FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Haudenosaunee Land Defenders Call for an End to the Criminalization of Land Defenders

In the past week, ten people have been arrested in connection to 1492 Land Back Lane.

These include Allies who are non-Indigenous and people from other Haudenosaunee communities, as well as Mohawk researcher Courtney Skye and Oneida journalist Karl Dockstader.

Arresting our kin and allies is an escalation of violence on behalf of the OPP. Canada is choosing how to address our concerns and issues, and they have chosen to use police violence and criminalization instead of engaging with our community.

Our people have been charged simply for being in their territory, practicing our culture. Dealing with land disputes in this way is unacceptable and shouldn't be tolerated.

We believe that this is a deliberate strategy of the OPP, to intimidate our supporters and discouraged people from supporting our use of our land.

We fear that the OPP intends to cut off our ability to receive supplies, which includes food and water. If this technique is successful, it will continue a colonial strategy of using starvation as a technique to force Indigenous people from their lands.

We are calling for a day of solidarity on October 9, 2020.

Land Defenders at 1492 Land Back Lane also call on our allies to continue to contact their MPPs and the OPP and demand our community is respected and able to pursue justice for illegitimate development in our territory.

“It is deeply offensive and unjust for Haudenosaunee people to be arrested for defending their territory. Arresting Haudenosaunee for being on the land and attempting to erase us by using police violence doesn't legitimize these false claims over our land.” Skyler Williams

Further, Williams states, "thousands of people across Canada have reached out to support our community, hundreds of people from near and far have visited 1492 Land Back Lane.

People who want to be on the right side of history know our sovereignty is more important than another subdivision on stolen native land."

We call on our allies to continue to amplify our demand for peace and safety. Please continue to support us on social media and through donations on GoFundMe and e-transfer and PayPal at [email protected] https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-fund-1492-land-back-lane