By Malcolm McColl

Delgamuukw (Earl Muldoe) is from Gitxsan territory where the town of Hazelton, B.C. lays a’centre. Many people of Gitxsan heredity are now examining treaty options as Autumn 2008 approaches.

Earlier this year, the Gitxsan Treaty Society (GTS) released the document “Alternative Governance Model” which has caused debate to ensue at Gitxsan meetings at Gitanmaax Hall and in the communities. Treaty issues are very important to the thousands of Gitxsan.

Gitxsan hereditary governance systems (and oral traditions) are the legal core that re-established Aboriginal Rights and Title in the Supreme Court of Canada in 1997. The Ayookw (Indian Law) was revived.

“Delgamuukw, also known as Earl Muldoe, suing on his own behalf and on behalf of all the members of the Houses of Delgamuukw and Haaxw (and others suing on their own behalf and on behalf of thirty-eight Gitksan Houses and twelve Wet’suwet’en Houses.” (Source: Judgments of the Supreme Court of Canada)

Delgamuukw won, and the judgment called for “accommodation” of Aboriginal Rights and Title. This recognition of hereditary and other clan rights changes the political interest of the 33,000 sq. km. of Gitxsan (other interpretations put the area as large as 57,000 sq. km.).

The GTS said, “The Gitxsan wish to step back from what has gone before, setting aside for the moment and opening a new and more productive initiative,” in their Alternative Governance Model document.

“Governments have long said that settlements must respect local conditions and traditions. We agree, and in that spirit propose a specific Gitxsan approach to our future relationship with the governments of Canada and B.C.”

“Our discussions so far have been based on the standard B.C. Treaty model which involves treaty settlement land and a new form of Indian government which would replace Indian Act Bands and Councils.”

The society said, “We understand a government preference for a model . . . into which you have invested a great deal of legal effort and political capital. We do not criticize this. We say only that for us, there is a better way, and we ask you to join with us in exploring that road.”

The society clarified, “We have no wish to receive any coercive power over our members, or to engage in any separate level of taxation.” They claim “only the right of all Canadians to benefit from the services paid for by taxes paid by us and others.”

In fact, “The sole purpose of Gitxsan governance is internal for the management of collective Gitxsan assets and the preservation of traditions . . . The current governance system (Ayookw) demonstrably does this adequately now, and has since time immemorial.”

The society added this resonant statement: “Any agreement must of course end the application of the Indian Act, including the Band governance structure imposed under the law. The Gitxsan are yet to accept Band councils and reserves.”

Continuing, “The laws and services currently applied by the Indian Act councils can be better and more efficiently provided by federal and provincial entities as for all other British Columbians. We will naturally expect a voice in the mode of delivery to the Gitxsan, but we accept the management and infrastructure in place.”

From the society’s point of view, “The Gitxsan are not interested in the concept of ‘treaty settlement lands.’ Rather we wish to remain in a relationship with the entire 33,000 sq. km. of traditional territory.”

“The economic value of our collective interest (which is neither fee simple nor sovereign but is certainly real, court ordered, and subject to definition) is to be realized by the process of ‘accommodation’ as articulated by the Supreme Court of Canada.”

While the GTS looks forward to discussing “details of accommodation,” the society’s current process contains an optimistic tone. They say, “We take encouragement from the fact that we have working models in place known to all parties at the table, which are the result of just such accommodation.”

Gitxsan have taken jurisdiction over forests, the Carbon Credits Plan (biomass), and watersheds “which encompass the whole of our traditional territory.”

Ratification of agreements “may impose some complexities,” including differences held by eight local bands, including non-Gitxsan members of some of the bands, and some reserve residents who are not Indian.

“Since ratification of a settlement should be done by Gitxsan alone . . . some provision will be required for the non-Gitxsan,” the society said. “We suggest that this is appropriate responsibility for Canada as the architect of the current Band structure.

“We came to the table as committed Canadians, paying our taxes and contributing to the country. We seek no special status nor any parallel society. We wish to live as ordinary Canadians in our way in a multicultural society. Further, we wish to pay our own way.”

The GTS stated, “Our claim, and our only distinct claim, is to the inherited collective rights of our ancestors including those confirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada in Delgamuukw.”

The society observed, “All Canadians have the right to inherit property. So do we. Our inheritance is an interest in the lands making up our traditional territory.”

It is those “interest” accommodations the GTS wishes to negotiate. “The Gitxsan governance system has evolved over many centuries. Our civilized approach to taking care of our community has not simply come out of a piece of legislation.”

The Ayookw that guide the Gitxsan people has “a solid foundation of fairness, honour, respect, truth, openness, inclusiveness, accountability, and responsibility.”

“The underlying principle of democracy as espoused by JS Mill, Aristotle, Plato, Machiavelli, and others from across the pond, is the same as what Delgamuukw, Guxsan, Sakumhiigookw, Dinimget, Gitludaalth, and many other Gitxsan thinkers defend.”

Meetings in Gitxsan will continue through the fall and winter.

By Morgan O’Neal

Daleen Kay Bosse Muskego had been missing since May 18, 2004 until her remains were found last month. At the time of her disappearance Bosse was 25-years old, living with her husband and daughter, and attending the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Originally from Onion Lake First Nation, she was last seen in downtown Saskatoon in the early hours of the morning at a nightclub. The Saskatoon Police Service’s Historical Case Unit and the Missing Persons Task Force found Bosse’s body in a secluded clearing a few kilometres north east of Martinsville, a suburban community just outside of Saskatoon. Since 2004, the Muskego family had left no stone unturned in their effort to find their daughter. They worked closely with the Saskatoon Police, hired a private investigator, organized a missing person’s poster campaign, and made themselves available to the media at all times.

Douglas Hales, a 30-year old man from White Fox, was in Saskatoon Provincial Court the morning of August 11, where he was publicly charged with first-degree murder and offering an indignity to a body. The latter charge was laid because after the murder Hales set fire to the body. He had been arrested for the murder of Daleen Kay Bosse Muskego on August 10 at 12:05 P. M. in Saskatoon. “He was always a suspect,” said Alison Edwards of the Saskatoon Police, “He was known to be the last person or what we believed to be the last person to see her the night she disappeared.”

Messages of support immediately began streaming in from the community and beyond. In a press release, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian nations (FSIN) extended their condolences to the family for the loss of their daughter. “Our prayers and thoughts go out to the Muskego family during this difficult time,” said Chief Lawrence Joseph.

In their attempt to bring Daleen home, one of the most inspiring things the Muskego family did was to start the Walk for Missing Sisters. According to Daleen’s mother, Pauline, “The main purpose of the walk is that we dedicated it to my daughter Daleen . . . and we have done that for the past four years now . . . and the other purpose is to raise awareness of the other 500 plus murdered and missing women across Canada.” The Walk for Missing Sisters held in memory of Daleen starts in Onion Lake and ends in Saskatoon, and 2008 was the final year. “When we do things like annual events, the protocol according to our customs and traditions is only four times. It’s generally like that. It’s not only our band, but it’s a universal practice among First Nations people, annual events especially,” said Herb Muskego, Daleen’s father.

Daleen’s mother Pauline Muskego said, “Over the past four years the walk started out with maybe 20 or 30 and then went up to about 40 or 50, and this year we had 70 people participating with us all through the week, and then when we had the march in Saskatoon from City Hall to the University of Saskatchewan, we had about 150 to 200 people.” The level of participation this final year has exceeded the previous years, perhaps because this was the last walk, but more likely as a result of an increasingly broad awareness in the community due to the hard work of front line activists.

The Walk for Missing Sisters has been an outlet for the Muskego family’s grief over the loss of their daughter as well as a way for participants to keep active and create awareness of this tragic event and the more than 500 other cases of missing women across the country. According to Beverly Jacobs, President of the Native Women’s Association, “This walk and others like it (for example, the events organized by the group of women who keep the Highway of Tears tragedy in the news and consciousness of Canadian people) provides awareness to the public. It’s a message that they are trying to deliver to end violence against Aboriginal women.”

Aboriginal women of all ages are at great risk in this country, but historically they occupied an honoured place as life-givers and decision makers and were considered equals with their men. Colonialism disrupted this sacred balance and substituted a hierarchal social structure that placed women at the lowest order. Aboriginal women must renew their role as keepers and caregivers of the land, but there is such a lack of services in First Nations communities that it is difficult to begin this task. The seemingly hopeless reality of poverty and the frustrating social conditions that come along with it tend to sap people’s strength. The Residential School experience has left many people with life-long trauma. The pejorative term “squaw” has been in use for years in reference to aboriginal women. Squaw is a loose interpretation of the Cree and Algonquin word “esquew” which means “woman.” Its usage began with the fur traders and has continued to the present day. The legacy of colonization in all its deadly negative effects has had a deep impact on the lives of Native people.

The rates of violence and sexual abuse among Native people is a subject politicians would rather ignore, but the distressing reality is that much of the violence directed towards aboriginal women comes from within the home or the community. Statistics show that aboriginal women between ages 25 and 44 years on reserves are five times more likely to die a violent death than are non-aboriginal women in Canada. Spousal violence touches 54 percent of aboriginal women annually, compared to 36 percent of non-aboriginal women. The over-whelming majority of aboriginal women (90 percent) in federal institutions have been victims of violence or sexual abuse.

Nevertheless, in the face of this seemingly hopeless situation, every year on February 14th for the last 16 years, participants in the “Annual Women’s Memorial March” honor and remember the lives of murdered women and those women still missing from the Downtown East Side of Vancouver. The event has drawn hundreds of supporters to the Carnegie Community Center at the corner of Main and Hastings. Under the banner “Their Spirits Live Within Us” each and every year the event is organized “by women and led by women because women (especially aboriginal women) face physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual violence on a daily basis.” This significant grassroots event has become extremely important to grieving families because it offers individuals a chance to express not only their sadness at the deaths or disappearances of their loved ones but also because it has become a forum for everyone to express their frustration about the manner in which the authorities respond to the ongoing epidemic of violence against aboriginal women both from within their communities and from without.

By Morgan O’Neal

Monica Pinette is described as “a true trailblazer” for Modern Pentathlon: one of two Canadian women to compete in the sport at the Olympics and the only Canadian of Aboriginal descent in Athens in 2004, where she clinched 13th place. Pinette wore a traditional Metis sash at the closing ceremonies, not just because the red, green, blue, and yellow weave matched four of the five Olympic rings, but also because she is extremely proud to represent the Metis Nation. This year she took the sash to Beijing. “There aren’t a lot of aboriginal athletes out there,” said the 31-year-old from Langley, British Columbia. “We’re the role models that kids need to look up to.” In one of the best finishes ever for a Canadian at the World Championships earlier this year, Monica (coached by her husband, former Olympic athlete Phillip Waeffler) came in 11th and was ranked No. 20 in the world. In Beijing, however, she finished 27th after kicking off the competition with second-place in shooting. She then fell further behind, placing 33rd in fencing, 34th in swimming, 14th in show jumping, and 27th in cross-country running.

Pinette’s strongest event has always been show jumping because she comes from “a pretty horsey family” and had already started riding “in the womb.” By the time she was 20 years old, a saddle alone couldn’t keep her attention. After she moved to Switzerland and started seriously training, she went to Athens as the only aboriginal athlete and placed better in the Pentathlon than any other Canadian ever had. No one really expected her to place so well, but it isn’t hard to see how she pulled it off. She is naturally strong at show jumping; shooting and fencing “came easy” (being left-handed and slender gives her a killer advantage with the epee); and running “wasn’t too much of a stretch.” She sees swimming as the only sport that’s a real challenge for her.

Pinette started competing at age 20, but one sport wasn’t enough. “It keeps it interesting when there are a lot of different things you can play at and practice.” She started running and swimming and shooting, then threw a bit of fencing in for good measure. “One of the things I struggle with is motivation,” she says. If she sometimes lacks motivation, however, modesty she does not. She has already graduated from University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts in English and earned a Diploma in Journalism and Photojournalism from the Western Academy of Photography. She plans to pursue a career as a professional sports photographer when she hangs up pistol, sword, saddle, sneakers, and swimsuit.

She had been hoping for a top 10 finish in the games, and blames herself alone for the disappointing performance in Beijing. But one day after some male competitors in the same event criticized the quality of horses supplied by the Chinese, Pinette was even more openly critical. “The horses all went lame and they just weren’t prepared properly. They’re not great, talented show jumpers. They’re ex-race horses, it looked like.” The run was an even greater disaster. “I’m going to write a nasty letter to [the officials],” said Pinette. “This is the Olympics. It’s not that difficult to organize a 3K run.” She says the race should replicate cross-country, and the best ones are through grass or a field or a combination of grass and pavement.

Pinette’s letter may or may not be taken seriously. She’s not even sure the athletes are being heard in regard to other already proposed changes to the Pentathlon, designed to save it from Olympic extinction. International Olympic Committee (IOC) boss Jacques Rogge has already tried twice to get the sport axed, only to be rebuffed by old-guard Europeans who see it as a symbolic sport. It was a five-day event for decades, but was shortened in 1996 to a one-day format (20 pistol shots from 10 metres at a 155mm-diameter target, one-minute fencing matches with every other competitor, a 200-metre freestyle swim, show jumping, and the run. Now the International Federation is considering making fencing the opener, followed by the swim and the ride and then a new biathlon-style shooting/running event in which competitors shoot at targets between 1,000-metre laps.

Serious competitors are asking, “Why fix something when it’s not broken?” Pinette says, “Ask anyone who’s really involved in the sport (like the coaches) and unanimously they say [such a change] is going to be a disaster . . . Apparently, there’s pressure from the IOC that we need to improve the popularity of triathlon and they figure this is the answer. A lot of us think the problem is in the marketing. It’s a great sport. Anyone who comes to watch is sold on it. It’s crazy and fun.” New World critics may not agree, but Pinette knows spectators who do. “Did you read the Herald Tribune after 2004 in Athens? This guy totally admitted that he ‘went there to tear it apart and fell in love with the sport.’”

Modern Pentathlon is a sport whose near invisibility outside of Europe is still fodder for North American critics. Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star recently asked, “What’s so modern about swords, pistols, and riding on horses? I have no idea who competes in this sport, other than very rich kids named Winthrop who have butlers and stables and take fencing lessons.” This putdown contains more than a tiny bit of truth. It is ironic that our lone aboriginal Olympic athlete is one of the best in her field competing against precisely this type of stuffy, wealthy Old World athlete.

And so, although I root and cheer for our Metis sister Monica Pinette to succeed in her athletic pursuit, I can’t help hoping that she is also aware of the historical irony here, for it might bestow upon her a smidgen of the motivation, desire, and strength necessary to beat the living daylights out of her competition and win one for Gabriel and Louis, for Poundmaker, and the old Big Bear.

By Malcolm McColl

2008 has been a busy year for Beau Dick, an important artist and cultural leviathan. This year, he spent the May long weekend raising a Haida mortuary pole

Back in October 2006, a feast was held on Cormorant Island in Alert Bay (at the top of Johnstone Strait). During the feast, an invitation was initiated to honour the memories of those lost to the smallpox epidemic.

Beau explained, “Through our tradition and oral history we know that in 1862 over 1,200 Haida canoes passed through our waters, an estimated 14,000 people. The Kwakwakawak were warned by George Thomas Dawson of the small pox inflicted upon the Haida in Victoria.”

Beau continued, “Shortly thereafter, 24 Haida canoes, an estimated 300 souls, appeared near Harble Down Island. They were intercepted, given provisions, quarantined, and then left to die in peace at a location now known as Bones Bay.”

The memorial pole was raised in the Namgis Nation cemetery. Upon completing that important task, which honours the Haida and was received with gratitude, Beau turned his attention to the Yukusem Canoe Project.

On Hanson Island, a camp is constructed in formerly disputed territory, one parcel of which is owned by Jim Pattison. The rest of the four square kilometer island is under the jurisdiction of the Yukusem Heritage Society of the Namgis, Muntigilla, and Tlowitsis First Nations.

Hanson Island’s incredible fir and cedar grove forests had been earmarked for cutting many times over. It used to be logged sporadically, in fact, and then it was going to be cleared. The logging roads are nearly overgrown today but testify to how close this place came to annihilation.

One man (an archaeologist named David Garrick) stood his ground within the forests filled with Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs). Garrick supported the claim that archaeology could save these amazing old-growth forests.

Garrick started his process in 1982 and by 2004 had succeeded in getting Hanson Island returned, by and large intact, to the Yukusem Heritage Society. Hanson Island has since been preserved as a source of archaeological study of the Coastal Nations. Kayak companies, a project called Orcalab that studies killer whales, and many tourists utilize the small island under the jurisdiction of Yukusem Guardians (and Pattison still has his land).

The town of Yukusem is about an hour out of Alert Bay, and boats constantly shuttle back and forth from the town. I spoke to Harry Alfred one afternoon in a garden grove in Yukusem constructed by David Garrick. Harry is the land and resource officer of the Namgis First Nation and represents the measures taken to construct inroads into legal jurisdiction from Garrick’s scientific evidence.

Harry described how the nation rebounded because of David’s work in the groves of ancient CMTs. Harry and fellow Namgis Nation member Don Svanvik sit on the Yukusem board of directors on behalf of the Namgis Nation and both are CMT researchers.

“The Namgis Nation,” said Harry, “comprised about 4,000 km,” and with a wave of his arm in a circular manner, described a rectangular shaped territory inclusive of the Nimpish watershed on northern Vancouver Island.

With the restoration of legal jurisdiction, Beau Dick was finally able to launch the canoe project. As the summer of 2008 passes, Beau’s crews have built several lodges for carvers, canoe makers, weavers, bark harvesters, and the secret society.

About a kilometre away from the beach side camp, canoe carvers are constructing a small flotilla of war canoes. Beau Dick has made a home for the team of builders on the island’s southwest quadrant at Deep Bay.

In the long run, the canoe project is a profound statement of First Nation belonging in the Canadian mosaic.

By Clint Buehler

EDMONTON – Alberta Metis post-secondary students have received a major boost with the announcement of two new endowment funds.

The funds are financed through donations from the Metis Nation of Alberta’s Metis Education Foundation, and are targeted to assist Metis students attending Edmonton’s NorQuest College and University of Alberta (U of A).

The contribution to the U of A fund of $2 million will be matched over time by the university to create a $4 million Metis Endowment Fund at the university. The foundation’s contribution of $375,000 towards the creation of the Metis Student Awards endowment fund at NorQuest will also generate an additional $375,000 in matching funds from the Alberta Government Access to the Future Fund, bringing the total value of the Metis Student Awards endowment to $750,000.

Beginning this academic year and continuing in perpetuity, more than a dozen Metis Scholar Awards ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 will assist undergraduate and graduate students in defraying some of their costs of investing in a university education. Initially a minimum of 13 awards will be distributed, and the numbers will increase as the endowment fund grows.

In announcing the endowment, Audrey Poitras, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta and chair of the Metis Education Foundation said “as the U of A stands on the threshold of its second century, it is the principal university serving the Metis population of Alberta. What we hope to achieve in creating a Metis Endowment Fund at the U of A is to encourage even more of our young people to pursue postsecondary studies at this, one of the finest universities in Canada.

While the majority of new jobs created in the Canadian economy are expected to require a university degree, the Metis lag behind the rest of the population in higher education. According to Statistics Canada information, only 4.3 per cent of Metis in Alberta have a university degree compared to almost 15 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population.

“In spite of the good times so many Albertans are experiencing, too many youth—especially among Aboriginal populations—are being left behind, having too little access to postsecondary education and the opportunities it can create,” said U of A President Indira Samarasekera. “Increasing the participation of Metis and Aboriginal youth in higher education is one of our main priorities at the University of Alberta.”

“This is an endowment fund for the long term, not stopgap measure that will end in two or three years,” Poitras said. “Our students will benefit from this fund for as long as the U of A exists, and we hope that will be for a very, very long time.”

“Creating endowments like the Metis Endowment Fund are critical to sustaining and expanding student support,” Samarasekara added. “Endowments create what I call ‘intergenerational equity.’ As the awards being created today begin supporting the efforts and talents of new Metis students, a new generation of leaders will be certain to emerge to carry the strength and pride of the Metis Nation forward far into the 21st century.”

Starting this fall, the Metis Student Awards will provide eligible Metis students attending NorQuest College with financial assistance in the form of undergraduate bursaries and awards ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Priority will be given to students enrolled in NorQuest’s Aboriginal University Transition Program. The partnership will also develop an Essential Skills Initiative for Metis clients as part of the Metis Nation of Alberta’s Labour Market Development program.

“The partnership with the Metis Nation of Alberta will make it easier for Metis students to access our various skills training and career programs,” said NorQuest College President and CEO Dr. Wayne Shillington. “The endowment fund will help to ensure Metis students take those important steps toward achieving their educational and career goals.”

“This endowment fund opens opportunities to education for Metis people,” said Poitras. “It is important for students to complete their programs with as little debt as possible and the Metis Student Awards will help achieve this. I want to thank NorQuest college for partnering with the MNA.”

Sixteen per cent of the student population at NorQuest College is Aboriginal, nearly one quarter of which are Metis.

NorQuest College serves around 10,000 students each year through full-time, part-time and regional programs in communities across Alberta. In addition to health care, allied health, human services, business and industry career programs. NorQuest offers expertise in adult literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), intercultural education, Aboriginal education, academic upgrading, and learner supports for students with disabilities.

By Bernie Bates

The line between church and state is becoming as fine as a frog’s hair. For you city folk, who aren’t up on your folksy jargon: Have you ever seen the hair on a frog’s back? Well, it’s so fine you can’t even see it.

Now, as a humorist and an all round fun guy, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the public is about to be inundated with promises of good intentions. Your TV will light up with glowing recommendations from people you’ve never met before. They’ll be telling you of the great things that their particular political party has done on your behalf, “Let the record show that we (place name here) did this and we did that.” Ah, bullshit! The one thing you’ll never hear from them is the truth and all of the crap they got away with.

Every political party has kissed us with forked tongues, fondled our tax dollars, and then bent us over the pork barrel without even bothering to call us the next day. Do you feel like a fool every time you vote? It’s no wonder. We’re “cast-a-vote” sluts; we let them seduce us with pretty words and impossible dreams of wealth and a marriage of ideals. And all we have to do is give away our virtuous vote. Wow, I feel like rolling over and going to sleep!

There are thousands of candidates to vote for in civic, provincial and federal elections. And over the decades I’m sure that there have been over a million liars but not one completely honest person has ever ran and won. What are the friggin’ odds? You can cast your vote for the world’s most handsome man and presto: pretty boy Brad wins. Now, why in the hell can’t we get those results in our political elections?

We’re not alone when it comes to handing over the reins of power to the truthfully challenged. Just look at our neighbors to the south. The all mighty United States of America has just suffered through eight years of buffoonery. And Canada, being tied at the hip to our big economic brother, has had to endure the pitfalls of having Daffy Duck at the wheel. And who do you think got “Runs With Scissors” elected as Chief and commander? Here’s a hint: God bless America!

In the American constitution it’s spelled out that there must be a division of church and state, yet that’s not really the case. Both Americans and Canadians scoff at countries like Iran for having religious rulers, yet time and time again some TV divinity pulls the political strings. I’d love to say “What a joke!” but trust me, it’s nothing to laugh at when you realize that someone who believes in Armageddon has access to atomic weapons.

I’d like to draw a scenario for you. What happens if God gets mad at another god? The chances of some fanatic getting his or her hands on a nuclear bomb are slim to none, right? Well, ask yourself this: What if someone like good ol’ George W. had one less brick in his basket, one less rung on his mental ladder, or maybe had one too many bible lessons? You wouldn’t have time to bend over and kiss you holy ass good-bye.

Now, for the lighter side: What has half a mind, half of a chance of screwing up, and one whole vote? Canadian voters usually know more about American politicos than they do about their own incumbent incompetents. Who was our last great leader? It’s a trick question. Who ran the country before the last election and name the scandal that they perpetrated? What ever happened to the people behind that scandal? Did they go to jail or did voters just forget about them and let the whole thing get swept under a political rug?

Maybe we should let the church run the country. But whose God should be in charge: Buddhist, Catholic, Islam or Sikh? I can just imagine the TV commercials: “Vote for us or go to hell.” “We promise eternal life for your vote.” Or my favorite, “Virgins for votes!”

It’s said that ultimate power ultimately corrupts, and it’s true. We give power to a mortal and soon after that they start to think that they’re god of Canada.

THE END

Dear reader:

Please feel free to contact B. H. Bates at beeinthebonnet@shaw.ca.

By Lloyd Dolha

The leadership of a remote, northern Saskatchewan First Nation said they will be closely following the investigation of the fatal shooting of a band member by the RCMP to ensure it’s properly conducted.

Once it’s over, The Clearwater River Dene [First] Nation (CRDN), “will determine whether any action, including legal action or a public inquest, is required in this matter, and in defense of the life and safety of members of [the] CRDN,” said the chief and council in a September 4/08 press release.

On the night of Tuesday, September 2nd, an RCMP officer shot and killed 38 year-old resident Harry Haineault, on the reserve located in La Loche, Sask., which is about 600 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

The shooting death took place after two RCMP officers went to a home on the First Nation Tuesday night to arrest Haineault for outstanding criminal warrants.

“The subject fled the residence and a foot chase ensued between one RCMP member and the subject. This resulted in a physical altercation which escalated to the point where the RCMP member used lethal force,” said Sgt. Carole Raymond, in a short news release on Wednesday.

A single shot was fired and Haineault died at the scene.

In response to the shooting death, the Clearwater River Dene said they “will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that all relevant facts about this incident come to light,” said the CRDN release.

“We will take steps to determine if excessive force was used, under the circumstances and, if all proper procedures and safeguards were followed by the RCMP.”

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), called for peace following the shooting death and pledged to work with all levels of government, including police agencies, to build safer First Nations communities.

“Everybody needs to be part of the plan. Police can’t do everything. We need to find solutions that will address alcohol and drug dependency, high rates of unemployment, health epidemics, the list goes on and on.” said FSIN Chief Lawrence Joseph.

Joseph acknowledged the risk on duty officers face and the fatalities they have suffered in recent years.

“Mentally, police are in a tough situation, especially in light of Mayerthorpe and Spiritwood,” said the chief, in reference to two incidents in which RCMP officers in Alberta and Saskatchewan were gunned down in responding to calls.

“But I still question the use of lethal force. Last spring, RCMP deployed a SWAT team to end peacefully an armed standoff in the Town of Indian Head. These are examples of where lethal force is not the only option,” he said.

RCMP officials said the deceased was facing 15 criminal charges, but refused to give any details of the allegations against him. They also refused to say whether he was armed at the time of the incident.

The RCMP’s Saskatoon-based major crimes unit is leading the investigation. The provincial Ministry of Justice has also assigned an “investigative observer” from the Saskatoon city police force.

But court documents have shown that Harry Haineault was wanted on various charges that include assault, resisting arrest, possession of a dangerous weapon and escaping custody.

Supt. Randy Beck, acting commander of the RCMP for Saskatchewan, said he intends to speak with the deputy minister of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing, as well as Chief Joseph and municipal police force leaders, about the root causes of what he called a “real increase in the number of challenges to the authority” in the province.

In the meantime, Joseph called for a public inquiry into the use of force by police in the province, noting that eight aboriginal people have been shot or injured by police in the province in the last 10 months, five of them fatally.

Joseph said he and FSIN vice-chief Glen Pratt, met with federal public Safety Minister Stockwell Day in June to push for an aboriginal peacekeeper plan in which peacemakers would work along side RCMP in finding peaceful solutions to conflict.

The FSIN is waiting for a decision regarding a federally-funded Peacekeepers program.

The federation has not received any response to their request for a public inquiry into the shooting death.

Darryl Hickie, Minister of Correction, Public Safety and Policing is unwilling to commit to a public inquiry. He maintains each shooting incident is independently under investigation and will receive a coroner’s inquest.

Haineault’s distraught brother Walter, had asked the RCMP officers involved to be pallbearers at the funeral, but received no reply.

“They didn’t give a courtesy call or nothing,” he said bitterly.

Harry Raineault was laid to rest on Monday.

By Clint Buehler

EDMONTON – Audrey Poitras has been re-elected for a fifth three-year term as provincial president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, but not without a strong challenge from incumbent Provincial Vice-President Trevor Gladue.

Poitras edged Gladue with 1,713 votes to his 1,515. Don Langford and Alyse Mcleod barely registered, with 85 and 67 votes respectively.

The contest to succeed Gladue as provincial vice-president was also a close one with Muriel Stanley Venne, longtime activist for Native and women’s rights and founder of the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, edging Ron Jones 1,374 to 1,247. Metis cultural activist Lyle Donald, an interim provincial president prior to Poitras’s presidency, was third with 686 votes.

The six regional contests also saw a number of changes.

In Region 1 (Northeastern Alberta) incumbent President Ken Bourque, who had previously served as provincial vice-president, was defeated by newcomer Bill Loutitt, 465 to 383. Wilfred (Pappy) Boucher was third with 60 votes. In the race for vice-president, incumbent Rick P. (Scotty) Boucher edged challenger Joe Blyan, a veteran Metis politician and activist, by 17 votes (459 to 442) in a result expected to be challenged.

In Region 2 (East Central Alberta) President Karen (KC) Collins and Vice-President Homer J. Poitras had no challengers and were returned by acclamation.

In Region 3 (Southern Alberta, including Calgary, Red Deer, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat) the president contest to replace Marlene Lanz, who chose not to seek re-election, went to Ephraim Bouvier, a former regional president who had previously unsuccessfully run for provincial vice-president, defeated incumbent vice-president Joe Chodzicki 266 to 128. Replacing Chodzicki as vice-president is Bev Weber, who defeated Gloria Contois McGillis 211 to 138. Troy McLeod was third with 43 votes.

In Region 4 (West Central Alberta, including Edmonton) incumbent President Cecil Bellrose held off a challenge from incumbent Vice-President Tim Collins 689 to 442. In a tight battle to succeed Collins as vice-president, Sharon (Letendre) Pasula (393 votes) defeated James C. Atkinson (315), Dennis (Ike) Pruden (280) and Bruce Kenneth Plante (139).

In Region 5 (North Central Alberta) incumbent President Bev New (197 votes) defeated challengers Louis (Lilboy) Bellrose (147) and Mickey R. Andrews (32) while incumbent Vice-President Elmer Gullion defeated Nora Chapdelaine (Andrews) 249 to 118.

In Region 6 (Northwestern Alberta) where incumbent President Sylvia Johnson chose not to seek re-election, she is succeeded by Brandy Mitchell (142 votes), defeating Odell Flett (108) and Cal Parenteau (89). Darlene D. Cardinal was unopposed in her bid to succeed incumbent Vice-President Louis Bellrose, who did not seek re-election.

The “one person, one vote” democratic elections saw registered Metis Nation members cast their ballots for 14 members of the Provincial Council at 52 polling stations throughout the province. The election process is governed by Metis Nation of Alberta Election Bylaws which are based on the Alberta Elections Act and the democratic system used by Elections Canada.

Registered voters must be 16 years old or older and ordinarily a resident of Alberta for at least one year prior to the date of the election.

The Metis Nation of Alberta represents the political and socio-economic interests of the approximately 80,000 Metis living throughout the province of Alberta. It has more than 10,000 registered members.

By Clint Buehler

CALGARY – With the success of the first Indigenous Business and Economic Development Conference in Edmonton two years ago, there was little doubt that another one would follow.

That happens here, beginning September 30th with a Youth Forum on Sports, Business and Leadership featuring special guest presenter National Hockey League great (and Aboriginal) Reggie Leach. One hundred Aboriginal youth have been invited to attend the forum and the conference, with their registration fees waived, but with they or their sponsors paying for their travel and accommodations.

Youth are invited “in the spirit of growth and sustainability.”

The 2008 conference—at The Coast Plaza and Conference Centre here—will focus on continuing to build dialogue on economic and business development by creating a network of professionals and businesses. Organizers believe there is a need for Indigenous people and businesses to network and to collaborate.

The first conference—in Edmonton in 2006—was borne out of the initiative of three chiefs following a discussion on business and economic development at an Alberta All Chiefs Conference. Chief Eddie Makokis of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Chief Victor Buffalo of the Samson Cree Nation and Chief Ron Morin of the Enoch Cree Nation stepped up to provide seed money for organizing the conference. They recruited longtime First Nations leader and organizer Charles Wood to chair the organizing committee under the auspices of the Canadian Indigenous Business Association (CIBA).

Wood says the initiative was inspired by the advice of generations of Elders “that in order for our people to survive and compete, we must ‘work together.’”

Under Wood’s leadership of the organizing committee, an outstanding slate of presenters was recruited, Indigenous and corporate financial support secured, exhibition booths were fully booked and, when the agenda was released, registration was quickly filled with hundreds of Aborinal and corporate leaders from across the country registering.

The somewhat discomforting star of the presenters was Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band and CEO of its business and economic development corporation, with his no-holds-barred declaration that economic development was the key to First Nations employment, financial security and social stability, citing Osoyoos success under his leadership.

“The turnout for the first conference convinced us that we were on the right track. Aboriginal organizations, businesses, government, industry and the corporate community want and need a forum to discuss economic development,” Wood says.

This year, the conference offers a similar challenging agenda, is gaining the same enthusiastic response as the 2006 conference, and has added the primary sponsorship of Chief Jim Boucher and his Fort McKay First Nation in northeastern Alberta, and Chief Charles Weaselhead and his Kainaiwa (Blood) Tribe in southern Alberta.

“I am pleased with the foresight of the host nations, to create a venue which fosters the growth of a network of professionals, businesses and technical expertise interested in creating strategic business alliances with First Nations,” says current Samson Cree Chief Marvin Yellowbird. “This will be an opportunity to strengthen relationships, build new ones and learn from each other.”

Adds Blood Chief Weaselhead, “Alberta First Nations are in a unique position being in the heart of oil and gas country. This province has generated much wealth and we’re opening the doors to share innovative ideas and create business ventures to increase participation with potential business partners, industry and the private sector.”

The 2008 conference will feature special guests including celebrated author and consultant Calvin Hein, whose book, “Dances With Dependency,” has made waves through Canada and the U.S. Other presenters include widely-honoured Victor Buffalo, former chief of the Samson Cree Nation; Dr. Manley Begay, Native Institute for Leadership, Arizona University; Sandra Jackson, Aboriginal Chambers of Commerce, Manitoba, and Andrew Masiel, Pechanga Band, USA.

Conference topics include vision; industry marketing and competition; corporate governance, management and operations, and financial management and investments.

Organizers anticipate the conference will have the following outcomes:

• Increase networking capacity among Indigenous peoples, industry and government.

• Increased involvement by Indigenous people to participate in economic/business opportunities.

• Foster and develop collaborative business partnerships.

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has been invited to give a luncheon address at the conference.

The conference will close with a Golf Business Mixer at Redwood Meadows on the Tsuu T’ina First Nation, on the southwest outskirts of Calgary, weather permitting.

By Danny Beaton

My father was born somewhere north of Kenora, Ontario, he was a Cree. My mother was born in James Bay, Ontario, and she was a Cree from the Bear Clan.

I’ve been involved in the native struggle, healthcare and the environment for most of my life. I can talk about the environment, the cutting, Abitibi Corporation and Kimberly Clark, they are from the States. They were cutting in the Cochrane and Kapuskasing area when I came down in the early seventies. That’s when I started getting involved. A lot of trees are gone now, and they are not growing back as fast as they said they would. There is a lot of damage to Mother Earth and our culture because there are a lot of places we can’t go hunting from my personal view.

The companies are spraying chemicals to control the trees. They tell us we can’t pick blueberries for five years wherever they spray. Sometimes they don’t even tell us where they are spraying the chemicals. Once they clear cut the trees and replant, they try to stop other trees from interfering with their replanting. Most of our animals and the birds eat the berries. The humans eat the animals and ingest the poisons. Even the fish are contaminated from the runoff. We all become toxic. I have found carcasses of moose and of other animals dead where they have been spraying, including young calves.

The companies tell us the chemicals don’t bother the animals, but we know different. It really bothers me when they lie. Our rivers are also getting damaged from the chemicals. The Kapuskasing River was especially bad until things started to get better, but does the poison really go away? It was so bad at one time you could not drink the water. Mercury was floating on the surface. It had to be something bad when they told us you could only eat one fish per week. The lumber mills were dumping until the government said no more waste in the rivers. These things that happened in the past have really affected our way of life, especially the people living by the rivers, James Bay or Kapuskasing, where chemicals were being dumped. I am sure this type of damage had been done all across Indian country. It is time North America stopped the use and productions of toxic chemicals.

In the past we were told by the government when we could hunt. We were given dates when we could hunt, and when we could not hunt. We had to feed our families, sometimes our families starved. It was wrong what the government did to us. As men we could not feed our families. In the past some companies built gates and fences around our hunting grounds. At times we needed to get a pass in order to get through the gates to our main roads where our hunting grounds were. I have been a hunter all my life, I started when I was ten years old, I haven’t changed my ways yet, I still hunt for my food today like years back, and I still gather my blueberries like I did many years ago. I learned all that from my parents and I try to pass that on to the next generation, especially to my kids.

I am sorry to say that my children have lost their language because of the residential school thing. Before when I was young I was made to believe that the white man’s way was better than the native way of life. However I keep my language and I teach my wife our Cree language as well. We both talk our language of today. Over the years I was able to teach my wife the Cree language in the 38 years we have been together. When we want to talk in secret we talk in Cree.

Over the years all my nephews, nieces and my family have protested against the rape and poisoning of our land, I have not protested yet, but my family and Cree nation have. They have laid on the logging roads, and even have fasted to bring attention to our struggle against the government and corporations. I am involved indirectly and directly because I support my relations. I encourage my relations to protest, our young people have to be supported. I feel better seeing them go against the destruction of our land and culture.

A long time ago the government made restrictions with the church that we were not allowed to practice our way of life. I remember the religious ones that had contempt for our way of life. We were punished a lot back in the 1950’s, we were not allowed in the bush to practice our ceremonial way of life. We were always hiding a lot back then from non native people, especially the government because they did not allow us to practice our sacred ceremonies and beliefs. A lot of the things that my father knew and his father knew, were buried. Artifacts and ceremonial objects had to be hidden. My relations didn’t want to show sacred things to the establishment or communities where there were non natives. Indian agents, the church, the government and game wardens created a dark dark era for the Cree people. It was a really hard time, we were told to go to church and that there was a better way of life for us. A lot of our people turned to Christianity just to get away from them, just to get away from all the hassle that they were getting. All of this kept going on until the residential school era. That’s when our culture really fell apart.

Our children were taken away from their homes for 8-10 months of the year. All my family went to residential school. They used a way to trick us into believing it was better. They called us ‘savages’, that was the term used for natives. They called themselves the redeemers. We were forced to eat pigs, cows and chicken when we were in their residential schools. I was in for 6 years and in a lot of ways it changed me completely. What it did was make me think my culture was a bad thing. It took me years and years before I could come to terms with myself and to believe my way of life was better than theirs. Our way of life was a good life and their way almost destroyed me completely. It affected my health. I became an alcoholic and a diabetic. Now I am on a healing journey back to the old ways of our ancestors, I’ve gotten over a lot now. I get help from our spiritual elders, the ones who maintain our traditional Cree culture and ceremonies. I found out what was wrong and I learned what was right. I learned to hate non natives, religious people and myself. For listening and getting caught in their way of life, my life was very difficult for a long time.

Today people are getting sick from all the chemicals; there are not many cures once you get sick. Spiritually and emotionally we can overcome it. Some diseases can be overcome by elders and ceremonies. But, physically once we’re contaminated and are overcome by cancer, you’re usually finished. If we go back to our old ways, that’s the best medicine you can give yourself or to others. That’s how I feel, that’s how I see it today and there is no cure for what they have done to us already. Dioxins are in our breakfast, dioxins are in our lunch. Dioxins are in our homes and in the wild animals. It’s above ground and in the water and now our animals and fish are deformed. When you catch a fish and take it out of the water, sometimes it will turn pink. When you see this my Algonquian brothers tell me it’s mercury contamination. In some places which we call Cree territory the government has put up signs that can you not eat the animals.

I was out on the land the other day thinking of our people and thinking we must do our share to protect the environment. We must listen to our elders because they have experience in life. In the old days we used to move around, we moved in a circle, we never took from just once place, we made sure to take care of things, in the old days we always took care of things and we always took care of Mother Earth.

Thank you for listening