Terrorist or hero? That seems to be the dilemma whenever Shawn Brant’s name is mentioned.
A Mohawk from the Tyendinaga Territory near Desoronto, Ontario, Brant faced a minimum of 12 years in prison for his role in organizing two 2007 blockades: the April 20 barricade of CN Rail’s main line, and the shutdown of an eastern Ontario portion of Highway 401 on the June 29 National Aboriginal Day of Action. A late-September pretrial motion to determine Brant’s fate turned into a half-hour-long trial, in which Brant was found guilty of three counts of mischief and sentenced to 57 days of pretrial custody, a 90-day conditional sentence, and one year of probation. The sentence has been a source of controversy: a victory in the eyes of his supporters and an ineffective slap on the wrist for those who believe Brant’s extreme protest actions merit greater punishment.
Mainstream media has tended to carry a moralistic tone on the subject of Brant’s trial outcome, emphasizing the so-called “light” nature of his penalty to the sound of clucking tongues. Online discussion boards brim with angry debate over this supposed failure of the Canadian legal system and the alleged double standards held for First Nation trouble makers who—go figure—seem to think that 500 years of manhandling and neglect by the Canadian government warrant extreme measures.
It seems everyone is missing the point.
Brant’s actions were intended to draw attention to the very real problems faced by his community. Unfortunately, these issues were overshadowed by the legal spectacles surrounding the 2007 blockades—a pretty effective distraction.
Beyond Shawn Brant, the facts are grim—and have seen little improvement since the 2007 protests, unfortunately. According to a statement released by the Toronto-based Tyendinaga Support Committee, “the critical issues which prompted the Mohawks to take action have yet to be addressed.” The statement describes the community’s unwilling forfeiture of resources, leaving a majority of households and the reserve school with water unfit for human consumption. A quarry near Desoronto continues to haul out Mohawk land and replace it with trash and toxic chemicals. And to add insult to injury, the lands comprising the Culbertson Tract—promised to the Mohawk through the Simcoe Deed of 1793—have yet to be returned, despite the government’s continued acknowledgement that the Mohawk hold legal claim to this property.
Shawn Brant is no Malcolm X; this isn’t the place or time for radical protest measures. For a person to position oneself as a mouthpiece for an entire group is irresponsible, dangerous, and potentially discrediting. But, for now, the message is out there. Maybe we should try listening.
