SIX NATIONS – Six Nations Elected Council decided at last night’s general council meeting to defer making a decision on its land agreement between Six Nations and Empire Homes until the end of November. The land deal was originally made in May 2016.
Lonny Bomberry, land and resources director for Six Nations Elected Council spoke with elected council on Monday, Oct. 17 to discuss the agreement, but elected council wanted to know if there was any room for negotiation in the proposed agreement or not and asked Bomberry to learn that information and then relay it back to elected council Tuesday, Oct. 18. By Tuesday evening, Bomberry had not found out if there was negotiating room in the agreement or not and came to the meeting on Tuesday to describe the agreement to elected council.
“We asked you to go and find out if there was room for negotiations in the deal or not,” Elected Chief Ava Hill told Bomberry.
The original land deal allows Empire Homes to proceed with a new development in Caledonia spanning 500 acres. After Elected Council’s deal in May, Six Nations was to be given back 273 of those acres.
After Bomberry explained some key points of the several-page-long proposed agreement, it was found that Six Nations would only be given back 200 acres and that Empire Homes could not promise that Six Nations workers would be hired for the development, only that they would promise to advertise their job openings to everyone.
Most councillors had concerns with several points raised in the proposal, yet others see this deal an opportunity to at least get something out of the current situation.
“I think if we try to go back and forth with demands and negotiations then they [Empire Homes] will go on without us and we would be left with nothing,” said Bomberry. “We’re getting something for nothing [if elected council accepts the deal].”
Some of the concerns among councillors; Councillor Helen Miller thought that this decision was too important to be made so close to an election; Councillors Hazel Johnson and Wray Maracle think that the decrease in acreage raises a red flag; Councillor Sherri-Lyn Hill Pierce thinks that Empire Homes should make an actual promise to hire Six Nations workers; and Elected Chief Hill wants to give community members an opportunity to give input on how the land is dealt with.
“I don’t feel comfortable making this important decision [weeks] before an election,” said Miller. “I think we should wait until there is a new council.”
Miller put forward a motion to defer the decision until the end of November and asked Bomberry to reach out to Empire Homes in that time and find out if this is a take-it-or-leave it deal, or, if elected council can negotiate a better deal for Six Nations.
A lawful input: EMPIRE HOMES speaks with the EXECUTOR (THE CROWN of ENGLAND). The CROWN discusses it with the beneficiaries, (Oneidas, Seneca, Mohawk, etc…) . A decision is made and the TRUSTEE is given the mandate to carry out the request, (PMO). The PMO hands it off to the SUB-TRUSTEE (INDIAN AFFAIRS) who then delegates the 6 Nations elected COUNCIL to carry out the orders. That, everyone , is protocol.
Let’s see election Nov 19 motions to defer to end of Nov so any new councilors can get up to speed on negotiations. I would think that is a formula for another delay. Do you real think that a couple a days after election that new councilors will be up to speed on this item I think not.