Six Nations Solidarity

News | Background | What you can do | Links 

Teen: Natives held me captive

'They were going to kill me'

Brodie Fenlon
Toronto Sun
Saturday, May 20, 2006

[SISIS note: The following mainstream news article is provided for reference only, as an example of how mainstream media treats indigenous resistance to genocide. Mainstream media often presents biased and distorted information, lacking pertinent facts and/or context. Inclusion of this article on our site should not be considered an endorsement by SISIS.]

An 18-year-old army reservist claims he was abducted by a group of Native protesters in Caledonia, blindfolded, threatened with death, and marched out to provincial police an hour later with his hands still duct-taped behind him.

Ron Desrochers, a Grade 12 student in Woodstock and army reservist, was arrested at the Caledonia native blockade by the OPP Thursday evening for dangerous driving, but was released a few hours later without charge.

A native protester told a TV station that Desrochers was "driving around like crazy" and narrowly missed protesters before being arrested by volunteers.

Clyde Powless, a protest spokesman, told a reporter the teen began speeding after he was let through the barricade and was stopped by native security workers.

But Desrochers says he got lost behind the blockade after leaving his stepmother's shop and soon found himself boxed in by two pickup trucks on the 6th Line near Hwy. 6.

He says he made an aborted 911 call as more than 15 natives approached his Honda Civic, pulled him out, took his cellphone and dog tags and took him by truck to their tent headquarters.

The teen claims he was then threatened with death, blindfolded, his hands were duct-taped, and he was held for an hour.

"I figured that was it. They were going to kill me. That's what they were telling me they were going to do," he said yesterday.

His father, Ron Desrochers Sr., said he was contacted moments later by the OPP who were investigating the 911 hangup -- a call made from a cellphone in his name.

Blockade spokesmen Dick Hill and Hazel Hill said they were in meetings and unable to speak to the Sun yesterday. They did not return repeated calls. Six Nations spokesmen could not be reached by phone.

"We're currently investigating the allegations on both sides," OPP spokesman Const. Doug Graham said.

The teen says his captors consulted with elders who decided to make him apologize.

He says he was taken to the blockade with his hands still taped behind his back.

He made the apology on camera for a Hamilton TV news crew and was released into the custody of OPP officers standing nearby.

Police found a pellet gun in his car and a camouflage helmet and vest he was going to use at reserve training that night, Desrochers said.

The blockade stems from a native occupation Feb. 28 of a partially completed subdivision over a disputed land claim. After a police raid in April, members of the Six Nations blocked the main route through the town of Caledonia, but recently began allowing local traffic through.

Negotiations between former premier David Peterson and Six Nations Confederacy Chief Allen McNaughton have been going on for more than two weeks.

brodie.fenlon@tor.sunpub.com

BackBack to updates

Back Top