Mohawk Nation News
mohawkns@cyberglobe.net
Tuesday March 3, 1998
MNN Mohawk Nation News. Today Beulah Powliss was informed by Ramona Shenandoah that Oren Lyons and his supporters are going to level the homes of Onondaga people who support the running of independent smoke shop businesses. "They are in a panic", Beulah Powliss said. "We don't know what to do. We need help!"
The following are quotes from Onondaga residents who are in a state of panic as they watch this threat unfold in front of their homes: "I just got a phone call that they have a big payloader, claw, bulldozer and other big machinery at the Fire Hall. Mona Shenandoah called and heard that they will go door to door to the homes of the smoke shop owners and their supporters to physically remove the men, women and children from their homes and bulldoze the houses to the ground".
Yesterday at 11:00 a.m. Oren Lyons and his goons burnt and leveled four businesses and stole thousands of dollars which were to be disbursed to the people. "People were still inside as this occurred, a few barely escaped as the buildings collapsed". This is reminiscent of the event in 1994 when Oren Lyons lead a mob which burnt several businesses and banished their owners from the territory. The owners had previously asked for an accounting of the monies that they had been giving him over the past years. Yesterday, once again, the Onondaga County Sheriffs stood by as they witnessed this same malicious destruction of property which almost killed a woman. Today Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh said, "The Chief's Council were merely taking care of business."
The Onondaga people are asking for worldwide attention to stop these human rights violations and to condemn Oren Lyons and his supporters for violating their right to self-employment. This is not an internal matter, it is an international human rights issue. It has been stated over and over again by people of the Iroquois Confederacy that Oren Lyons is not a legitimate chief and despite efforts to educate the public of this fact, he continues to be supported by the state and federal authorities.
"The people of the Haudenosaunee of the Confederacy have stated that it is time that Oren Lyons be put on trial by the Iroquois people for treason, war crimes, attempted murder, murder, putting people in jails and organizing the beatings of his people by his supporters and the police. He is being officially protected by them to carry out this terrorism and genocide of his own people".
All people who are fearful that their homes might be destroyed are calling the Onondaga Sheriff's Department, New York State Police, New York State Governor George Pataki, the Attorney General of the United States, and even the FBI and President Bill Clinton, to demand that protection be provided. These numbers can be obtained at the following contacts:
Fax: 315-492-9556
Phone: 315-492-3882
E-mail: egior@aol.com
Mohawk Nation News (MNN)
P.O. Box 991, Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (Quebec, Canada) J0L 1B0
Tel: 450-635-8696
Fax: 450-635-8693
Email: mohawkns@cyberglobe.net
WWW: http://www.cyberglobe.net/users/otsira