KAIROS solidarity and support for the 1492 Land Back Lane Defenders
KAIROS joins others in expressing grave concern about the recent attacks against Haudenosaunee land defenders by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on August 5, 2020. Whether in the Philippines or here on Turtle Island, we denounce violence against land defenders who are asserting inherent rights to self-determination and to free, prior and informed consent. We call on the Canadian state to respect and honour Indigenous law and Indigenous rights, and to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The land currently in question is within the same territory that was at the heart of the 2006 Caledonia action. When the Six Nations community asserted rights to land that was being developed for a housing division, KAIROS joined in speaking out in defense of the land defenders and for Indigenous rights, calling on the government for a just resolution to the conflict. The situation today at 1492 Land Back Lane once again requires a solidarity response.
We have learned from the Haudenosaunee about this land and the peoples’ distinct and inherent rights that flow from the relationship to the Creator and the land. The Haudenosaunee remain responsible for the lands and waters of their territory as is evident in their laws and ceremonies, reaffirmed in treaties with settlers that were focused on peace and friendship and sharing of lands and resource.
Inspired and grounded by this understanding, KAIROS supports Haudenosaunee demands for their rights to free, prior, and informed consent before any development or utilization of their lands or any decisions that are made which may impact their inherent and treaty rights. These rights are enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
KAIROS joins in demanding that the police stand down and that all levels of Canadian government recognize Haudenosaunee sovereignty and self-determination over the disputed lands.
KAIROS works to bring together Indigenous peoples, settlers and newcomers in Canada, in common struggle with partners around the world, for human rights and ecological justice. KAIROS has a long history of working with Indigenous communities in Canada and globally on Indigenous and treaty rights. Our advocacy and commitment to decolonial, anti-racist, equitable and feminist transformation for all people and the planet is informed by and grounded in this history and these partnerships.
