Nicole just notified the Chair that her system needs a few minutes to reboot.  At 3:17 pm, Nicole’s system was running and everything is being recorded now.  Sean’s request was ignored and Dana is now interrogating Helene Oakes about her past grievance with CBSA.  Helene stated that she never had work conflicts prior to working with CBSA in Akwesasne.

Helene said that she worked with a lot of respectable CBSA agents that followed the core values.  She said that their was also a small handful of CBSA agents that do not follow the core values.  Sean Gaudet objected to Helene’s statement. The Chair argued that it is important to recognize that Helene views and acknowledges that not every CBSA agent is ‘bad’.

Sean Gaudet is objecting and arguing that it’s not relevant, to try and establish if the witness (former CBSA officer), noticed that the more experienced CBSA officers treated the public differently than the newer inexperienced CBSA officers.  The Chair has agreed to stop the question, because it is asking for an opinion.

Helene is talking about the unique location of Akwesasne.  The Chair is asking if the USA border has the same problems as CBSA.  Helene is telling the Chair that the USA border gets more training and is much more professional.  Teiohontathe Fallan Davis is telling the Chair how the USA border customs building even shows the two row wampum inside their building.  Helene is explaining the Two Row Wampum concept to the Chair.  Salt held up the Two Row Wampum from the gallery, and the Chair noticed him, because Salt has his Kastoweh and ribbon shirt on.

Sean Gaudet objected to Dana drawing a quick map of Akwesasne.  The Chair ignored his objection, so Dana is showing the commission what Akwesasne is like in regards to the borders and how we are able to leave and return from our homes. How we are each expected to ask permission from so many border agents, just to get groceries, go to doctor, school, or work.  Sean Gaudet objected to showing a map of Akwesasne, so Dana said she would bring a map tomorrow for him.

Helene is saying that traditionalists do not recognize the borders that were placed for USA and Canada.  The Chair stopped the question and said that the question is getting too far from the Davis incident.

Helene went on to state that the day of the Davis incident, it was a ‘blitz’ from CBSA. That means that CBSA is targetting a certain problem, such as drugs or counterfeit money.  Blitzes might be pre-arranged, like on November 18 2005, when the VACIS machine was put on Davis.  Helene said that she had never seen a VACIS machine used on a vehicle before, because it was for commercial trucks, as far as she knew.

The Chair asked Helene why would Davis be targetted?  Helene said that black suvs from the reserve were targetted that day and that target was determined a few days earlier.  Sometimes blitzes were done where the only targets were anyone that went to the ‘Indian Lane’.  Helene never heard of a blitz being done on only lanes that were not the ‘Indian Lane’.

4:12 pm, Helene stated that cameras are on the old cbsa building, on the bridges, and the video tape is subpenoed to the courts when incidents happen.  Helene said that she went into the mohawk security office on November 18th 2005 and she saw that ‘Oka , Richard Jacobs’ still had the security cameras on the commercial area, where the VACIS machine was used against Davis earlier.  Helene said they also had problems with cameras because the male officers were zooming the camera onto females inappropriately.  She said that even though their was many cameras, their was only one tape and she does not know what the other CBSA officers did with the video tape recording of the Davis incident.

Blitzes in regards to the Chinese buses that go across to the casino, are to find out if any currency or contraband issues are happening. The chair just asked Helene if it was ever discussed that targeting Chinese buses could be viewed as discriminatory or profiling.

4:23 pm, Helene stated that Kevin Sills (targeting agent) with VACIS from landsdown wanted to blitz ‘Black SUVs’ that go in the Indian Lane, on the day that CBSA abused Davis.  Helene said that the VACIS team rarely ever went to the Akwesasne CBSA port.

4:25 pm, we are taking break until 4:30, then go until 5 pm.   Sean Gaudet claims to have a meeting, so he can’t stay until 5 pm.

4:40 pm, Sean is trying to cross examine Helene now (out of his turn, disrupting her process).  Helene is telling how the procedure and policies work, in regards to the video tapes that CBSA recorded all around the CBSA building. She said that she saw Richard Jacobs was taping / recording the incident with Davis.  She could not beleive what she was hearing on the radio and watching on the cameras, it was disgusting how Davis was being treated.

4:45 pm Sean Gaudet is objecting to a document being used as evidence.  Davis said she had to get the document, from ‘access to information act’ because it was never disclosed.  The document is created by Lucinda Reading and refers to ‘the tape’ that CBSA recorded of the Davis incident in 2005.

The chair is stopping today’s tribunal and stated we will start back up tomorrow morning at 9:30 am.

10:31 am, Sean Gaudet’s questions focused on the ownership of the Boots properties, his past role with the Warrior Society, his views of the LongHouse, Mohawk Nation, and Mohawk Tribal Council.  Sean questioned how close the Boots home is to the old CBSA building.  Then Sean asked Boots, how many times did John Boots go to CBSA building to help verify identity of Indians being detained by CBSA (Boots had been doing so since the 1960s until present day), how did John Boots know to go to the customs building to help, did John work alone or with others, what or how did John help to un-detain the Indians, details of border incidents with CBSA, details about Jay Treaty, details about remission order, is John Boots aware of the remission order, are members of Akwesasne responsible for paying duties and taxes, details about many other incidents with CBSA in Kawehnoke regarding CBSA imprisoning Indians 4 hours or more at a time in locked cells. 

At 10:59 am, Sean Gaudet started asking why so many Indians show up at CBSA building when the CBSA imprisons Indians in cells for hours, with no reason to arrest.  Sean asked if John Boots advocated for the removal of the CBSA building on Kawehnoke.  Then Sean asked John Boots to remember what he said in a movie called ‘This is Indian Land’.  John Boots said he probably spoke, but he did not give a speech, and that he had not seen the movie in a long time, so he could not answer about what he said in the movie. 

11:05 am, Sean asked John Boots, if the Mike Mitchell that is in the movie, is the same Mike Mitchell that brought in the Akwesasne Remission Order.  The chair reminded Sean Gaudet that he can go ahead and question John Boots credibility, but to remember that a person certainly has the right to change his mind 40 years after any past statement that John Boots may have said in the movie ‘This is Indian Land’.

11:10 am, Sean asked if John Boots would prefer to Not have the border crossing on Indian Land.  John stated that it was just their (the border).  Sean asked if the Davis family is friends with John Boots.  At this point, Sean Gaudet is asking all the same questions that he asked the first few hours that he interrogated John Boots, two fridays ago.  The public seems to be feeling annoyed with having to listen to the same questions over and over again.  Many are shaking their heads and disgusted by Sean Gaudet.  I am a little bored and trying to stop daydreaming now. 

Doh! Sean Gaudet just asked if ‘Island Road’ on Kawehnoke (cornwall island, ontario) is ‘like the country’?  I don’t know what that statement meant, but it sure seems like alot of ugly political poo poo is oozing out of Sean Gaudet right now.  John Boots is using a pencil and showing Sean Gaudet where he parked during the Davis incident in 2005, on a map.  John Boots allready did all that during the last Tribunal meeting, two fridays ago, so many people in the public seating are getting fidgety and agitated again.   Lucinda Reading and her assistant are looking at the map, while sitting behind Sean Gaudet. 

Sean asked John Boots what he observed that day, but when John stated that he saw CBSA agents yelling at Davis, Sean Gaudet interrupted John Boots from telling details.  Sean wanted to know the exact amount of minutes that John Boots watched the CBSA agents yell at Teiohontathe Fallan Davis, in November 2005.  It’s 11:24 am and Sean is still asking the same questions and trying to speak for John Boots and trying to trick John Boots into saying that he was never able to see the CBSA agents faces.  Sean Gaudet stated that ‘John Boots previously stated that the CBSA agents were wearing masks.’  Some of the public, burst out laughing.  So, Sean Gaudet asked the Chair to tell the ‘gallery’ to please be quiet because our noises are disrupting his flow.

11:38 am, Sean just burst out to John Boots “Today, you don’t remember speaking with Ms. Davis in 2005?’, after John Boots mentioned that he does not trust his memory totally because so many years have passed since the time he witnessed the CBSA agents abuse her.  The Chair just reminded Sean Gaudet that he just repeated the same question 4 times, perhaps Sean does not actually need a few more hours to interogate the witness.  Sean said that he only needs another half hour to interrogate John Boots further. 

It’s 11:49 am, and Sean Gaudet is still asking the same questions from John Boots.  Sean asked if Kim Hathaway from Akwesasne Phoenix was also present during the incident in 2005.  John Boots gave the same answer as the 10+ other times he was asked.  It’s 11:54 am and it still looks like Sean Gaudet is just stalling for time with John Boots, because he keeps asking the same questions over and over again. 

Sean’s questions towards John Boots, have proven to me, that it’s a shame that so much time passes while ignoring the mountain of hundreds of abusive incidents that happen to Indians (and others) from abusive CBSA agents.

It’s 12:01 pm and Sean Gaudet is questioning who John Boots had write his statement for him, back in 2005.  John Boots keeps reminding Sean Gaudet that he doesn’t remember full details about 2005.  John seems tired and he does not hear too well either.  I am getting the impression that Sean Gaudet is trying to physically and mentally wear down John Boots at this point.  Sean is demanding to know what color clothes did others wear back in 2005.  It really seems like John Boots is very tired and trying very hard to get through Sean Gaudet’s trickery.  One trick, is that Sean Gaudet is demanding that John Boots answer questions about a document that he has not seen since 2005.

Sean is demanding that John Boots past statement (last seen in 2005) be thrown out of court.  Sean asked why didn’t John Boots just write the whole statement himself.  John Boots stated that the whole statement should be referred too, even though he was not able to review it or look at it, before being interrogated about it.

Lesson Learned:  If we are ever called to be a witness in any court, always demand to be given time to look over any document we are interrogated about.  Also, if the document was never seen before, last seen more than 5 years ago, older than 10 years, remember to clearly state that. 

I realize that Sean Gaudet is trying to get the written statement removed as evidence.  I am hoping that the Chair sees the value of the written statement, since it was created so close to the actual date of the event in question.  The document should have the most weight, even more weight than any statements taken or created, over 5 years later.

It’s 12:18 now and everyone is quietly looking over the document.  Sean said he is done questioning now.  Mr. Smith has no questions.  Teiohontathe Fallan Davis has a few questions for John Boots, regarding the picture of the map.  She asked if Lucinda Reading ever questioned John Boots as part of a fact-finding mission.  Lucinda waved and smiled to John Boots.

We are leaving for lunch and will return to Tribunal at 1:30 this afternoon.  Helen Oakes is scheduled to testify.

According to wikipedia, Public policy is a course of action or inaction by government entities, in regards to an issue or set of issues. Public policy is usually found in constitutions, judicial decisions, and legislative acts.  Scholars define it as a system of courses of action, laws, regulatory measures, and funding priorities regarding a topic promulgated by a government entity or government representatives. 

Public policy refers to the end result of policies, decision-making, and analysis of government decisions, in the United States.  Public policy schools are in major universities throughout the United States.  The Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management is a professional association of public policy practitioners, researchers, scholars, and students.

Many individuals and interest groups compete and collaborate to influence policymakers.  They use various tactics and tools to advance their goals, such as educating supporters, educating opponents, mobilizing allies, and advocating their positions publicly.

Advocacy is an attempt to influence public policy with education, political pressure, and lobbying.  Public policy priorities are often influenced by advocacy.  Sound research data improves the public policy process, when it’s used to educate the public and policy makers.

Various policy schools can be researched from wikipedia.  I have questions about how public policy can be forced onto Onkwehonwe or ‘Indians’ that have never agreed to become citizens or members of the USA and Canada corporations. 

source: wikipedia.

Onkwehonwe are Sovereign, so it does not make sense to me that any Sovereign would be bound by any laws of USA, Canada, and Britain.  Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a territory.  A sovereign is a supreme lawmaking authority.  Sovereignty can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided.  Wikipedia provides interesting information about the historical aspects of Sovereignty. 

De facto or actual sovereignty concerns whether control actually exists.  Sovereignty requires the legal right to exercise power and actual exercise of such power.  Sovereignty requires both elements, so if one just claims to be Sovereign, that is not enough to actually be Sovereign.

• Does the governing power have enough strength (police…) to force its subjects to obey it?  If yes, coercive sovereignty exists.
• Are the subjects of the governing power in the habit of obeying it?

Sovereign Law is enforceable even when against the political will of a nation, as long as it’s not formally changed after constitutional procedure.  Sovereign law is above political or other interference.  Any deviation from this is a revolution, regardless of the intentions.

This information gives me a new view about why, so many harass Onkwehonwe every single day, with ridiculous questions and demands.  Each time Onkwehonwe choose to leave or return to their homes around Akwesasne, they are questioned and interogated by ny police, ny troopers, border agents, government agents, rcmp, opp, mohawk police, tribal police, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, St Regis Mohawk Tribe, Mohawk Nation, Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, Akwesasne Membership Board, Iroquois Confederacy, and so many government agencies that it causes confusion and chaos amongst everyone in the picture and looking at the picture. 

Life around Akwesasne or any ‘Indian Reservation’, seems to be an exercise created to help Onkwehonwe,  ’Indians’ to forget who they are and where they come from.  As I answer each interogator on a daily basis, my own personal liberty, freedom, human rights, and sovereignty is chipped away.  As I am forced to allow each interogator to search me, question me, accuse me, and criminalize me each day, I wonder how many others are being enslaved by the same program I find myself born into? 

I’ve presented my questions to my friends here in Akwesasne.  Each group is approaching the issues with different values and ideas.  I asked one of my friends, why do they use Canadian Law and The Indian Act as an attempt to protect and represent themselves?  They told me that even though Onkwehonwe do not create the laws, that Onkwehonwe may have to remind Canadian politicians about the laws created for and by Canadians, in order to protect ourselves.  They also explained that, even though Onkwehonwe do not refer to ourselves as ‘Indians’, that it is understood that using the english language term ‘Indian’ helps with communications with the English and French of the Canada Corporation / British North American Act.  I will post that interview here in the future, so that you can hear from them yourself, because my friends have many more years of real-life experience with The Indian Act and Canadian legal system, than I do.

I do beleive that all the surrounding government agencies are on a mission to force Onkwehonwe and Indians to forget their Sovereignty.  I am amazed and proud that so many Onkwehonwe and Indians are pushing back and continue to educate more about our birth rights and Sovereignty.  Even during the most violently oppressive days, elders find ways to communicate, survive, and help the next generations to discover the information they need to continue.

Throughout my life, I do find it frustrating that so many seem to fight for control over what I see, hear, think, feel, and share.  Trickery, bribery, and even force is used by bullies to gain full control over Onkwehonwe and ‘Indians’.  Sometimes bullies laugh and make fun of The Great Law, while others claim it is a weapon used for causing harm to others.  I tend to believe it is the process of Creation continueing  the way it chooses, but I am a student that does not even try to pretend that I know everything about anything. 

I will keep looking at the origins of all the weapons that are being thrown about Akwesasne and share what I discover here.  It  seems that various laws are weapons being used to bully, threaten, fine, and imprison Onkwehonwe ‘Indians’ into becoming full citizens of the USA and Canada corporations.  Indians are interogated about Common Law, International Law, Sovereign Law, Canadian Law, Black’s Law, Civil Law, Commercial Law, Federal Law, and a mountain of legal terminology each day that we choose to leave or return from our homes.  If we choose to hide out quietly in our homes, more agents come out to our locations to force and trick their goals onto us. 

Do we have no choice as Onkwehonwe, but to memorize the mountain of laws, policies, and political goals that surround us and attack from every angle imaginable from the USA, Canada, and England? 

Of course, we could choose to forever shut up and take whatever foreignors want for us;  forced citizenship, forced assimilation, forced taxation and all the oppressive pollution that comes from that.  Of course, we can choose to forget our original languages and only support English, French, USA, Canada, and England.  Maybe they will force new policies and laws to make us all wear our full regalia, every second saturday of the month, as an act of kindness to their subjects? 

Is it so uncomprehensible that Onkwehonwe, Indians are also valuable to Creation, even without forced laws, policies, and legalities from England, USA and Canada?  Whats happening to our freedom, liberty, peace, righteousness, and love for all?

Because the RCMP violently attacks Indians that refuse to become tax-paying citizens of Canada, Indians are forced to operate on their waters and lands with no lights at night. The St. Lawrence River is a water highway within Akwesasne.

Akwesasne is in a unique position: because the U.S.A. & Canada are pushing and intimidating Onkwehonwe to become fully assimilated, tax paying citizens of their corporations. Indians in Akwesasne still refuse to become citizens of the USA and Canada corporations.

Quebec, Ontario, and New York state politicians are seen criminalizing Indians that refuse to become citizens of their governments. They frequently run media blitzes to criminalize all Indians, just before hiring surrounding police and military groups to violently attack Indians that refuse to pay taxes and become full citizens. see previous post about CJOH, 1997 NY State Troopers violently attack Onondaga, the Oka Crisis

“A fisherman complained about shots being fired over his head, this past summer”, RCMP Sgt. Michael Harvey said. Harvey claims the boat must have strayed too close to Akwesasne and “they told him to get the hell out of there.” That is another example (of many) of how Cornwall RCMP Sgt. Michael Harvey frequently uses the mainstream media to criminalize the entire Akwesasne community and all Indians.

Harvey believes the tobacco trade is a crime when Indians are profiting, because they are not paying taxes like good citizens of Canada or USA. Harvey goes as far as to claim that all Indians that do not pay taxes to Canada or the USA, are all criminals that finance organized crime!

“Some 25 of 105 known criminal organizations operating in Canada are at work in Cornwall”, Harvey told the Star.
“These gangs are not only involved in smuggling tobacco, but in taking drugs back into the U.S. on the return trips. They also engage in firearms and people smuggling”, Harvey said.

The RCMP published a confidential document that raises concerns that Indian tobacco businesses are used to fund terrorism, a fear shared by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. If the Indians agree to fully assimilate, become full tax paying citizens of Canada or the USA, the RCMP might stop falsely criminalizing and violently punishing all Indians?

The RCMP stole 1,079,529 cartons of Indian cigarettes, in 2008. The Mounties’ stole 625,659 cartons from Indian tobacco businesses in 2007. That is not counting the underground business where rogue officers do not claim the cigarettes and cash, they steal from Indian tobacco dealers.

A smoker caught with Indian cigarettes in Ontario risks minimum fine of $500 from Ontario Ministry of Finance enforcement officers.

Harvey, Sgt. of the Cornwall RCMP: “We know of businesses receiving cash payments for high-end goods from those involved in the (Indian tobacco trade). Large amounts of money are being generated by this black market economy and is being spent in the Cornwall region.”

Indian businesses are not new to Akwesasne and Cornwall. Locals remember when the high cost of disposable diapers in Canada sparked a brisk underground trade with Indian businesses in Akwesasne.

The big money comes from the distribution side. According to police, one of their made-up kingpin cartoon characters, admitted to making $250,000 a week, while a courier transporting the Indian cigarettes to smoke shacks on reserves pockets up to $6,000 a week. The green-eyed jealousy monster rears its ugly head amongst the RCMP that are so busy criminalizing Indians, that they are no longer able to keep their own backyards and homes clean.

“Our investigations have revealed that many of the runners are involved in the illicit tobacco trade because they can make quick and easy money. It has always been the case and more so now since the economy has been affected by the recession.” Wow, I didn’t realize that tobacco business is quick and easy money. R.J. Reynolds and non-Indian business men say it is work. No? Oh, I get it, only Indians will be falsely accused of earning quick and easy money by the RCMP.

A trial project this summer saw Canadian and American law enforcement officials work side-by-side on Canadian Coast Guard ships, which allowed the ships to bully Indians in their own homelands and waters on both sides of the international border.

“Those ships will be operating soon with joint law enforcement officers on the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway, other coastal waterways. That’ll give us a very powerful tool on ( stopping all Indian businesses )” he said.

The federal government also created the task force on (Indian Tobacco Products), led by Van Loan’s ministry. The strategy calls for targeting resources to dismantle the manufacturing plants, disrupt supply lines and discourage consumption from any Indian business.

Missionaries and foot soldiers from Britain and France waged war on Onkwehonwe.  It should be no surprise that Britain and France, tricked so many Onkwehonwe,  into living a lifestyle of self-induced oppression with the slave terminology.  They terrorized and taught our grandparents to use these words, our own elderly relatives then taught us to use these words.  Now we continue a lifestyle of self-induced oppression if we choose to continue communicating with the words that were Forced onto our grandparents.  Kanienkeha Satati!

Black’s Law provides Akwesasneron with clues to how we are being tricked into final assimilation, by using Britain’s words to describe ourselves.  Here are a few more examples of what english language words actually mean, by exposing the origins of each word, according to Britain’s own Black’s Law.

Researchers can also see how english words are being used to quietly criminalize targets and promote self-induced oppression.  Maybe this well help others to understand why more and more Onkwehonwe are not afraid to stand up and state that they are not ‘native, indian, citizen, subject, or any type of British property’. 

NATIVE  A natural-born subject or citizen; a denizen by birth; one who owes his domicile or citizenship to the fact of his birth within the country referred to.  The term may also include one born abroad, if his parents were then citizens of the country, and not permanently residing in foreign parts.

INDIAN COUNTRY.  This term does not necessarily import territory owned and occupied by Indians, but it means all those portions of the United States designated by this name in the legislation of congress.  4 Sawy. 121.

INDIAN TRIBE.  A seperate and distinct community or body of the aboriginal Indian race of men found in the United States.

INDIANS.  The aboriginal inhabitants of North America.

INDIGENA.  In old English law.  A subject born; one born within the realm, or naturalized by act of parliament. 

COMMUNITY  A society of people living in the same place, under the same laws and regulations, and who have common rights and privileges.  In the civil law.  A corporation or body politic.  In French law.  A species of partner-ship which a man and a woman contract when they are lawfully married to each other.

EGYPTIANS, commonly called “Gypsies” are counterfeit rogues, Welsh or English, that disguise themselves in speech and apparel, and wander up and down the country, pretending to have skill in telling fortunes, and to decieve the common people, but live chiefly by filching and stealing, and, therefore, the statues of 1 & 2 Mar. c. 4, and 5 Eliz. c. 20, were made to punish such as felons if they departed not the realm or continued to a month.  Termes de la Ley.

FAMILY in its origin, meant “servants;”