Six Nations Elected Council, police, firefighters say they weren’t consulted prior to Lights Fest event
Six Nations of the Grand River's elected council, police and firefighters say they were not consulted prior to the Lights Fest scheduling an event in their community on Aug. 20.
This unsanctioned event represents a callous disregard for the safety and well-being of the people of Six Nations," elected Chief Mark Hill said in an Aug. 23 news release.
The festival was to include live music, food and the release of fire-powered lanterns made from rice paper, string and bamboo, according to the event organizer's website.
The elected council says it sent a letter to the event organizers on Aug. 16 "to inform them that the release of lanterns on the territory was not authorized."
Hill also reportedly went to the event to speak with the organizers and address community concerns, which included substantial traffic congestion, road closures, trespassing, property damage, and risk to pedestrians who parked their cars along the side of the road," according to the news release.
Some people who were trying to attend the event reported being turned away by police.
Amy Liu drove nearly five hours to and from the festival from Markham and said she paid around $55 U.S. for a ticket. She told a reporter with the Toronto Star that she didn't know it was being hosted on reserve land until she got there.
We're just customers, we don't know the meaning the land has to the people living there," she said. The event had been listed on the company's website as taking place in Toronto.
I saw (a video of) one lady shouting at cars saying, You're not welcome here, you're not allowed to put your lanterns in the sky,'" Liu said.
Courtney Skye, a Mohawk (Turtle Clan) woman from Six Nations, told the Star that every time the event had been held in Six Nations, It has been really disruptive."
She said in years past, community members have reported lanterns falling on the roof of a longhouse, as well as people driving in farmers' fields, urinating on private property and using local residents' driveways without permission.
Skye said she suspects the reserve was chosen to host this event as a means to skirt provincial fire codes as many people argue provincial (environmental) law doesn't apply (here).
These kind of gaps in regulation and legislation (are) often exploited," she said, and if traditional governance structures were given more weight, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy would be able to exercise our own laws, our own jurisdiction and our own autonomy."
The Lights Fest event organizers issued a statement to would-be attendees that apologized for any confusion and inconvenience you may have encountered," and said they followed all necessary procedures and had the proper permits ... This event was 100 per cent approved."
The company said they were "shocked to learn" shortly before nightfall that police were turning would-be attendees away, and also said the police "demanded the event to be cancelled minutes before it was time for our participants to launch their lanterns. We know many of you were able to set off your lantern anyway (props to you)!"
In its news release, Six Nations of the Grand River said the lanterns were lit in violation of health and safety directives.
Not only does this have an adverse effect on our environment, it presents a substantial fire risk as our territory is home to the largest strand of Carolinian Forest in the country."
The Lights Fest said it has started the search for a new location" to host the event, but did not make mention of refunds in its statement.
-With files from the Toronto Star
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: When we heard about the Lights Fest event in Six Nations being cancelled the day of, we wanted to know what concerns the community had.