Recently, the government has decided to compensate the Caldwell First Nations tribe. The Caldwell band is the only tribe in Ontario that does not have reserve land. This, evidently, is a long-standing historical oversight. The Caldwells were not represented in the negotiations of a land treaty over 200 years ago.

In the spirit of the United Nations Decade of Indigenous People and of the action plan in the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People, the government is now representing the interest of the Caldwell tribe and taking steps to rectify this oversight.

The tribe lived without land for over two hundred years.

In January 1999, the Federal government agreed to assist the tribe with a settlement of 23 million dollars to establish a reserve in the Chatham-Kent area.

The Chatham-Kent community has organized a strong opposition to this decision, claiming that the government had acted secretly. The community, in an official release, claims that their problem is with the government, not the Caldwell band for whom they insist they bear no malice.

However, it remains clear that the Caldwell band is mostly unwelcome. The Chatham Kent Community Network was originally founded as a forum to express the community’s concerns in opposition to the government’s plan for the land. Before the government’s decision, they organized a website, a mail petition, and a strong vocal campaign that has garnered much media attention.

In spite of the government announcing a settlement, the CKCN is still operating in an attempt to stop the Caldwell tribe from purchasing the land. The community continues to advertise: "Not for Sale." Opinions become racist rhetoric. At public meetings – promoted as open dialogues – members of the Caldwell tribes are not welcome and there is evidence that the CKCN is suppressing Caldwell support.

More than that, the community is organizing a lockout of the Caldwells. Legal documents have been drawn up allowing a local real estate company "Right of First Refusal" – simply, when a member of the Caldwell tribe submits a bid on a property the real estate agent can, by matching the bid, take ownership.  To date, 20, 000 acres have already been signed for.

The community contends that the government is giving away good land. Should we then make available to the Caldwell tribe uninhabitable land? The community is concerned that the land is their livelihood. However, there was no organized opposition when the Caldwell tribe was first dispossessed. The community asserts that two wrongs do not make a right. Is returning something that has been stolen a wrong?

We are neither members of the Caldwell band nor citizens of the Chatham-Kent area in dispute. We have involved ourselves because this issue has national impact. Canada, a home in native land, has always been a world leader of cultural respect. The recent publicity surrounding this dispute is an embarrassment to all Canadians.

The community of Chatham-Kent has demonstrated a strong and aggressive position. We are attempting to organize equally strong support for the Caldwell band. We cannot change history. The Royal Commission identifies this time as a time of finding balance. We want to help balance the history of colonialism with a future of mutual respect.