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Message to the People of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Nation from Mike Morris

October 9, 2007 - 9:19am | by brianbeaton

From http://mikecmorris.myknet.org  

Message to the People of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Nation

I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.

                                                          St. John 10:10

My Prayer is that one day the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Nation can again take their Rightful Place in God's Creation. God wanted our People to have life and have it more abundantly. This is to happen - NOW ! Instead, 90 % of our People live in poverty in their own lands - this is not what God wanted.

When I was 6 years old, most of the David Morris Family ( our grandparents, our own family, our two uncles and their families plus our aunt and her family - about 23 People ) traveled to their Traditional Lands. Life was hard but everybody worked together as the Collective ( the family ) was more important than the individual. There was harmony and cooperation among the adults and the children were " the center of the universe ". One time, several strangers arrived and I saw them meet with our grandfather. Later, my father told me that Protocols were being renewed as to how far they could go into each other family's traditional territory. In the fall, our grandfather told his three sons and son-in-law which part of our traditional territory they were to hunt and trap. This was the Manitou Ohtoonaachikewin at work when the Morris Family was enforcing their Kanaawaynimedisowin over the Morris Traditional Lands. All the Other Kitchenuhmaykoosib Families were doing the same thing all over the Chief Jimmy Tait Lands. The Kitchenuhmaykoosib Nation was enforcing its Kannawaynimedisowin ( our Sovereignty - our Government ) all over the Chief Jimmy Tait Lands.

On September 16, 2007; I started my Homepage (http://mikecmorris.myknet.org) so that I could pass on what I believe in plus what I have learned since 1974. Let me be very clear - these writings are my own and are not influenced by any other person. My writings are not supported by any of our First Nations or their political organizations and neither do I want want or need their assistance. In the first four Lessons, I have mentioned that they are part of the problem and future Lessons will clarify this point.

One line that I read somewhere stated that " the master's tools cannot be used to bring down the master's house ". This is so true. Since 1867, Canada has been saying that the Chief Jimmy Tait Lands belong to them - Canada controls our reserve lands while Ontario controls the Crown Lands. Through the Doctrine of Discovery process, our Peoples our Lands have been passed from the French to the British and then, to Canada. Since 1867, Canada has been implementing their legal and political systems over our Peoples and our Lands. From the Royal Proclamation of 1763, to the Constitution Act 1867, to all the Indian Acts and then finally, to Section 35 of the Canada Act 1982: Canada has been laying their legal foundation whereby they are entrenching the Doctrine of Discovery - The Indigenous Peoples can only exist from 1867 when Canada was established is The Message. It is in this setting that the Assembly of First Nations, Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, our Tribal Councils, our First Nations, NAN Legal Services, Tikinagin Child and Family Services, Northern Native Education Council, Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, etc. are allowed to operate - These entities must be incorporated, either through federal or provincial incorporation laws, and if they get too uppity - their funds get cut off. It is in this setting that we talk about their version of our Aboriginal Rights and our Treaty Rights - Every Court Case, whether we win or lose, substantiates their version of our Rights. It is in this setting that we take this or that situation to their Court and even if we win - we still lose. WHY ?? Because it is their system. Nobody will allow somebody else to use their own tools against them. This is the process that I have called our Journey into Self-Oblivion.

A friend of mine made a comment that we are " an industry unto ourselves ". This is also true. This next part might get me into further trouble but it needs to be said. The sad part is that the 90 % of us who live in poverty in our own lands are not benefiting from this industry. The saddest part is that the other 10 % ( the so-called Aboriginal political elite ) are now helping the colonizer substantiate their illegal claims to our Peoples and our Lands.

Our Kitchenuhmaykoosib Kanaawaynimedisowin ( plus the Manitou Ohtoonaachikewin ) is being oppressed and in one of my previous presentations, I made the statement that " there is NO Love in Oppression ". We need to teach ourselves HOW we enforce our own oppression.

We need to ask these type of Questions:

  1. What are we doing to Treaty 9 when we vote in the elections of our Treaty Partners ?
    1. On October 10th - Are we saying that we are Canadians who reside in Ontario ?
    2. Are we saying there is NO need for Treaty 9 ?
    3. Are we saying there is NO Kitchenuhmaykoosib Government ? Ever ?
       
  2. What are we saying when we use their Court System ?
    1. Are we agreeing with their Doctrine of Discovery ?
    2. Are we placing ourselves ( our Kitchenuhmaykoosib Kanaawaynimedisowin ) under the authority of their legal system ?
    3. Are we saying there are NO Kitchenuhmaykoosib Nation Laws ? Ever ?
       
  3. What are we saying when we ask Ontario to remove their parks ?
    1. Are we acknowledging their authority to establish these parks ?
    2. Are we acknowledging their authority over the lands and animals that God gave to our People ?
    3. Are we saying our Kitchenuhmaykoosib Kanaawaynimedisowin does not apply anymore ?
       
  4. What are we saying when we ask them to give back our land to us ?
    1. Are we saying we already lost our Kanaawaynimedisowin over the land ?
    2. Are we saying we have the Right to give the land away ?
    3. Are we saying they now have the authority over our land ?
    4. For the Christians:
      1. Are we saying Canada/ Ontario have more authority than God ?

At this time and with the kind of responses that our People are making; we have already been defeated. Their version of our Aboriginal Rights and Treaty Rights; as defined by their Doctrine of Discovery, as applied under their Doctrine of Aboriginal Rights, as implemented within their Constiution and subsequent legal system is the only game in town. We are only aboriginal Canadians " of " Canada.

But all is not lost. God's mercy and grace are still here. We just need to teach ourselves HOW we can get back to God's Purpose for the Kitchenuhmaykoosib People. The Kitchenuhmaykoosib Family needs to come back together. The Kitchenuhmaykoosib Nation Laws still exist and function under all the layers of laws which originate from Canada and Ontario.

Mike Morris
Member - Kitchenuhmaykoosib Nation
Signatory to Treaty 9
E-mail: mikemorris@knet.ca
Homepage: http://mikecmorris.myknet.org
Phone No. (807) 535-2620

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