KANEKOTA
March 11, 2016. This Kanekota undertaking started in November 2000 when I rented a farm near the source of the Grand River and moved into the country, being a native of Toronto it took some adjusting. After discovering that in the colonial era 17 & 18th century that the rank of Captain General was used as a direct order from the King and any proclamation made by that rank holds the authority of a royal proclamation, I decided to follow that order and stake a claim as per the Haldimand proclamation; “for any of the Mohawks who choose to settle in that quarter”
My first winter here was the last real winter we had and the snow fell on the ground the first week of November and it did not melt fully until the first week of May. The main cost of moving my business up here was the phone, at that time Bell had a monopoly and were charging me 2$ a minute to call Toronto and that worked out to $800/month to Bell, the landlord charged $1200 so I started to do OK and in fact by July I, 2001 I had invoiced over 70K but in August I got in a real bad car accident that left me in a coma. My first day home was September 11, 2001 and the first thing I saw was the burning towers in New York. I asked my mother “is this real?” and when they came down I fell onto the floor and starting yelling “its the Black Serpent” they put me in my room where I stayed for a long while.
My family moved me back to Toronto because they could not help me at the farm and I stayed there for a year and a half before finally moving back to the same farm but in the “upper apartment”
Everything had changed for me as I am dealing with a brain injury known as “diffuse axonal injury” and have not been able to drive a car since. My work was in management consulting and I was no longer able to do that job so now I am on a government disability pension which places me at the bottom of the “society” we have created. But while back at the farm I was gifted with some songs and that prompted me to record a record because I believe that when a song is gifted to you, it is meant to be gifted back to the people. I recorded “Power & the Peace” while living at the farm again. Here is a link to my music
I needed to find community so I moved to the village of Hornings Mills and rented a small apartment there on the banks of the Pine River only 1 mile from the source of the Grand River. This is when we started MohawkNationNews.com and the outbreak happened at Caledonia. I noticed there was foam constantly leeching into the creek so I contacted the ministry of the environment and they told me “its a little bit of foam and no problem” . All of the regulatory agencies had the same stance on this foam and I went to the library and museum to find out about local history. I published a story on this and it was the first time PM Harper ever responded to 1 of my emails.http://thahoketoteh.ws/2007/07/pine-poisoning/ I continued my stay in Hornings Mills and was busy cleaning the creek all summer when an SUV pulled in front of my yard and asked if I was an original inhabitant and if I knew of a certain family. She told me she grew up in the mansion where the pond is that causes the foam. Because the army built that property in 1947 and her father was stationed there after the war. I talked to other old people up here and they all remember when the “by-pass” was put around Hornings Mills by the army.
Then Consumers Gas decides to put a pipeline underneath the polluted Pine tributary so we issued them Cease and desist papers,then I went to Kahnawake for 3 weeks to work with MNN. My first day back at the apartment and my landlord gives me a termination/eviction notice and 3 months to get out of his house. The neighbours are all ignoring and shunning me as well. As I am packing I receive a strange call from an undercover police officer who has been following what we write on MohawkNationNews and so I invite him over for a coffee and I read him the Royal Proclamation before letting him into my house. I showed him the map I had surveyed and told him my claim was placed for Lot1 concession 11 through Garth Turner and the Liberal Party. When I asked why he pretends to have any jurisdiction over me on this “British Protectorate” for Mohawk people, he just shrugs.
So I find an apartment in Shelburne (2 miles from the Grand) and move in there with my 15 year old son. Within 1 month I receive an eviction notice from the property manager and then a second 30 days after that and a third 30 days after that and an appointment at the Ontario Rental Tribunal. I attend the hearing and the landlord is found in contempt.
The next summer I visit Hornings Mills and ask my old landlord what happened? He said when I was In Montreal the CEO of Consumers Gas came and told him there was only 1 reason they could not put the pipeline through Hornings Mills was because of the Mohawk in his basement and that he would let all the neighbours know it was his fault. It seemed the same hidden hand was behind these actions and I start to wonder about then Finance Minister Jim Flaherty who purchased a part of my 360 acre claim and erected a big home. So I send all of the councillors at Toronto an email stating I will attend Council Chambers to pick up the keys for the “Etobicoke Outdoor Education Centre”
On my way to the council chamber a mysterious call comes on the cell of one of the occupants and it is councillor Ford telling me to meet him at the Etobicoke council chamber instead. He alludes he has the keys so we divert there. When I ask him for the keys he just shakes his head no and says “it’s a real sensitive issue and I cant step on any toes” he refuses to tell me who told him to say that but I assume it is the same hidden hand.
Then the farmers up here oranize a group called NDACT to stop the proposed mega-quarry and organize a walk from Queens Park to a farm here in Kanekota. I join them in their walk through Kanekota. Then they organize a publicity event and have paid indians from other communities to make it look like they are working with us. Then they hold a music event called Foodstock but tell me I cant play there because they dont like my voice. Then I open a suit at Federal Court on the Kanekota issue and I ask for a list of the shareholders of “The Highland Group” whom purchased 6800 acres of farmland here in Kanekota. It was because I requested this list that the Highland Group pulled their plans.
I also contacted General Sir Peter Wall at Whitehall and reminded him of the order left for him by the highest ranking General in British history, Haldimand was the last General to hold that position. I requested that they send a regiment and occupy the mansion they built at Hornings Mills because the corruption runs deep and I assume we will see many ex-PMs, Premiers, etc as shareholders in the Highland Group.
Then I was approached by a group of Christian people who had a group called Kairos and were following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I affectionately call them the “Christians” I explained to them my situation and about the land they are living on and I gave them an introduction to Kayanerakowa as I am supposed to. They also want to reconcile the crimes of the past so I hope they get something from our exchange.
The real issue is much bigger because it is about de-colonization not only here in Canada but everywhere so maybe this is why Rob Ford couldn’t step on any toes and why the current Liberal regime has conveniently ignored this issue as well. I sent 3 emails to Carolynn Bennett the new Minister of Indian affairs but have yet to receive a response. She would like to be the Minister of Reconciliation but her actions so far do not show that.
This year 2016 has been a non-winter here in Kanekota as the sky has changed and the seasons are adjusting.
Our preferred outcome is the repossession of Lot1, concession 11, Nottawasaga township and we will establish a longhouse and healing Centre for our people. This should be the easiest act of reconciliation this government has on its agenda. We should be able to put crops in this year.
I love to write songs and sing so here is my song “We the People” because the power is the people.