The individuals at the centre of a community petition at Aazhoodena First Nation allege they are also victims of assault and threats, and claim they have been unable to get help from authorities. In statements to The Sarnia Journal, Matthew Firth and Alicia Waldick rebutted claims from a Tuesday article that they were "squatting." They […]
The individuals at the centre of a community petition at Aazhoodena First Nation allege they are also victims of assault and threats, and claim they have been unable to get help from authorities.
In statements to The Sarnia Journal, Matthew Firth and Alicia Waldick rebutted claims from a Tuesday article that they were "squatting." They state they are living with and caring for Lee White, a "community elder… who has lived here his entire life".
They allege the effort to remove them stems from a ‘personal jealousy and resentment,’ which they attribute to Mr. Firth’s ex-girlfriend, Sylvia Cloud.
These competing allegations deepen the core issue of the dispute: a lack of clear governance or policing for residents. Where the first story detailed Ms. Cloud's group's claims of dismissed stalking and death threat reports, Ms. Waldick now alleges she was also ignored by police.
Ms. Waldick alleges that on September 2, she was assaulted by an individual she describes as being connected to Ms. Cloud. Police, she said, later deemed it a ‘mutual fight’ and laid no charges. Mr. Firth also alleged he has been "physically assaulted twice" by the same individual.
Both sides now allege they have been victims of violence and threats, and both claim they have found no recourse from the Anishinabek Police Service.
The Anishinabek Police Service did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The dispute highlights the jurisdictional stalemate at Aazhoodena. The petition to remove Firth and Waldick was dismissed by the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation (KSPFN) administration, who stated the group had no "governing authority". The Department of National Defence, which "technically" owns the land, previously stated that KSPFN is responsible for security and that the dispute is an "internal issue to be managed and resolved by CKSPFN".
With both sides of a volatile dispute claiming they are victims and neither able to find a clear path to resolution, residents are left in a contentious governance vacuum. Community members are now publicly linking this inaction to the dangers outlined in the national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
In a social media post sharing the original article, petitioner Sara George wrote, "You can't claim to honour our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls… if you stay silent when harm is right in front of you… Our communities deserve peace".
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Editor’s note: The Sarnia Journal has reported both sides of this ongoing dispute, which remains under review by local authorities. Allegations described by either party have not been proven in court or verified by police.
