From 1492 Land Back Lane (Facebook)

Haudenosaunee Land Defenders Will Remain at 1492 Land Back Lane Forever

On December 13, 2022, Ontario Justice Sweeny decided to grant a permanent injunction to Foxgate Developments Inc.

This decision now gives Foxgate Developments the ability to seek police enforcement of this injunction. Previous enforcement attempts led by police resulted in serious harm to our community; police shot at land defenders in the back with rubber bullets and tasers, and over 50 people were arrested. Given the history of violence unleashed on our community by the use of injunctions, we are taking this as a very serious threat on our safety.

The Crown is relying on their assertion of title from 1853, long after the Haldimand Proclamation, without consent of the Haudenosaunee, in a time when Indigenous People had no right to defend their interests in court. Canada’s colonial legal system is fundamentally designed for this purpose: to deny our inherent connection to our lands, to dispossess us in order to extract resources and develop our territory without our consent. This is exactly how land theft is made legal.

Our camp has spent every one of the last 878 days building our home at 1492 Land Back Lane. We will continue to cultivate orchards, sing our songs, and hold space here. We will be free on our land for however long it takes Canada to realize we are never going to leave and for generations after that.

Skyler Williams, our spokesperson, will continue to pursue an appeal on this decision.

“Our people will continue to live peacefully at 1492 Land Back Lane. Any disruption to peace here will be brought on by the courts, developers, and police, which we will absolutely defend ourselves from.” – Skyler Williams, Spokesperson for 1492 Land Back Lane.

“Injunctions are disproportionately used to remove First Nations people from their lands, allowing century old injustices to replicate themselves. Six Nations people and their allies are fighting that injustice on the ground, and we will do the same in the courtroom.” – statement from Aliah El-houni and Sima Atri of the Community Justice Collective.

Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/legal-fund-1492-land-back-lane