Peace & Friendship Gathering, Aug 22-24, Ohsweken.

AUG 22-24: PEACE & FRIENDSHIP GATHERING AT SIX NATIONS (UPDATED CALL OUT)

Indigenous sovereignty - Environmental protection - Anti-racism and social justice

SEE UPDATED SCHEDULE BELOW!

She:kon,

The Haudenosaunee Men’s Fire at Six Nations welcomes people from all four directions to come and participate, support or volunteer at a historic gathering at Six Nations of The Grand River. The vision for this event was inspired from the work that has been accomplished by the people of Six Nations in the spirit of the Great Law of Peace and the Good Minds that have been tireless in moving this vision forward. The event is being organized by a grass roots committee of Six Nations residents and supporters.

The Gathering will feature:

* Awesome entertainment each evening, including popular bands from Six Nations

* Teachings on the real history, language and traditional activities

* Sharing what is happening in other territories

* Working together, in solidarity, with labour, environmental, anti-racist groups

* Workshops on protest tactics and techniques

* Film screenings

* Full youth-focused program, including lacrosse demo and workshop

There is camping available on site and tents and sleeping bags that can be borrowed. It is not mandatory to register in advance, but it will help in our planning to know that you are coming. There are buses leaving from Downsview Station in Toronto on Saturday at 11am and returning that day at a10pm and Sunday at 11am returning that day at 6pm – if you want to get on those buses, please email tomkeefer@gmail.com asap to reserve your space. Also, there will be shuttles from the Hamilton GO/Greyhound station on Hunter Street on Friday (arriving at station 2pm, 5:30pm, and 10:15pm), Saturday (arriving at station at 10:15am, 12pm, 2:30pm, and 10pm), and Sunday (arriving at station at 10:15am and 5-8pm regularly). There are also shuttles to and from Brantford and the Plaza in Ohsewken.

There will be no charge for attending the Gathering, but we are asking that people consider donating to help us cover our expenses. We need cash donations and gifts in kind (including food). Please do not hesitate to contact Paul Tucker at (416) 892-3834 if you have any questions regarding the use of your donation. If you wish to make a monetary donation, please make cheques payable to CUPE 3903 who is assisting with the financial management of the event. Please mail cheques to: Paul Tucker, 237 Melita Ave, Toronto, ON, M6G 2A1.

This event will be absolutely drug and alcohol free.

For more information:

Email: peaceandfriendshipgathering@gmail.com

Or call Ken Hill: (519) 445-2403

Or check us out at: http://solidarityfestival.wordpress.com

THE PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP GATHERING

DRAFT SCHEDULE

(As of August 20, 2008)

August 22-24, 2008

At Chiefswood Tent and Trailer Park

Six Nations of Grand River

(for directions, click here: http://www.chiefswood.com/visitinginfo.html)

Note that the agenda just keeps changing (getting better and better!) and some of what is listed still needs to be confirmed.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND

Hosted by the Younger Brothers (Oneida and Cayuga nations)

6am: Sunrise Ceremony

Organizers, volunteers and friends open the space with the Thanksgiving Address. All are welcome.

3pm: Registration and Orientation

Come to set up your camp site, settle in and tour Chiefswood or plug in as a volunteer. Small group orientations sessions will be available to give you an intro to the objectives of the Gathering, Six Nations and the site.

4pm: Youth Lounge Opens for the Weekend

Come chat, find out what’s going on, or just hang out. The home base will remain open throughout the weekend.

4pm: Onkwehonwe Christian Fellowship Drop In Space (update)

Dan Hill and Jonathan Garlow from Six Nations will be hosting this space which has been set up on request to support a conversation about friendship and unity among Gathering participants who identify as Christian. Look for a workshop announcement from Christian Peacemaker Teams (www.cpt.org) on their Aboriginal Justice work. This space will also stay open throughout the Gathering.

5pm: Welcoming Ceremony

Organizers, elders, the Haudenosaunee Men’s Fire and other members of Six Nations officially welcome everyone to the Gathering. The focus of the ceremony: UNITY!

6pm: Supper Time (changed)

Full on supper – we’re talking gravy! And stuff for vegans too (that means no meat or dairy). Everyone is encouraged to bring food too. There will be a large BBQ with coals waiting.

6:30pm: Main Fire (new time)

Roll-call introductions, announcements, overview of the weekend and an opportunity to introduce issues.

7:15pm: Honouring the Four Directions (new time)

Dan Smoke (Asayenes), Seneca storyteller and host of “Smoke Signals” in London, will join Oneida and Cayuga brothers in a large participatory ceremony that closes off the day, invites unity and healing.

8pm – 9pm: Six Nation’s own Jamie Oakes described as “soul music for the mind” (new)

9pm – 10pm: The Breeze Band

Popular hard rocking, blues and country band home-grown at Six Nations. Check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/thebreezeband6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23RD

Hosted by the Firekeepers (Onondaga nation)

6am – Sunrise Ceremony

8am – Breakfast (more than just the basics!)

Coffee from Lone Wolf and breakfast chow provided.

9am (or so!): Drop in and hang out spaces open

9am – 10:30am: Six Nations State of Play

Get the update directly from Six Nations Negotiators and the elected Chief, Bill Montour, what has happened at the negotiations tables with the Ontario and Federal Governments and what the expectations are for the new round, especially in light of the numerous injunctions and the recent stands that have been made in Brantford.

9am: Environmental News, Info and Workshops (changes and new stuff)

* Sustainable building: Grand House Student Co-Op, University of Waterloos School of Architecture (http://www.wacsa.org/grandhouse/)
* Protecting natural sources of drinking water: Howard Summerhayes, farmer, environmentalist, resident of Brantford on stormwater
* Food politics: Davin Charney, Kitchener lawyer and solidarity activist, shares about why he is vegan and the connection between food and oppression

10am – 3pm: Guided Tours of the Chiefswood Museum (new)

10:45am – Noon: Making the Stand in Other Territories

Join members of other communities to share updates on inspiring stands that are being made across this land.

Noon: Lunch Is Served

1pm – 4pm: Workshop on Protest Tactics and Techniques

Workshop combining the expertise and experience of trainers with environmental, anti-racist and native rights backgrounds. It will include a discussion by members of Anti-Racist Action (ARA) on experiences organizing against white supremacists in the Brantford area. Participants will learn specific skills in addition to working together to build collective strategies for working in solidarity across different histories, backgrounds, and perspectives.

1pm – 2:30pm: Indigenous Legal Systems (changes)

Law Union of Ontario (Session #1) – Learn and share about Haudenosaunee law from Yvonne Thomas, Executive Director of the Jake Thomas Learning, the basic tenants and structure of this indigenous legal system (http://www.jakethomaslearningcentre.ca/).

1pm – Workshops and Info on Haudenosaunee Language and Culture (new stuff)

* Stan Farmer, Researcher and Historian, on videography and the importance of documenting traditional and ecological knowledge
* Sacred sites, archaeology and environmental destruction: Ilsa Kramer, retired archaeologist, environmentalist talks about the role of archaeology and abandoned gypsum mines
* Sweat Lodge 101: Everyone is welcome to join Mary Lou and Dan Smoke in the building of a sacred sweat lodge and in a medicine ceremony inside the new structure.

1:45pm – 3pm: Powerful Voices

Renowned and rhythmic spoken word artists live it up – A session by and for YOU(th)! Voice is medicine!

2:30 – 4pm: Climate Justice and Indigenous Peoples

Ben Powless will facilitate a workshop on climate justice and environmental racism from an indigenous perspective.

2:30pm – 4:00pm: “Political Prisoners”: Land Rights and Jail Time (update)

Law Union of Ontario (Session #2) – Join Bob Lovelace, Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, his lawyer and native rights advocate, Chris Reid and Peter Rosenthal, long-time civil rights advocate and lawyer for Tyendinaga native rights defender, Shawn Brant, for a discussion sharing experiences about Canadian law, jail time and native rights stands.

3:15pm – 4:30pm: Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby!

Mohawk youth Jessica Yee, founder of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, will lead a chat on gender roles, sexuality and teen pregnancy. People taking part will see “Stand True”, a movie made by and about Haisla youth living in North-western B.C. Those who plug into this wickedly interactive space can expect to talk about cultural empowerment and youth self-determination of rights.

4:30pm – 5:30pm: Genocide and Gender (new)

Members of the “No More Silence” network make the links between colonization, genocide and violence against native women.

4pm – 5:30pm: People in Cages: Voices of Indigenous People from Inside Canadian Criminal “Justice” (changes)

Law Union of Ontario (Session #3) – Roundtable session on how Canadian criminal law is impacting on indigenous people and insights on the role of lawyers. Join Barb Harris, Community Counsel member with Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto, Crystal Bomberry, Native Court Worker (Criminal), and Paula Hill, Native Court Worker (Family). A special call out to Aboriginal people with first hand experiences of the impacts of Canadian “justice” – please come to listen and share your voice if you are confortable.

4:30pm: Lacross Demo and Workshop

Join Mitch Nanticoke and other members of the Six Nations Arrows for a lacrosse demo and worshop. Check out the Arrows: http://www.sixnationsarrows.com/

6pm: Supper with Whisky Hollow (changes)

Enjoy full dinner chow in the company of popular local band Whisky Hollow.

7pm: Main Fire (changed time)

7pm - 9pm: Screening of “A Winter Tale” (changed time)

Inspired by the media hype about “black on black” violence in the inner-city, Frances-Anne Solomon’s film about racism, violence and hope is sweeping up awards at international film festivals. Discussion with one of the stars, Michael Miller, to follow. (http://awintertale.ca/)

8:30pm: Sunset Ceremony

9pm – 11pm: Music and Entertainment (changes)

Spoken word artists, hip hop and rap, jazz and local pop: an evening of entertainment that offers the best of all worlds. Look for Michael Gabriel all the way from California (http://www.michaelgabrielmusic.com/) and Six Nay’s Tim Turvey (http://www.myspace.com/timturvey).

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24TH

Hosted by the Older Brothers (Mohawk and Seneca nations)

6am – Sunrise Ceremony

8am – Breakfast

9am – 10:30am: Higher, Faster, Stronger: Preparing to Fight for Native Rights in the Lead Up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics

In 2010, the world’s sites will be set on Canada as host to three major international events: the Olympics in Vancouver on land that is the subject of a claim, a meeting of leaders of the G8 countries, and a meeting of Canadian, U.S. and Mexican leaders to discuss the “Security and Prosperity Partnership”. Find out why this is important and what is being planned.

9:30am – 10:30am: From Six Nations to Oaxaca, Mexico (new)

Six Nation’s own Doreen Silversmith will report back from her recent (third) trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, after screening of a short documentary film that was made following her first visit.

10am – 3pm: Guided Tours of the Chiefswood Museum (new)

10:30am – Noon: Preserving and Promoting Haudenosaunee Law, Language and Culture

Learn about specific ways to engage in the effort to protect Haudenosaunee language and culture. Members of the Beaver Clan will share their ideas and developments on rebuilding the clan system though careful, detailed research. Also, hear from a Tuscarora, Elder about important research being done on treaties.

10:30am – Noon: Indigenous Struggles and Solidarity (changes)

A swarm is coming! The Beehive Design Collective - a political arts group based in eastern Maine is headed this way. The group’s mission is to “cross pollinate the grassroots” through the creation of images. Looking outward from Turtle Island, this session will build from the amazing graphics of the Beehive Design Collective to discuss indigenous struggles in Latin America. The Bee’s latest graphic explores widespread community resistance to a proposed mega development project known as Plan Puebla Panama. www.beehivecollective.org. Looking back to home, this time slot will also include members of No One Is Illegal – Toronto on “Supporting Indigenous Struggles in the Migrant Justice Movement”; making the link between European colonization, forced migration and the occupation and theft of land on Turtle Island.

Noon: Lunch

1pm – 2:15pm: Planning For Action Panel

Spokespeople from Six Nations, other territories, environmental organizations, native solidarity organizations, etc. will provide concise forecasts of their activities leading out of the Gathering.

2:30pm – Closing Fire

Touching base on the key ideas for moving forward.

4pm – Closing Ceremony

For more information:

Email: peaceandfriendshipgathering@gmail.com

Contact: Ken Hill: (519) 445-2403 or Bill & Gloria Williams at (519) 445-4349

Internet: http://solidarityfestival.wordpress.com

Facebook event: “Peace & Friendship Gathering”