---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 20:54:23 -0500 From: Any Mouse the regional convergence towards Quebec is audible... ----- Original Message ----- From: "moose" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "* Anti IMF" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "* AAC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "* Yaba East" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "* Bay Area DAN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "* Buffalo FTAA" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 1:38 PM Subject: Opening the Border for FTAA > Opening the Border for FTAA > by CARLYN ZWARENSTEIN 11:27am Tue Mar 20 '01 > > Americans coming north to protest free trade > talks in Quebec City next month will find the > border open, if Shawn Brant has his way. > > > A Mohawk from the community of Tyendinaga and an > organizer with the > Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), Brant will take > part in a plan to > open the international border near Cornwall, Ont., on the > weekend of the > Free Trade Agreement of the Americas talks in Quebec City > (April 20-22).The > border cuts through the Mohawk territory of Akwesasne, which > overlaps > Ontario, Quebec and the United States. > > "My motivation is to assert and reinforce the > sovereign integrity > of Mohawk people within the Mohawk nation and to bring the > organizing > bodies together so we can stand and fight in preparation for > the fall," he > says, referring to a series of actions with which OCAP and > allied groups > plan to confront the Ontario government. "We will engage in > attacks against > the provincial economy, the provincial infrastructure. We > will shut down > highways, roadways, bridges until this government is brought > to its knees." > > As Brant describes it, people will assemble in > Cornwall on April 19 > and then move into Akwesasne, while supporters from the US > will gather on > the American side of the border. And then? > > "The Mohawks of Akwesasne will have pre-secured the > bridge," says > Brant, though he is reluctant to go into details. "That's > probably > something that wouldn't be best to publish, tactically," he > says. "We are > preparing for every possible scenario. Certainly an > aggressive stand by the > state would not stop us from pursuing our objective -- we'll > respond to > force with force and to opposition with opposition." > > Meanwhile, OCAP is forming networks with Mohawk > communities in the > area. A recent OCAP tour raised interest among Oneida, > Cayuga and Seneca > communities south of the border. > > The action has been endorsed by the Cornwall Labour > Council (CLC), > the Kingston-based People's Community Union (PCU) and > members of the Mohawk > communities of Akwesasne and Kahnawake. The CLC has sent > letters to the > elected leadership in Akwesasne, requesting their support. > > Brant maintains that although some members of the > Akwesasne Mohawk > community may oppose a potentially explosive action, none > oppose opening > the border. "The border is a barrier to community life in > Akwesasne," says > Brant, who must submit to car searches and ID checks at > Customs in order to > visit relatives who live in the same Mohawk territory, but > across the > border. "It is the right of the Mohawk nation to determine > who can cross > the border," he adds. > > According to Darren Bonaparte, the Akwesasne author > of A Line on a > Map: A Mohawk Perspective on the International Border at > Akwesasne, the > Mohawks have had a love-hate relationship with the border > over the years. > During Prohibition it provided opportunity for illegal > profit through > alcohol trading, and more recently cigarettes and foreign > nationals have > illicitly traveled north and south, respectively. > > The border action was news to Canada Customs > spokesperson Collette > Gentes-Hawn. "Have we been officially notified?" she asks. > Still, she's not > surprised. "This wouldn't be the first time there are > demonstrations on > this bridge," she adds, noting that a court case relating to > the border is > outstanding. The case, launched by Grand Chief Mike Mitchell > and the Mohawk > Council, alleges that the feds knew about cigarette > smuggling across the > border, but used the Mohawks as scapegoats rather than > acting against the > tobacco industry. > > According to Brant, the action is really about the > free-trade-friendly policies of the Ontario government, > which are of > concern to poor people and First Nations alike: "[Free > trade] does > everything to help corporations, and absolutely shit to help > people in > poverty." > > > >
