SIX NATIONS – The Six Nations Elected Band Council has ordered CAS off reserve by October 1st. There have been many protests and personal stories of broken families and broken cultural connectedness through the Brantford based agency for many years, and the issue has been a longstanding political hot potato.
Band Council and CAS already have a working agreement signed, which would allow the agency access to Six Nations until May of 2014, Council is now ordering them off, almost immediately.
CAS says they have received a letter from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) asking the agency to stay.
Elected Chief Bill Montour is quoted saying that he doesn’t believe the Confederacy is fully aware of the problem.
The move has once again brought the power struggle between the Confederacy and the Elected Council into the spotlight.
In total, lawyer Aaron Detlor, on behalf of the Haudenosaunee Development Institute, and Jock Hill, Secretary for the HCCC, have sent CAS at least three letters explaining their stance on the issue, both stating that the Elected Band Council has no jurisdiction over CAS and that the Confederacy fears a sudden change will put Haudenosaunee children at risk.
In the most recent letter dated September 12, 2013, on behalf of the HCCC and addressed to Andrew Koster, Executive Director of the Children’s Aid Society of Brant, Detlor, states, “… the HCCC do not believe that the Haudenosaunee are the subject of provincial legislation, including any matters relating to our children and our future generations. With that said, we have significant concerns with respect to the “designation process” which has been initiated by the Six Nations Elected Band Council.”
He goes on to point out that there has been no engagement or consultation between the CAS and the HCCC and that, from that perspective, the Band Council cannot, “compel your removal from our territory.”
“The authority and jurisdiction in matters relating to children rests solely with the Haudenosaunee, through the structure and law of the Haudenosaunee, and in particular, with our women and our clan families,” he writes.
It concludes by stating in no uncertain terms that the HCCC are not in favour of the Native Services Branch of Brant CAS leaving the Six Nations community, for fear that such a displacement would endanger the well being of at risk children.
Detlor also offers Koster or his staff, and invitation to meet with the HCCC, possibly the week of October 7th, to open talks with the Confederacy.
However, that suggested date is after Band Council’s Oct. 1, deadline to got off reserve.
HCCC Secretary, Leroy Hill, drafted a letter on behalf of the Chiefs and Clan Mothers dated July 6, 2006, in which he explains the role of the Clan Mothers in regards to the protection of Haudenosaunee children.
Again on April 2, 2011, Hill sent another letter on behalf of the Chiefs and Council, again underlining the duties and responsibilities of the Clan mothers regarding child welfare.
According to Detlor’s most recent communication, there has been no response from the CAS to date.
There will be a special Community Presentation entitled “Parent’s Survival Guide to Dealing with a Children’s Aid Society” featuring guest speaker, Child and Family Justice Advocate, Vernon Beck this Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 at the Six Nations Community Hall beginning at 6:30 until 10 pm.
What I have to say isn’t pleasant by any means. It even causes me great pain because SOMEBODY’S got to say it. The people of Six Nations MUST get off their duffs and DO something about this charade going on with Brantford council. We’ve seen enough from Hancock, and now we’re seeing similar behaviour from Friel, a man who once presented himself as “the voice of reason” in matters that concerned Six Nations. He must be taking his lead from dictator Harper now as his very conduct would suggest that is the case.
Six Nations has NO future worth talking about if we sit on our hands and do nothing, leaving the defence of our land claims to a few brave souls who have put it all on the line for the faces yet to come. The saddest thing is, if it must be done we’ll have to do it ourselves because, based on past experience, there was next to NO leadership displayed by our dysfunctional traditional chiefs. (But not all of them). It would appear that SOME of the chiefs are more interested in holding on to their misplaced sense of self-importance than actually offering the people even a scrap of wisdom and direction. Instead, their ears are deaf to the will of the people. In my opinion, if the Great Law were to be truly applied, there would be some serious dehorning taking place on Six Nations Territory! They cannot demand respect when they give none, yet they seem to mistakenly believe it’s their birthright.
It seems the united front we showed to the world during the days of The Protected Place was something of an anomaly. It has disappeared into the gloom of indifference and inaction. Again, leaving the responsibility to a brave few. They, at least, have proven their worth to Creator and can call themselves Onkwehone:we / Haudenosaunee with confidence and pride while most of us have no right to lay claim to that honour. All we can lay claim to is our status card for tax exemption and the gas card for cheap gas.
So, if we’re content with the way things stand, then we’ll have NO choice but to accept the results of our indifference without whining when it all falls down. And it will. Apathy and indifference will be the downfall from which we of Six Nations will never recover. Go ahead, surrender your dignity and your pride of self to Brantford. The sacrifices of the Old Ones who went before, the seven generations we so often refer to (lip service) will all be for naught. If we don’t fight for it, then we don’t deserve it, leaving no one to blame but ourselves!
It’s all about choice and Brantford is hoping, betting the farm the people of Six Nations will make the wrong choice! Six Nations is on the verge of becoming irrelevant as far as Brantford is concerned!!! If we can’t take on Brantford, we can forget about taking on Ottawa. The thing that comes to mind as I finish my words, refers to another article in this edition of The Two Row Times which says “Native Americans: Should have fought harder, you pussies.” We cannot put this problem “under the pillow,” for when we wake, it may all be gone.
We have functioning traditional Chiefs who abide by the Great Law?
We have functioning Clan Mothers who abide by the Great Law?
That’s news to me. And Detlor…..has finally found his tongue and breaks his silence? Amazing! Simply amazing!