Faith Action Toolkit: 1492 Land Back Lane

Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) Land Defenders are mobilizing at 1492 Land Back Lane to stop a new subdivision from being built on their lands. The proposed housing development is within the Haldimand Tract, land stretching back six miles on either side of the Grand River in southwestern Ontario. In 1784, the British signed the Haldimand Proclamation, which set this tract of land aside for the Six Nations as compensation for four million acres lost in the American Revolution. Since that time, the governments of Ontario and Canada have unlawfully sold or seized the vast majority of the Haldimand Tract. On July 19, 2020, Haudenosaunee Land Defenders reclaimed the Mackenzie Meadows construction site and renamed it “1492 Land Back Lane.” Despite ongoing harassment from the police and criminalization by the courts, the Land Defenders and their allies continue to peacefully occupy 1492 Land Back Lane.

Settler and Christian communities have benefited from the Doctrine of Discovery and other legal documents that continue to undermine the rights and sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee and other Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. Whether you live near or far from the Haldimand Tract, there are ways you can stand in solidarity with the Haudenosaunee. This toolkit has been created to help churches and faith communities grapple with the Land Defense movement at 1492 Land Back Lane. It equips individuals and congregations with resources, worship materials, and tangible calls to action.