Protesters won't go

Despite government buyout, natives not leaving

Antonella Artuso - Queen's Park Bureau Chief
Toronto Sun
Sat, June 17, 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.]

Native protesters continued their 3 1/2 month-old occupation of a Caledonia housing development yesterday, despite the Dalton McGuinty government's purchase of the disputed land for an undisclosed amount.

Six Nations spokesman Janie Jamieson said the land title has not been transferred to them.

"And that's what the issue is," Jamieson said.

The purchase was made public in court in Cayuga before the same judge who previously gave the original order to have the protesters removed from the contested land.

It was that order, and the early-morning attempt by provincial police to enforce it, that brought the long-simmering dispute to a boil in April, prompting defiant protesters to erect barricades across major roadways.

Property in trust

The property will remain in trust until the land claim is resolved, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay said.

He said his ministry obtained several market appraisals before reaching a deal with property owner Henco Industries.

"It's obviously become the centre of the dispute," he said.

Ramsay said Henco demanded that the sale price remain confidential to protect its business interests from competitors.

Jamieson said she suspects the land deal is worth millions of dollars.

Conservative Leader John Tory said the government has no right to keep the cost of the land from Ontario taxpayers.

The deal could set an expensive precedent for numerous other native land claims around the province, he said.

The McGuinty government also offered $1 million yesterday to help Caledonia and surrounding businesses recover from months of disruption caused by native barricades.