My heart is bleeding for my community...

[Grass_Hopper 18263]

As many know, I just brought a house in Kanesatake.

 

This little reserve is a shelter for numerous animal species, 6 of the 10 most rare plant species, but also 1925 Natives...

 

My family landed there in 1909, from the Adriatic ship, from Ireland. Since then, I have roots, but also family and friends, living there or buried in the Native and non-Native cemeteries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oka_Crisis

 

Now, 20 years later, Canadian Government strikes again, by selling Native territories again to the Norfolk society. Nothing was fixed, no negociations, NOTHING! Now, this morning, the contractor entered the reserve to cut our forest, build CONDOS!

 

Everybody that knows the area knows there's nothing there... No jobs for anybody (we have barely 20 shops in the village), no school really (for kids, they can't host more then 300 kids, wich ratio is already ridiculous, since they are 10 kids per class, I know, that's my daughter's school... And the high school...), no clinics, hospital or even doctors around (we have to go to Lachute for the hospital, wich is half an hour away, and emergency open from 8AM to midnight...).

 

Nobody is stupid enough to move there... Unless you want to pass the rest of your days either in trafic jams, or selling cigarettes...

 

So tell me... WHAT'S THE POINT???

 

My nation is at war to preserve our heritage (or what's left of it...) and our lands, to keep it as it is...

 

Yes, my heart is bleeding for my community...

 

 

 

 

XxX SabrinA XxX

613 262-7164

sexyamazones.com

[silverdollar 130]

Sabrina sorry to here about this serious problem The people have to stand up and give it a good fight

[Lowdark 5613]

For all it's faults, I love my country and feel truly fortunate be a Canadian. Having said that, this country has some pretty serious blood on its hands regarding how it was built. Not nearly as much as the Americans but still plenty. How we have treated first nations from day one has been criminal and it should be just as an important issue as Healthcare or Afghanistan. And first nations themselves shouldn't be the only ones fighting this kind of treatment. White, black, asian, everybody should be disgusted by this. It's the responsibility of all Canadians to insist this issue gets national attention and substantial change.

[LuxeMulvari 65764]

Cheer up sweetheart.....everything will come full circle...it always does...

[Guest s******ecan****]

Sorry to hear of your anguish Grass Hopper. BTW what is the "Norfolk Society"? I read the wiki article (a bit quickly I admit) but didn't see any reference to them.

[Grass_Hopper 18263]

Norfolk is a Junior compagny that buys mostly GOVERNMENT debts, in order to sell them higher...

 

In this case, they brought, from our mervolous government, 130 000 squarefeet, of a total value of 65 000$, for the beatifull amount of... 100 000$ in 2009. Nice job Harper! (Yes, him again...)

 

The thing is: Those two lots, brought almost double price by Norfolk, where a subject of negociation regarding zonage. Officially, they were belonging(?) to the Governement of Canada, but back in 1994 (remember Oka crisis?), they have sign an accordance with the Mohawks, leaving all the lands from the golf course (about middle of the hill) to Mirabel...

 

Norfolk, that brought it, wants to exploit those lots, WICH WERE SOLD ILLEGALLY! And guess where those lots are located? You got it! On the other part of the Sacred Cemetery! Yah yah, the same where they have unburried bodies to put them in community graves to build a GOLF COURSE!

 

Of course, in the village, heat is getting up, and tempers are boiling, so our magnificent Mayor, Mr. Richard Lalonde decided to buy the land back. Now, white people are in shit... Latest news, Norfolk was asking for 400 000$ for lands he has paid 100 000$, that worth not even 65 000$.

 

You have the link to the Norfolk Financial Society in the title, but I'm not impressed at all how not professionnal looks their website... I guess it goes with the attitude...

 

Harper just felt they were idiots and went fishing... What a fish he has right there!

1. Get rid of problematic lands;

2. Make money out of it;

3. Get rid of the Native-Canadian conflictual relationship by refusing to get involved...

 

The end of the story? All get back to you in 4 months to tell you how much my municipal taxes went up to pay those lots, considering that we are 430 non-Native residents paying taxes...

 

At least, I guess I won't have any army trucks in my backyard this summer...

[PistolPete 61421]

Now, white people are in shit... Latest news, Norfolk was asking for 400 000$ for lands he has paid 100 000$, that worth not even 65 000$.

 

If I may, I whole heartedly agree with what you are saying Sabrina. The issue you are talking about is on the news every night lately.

 

I always been a firm believer that Canadian Natives should be given what is rightfully there's, may it be land or fishing rights.

 

The only issue that is always in the news media,or how some people view the topic of the difficulties for Natives is when remarks are made about skin color (white people)regardless of that type of skin color.

 

I drive at least 2 times a year through Akwesasne NY and there is always a continual issue at hand. So the USA also has the same problem on their hands.

 

Any time I go now I drive through Prescott border as opposed to Cornwall, because of the issue at hand there where Customs officials want to carry guns and the problems with smuggling at the borders.

 

I just wished as Lowdark stated that the Fed's get their shit together and this becomes a National issue.

[Grass_Hopper 18263]

I'm sorry if I offended you, but this is how we are called... My daughter, who's mixed (I am not Native, BTW... Her father was...), is harrassed by kid at school every day with racism (espescially these days at day camp...) since she's told things like she belongs up the hill...

 

The issue you're talking about is an every moment matter. I can't go up the hill, see some of my family that is buried in the Native cemetery, since back in 60's-70's, white people were allowed on the reserve if they had relatives there...) or just get a pension for my horses there... and Native people are not allowed at the only bar (tavern) in the area. Like I told, my daughter has big problems at school because she's mixed Native, but she can't go at the Kanesatake school, because I'm white and her father died...

 

Also, the lots matter will NEVER become a Federal juridic cause, since both Norfolk and the Band Council have to sew the Federal Government for fraud, wich implies way to much money for Norfolk... And eventhough they reach the Superior Court that has the ability of cancelling the transaction, Norfolk will loose everything, wich they will never risk. Officially, if we follow the law, since the accordance signed with the Natives has never been revoqued by any of both parties, lands still belong to the Natives.

 

Our village brought them for an awfull price, that's out of any doubt, but we will never use them for whatever. Our Mayor just brought PEACE. He will probably just keep them to make sure we don't have another october crisis.

 

What you don't know is that the old folks living there... The Mayor, my father, the guy who owns the garage, and even the pizza man are born there and will die there. They have been fighting aside with the Natives for decades, and theyre fathers before them... They are in their old days, and tired of it.

 

We want to sit on the ferry deck, when sun sets, fishing, have pic-nics in the National park, skate on the frozen lake during winter, play soft ball on Sunday nights, trek in the woods during automn, and enjoy the company of tourists during summertime, when they come with family or bike clubs... This is the athmosphere of HOME. This habour is our refuge since forever, leave it.

 

Last, but not least, if you go there in the next days, you'll be more then welcome (I know there's a lot of Cerbites that are also bikers). Athmosphere is back to normal, down the hill. But we all agree on one point: We will fight toghetter and every single human being will tell you: we are ready to die this time... This is enough!

[Rodehard 2058]

I can only offer my support to you and hope that sooner rather than later that the people that we elect as Goverment Members actually do what we put them in office to do.

 

For too long the Government Of Canada has dragged its feet when it comes to dealing with issues such as the one that is going on in your hometown. I hope that it is not going to take violence to draw attention to the situation.

 

We are all Canadians and should all be treated with the same level of fairness and equality when it comes to these situations and not exploited while the Goverment ignores Land Claims and Entitlement.

 

Mr. Harper, its time that you pay attention to whats going on and do something about it!

[Andee 220524]

Sabrina: Your community is very blessed to have a resident like you who cares not only about the land issues, but the people, the very heart and soul of what you call home.

 

Peace!

[RobX 2084]

...this country has some pretty serious blood on its hands regarding how it was built. ... How we have treated first nations from day one has been criminal ... And first nations themselves shouldn't be the only ones fighting this kind of treatment. ...everybody should be disgusted by this. It's the responsibility of all Canadians to insist this issue gets national attention and substantial change.

 

I think you are bang on about how Canada has treated the first nations people. Canada is a great country with a dirty little secret. Canada was established through the genocide of the original peoples of this land.

 

However, to expect that the average Canadian will stand up for what is right on this issue totally unrealistic. The average Canadian is totally ignorant of how this country has treated the first nations people, and is in fact openly hostile to native people. If you want to validate this, just ask a few people how they feel about native fishing rights, tax exemptions for natives, and natives on welfare. To me it is as if Canadians are in total denial about how this country has treated it's native peoples, because of a need to protect their own image as righteous and just people.

 

I think that rather than looking for Canadians to stand up for what is right on the issue, the first nations people have chosen the right approach by taking the issue before International bodies such as the UN and Amnesty International, in the hope of shaming Canada into doing the right thing.

[capitalman 3861]

Take a walk over to CFB Rockliffe and see the wasteland sitting there wasting away. The land was to be redeveloped but was put on hold as a Native land claim encompassing some 36,000 square kilometres (including Ottawa) that was started back in 1983, dictates the fate of the land.

 

 

I'm sorry, but I don't support that. 36,000 square kilometres eh? Should we all just up and move and give everything over? Is tax free living not enough? Monthly paycheques not enough? I guess not. I guess we have to pay for the sins of our ancestors forever.

[Lowdark 5613]

Everything in our world, in our lives has historical context. From the gods people cliam to believe in to the languages they speak. he only reason the residents of Buckingham plalace are still speaking english as a first language is because Canada and the United States helped keep them from being conquered by Nazi Germany. The only reason we live on this land is because our ancestors stole it from the people wjho lived here for millenia before. While the Americans chose outright murder and genocide, we preferred starvation and residential schools. The situation with Canada'a aboriginal people is the result of years of abuse, neglect and cultural contempt. Does that excuse violence committed by First Nations? Does it excuse rampant addictions? No. But the current situation can only be solved by both sides standing up and saying it's time to change the status quo because right now too much of the First Nations is caught in a culture of self destructive dependance that will only result in the eventual extinction of their culture. The Canadian government (both Liberal and Conservative) has simply thrown money and hollow apologies at the problem and has expected that to be a enough. They need to make a very strong gesture to Native leaders and say we need to change this. This is the sin this country was born in, and we have an excellent reputation for fighting (and even dying) for freedom and human rights. We need to fight and win our battle.

[M*s*** 162]

Its really sad hun but stay positive xoxo

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