He protests against unresolved land claims, poverty, pollution, abuse and poor conditions on reserves. Shawn will not shut up about it and I don't blame him.
Shawn Brant, a Mohawk spokesperson from Ontario has been arrested and held without bail for continuing to protest against the government illegally taking land from native people. The formal charge is mischief and breaching bail conditions. He was involved in previous protests that included rail blockades. He also protests against poverty, pollution, abuse and poor conditions on reserves and while his methods might seem drastic, the issues are serious and deserve attention.
Shawn is sick of unresolved land claims, pollution and poverty of native people and I don't blame him. He has a point about people letting the government know how they feel too. "The environment is an issue right now because people told the government it was an issue," Mr. Brant says. "If they said our concerns were an issue, they would be addressed too." (Quote obtained from Globe and Mail article by Naomi Klein, May 4, 2007)
While many may not agree with his methods, he got our attention and pointed out the issues that need to be addressed with native people soon. He cares about people and their future and fears it will be too late if he just sits silently and politely nods while people debate the issues for years and take and pollute the land further while more get poorer.
Here you can read about how to help free Shawn Brant. There's also a petition there that urges the government to stop licensing the plunder of First Nations land.
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