Tag Archives: indigenous rights

CKMS Community News, Newsroom

CKMS News – “Love, Lax, and Land Back” an interview on the Indigenous Solidarity Day Unity Jam in Waterloo Park.

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With the tagline “Love, Lax, and Land Back”, a Solidarity Day Unity Jam and Lacrosse game will take place in Waterloo park on June 21st. Taking place on the summer solstice and National Indigenous Solidarity Day, this free event seeks to celebrate solidarity and unity in honouring the Grand River, upholding Haudenosaunee rights and land stewardship in the Haldimand Tract, in which Waterloo Region was built.

This show features an interview with Protect The Tract organiser Courtney Skye. We spoke about the June 21st Solidarity Day Unity Jam and Lacrosse Game in Waterloo Park, the work of Protect The Tract, and the importance of honouring the treaty relationships which were a basis of sharing the land between settlers, the Haudenosaunee, and other Indigenous nations.

The free event has been put together in partnership with The Longhouse Hub, CAFKA, and O:se Kenhionhata:tie (also known as Land Back Camp), and features a friendly lacrosse game at 10am and musical performances and the Bead-The-Tract collaborative art and education project going from noon until 4pm.

For more info on Protect the Tract visit protectthetract.com, or find them on social media at @ProtectTheTract

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

Check out the archived versions of this program on radiowaterloo.ca/news, and listen to all the LJI content at canada-info.ca.

If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca

AW@L Radio, CKMS Community News, Newsroom, Shows

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

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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)

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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 Community News, Newsroom

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

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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. 

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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