that there are not Indigenous fatalities
during land disputes. Ken Hewitt made no
condemnation of these very concerning comments
from his Police Service Board.
Our children hear these words and rightly fear
for our safety, and their own. They want the
residents of Caledonia and the people of Canada to
reflect on the impacts of land defence
criminalization on Indigenous families. As the
inheritors of all our collective actions, our
children -- Nora, Lola, and Makiyah -- are
speaking about what they see, and we are
listening. The real attack against our family is
the ongoing assault on Haudenosaunee lands,
culture, and community, and politicians' personal
attacks remind us to seek strength in our
collective struggle for peace.
Kahsenniyo and Skyler
Williams
Nora Williams, 18
My name is Nora Williams, Kahsenniyo and Skyler
are my parents. I'd like to address the recent
comments made by Haldimand County mayor Ken
Hewitt, specifically that he "will continue to
support the OPP in their efforts and applaud them
for taking the stand such as arresting family
members of Skyler Williams." I do not appreciate
being attacked in such a manner. To try and
convince police forces to focus on the partner,
elders and teenage children of a land defence
spokesperson is cowardly. Whether you're simply
trying to force my father's hand, or if you've
simply decided to ignore basic human rights,
either are beyond my understanding. If you're so
desperate for us to behave as "Canadians" and not
care about our land and traditions, what is your
own moral code as a Canadian government official?
Instead of trying to understand, you chose force.
Instead of reason, you chose underhanded and
violent tactics. Instead of basic rights, you
chose to try to expand what power you have in a
shameful attempt to sway OPP officials to target
the elderly and children. Instead of questioning
our right to land, question your own right to
land. These kinds of attacks will not change my
opinions and actions to defend my land and my
traditions.
Lola Williams, 14
My name is Lola Williams -- Skyler Williams is my
Dad. He has been a land defender for as long as I
can remember. Me and my Dad have always been very
close. Our entire family has always been very
close. I am proud of both of my parents. But right
now, after reading the Haldimand Police Services
Board recommendations, and then the mayor Ken
Hewitt applauding the OPP for arresting my Mom,
and encouraging them to go after others in my
family, I'm scared. I'm scared of what this means
for my grandparents, my sisters and me. I go to
school in Caledonia. The OPP have set up right
across the road from my school. These are the
people that shot at my Dad and arrested my Mom
when she was alone. Now I have to see them every
time I look out the window or go to lunch. Every
time I walk out the front doors of the school, I
see all these white men with guns who are being
encouraged to target me and my family. I am so
disappointed that the Mayor of the County that I
go to school in would choose to make such hateful
and dangerous comments to target teenage girls and
my elderly grandparents.
Makiyah Williams, 16
My name is Makiyah, I am the daughter of Skyler
and Kahsenniyo. I am writing this letter because I
would like to address the comments made by
Haldimand County mayor Ken Hewitt. These comments
are wrong and racist. I am an Indigenous youth
from Six Nations. Seeing these racist and awful
comments was troubling and sickening. How is
Caledonia supposed to be represented by someone
who openly targeted my parents, and applauded the
OPP for arresting my Mom? Hewitt is putting our
family in danger, without understanding the
impacts it has on my parents, grandparents,
sisters, and on the generations to come. Tell me
how this is okay.
Being a student in Caledonia means I am at risk
for being targeted and threatened. Any threat to
my family threatens me and my sisters. It is
heartbreaking and saddening to see politicians
cheer when my Mom was arrested for tending to her
Haudenosaunee responsibilities as a Mohawk woman.
Imagine this was your family being targeted: how
would you feel? It's so hard to consistently worry
about what will happen next, to worry for my
sisters' safety. Our people know how this feels,
and our responsibilities will always guide our
actions, even when we are afraid.
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 46 - November 28,
2020
Article Link:
Open Letter from Williams Family
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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