> NEW YORK STATE VIOLATES 200 Year old treaty
>
> The State of NEW YORK in gross violation of the 1794 Treaty of Canadaigua
> sent several hundred police officers to force the SENECA TRIBE to charge
> sales tax on items sold among them gasoline. They have disrupted several
> peaceful demonstrations and are now blocking access to the reservation lands
> by state police force...Violence has erpted between police nad protesters...
The Reporter Dispatch (a Gannett paper) carried an Associated Press report
in its April 21, 1997 issue. Tiltled "Indians close Thruway again", it
carries a sub-headline "12 police officers injured in scuffle during protest.
The article describes the injuries to the officers as minor and states
that they occurred when about 1000 Indians and their supporters blocked the
New York Thruway the previous day at the Cattaraugus Reservation. It
states that the group consisting mostly of Senecas outnumbered the 55 State
troopers. twelve patrol cars were also damaged. The article quotes Indian
businessman Art Schildler, brother of Nation president Michael Schindler as
saying "They tried to come over to talk to us but we're just way past that
now. I can't control anybody's reactions. Nobody wanted to hear them".
Nation tribal councillor Rick Gemison accused troopers of making a rush on
peaceful protestors and stated that "there were minor injuries on both
sides".
The Reporter Dispatch of April 22, 1997 has a photo titled "Thruway
re-opened" apparently taken from a helicopter so it is impossible to tell
who is who. According to the caption, Police cleared debris from car and
tire fires that had closed a 30 mile stretch of the Thruway that had been
blocked for a day by the Indians. It states that there were 12 arrests.
Last week several TV news programs on different networks showed footage of
burning tires used to close down the Thruway.
Sken:nen kenhak
Sandy