Tag Archives: direct action

CKMS News – 2021-04-28 – An interview with 1492 Land Back Lane spokesperson Skyler Williams

Host: dan kellar

In July 2020, while the community was managing the COVID19 pandemic, including erecting checkpoints to keep non-residents from their reserve lands, some Indigenous folks from Six Nations of the Grand River also took action against continued land theft by housing developers and the nearby town of Caledonia by setting up the 1492 LandBack Lane reclamation camp.

Through court injunctions, lawsuits, a police raid, police intimidation, police violence, 17 million dollars in police spending, and being demonized by settler governments including Haldimand mayor Ken Hewitt and Ontario premier Doug Ford, the land reclamation action has continued and the LandBack movement has grown.

On April 20th 2021 members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs council, alongside spokesperson Skyler Williams announced the “Protect The Tract” initiative, declaring a moratorium on development in the Haldimand Tract and a need for real consultation with the community before any projects move forward.

This episode features an interview with Skyler Williams, the spokesperson for the 1492 LandBackLane land reclamation camp on Haudenosaunee territory at Six Nations in south-west Ontario.

To stay updated on the activities at the camp, check out @1492LBL on twitter and 1492LandBackLane on facebook. For more on the development moratorium and the history of land struggle at Six Nations, visit protectthetract.com

(Download audio of this episode)

This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant project and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.

You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

CKMS News – 2020-10-19 – Land Back is Here to Stay

Host: Ivan Angelovski

Since June 21, 2020 a number of indigenous people, sick of Kitchener and Waterloo charging them large amounts of money to gather in their traditional places, having to get permits and seek permission to gather on their traditional land, occupied a part of Victoria Park in Kitchener, a land reclamation known as  “Land Back Camp” or O:se Kenhionhata:tie

They are demanding four things: to waive all fees for the Indigenous communities to host events in public spaces, to give back the land in Victoria Park and Waterloo Park, that the cities create paid positions at all levels for engaging with Indigenous Peoples, and that the cities create Indigenous Advisory Committees to address racial injustice.

A photo of Shawn Johnston and Amy Smoke wearing toques with the White tee-pee of O:se Kenhionhata:tie/Land back Camp in the background.
Shawn Johnston and Amy Smoke. Photo: Ivan Angelovski

After more than 17 weeks of protest, they managed to resolve the fees problem and on Monday October 19, the city of Kitchener will be voting on establishing a team dedicated to addressing social justice issues, including Indigenous initiatives.

But that’s not going to resolve all the problems Indigenous peoples face in Waterloo Region.

On this episode we speak with Amy Smoke and Shawn Johnston from the Land Back Camp. 


This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.

Check out the archived versions of  this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news. You can  follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. And you can email news@radiowaterloo.ca to get in touch with comments or ideas about stories to cover.

The music was Blackroom by Moby, courtesy of mobygratis.com