MNN. Mohawk Nation News. 25-May-98. Today Richard Hill informed Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that Canada has withdrawn their Indian Act Band Council leaving a vacuum so that the Iroquois Confederacy can now return to its seat of power at the Six Nations Territory.

Said Hill that as a Mohawk Nation resident of Six Nations, a territory of the Iroquois Confederacy in North America, "I am affected by the recent actions of the 'elected' band council set up under the Indian Act of Canada". The Indian Act council was set up by Order in Council and put in by armed force in 1924, after Canada deposed the traditional Confederacy Council. The Six Nations people never consented to Canada bringing in the Indian Act, "because the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy were (and are) not a part of Canada". The majority of the Six Nations people have always refused to take part in these foreign elections. The Iroquois Confederacy has its own constitution known as the Great Law of Peace, the Kaienerekowa, by which their traditional government functions. WHY ARE A FEW PEOPLE ALLOWED TO MAKE UP A PRIVATE DEAL ABOUT WHAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT THE SIX NATIONS CAN HAVE WITHOUT CONSULTING EVERYONE? HOW CAN CANADA RECOGNIZE THIS COUNCIL?

Hill said that it is impossible for them to just put themselves back in as the "elected" council under the Indian Act without going through the Governor in Council after getting the fully informed and freely expressed consent of a majority of the Six Nations people. This was not done. Now the defunct band council cannot just go back into the council house as if nothing happened and conduct business. "There is a serious question about the legality of this Council", said Hill.

THE HISTORY OF THE INDIAN ACT BAND COUNCIL AT SIX NATIONS IS VERY IRREGULAR.

According to Chisholm, who was a lawyer for the Six Nations in 1920, "The Six Nations are an independent self-governing protectorate whose right to deal with their internal affairs had always been recognized by Britain. The powers assigned by Britain to the Canadian government could not exceed those held by Britain because of the treaties which established the Six Nations as their independent allies under international law". Britain depended on the support of Joseph Brant and his Warriors to maintain her position in North America. Most of the territories now occupied by the Six Nations were granted to them to replace those lost for supporting Britain during the Revolutionary War of 1775-1783.

There has always been a conflict of interest between Canada and the Iroquois. The Canadian parliament represents the settlers who took the land from the First Nations and the people who later immigrated here. Today Canada still wants the Iroquois people to be Canadian subjects. THE IROQUOIS PEOPLE HAVE NEVER AGREED TO THIS.

"The Iroquois chose to be allies with Britain, not Canada. THE IROQUOIS PEOPLE NEVER CHOSE TO BE A PART OF CANADA.

HILL WANTS THE LAW TO BE UPHELD AND AN INDEPENDENT NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY TO MEDIATE THE DISPUTE BETWEEN CANADA AND IROQUOIS PEOPLE.

Hill is asking that the Queen to provide him with a detailed explanation as to exactly what procedure is suppose to be followed to establish a legitimate government that really represents the Iroquois people now that the traditional government has been illegally removed by Canada and the Indian Act council is no longer legal under Canadian laws.

Hill sent copies of the letter to Ambassador J.H.W. Fietelaars, Embassy of the Netherlands; Cuban President Fidel Castro; Deputy Registrar of the International Court of Justice; French President Jacques Chirac; South African President Nelson Mandela; Governor General of Canada Romeo LeBlanc; and to leaders of the Opposition parties in Parliament.

Supporters world wide are being asked (1) to give their ideas on what should be done to solve this situation peacefully and fairly; and (2) to take actions themselves to help the Iroquois people such as sending demanding an independent neutral mediation of this dispute between Canada and the Six Nations Confederacy to: Queen Elizabeth as ally and protector of the Iroquois, Buckingham Palace, London England; Kofi Annan of the United Nations as defender of international human rights, United Nations Plaza, New York City; Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, House of Commons, Ottawa Ontario; Minister of Indian Affairs Jane Stewart who wants to play a positive role in repairing the damage of the past, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario; and to Canadian embassies in their countries.

CONTACT:

Canadian Alliance In Solidarity with the Native Peoples (CASNP)
P.O. Box 574
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1X7
Tel: 416-635-8696
Fax: 416-972-6232
Email: casnp@pathcom.com
WWW: http://www.pathcom.com/~casnp

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