Mohawks: Goons, cash and Niocan, Inc.

AMAZING OR DISGUSTING? $58 Million to Foot Kanehsatake War

By Kahentinetha Horn
Mohawk Nations News
June 2, 2007

This is a story about psychotic bureaucrats and reckless senior Quebec and Ottawa officials who worked out plans to destroy the people of Kanehsatake. They blackmailed their puppets, like greedy James Gabriel, “You do this and that or you don’t get the money”. They wanted to get the niobium mine going and to make Kanehsatake part of the municipality of Oka who would run our territory. To do this, they had to remove the Mohawks from the land under which lays the mineral coveted by the military-industrial complex, niobium.Though it’s a public company, Quebec, Canada and US are all share holders in Niocan Inc. “Niobium” is rare. It makes steel stronger, lighter and more flexible than they are. The military wants this for warheads, missiles, outer space exploration and to take over the universe. We’ve been fighting against this mine since the 1970s.We have been wondering why millions of dollars were spent on our community.Tests were done by going down certain levels into the earth. Mirslav Nastiv, of Natural Resources Canada, found out that Niocan had tampered with the testing of the area. When the rocks are disturbed, cancerous radon gases were released. We now have one of the highest levels of cancer in our community. The hearings concluded that Niocan could not be licensed because of our land claim and that we had not been consulted. [Was this salting “Bre-X” style?]Grand chief James Gabriel was a court appointed chief. His mentor was lawyer, Eric Maldoff, of Heenan & Blaikie of Montreal. He was sent into Kanehsatake by former Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, with orders to “keep Kanehsatake off the front pages”. Maldoff became James Gabriel’s “Canadian idol”. The button to send in the militia to take us over on January 12, 2004 was pushed by former Prime Minister Paul Martin.After the Mohawk Crisis of 1990 we set up the Mohawk Coalition with three objectives: 1. Consult with people on issues relating to land, governance and economic development; 2. Represent the people according to our mandate in negotiations relating to land; and 3. Receive and disburse any monies transferred from the government for the above purposes. The Coalition was never dissolved. In 1999 Indian Affairs got James Gabriel and Clarence Simon to secretly reregistered it in Quebec. Then they funnelled millions in government funds and bought weapons and vehicles registered to the corporation.According to the 750 pages of ‘Access to Information’ documents we have, the whole scheme was laid out for many years. The documents are between high level bureaucrats – Jacques Chagnon of Quebec Public Security, Rob Write and Eric Maldoff of the Privy Council Office, Chantal Bernier and Ann McLellan of the Solicitor General’s Office, Wayne Easter of Justice, Walter Walling and Andy Scott for Indian Affairs. They all worked hand in hand to take us down.Their goal was to take down the people, the Police Commission and the cigarette stores. To do this they had to control the policing, criminalize us and demonize us through high cost public relations like Communications [“sponsorship scandal”] Strategy of Montreal. They worked for both Indian Affairs and Niocan and are still under criminal investigation. They decided the best way to control us at gunpoint.From 2003 to the present Indian Affairs directed funds and manipulated the one sided war on Kanehsatake. Treasury Board Acts were violated to divert $58 million into a stolen corporation. To set it up, Indian Affairs got James Gabriel to mismanage our money so they could push third party and co-management on us, putting Hartell and PriceWaterhouseCooper in charge, each receiving millions of our money. We were never told of this re-routing of our money.In a December 16, 2003, letter from Grand Chief James Gabriel to Peter Fisher of Ann McLelland’s office, secret deals and meetings were reported./ Eric Maldoff and Walter Walling had no business being involved in these policing meetings. These documents proved that Eric, Ann, Walter and the others plotted for many years before the armed attack on us on January 12, 2004.Indian Affairs paid for 16 court cases that James Gabriel launched against us for asking too many questions. They wanted to return ultimate power to their puppet, James Gabriel.In 2003 James Gabriel started hiring the goons. 67 were recruited from Quebec. Chief Ted Moses of the Crees said they were lied to about the operation. He pulled out his men. Most of the goons were called “Raccoon babysitters”, with arms-length criminal records, untrained in guns, some were lumberjacks and many were not legally allowed to carry guns, let alone sniper rifles.In 1996 PCO hired Richard Walsh, a known felon, to find dirt and set us up. He said just about every one in Kanehsatake was a “criminal”. Indian Affairs gave $900,000 for the raid on our police station.$58 million was diverted through the stolen corporation to James Gabriel’s militia. In the meantime our programs and services were cut.Yes, $58 million can fund a big war. Millions were given to James Gabriel and his militia to buy illegal weapons. If Canada is a decent law-abiding country, don’t go to the RCMP. The RCMP bought the weaponry April 2003, one year before the raid. This included: 30,000 bullets for every man woman and child; international sniper rifles; Ruger range rifles; cases and cases of 30 round automatic clips; body bags; MP 5’s [an illegal silencer] by HK with all the accessories, which is not standard police equipment; M9-63 vision goggles; SL 6-37 mm Multy-Role 6 shot ‘launcher’ [what!!]; S-N 717; 3-speed heat # 2CS continuous discharge grenade; 12 – t16-cs Flameless Explusion Grenade; tasers; tear gas; concussion grenades; M16s, Perabolic microphones and other spy equipment; flak jackets; Winchester 55GR full metal jacket; AR 15s; M 40s; Magnums [maybe even tanks in the bushes!]; ballistic shields; Icom radios; Marine binoculars; Tri-chamber flameless expulsion grenades CS in a canister marked “toxic” by National Defense; crowd control pepper spray; Cassette tape recorder to entertain the troops while on duty; Multiport Plus distraction device from National Defence; and lots of other toys not on the list. Lethal or what?Also purchased were cars and all the computers and technical equipment needed to set up a topnotch police station for Kanehsatake in Laval. These are mostly high tech military equipment not issued to just any military and certainly not to any police. A lot of the weaponry disappeared.A list of vehicles from the Manowan Police Station, dated May 4, 2004. [Leon Newashish 819-971-8861, Richard Moar and Serge Fontaine] shows that between April 15–23, 2004, more than 10 vehicles were purchased. Of these only 3 were insured as police vehicles or registered at the Quebec Vehicle registry office. At least 3 were sold to chief of police and favored members of the community for $300-$400. One was $42,000 charged to the KMP and a PriceWaterhouseCooper trust account. One vehicle was registered and insured as a police vehicle, according to Jean Pierre Godbout of Samson & Associates of Ottawa who did the preliminary audit investigation.To register these cars, they stole the “Mohawk Coalition” non-profit corporation. Eric and Walter helped funnel all this money into it.In a “Secret” Quebec Public Security document dated September 20, 2005, entitled “Strategic Considerations”, Chantal Bernier and Public Security decided to make changes to Kanehsatake governance. Senior bureaucrats changed the procedures for validating a band council resolution. In an August 3, 2006 letter from Quebec Regional office, Indian Affairs decided that “a council resolution is valid as long as it is accepted by a majority of the council”. This they said “was strictly motivated by a concern for consensus in the community” on public safety. This was to make sure their puppet James Gabriel got and kept power.The rigged election of 2005 was funded and manipulated by Indian Affairs. They gave money to James Gabriel and his favored candidates. Indian Affairs and Eric Maldoff monitored it closely. Monique Gagnon of Quebec Regional office gave “extraordinary funding to deal with the general election, the various litigation stemming” in case James Gabriel lost. Even so, James Gabriel did lose to Steve Bonspille. An additional $500,000 was transferred to cover his expenses. They wanted a “winning condition” and illegally extended his term of office until the election.In 2005 the six chiefs who were under the influence of Indian Affairs took an action in Federal Court to fire Steve Bonspille, who refused to sign their sell-out proposals and to stop him from having public meetings.The band council signed Bill S24 to municipalize Kanehsatake and harmonize it with Oka. Steve Bonspille refused to sign. The mayors and the government were informed, “No deals”. There is a forensic audit going on as well.To get this $58 million the funds went through the Solicitor General’s Office, Public Safety, Indian Affairs and Eric Maldoff for the PCO.All this for Niocan Inc.Jacques Chagnon, then Minister of Public Security for Quebec, said that, according to the “Police Act”, these mercenaries could not come to another territory carrying guns in their trunks without being sworn in by Public Security. James Gabriel himself swore them in at the Laval Hilton Hotel where all the guns were stored. There are videos of this. The Quebec Police SQ pulled out of the operation because “it was too dangerous”.Public Security Emergency Preparedness Canada contracted an independent auditor [Samson & Associates of Ottawa] to audit policing funds received from Public Security Canada and Quebec. The August 2, 2006 report found that funds were provided by Indian Affairs to the militia. Money was taken from health, education and welfare of the community and funneled to policing. “Bullets for books!”Public Security Minister, Stockwell Day, said there is enough evidence to warrant a forensic audit of the Kanehsatake Police and James Gabriel’s former council along with all their Ottawa and Quebec masterminds.Peter Hutchens of Hutchens Grants and Associates knew that this corporation had been stolen from the Mohawk Coalition. [Peter Hutchens, 514-849-2403 admin@hsgiegal.ca]. Mary Cree was on the original board. She contacted Hutchens to see if it was still active. He advised her to resign.Steve Bonspille wrote to Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice about the theft of the corporation. Steve found out that the Corporation was taken to the Quebec Corporations Office and re-registered in the names of James Gabriel, Clarence Simon and Leona Bonspille. It was reset up to funnel all funding for band activities, purchases, policing, economic development and education. The money was diverted to set up the militia. This constituted fraud. This is way more than the usual budget for Kanehsatake.In July 26, 2006 Steve asked the minister, “Could they stop the operations of the council and the negotiation process?” Prentice never answered. In a letter dated August 29, 2006, Pierre Nepton, the Quebec Regional director danced around this question.There needs to be a public inquiry with subpoena powers and to lay charges.Jacques Chagnon, in a transcript dated January 13, 2006, rips apart the illegal Mohawk raid of January 12, 2004. He lays blame for the debacle on Ottawa. James Gabriel made power plays with “mercenaries” hired with federal funds. The raid was illegal, “Duplessis-like”. He personally blames James Gabriel and Wayne Easter of the Solicitor Generals Office for the [foolhardy and dangerous] January 12, 2004 operation. In particular, Wayne Easter should never have authorized a $900,000 special anti-crime subsidy to the Kanehsatake band council for this operation. The federal government should have “heeded the advice” of the RCMP and the SQ which said the raid would be a big mistake. Chagnon added he would never have approved the recruiting of Aboriginal “mercenaries” from reserves across Quebec. He thinks that Gabriel was trying to establish “absolute power” [at gunpoint].Chagnon goes on to say that the media was directed by the public relations “spinners” to make James Gabriel into a “martyr saint”. Gabriel pulled off a “tour de force” getting himself armed by Ottawa, using totally illegal methods to bring in an army of mercenaries into the territory to replace the chief of police. 418-991-6523 lucie.baulne@psepc-sppcc.gc.ca.Cry Baby James. When the ‘forensic audit’ walls came crashing down in 2007, Maldoff disappeared under his rock to protect his reputation and money. He was making $1.5 million as a “slime ball” broker. The PCO accepted it. James Gabriel didn’t want to be left holding the bag. He begged the minister for Maldoff’s return, to at least be his “mentor”[mental].CONTACT: Quebec Environmental Dept. louise bourdages@bape.gouv.gc.ca; Miroslav Nastev;miroslav.nastev@mcan.gc.ca of Natural Resources Canada; Walter walling wallingw@ainc-inac.gc.ca; Chantal bernier Chantal.bernier@psepc-sppcc.gc.ca; L.Guay@JUSTICE.gc.ca; David Hallman davie.hallman@psepc-sppcc.gc.ca; Margaret.bloodworth@psepc-sppcc.gc.ca; Gilles.rochon@psepc-sppcc.gc.ca; Eric Maldoff % Jim Prentice (819) 953-4941; Kanehsatake, (450) 479-1973, cell.: (514) 708-8933; Mohawk Coalition 450-479-8275Kahentinetha HornMNN Mohawk Nation NewsKahentinetha2@yahoo.com & Katenies20@yahoo.comUpdates, speakers, workshops, sign up, go tohttp://www.mohawknationnews.com/Please sign Women Title Holders petition.Link: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/IroquoisSubscribe: http://www.mohawknationnews.com/news/subscription.phpLink to MNN. 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