Anishinabe: Oppress us with HST? We'll shop in the USA!

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

BATCHEWANA FIRST NATION OF OJIBWAYS

GARDEN RIVER FIRST NATION

************************* Batchewana First Nation and Garden River First Nation HST action

"Local First Nations action plan against HST crosses the border, it's not law yet!

Garden River and Batchewana First Nations citizens have generated action plans that will complement the First Nation's demands for the Crown Government to discontinue the neglect and erosion of the living treaty relationship that is being perpetuated through the implementation of the HST.

Various First Nation's citizens relayed their frustration with the level of ignorance being portrayed in the Canadian mainstream society, including respectable media outlets who continue to develop and allow ignorant messages that promote hatred and racism.

First Nation's citizens also talked about the systematic, oppressive and genocidal, apartheid policies Canada continues to impose on the First Peoples of this land.

The current issue is the imposed HST which represents a breach of a legal contract between the owners of this land and the visitors to this land, otherwise referred to as treaty obligations.

The Canadian government has dismissed the reality that one sovereign nation cannot tax another.

Local First Nations councils approved a shopping venture with transportation provided to the United States for Monday, December 21.

This exercise will serve as demonstration of Batchewana, and Garden River First Nations rights recognized under the Jay Treaty to travel throughout North America without harassment or molestation.

Chief Dean Sayers made the following statement on behalf of both councils: "We as a people are sovereign and hence are neither Canada's Indians nor are we the United States' Indians.

Canada has decided to implement an oppressive policy on us namely the HST, and we see this as a further erosion of our historic Nation to Nation legally binding relationship.

We as a people have decided to recommend to our people to spend their money in the United States where we continue to have our original relationship recognized as per our historic treaty relationship.

"We call on the 10,000 plus native people in the Sault Ste. Marie area and the 220,000 First Nations people across the province to join with us in solidarity for this momentous occasion. We call on you to spend your millions of Christmas dollars in the United States."

"We furthermore call on Canadian businesses to contact MPP David Orazetti or Mike Brown who voted in favour of this new tax to express their concern. It's not too late – it isn't law yet. It is still making it's way through Canada’s senate and has not attained royal assent."

There are many other facets to First Nations plans around assertion of inherent rights throughout their territories.

More details will be shared as implementation plans near completion.

Chief Lyle Sayers of Garden River further commented: "Failure to hear our concerns may result in more direct action as a follow up to the Highway 17 closure."

Both Garden River and Batchewana First Nations encourage all Canadians to take a stand against HST and explore alternative shopping destinations across the border.

Citizens of either First Nation can call the Batchewana or Garden River Band offices for more information regarding transportation.

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