Land Defenders in the 1492 Land Back Lane action reclaiming land along the Haldimand Tract have the support and solidarity of the Ontario Federation of Labour.
Since July 19, Haudenosaunee Land Defenders have been peacefully reclaiming land along the Haldimand Tract, just south of Caledonia. The Haldimand Tract was land given to Six Nations, in 1784, for supporting the British during the American Revolution. However, the Canadian government has unlawfully sold the land to developer Mackenzie Meadows.
The Haudenosaunee people have voiced that these “injunctions serve as a colonial mechanism to deny its people their ancestral lands and resources, which fundamentally violates their rights as sovereign.”
“Land Defenders must be acknowledged and respected. Governments must honour their past agreements, and stop the state’s violent imposition of its power on Land Defenders who are exercising their right to protect these lands,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Patty Coates. “We call on governments to ensure that negotiations and decisions made about these lands are fair, accountable, and respect past agreements.”
On Friday, July 31, the Land Defenders’ camp was served an injunction order. Since then the injunction has been violently enforced by Ontario Provincial Police, arresting several demonstrators before the Land Defenders took action by blockading roads and rail traffic and escorted OPP off the Indigenous territories.
August 7, Haldimand County was granted an injunction to remove Land Defenders’ blockades, and an interim injunction for 1492 Land Back Lane was extended to be a permanent injunction.
Solidarity actions continue. For more information and to get involved in supporting 1492 Land Back Lane:
- 1492 Land Back Lane Facebook group
- KAIROS solidarity and support for the 1492 Land Back Lane Defenders
- Audio: One dish, one mic, guest skyler williams live from 1492 land back lane
- Audio: #337 1492 Land Back Lane
- Mohawk lawyer explains the 1492 Land Back Lane camp
- Audio: 1492 Land Back Lane
- Haudensaunee land defenders retake 1492 Land Back Lane
- Demonstrators calling for meeting with federal ministers over Caledonia development
