CALEDONIA – A Haudenosaunee journalist and former candidate for Six Nations Elected Chief have been arrested for their part in the land occupation at Mckenzie Meadows housing development.
OPP told APTN as of late Thursday evening a total of 17 people were arrested in connection with the 1492 Land Back Lane land occupation of the Mckenzie Meadows housing development, including One Dish One Mic’s Karl Dockstader and Yellowhead Institute’s Courtney Skye.
Four of the new arrests top up the 13 that were previously reported arrested Thursday morning, including an original 9 people arrested on August 5 following a temporary injunction issued by the courts, says APTN.
Both are Haudenosaunee people and details about their arrests surfaced on social media Thursday.
In a statement, One Dish One Mic said that Dockstader, who is Oneida Bear Clan, understood that his presence at the site of the land occupation as a journalist would ensure that he was not arrested. The statement says he was arrested and charged with mischief and failure to comply with a court order.
BREAKING NEWS:@KarlDockstader, the Cohost of @OneDishOneMic was arrested yesterday and formally charged by the OPP
His coverage of @1492LBL is what to his arrest.
We will be covering this story this Sunday on @610CKTB
For More Info, please refer to his press release: pic.twitter.com/D236B8gHTu
— Sean Vanderklis (@SeanVanderklis) September 3, 2020
Skye reported on her Twitter account that she was arrested while sitting along the Grand River. Skye is a policy analyst for the Yellowhead Institute, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation’s board and was previously a candidate for Six Nations elected chief in 2019.
I can't believe I was arrested. I'm the chair of our rez development corporation and a researcher at a think tank that studies injunctions. A freelance writer with international bylines. All summer I worked for the band as manager in the Justice Dept. My work is on the frontlines
— HAUDENOSHOUTY (@MOHAWKEMOTIONS) September 4, 2020
The courts granted two injunctions surrounding the land occupation: one on the worksite of the Mckenzie Meadows housing development and another on Haldimand County roads where demonstrators had erected road blocks in the area surrounding the worksite.
Land defenders posted details to social media saying OPP were planning to attend the Mckenzie Meadows property to read updates to the injunctions to people on site Friday morning. It has been 47 days since people have occupied the worksite to halt the housing development, saying they are upset with the accommodation agreement struck between the housing developer and the Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council.
When are the OPP going to learn. Acting like American Gestapo. Trumpeted. Sad. Racism for sure. Haven’t our Indigenous been abused enough. Just cut out this ugly, stupid shit.