Indian Giving in Caledonia

Vincent J. Curtis

10 Aug 20

For the last several weeks, aboriginal protesters have been blockading a major artery in the Ontario town of Caledonia.  The Six Nations reserve in some places borders the southern boundary of the town.  To enable urban expansion, the Province of Ontario has entered into several agreements with the reserve, swapping lands and giving money to permit Caledonia's residential expansion.  As has happened before, when a dispute arises between the elected band council and hereditary chiefs, the hereditary chiefs are able to mobilize radicals to undertake peace-disturbing actions that nullify the agreement, all the while complaining about how aboriginals are being done in by the province.  And it always is the province's responsibility to deal with the protesters.  The giving of something and then the taking of it back was the legendary "Indian giving," and that expression seems to apply literally here. 

Reported by Spectator reader Al Knapp, the blockade of the McKenzie Meadows project is being organized by the hereditary chiefs of the Six Nations. They did not agree with the elected band council to the deal with the Province of Ontario.  The deal was that in exchange for a cash payment and title to land in another location, the band would surrender title of the McKenzie lands to the province.

What we see here is a classic example of Indian giving.  We saw the same thing in the dispute over the GasLink pipeline.  The band council reaches an agreement that the hereditary chiefs don’t consent to, with the result that the province is out money and land and get nothing but disputes in return.  What is the point of making deals with elected band councils if they can’t or won’t enforce their side of the bargain?

It shouldn’t be Ontario’s responsibility to clear the Aboriginal protesters, it should be the responsibility of the band.  If the band cannot, then Ontario should deduct from the cash payment the cost of enforcing the band’s side of the bargain.  Alternatively, Ontario should cancel the deal and demand from the band the full costs to date of the band’s bad faith.

If First Nations want to play the nation game, then they have to be held accountable for their side of the deal.  The internal disputes of the band isn’t our problem.

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