Police Shooting Of Aborigines

Back in 1979 a young Mohawk, Steve Cross, was chased from Lasalle, across the river, back to Kahnawake, by the Surete du Quebec SQ. He stopped in his driveway, jumped out of his car, ran inside and returned with a stick. He hit the cop’s windshield. He knew that the SQ had no business there. The cop sat in his car, with his window open. He aimed his gun at the young man’s chest, shot and killed him. Are the cops today still trying to see how many of our young men they can take out? ...

What is the difference between someone in a uniform and someone out of uniform? Cross was defending his laws of self-preservation of himself and his people. The SQ policeman was defending his superiority over an Indigenous man. One action is based on duty and the other is based on a paycheck. Why did that cop go outside his jurisdiction? He had no business on our land. He was never punished. The underlying issue is they don’t respect our jurisdiction.

Every time we stand up, it is over an issue that has been brewing for 500 years. Canada is complaining they have to put aside $100 million to settle their claims to our land. At the same time, $100 million is going to be spent to fix up the Mercier Bridge over which Steve Cross drove in the last moments of his life.

At Six Nations we constantly ask why there are over 80 warrants for our people for defending ourselves. At the same time, none of our attackers have ever been arrested or charged. What is our crime - that we defended ourselves and our land?

Kahentinetha Horn

www.mohawknationnews.com