For those who read the story “Concerned over Incinerator”

Well I got myself in trouble again over a story written in The Brantford Expositor last Friday, Jan 23rd.

For those who read the story “Concerned over Incinerator” in The Expositor I want to make it clear that Six Nations Council has not “ordered” a new Landfill machine, as reported. “A new machine is on order” the story says. Then the reporter claims I said, “We’re going to be getting a new one. We have the order in for it” (the machine). I would not say that because I know Council hasn’t ordered a new machine. In fact, full Council hasn’t even discussed what the next steps will be except to have a community meeting to present the machine testing report.

The community dump on 4th Line, like 3rd Line, is a hole in the ground where we all throw our garbage. When one hole was filled we simply just dug another hole. Now that we’ve run out of land to dig more holes we’re piling all our garbage on top of the ground – garbage that contaminates the air, the ground, the water and the environment. The plethora of disease-causing toxins and the stench waft through the air on a daily basis but more so on windy days.

No doubt Six Nations is in a garbage crisis. In recognizing my inexperience with waste management I suggested to the previous Council, as well as to the current Council, that we need to hire a Waste Management Consultant to help us figure out what to do with our garbage and to help us develop a Waste Management Plan. But my suggestion just bounced off the brick wall.

You’ll notice the Confederacy Council hasn’t stepped up to the plate to help us figure out what to do with the garbage. The Confederacy Chiefs use the dump too. I guess the chiefs don’t see the garbage crisis as important because it’s not one of the Eight Points of Jurisdiction.

You know I’m just a 71 year-old mother and proud grandmother who became a councillor because I wanted to do something good for my community. I wanted to try and help my people and try to ensure some kind of future for my great-grandchildren I hope to have one day. That’s all I am. I make mistakes just like everyone else. I make the wrong decision sometimes. I make too hasty a decision sometimes. I say the wrong things. I sometimes speak without thinking. And despite what people think and sometimes accuse, I would never intentionally do anything to hurt my community or my people.

Councillor Helen Miller