[1]

We are circulating the below call for solidarity with two reporters from the Mohawk Nation News whom Common Cause worked with on the cover story in the last issue of our newspaper Linchpin. The story was on the police siege of Tyendinaga activists involved in a blockade of a gravel quarry on unceeded Mohawk land as well as the arrest of spokesperson Shawn Brant on trumped up charges.

We stand in solidarity with Katenies and Kahentinetha against the violence and charges inflicted upon them by the Canadian state and encourage people to circulate the news of this assault and arrest as well as make donations to the defense fund.

Solidarity with Katenies!
-- "Canada" has no jurisdiction over Mohawk land

On July 14, 2008, Mohawk grandmother and activist Katenies has again been ordered to appear before a judge in the Superior Court of Cornwall, Ontario. Again, Katenies will refuse to recognize the authority of the courts and demand that Canadian officials prove they have jurisdiction over her as an Indigenous woman.

One month ago, on June 14, 2008, Katenies -- accompanied by Kahentinetha of the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory - was targeted for arrest by Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) guards on an outstanding warrant for allegedly "running the border" in 2003, and offenses resulting from her refusal to appear in court and validate the colonial justice system.

Katenies has maintained since 2003 that border officials and the Canadian colonial courts have no jurisdiction over Kanion'ke:haka people or land. In January 2007, Katenies served court officials with a "Motion to Dismiss", demanding that they establish jurisdiction, if any, over Mohawks and their ability to travel freely between "Canada" and the "United States".

[The Motion to Dismiss is linked here:
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/03/katenies-serves-cour... [2]
] and summarized as follows.

During the CBSA attack, Katenies and Kahentinetha - who are both writers and contributors to Mohawk Nation News (MNN) - were treated brutally by border guards. Both were handcuffed and tackled to the ground. Katenies was jailed for three days. Kahentinetha suffered a heart attack and is under the care of her family. [www.mohawknationnews.com [3] ]

[Reports about the CBSA attack, and background information, are linked at:
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2008/06/katenies-cbsa-backgr... [4]
]

As mainly non-native groups and collectives based in settler communities on or near Mohawk lands, we are publicly standing in support of Katenies, and demand all charges against her by the colonial courts be dropped. We also condemn the brutal attacks by the CBSA on both Katenies and Kahentinetha on June 14, 2008 and declare our solidarity with Indigenous struggles for land, freedom and self-determination.

Endorsed by:

Agitate (Ottawa)
Les Apatrides Anonymes (Montreal)
Block the Empire-Montreal
Collectif opposé à la brutalité policière (Montreal)
Collectif pour l'Autonomie du Peuple Mapuche (Montreal)
Comité Solidarité Nouveau Equateur (Montreal)
Common Cause (Ontario)
CUPE Local 3906 (Hamilton)
DIRA, Documentations, Informations et Références Alternatives (Montreal)
Kingston Indigenous Solidarity Network
La Otra Campaña (Montreal)
No One Is Illegal-Kingston
No One Is Illegal-Montreal
No One Is Illegal-Ottawa
No One Is Illegal-Toronto
OPIRG-Carleton
OPIRG/GRIPO-Ottawa
People's Global Action Bloc (Ottawa)
Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty
Peterborough Coalition for Palestine Solidarity
Solidarity Across Borders (Montreal)

To endorse this statement, and Katenies, please contact
indigenoussolidaritymontreal@gmail.com [5] This legal challenge will cost money. MNN has none. Canada is apparently hiring top law firms to fight the Mohawks. If you could send donations, it would be greatly appreciated to: "MNN Mohawk Nation News", Box 991, Kahnawake [Quebec, Canada] J0L 1B0. Nia:en/Thank you very much. www.mohawknationnews.com [6]
katenies20@yahoo.com [7]

--
Common Cause
P.O. Box 347, Station E
772 Dovercourt Rd.
Toronto, ON, Canada,
M6H 4E3

Email: commoncauseontario@gmail.com [8]
Web: http://linchpin.ca [9]