#ColonialRacism is the cornerstone of the Australian conservative movement

It's barely contained beneath the surface

1 of 4 Slide description - white background with black text that reads: re: Following peace ceremony on McGill grounds, Kanien’keha:ka women decry university snub

2 of 4 Slide description - white background with black text that reads: This morning, we were informed that the Great White Pine sapling that was planted yesterday was uprooted. This desecration to the Haudenosaunee symbol of peace, is not only an insult to the Kanien’kehá:ka nation, especially its women, but it is as well, a hate crime. The desecration of the sapling is a violent act against the Kanien’kehá:ka peoples as we struggle to protect our homelands and our laws. The planting of the Great White Pine, a symbol of peace for the Haudenosaunee, would have demonstrated McGill’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. It is disappointing to see that we must struggle in yet another century, against systemic racism that hinders our efforts to protect our rights to self-determination. McGill states on its web site that it “honours the past and reconcile the future”, yet your response has been anything but reflective of reconciliation. This is not reconciliation – it is a praxis of colonialism.

3 of 4 Slide description - white background with black text that reads: Under Kaianera’kó:wa – the Great Law of Peace, we are obliged as its citizens, to protect and promote peace upon our homelands. That does not mean solely the postage stamp size “reserves” we live upon but all our homelands. We as Kanien’keha:ka women deplore McGill University’s immediate removal of a sacred white pine from the grounds, which had been planted as part of a peace ceremony. McGill failed to protect the Great White Pine sapling from its removal and so McGill should make reparations by returning the tree or another great white pine tree if they are genuinely interested in pursuing reconciliation. This is taken as a sign that, despite its Land Acknowledgment and extensive equity policies, McGill University adopts a selective policy for respecting Indigenous voices, taking an adversarial approaches when convenient.

4 of 4 Slide description - white background with black text that reads: The knee-jerk removal of the beautiful Great White Pine sapling reveals McGill University’s deeply paranoid stance towards anyone supporting peace in this world. The behavior from a University that flashes Land Acknowledgments and sustainability programs tells you all you need to know about the sincerity with which they hold their professed values. Kanien’keha:ka women will continue to stand in solidarity with all those who desire peace, and yes this includes the advocates for ending the genocide in Gaza, to which the university has taken such a regrettable approach. History will judge them. Skén:nen Onkwehón:we Konón:kwe (Women of the Land)

Media Advisory - November 18, 2024: "Following peace ceremony on McGill grounds, Kanien’keha:ka women decry university snub"

#Tiohtià:ke #montreal #colonialracism #mcgilluniversity #antipalestinianhate #antiindigenousracism

1 of 7 Slide description: a close up picture of the vibrant green branches of a white pine, with a text overlay that reads: Statement: Academics for Palestine - Concordia strongly endorses the statement by the Onkwehón:we Konón:kwe (Women of the Land) condemning McGill University for uprooting the Great White Pine, Haudenosaunee symbol of peace.

2 of 7 Slide description - khaki green background with white text that reads: On Sunday the 17th of November 2024 at 11:00 AM, a delegation of Mohawk Elders planted a Great White Pine sapling on their traditional territory, on which McGill University sits. A symbol of peace to the Haudenosaunee people, the White Pine was planted among purple and white stones to evoke the power and endurance of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of Indigenous nations created long before colonization to nourish peace in these lands. A wooden plaque carved for the occasion states that the White Pine is a “symbol of the solidarity of the Kanien’keha:ka peoples with the students at McGill and Concordia who established a peaceful encampment here in 2024 in the name of justice for Palestine and all the people of Mother Earth.” As the Kanien’keha:ka Elders planted the Great White Pine sapling, the air was filled with quiet sounds of appreciation and respect from the hundreds of people assembled to witness the ceremony of peace.

3 of 7 Slide description - khaki green background with white text that reads: By Monday morning November 18th, however, McGill University had uprooted the tree, leaving a scratched patch of earth and a few scattered purple and white stones: a scene of desecration testament to the arrogance, racism, and hypocrisy of McGill’s administration. As stated on November 18th by the Kanien’keha:ka women who planted the tree, “This desecration to the Haudenosaunee symbol of peace, is not only an insult to the Kanien’kehá:ka nation, especially its women, but it is as well, a hate crime.”

4 of 7 Slide description - khaki green background with white text that reads: The members of Academics for Palestine-Concordia strongly condemn McGill University’s actions. As the Onkwehón:we Konón:kwe point out, the desecration of the peace ceremony is an indication of the value that McGill places on actual reconciliation—none at all. Despite promoting itself as a beacon of peacekeeping, diversity, and inclusion, McGill perpetuates anti-Indigenous racism by using Indigenous causes to bolster its public image without committing to meaningful decolonization, including its refusal to integrate Indigenous laws, rights to self-determination, and ways of living into its policies and institutions.

Statement: Academics for Palestine-Concordia strongly endorses the statement by the Onkwehón:we Konón:kwe (Women of the Land) condemning McGill University for uprooting the Great White Pine, Haudenosaunee symbol of peace. 1-4 of 7 slides #palestine #montreal #mcgilluniversity #colonialracism