Indigenous Journalist and Niagara Activist Karl Dockstader Arrested While Reporting on Land Defense Issue in Haldimand County

“Criminalizing a member of the Indigenous media sets a dangerous precedent in a society that is supposed to have a free press.”

Karl Dockstader is also known to many in Niagara as an outspoken critic of urban development plans for the Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario

A News Release from Members of the Indigenous Community in Canada

Posted September 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Karl Dockstader – Oneida of the Thames Bear Clan – is a freelance journalist working for One Dish, One Mic Indigenous media who was arrested and charged thisSeptember 2nd for reporting during a land action at 1492 Land Back Lane.

Criminalizing a member of the Indigenous media sets a dangerous precedent in a society that is supposed to have a free press.

Karl spent last week at 1492 Land Back Lane to do an immersive story for One Dish, One Mic as independent media.

He understood that as a journalist that as long as he didn’t actively assist the land defenders that his status as a journalist would protect his work. On the last day he was there for the week – August 29th – he made the following editorial commentary on videoi: https://twitter.com/OneDishOneMic/status/1299849385858281473?s=20&fbclid=IwAR3uOZlE7VkQrIIlhgg4DjIu6PfGQ_T7Ji9NJ8LaTG3CUk6gw3CsI80rOtA

This video may have led to his arrest for the charge of mischief, and failure to comply with a court order. The arrest bans him from the sight under threat of more charges, effectively prohibiting a member of the media from covering a story. This also criminalizes yet another member of the Indigenous community.

One of the reports was issued from notes from the camp September 1st, at 8:30 am, and it wasn’t until later that day that the police contacted Karl advising him of their intent to arrest him. The article follows: http://1dish1mic.com/379/

Karl co-hosts the One Dish, One Mic radio show with Sean Vanderklis of Curve Lake First Nation. What started out as a niche local Indigenous podcast – One Dish, One Mic – turned into a movement when the show got picked up by Bell Media’s 610 CKTB. After a year on the radio the Canadian

Journalism Foundation CBC Indigenous fellowship was awarded to the co-hosts Canadaland and One Dish, One Mic have partnered twice this summer specifically exploring systemic anti-Indigenous racism in the RCMP and OPP, and looking at how these same issues are at play at 1492 Land Back Lane.

Karl through One Dish, One Mic has been a regular ongoing freelance journalist contributing to Canadaland’s flagship program.

Karl Dockstader is a husband a father of ten and twelve year old daughters.

He has worked and volunteered for the (Fort Erie-based) Friendship Centre movement over the last 10 years to help strengthen the sense of community in urban Indigenous communities. He is excited to add an Indigenous storytelling perspective to the media landscape.

For a Heart Radio (CKTB) report on this news, click on – https://www.iheartradio.ca/610cktb/news/journalist-arrested-and-charged-at-protest-site-near-caledonia-1.13394692

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