Six Nations brings Friendship Walk to Haldimand Tract

A Six Nations elected band councilor is optimistic that a long-standing legal battle with the federal government can be resolved.

And, Coun. Greg Frazer is hoping those living within the Haldimand Tract will join their Six Nations neighbors as they seek redress for alleged historical wrongdoing.

Frazer was among the participants in a three-day Friendship Walk that came to Brantford on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s a friendship walk but it’s also an awareness walk for those who have registered and want to participate,” Frazer said. “We want people to understand what the Haldimand Tract is and we want people to know how important it is to Six Nations.

“There were land transfers, there were expropriations, there was money that was promised but never delivered.

Frazer said Six Nations wants to hold the Crown – the federal and provincial governments – accountable.

“It’s about holding the Crown accountable, not the people,” Frazer said. “The people are our friends, they’re good neighbors and we want to be good neighbors to them.

“We’re also looking for allies, people to support us and join us in saying ‘hey, let’s get this resolved.’”

The Haldimand Tract refers to an area six miles deep on either side of the Grand River from source to mouth. The estimated 950,000-acres were given by the British Crown to their Indigenous allies – the Haudenosaunee – after the American Revolutionary War.

Most of the tract has been lost in what Six Nations allege were unscrupulous deals. The Six Nations elected council launched a lawsuit in 1995 and the case is expected to be before the court sometime in late 2024.

The Friendship Walk began in Fergus and St. Jacobs on Friday before arriving in Waterloo on Saturday morning and Brantford on Saturday afternoon. The walk continued in Cayuga and Port Maitland on Sunday.

In Brantford, the walk attracted close to 50 people including Six Nations councillors, as well as Brantford council members and senior staff. Brantford Brant MP Larry Brock also participated in the walk from Pauline Johnson Collegiate to Harmony Square.

Upon arrival at Harmony Square, the walkers were greeted by Gary Farmer and Derek Miller, two renowned Six Nations artists, performing a song Six Miles Deep, about the Haldimand Tract. Refreshments were made available to those who participated in the walk.

Participants were also given T-shirts that said “The Haldimand Tract – Our shared history along the Grand River” on the front and “It’s about thriving communities” on the back.

Frazer said the reception from those participating in the Friendship Walk has been good and that people appear to want to learn more about the Haldimand Tract and its importance to Six Nations.

Speaking about the lawsuit, Frazer said he’s optimistic that the issue can be resolved. Six Nations has been using documents from the federal and provincial governments to solidify their case.

Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis spoke at the event in Harmony Square and said he’s well aware of the lawsuit launched by the Six Nations elected council.

In addition to making people more knowledgeable about the issue, the Friendship Walk also puts pressure on the upper levels of government to give the respect the lawsuit deserves and get the issue resolved once and for all, Davis said.

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