By Morgan O’Neal

The birchbark canoe was once the principal means of transportation for both woodland Natives and the fur trading voyagers. Light and maneuverable, they were perfectly adapted to travel through the maze of streams, ponds, lakes, and rivers of the Canadian Shield. The birch tree’s bark was an ideal material because it was smooth, hard, light, resilient and (most importantly) waterproof. Dr. Daniel Paul, Mi’kmaq historian and modern chronicler of his nation’s culture, recently shared the story of a young dedicated Mi’kmaq artist. In the tradition of Mi’kmaq canoe-builders, Todd Labrador has three birchbark canoes in a large workshop behind his home on the edge of Minamkeak Lake in Nova Scotia.

In an interview with Beverley Ware of the Halifax Herald, Todd shared the importance of making these aboriginal skills real to the non-native community, even though his own first lessons came from a German man living in Halifax. According to Todd, the German was just “fascinated by the First Nations culture,” and set him on his path toward mastery of the necessary skills. “I made a lot of mistakes,” he grins, but he was a good student. According to the article, students from both native and non-native schools will soon be coming to see Todd’s finished canoes and to watch him work on a five-metre canoe that will be ready for launch this June.

Building a birchbark canoe takes a great deal of time and planning. In summer, birch bark is removed in large sheets (peeled off in one piece), and roots are collected as well. Cedar is used for ribs and sheathing, and chunks of hard gum is gathered from spruce trees. Once parts are gathered and properly bundled, they can be left to dry and be stored. After a soak in water, they are ready to use.

To construct a canoe, a frame is built from cedar bent into shape, and laid on top of the birch bark sheet. The bark is shaped around the frame, and stakes are used to support it in place so that the top edge (gunwale) and crossbeams (thwarts) of the canoe can be secured. Cedar ribs and sheathing are used to strengthen the canoe, and pieces of spruce or birch root (softened in water) are used to “sew” the edges of the canoes. “It’s hard work, it is,” Todd says. However, it is really Todd’s daughter Melissa who usually does most of this work, developing calluses on her hands as she threads nearly 15 metres of root over the course of a couple of days. When construction is complete, seams are sealed with hot spruce gum or pine resin, and the canoe is ready for the water.

Todd Labrador first learned about canoe building from his father, Charlie Labrador, late Chief of the Acadia Mi’kmaq First Nation, who learned them from his grandfather, Joe Jermey. As Barbara Ware describes the process, “[Charlie’s] father showed him how to collect birch bark, dig up tree roots, and bend wood, but Charlie had never made a canoe. So [his son] Todd began by making models that ranged from one to two metres, and as he did so, he also learned from books, and by asking other elders for their advice.”

Todd Labrador has made seven full-sized canoes so far. Examples of his work can now be found at the Bear River Cultural Centre in Queens County, Glooscap Heritage Centre in Millbrook, and a little museum in Les Ormes, France (south of Paris). He told the Halifax Herald, “I’d like to have a bunch of canoes that I can take out, show to people, get people in them and using them and learning about native culture. It’s important to me that they know and that I involve as many people as I can, especially the youth.” He hopes to take his canoes to the International Canoe Federation’s world championships at Lake Banook in August of 2009. But his immediate goal is to make an ocean-going birchbark canoe. “It’s something in me I have to do,” he says.

During the European invasion of the Americas, the navigational skills of First Nations did not go unnoticed. At the time, the Mi’kmaq on the East coast were among the greatest seamen in the world, and their skills were especially evident when warfare took to the water, where the Mi’kmaq inevitably gained an advantage. Mi’kmaq warriors, during their 130-year war with the British, are known to have boarded and seized 85 British ships during that time. According to Daniel N. Paul, Mi’kmaq seamen sometimes traveled long distances over the treacherous North Atlantic in ocean-going canoes large and heavy enough to battle the huge waves.

According to Todd, his dream-canoe would be impressive. A large ocean-going canoe would be up to 12 m long and capable of carrying up to 12 crewmembers and a load of 2300 kg over the route from Montréal to Lake Superior. Todd Labrador may be contacted at: waterdancer39@hotmail.com.

By Morgan O’Neal

Professor Laurie Chan holds the Research Chair for Aboriginal Health at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. He has just received $11 million from Health Canada to study chemical contaminants in traditional foods among aboriginal populations over the next decade. He and a team of other research scientists will work with 20 First Nations communities across the province to gather information about diet, health, and lifestyle in addition to collecting water and food samples to measure levels of mercury and other chemicals in dietary staples. The ultimate goal is to investigate 100 communities across the country.

Fish is obviously of great significance for many communities, but some species show dangerously high levels of mercury contaminants. The environmental culprits in most cases are resource-based industries such as mining, forestry and oil and gas that are the backbone of the present northern economy. Fortunately, salmon (a common food in many communities) still has fairly low levels of mercury contamination and also continues to register higher than usual in beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids. Rainbow Trout is also a good choice for the same reasons, low contamination and high Omega-3. On the other hand, Swordfish and Pike, which are also popular, tend to contain more contaminants and less Omega-3. Depending on which type of fish is readily available and most used, the overall health of a community can be affected.

Dr. Chan has also done research on fermented marine mammal blubber, which is a very popular element in the typical northern diet. In order to learn as much as possible about it, Chan had to test it for taste and other basic qualities. Up North it is an acquired taste. According to local connoisseurs, its manner of preparation is a bit unappetizing to the newcomer. Fresh seal blubber is left “out in a jar somewhere for maybe a few days, sometimes up to a week. During this time the fat liquefies and the locals use it as a dip for bread and things like that.” Chan points out “living in the Arctic you need lots of energy, so everybody, including humans, eats lots of fatty tissues.”

Unfortunately, organic pollutants accumulate in fatty tissue. Still, fermented blubber is a necessary dietary item; to delete it from a diet that has been in place for centuries would require finding an adequate substitute appropriate for Arctic conditions. Lifestyle changes brought about by technology may diminish future need for such high‑energy foods, but this implies a profound transformation of the very soul of the Arctic inhabitant.

Chan and his researchers have carved out a strong reputation internationally. For example, they are also helping both the United States and Russia with environmental studies on pollutants in the Arctic. “The aboriginal people there still eat a lot of wildlife,” Chan says. “As a result, the levels of exposure can get quite high.” This is especially true for northerners who eat a lot of whale, seal, blubber, and organ meat, which can all contain a lot of chemical concentrate. The difficulty is really when aboriginal people in the South switch rapidly from “country food” to marketplace food and health problems like diabetes increase. Processed foods with questionable nutritional value are over-consumed and activity levels go down. In the North, fresh fruit and produce are prohibitively expensive, if they can be found at all. “We tell [communities] they should hang onto their traditional food system as much as they can, and promote the younger generations to eat the same food,” says Chan. “But on the other hand, we want to ensure the food’s safety and make sure they are not eating too many contaminants.”

The Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (CINE) located at McGill University’s Macdonald Campus in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec was created to address concerns within aboriginal communities about the integrity of traditional food supplies and traditions. Environmental deterioration has affected the nutrition, health, and lifestyles of indigenous peoples across Canada. CINE has a governing board with representatives from different aboriginal organizations that approve research directions and methodologies. “They, as a group, help us to talk to the community, and help us understand what their needs are,” says Chan. For example, CINE doesn’t take tissue samples from northern people “because there’s a cultural sensitivity about drawing blood or any body tissues in aboriginal groups,” Chan says.

Chan and his colleagues collect data on what and how much people eat, and what time of year certain foods are available and use the latest technology to measure levels of both nutrients and contaminants in the food. Chan says, “We really advocate participatory research. We get people involved in our research from the very beginning of the project, in the design.” Local research assistants are trained to carry out dietary surveys and interviews and collect all food samples. Chan and his team hired women to cook and documented their methods because CINE wanted “to look at the effects of food preparation [and] cooking on the levels of contaminants.” Chan believes it is important to include “local traditional knowledge into the maximum scientific approach . . . after we finish the projects we always go back to the community and discuss with them what the results mean [and] how should they go about using these results to make certain decisions.”

The participatory research goes both ways. Chan eats what the community eats, enjoying the local fish, caribou, and moose. A culinary highlight for Chan took place during a caribou hunt. When a caribou is killed, the hunter butchers the animal on the spot, takes out the kidney and cooks it quickly, just a moment on each side. “It’s very delicious,” says Chan. “It’s crunchy, but doesn’t taste like urea at all.” Chan, with his heavy metals expertise, knows full well that cadmium is concentrated in the kidney. Had he never been up North, he might have advised them not to eat kidney. But he explains, “After hunting with them, then you know that’s really their favourite food. When you go for a hunt, this is the trophy part of the animal. It’s hard to tell them not to eat that. So the bottom line is that you need to look at comparative risk.”

In the Arctic, people must balance the nutritional benefits of their food with the contaminant risk. The vitamins we southerners find in leafy greens are also found in organ meats in the northern diet. The summertime provides northerners with lots of vitamin C-laden berries in addition to vitamin C found in Beluga whale skin. Climate change affects the sustainability of the traditional food system, Chan says. The North is warmer than before, which means the caribou’s migration path has shifted. Chan’s new position as Research Chair will enable CINE to support the continued examination of health benefits and risks associated with traditional northern food.

By Lloyd Dolha

The Gitga’at of Hartley Bay have found a friend in MLA Gary Coons. The North Coast MLA marked the anniversary of the March 22, 2006 sinking of B.C. Ferries vessel Queen of the North with a call for a full and throrough public inquiry into the incident. “Those in Hartley Bay are still dealing with the upwelling diesel and the impacts on their harvesting grounds,” said Coons in a statement to the provincial legislature. “Eight times in the final report of the Transportation Safety Board it said that the B.C. Ferry Service’s actions placed the vessel, its passengers, and crew at risk.”

The Gitga’at will continue to be at risk as long as the wreck continues to deteriorate and release dangerous toxins into the waters off Gil Island in Wright Sound about 135 kilometres south of Prince Rupert. Hydrocarbons, asbestos, lead, mercury, and other toxins pollute surrounding waters and threaten one of the largest remaining areas of unspoiloed temperate rainforests in the world—rainforest that is home to the iconic Kermode or Spirit Bear (Ursus americanus kermodei), officially added to British Columbia’s list of provincial symbols in 2006.

Bound for Port Hardy, reports indicated the Queen of the North was approximately one kilometre off course at the time of the collision. The fifth largest in the B.C. Ferries fleet, the ship had a gross tonnage of 8,806 and approximately 220,000 letres of diesel fuel on board, plus 23,000 litres of lubricating oil. She was also carrying 16 vehicles, and her sinking created an oil slick that spread throughout the sound. “The president of B.C. Ferries Services [David Hanh] promised to restore the area to its pristine condition, and the only way they can do that is to come and get the ship off the bottom,” said Karen Romans of the Gitga’at First Nation.

The Gitga’at say the B.C. Ferries has broken its promise to do “whatever it takes” to protect the marine environment on which they depend. The First Nation is still tied up in litigation efforts to remove the sunken vessel and prevent further long-term harmful consequences. The Gitga’at wants B.C. Ferries to use its insurance to get the deteriorating wreck out of their traditional territorial waters.

Fishermen from the Gitga’at of Hartley Bay were the first to respond to the distress call when the Queen of the North sank just past midnight. Rescuers set out in a fleet of small fishing and recreational vessels to pick up many of the 99 survivors in the dead of night. Gerald Foisy and Shirley Rosette of 100 Mile House perished with the ship. The excessive cost of litigation in provincial courts forced Foisy’s two teenage daughters to accept an out-of-court settlement. According to lawyer Peter Richie, although B.C. Ferries admitted liability in the tragedy and the federal Transportation Safety Board conducted investigations, both had “considerable” shortfalls. He said B.C. Ferries had a “vested interest” in what they inquired into and the transportation board has a methodology that could not find fault or cross examine witnesses. Because of the out of court settements, case details and testimony remain secret. The family of Shirley Rosette also settled out of court, and a class action suit for the 99 survivors is still pending.

Recalling the 20th anniversary of the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill that devastated Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989, the Gitga’at are also deeply concerned with Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline project. The $4 billion dollar Enbridge pipeline would carry 525,000 barrels of tar sands petroleum from Edmonton across northern B.C. to Kitimat for export to eastern markets and the United States. A second pipeline would move condensate (a thinning compound) from Kitimat back to Edmonton. The line is expected to operate for some 200 years. The pipeline project also includes the construction of a supertanker terminal in Kitimat. If approved, at least 150 double-hulled tankers would pass through the coastal Inside Passage each year.

A number of environmental groups and First Nations have adamantly expressed their opposition to the Enbridge project. The Council of the Haida Nation and the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council are ardent opponents. “The Haida Nation will certainly not accept tanker traffic where we would bear the burden of risk and oil spills in our waters. Our livelihoods would be jeopardized,” said Robert Davis in a December 2008 news release. “Many of our neighbour nations are equally concerned about the impacts on their lands and water.”

The Carrier Sekani have launched a suit in Federal Court challenging the decision of the federal government to appoint a Joint Review Panel with the National Energy Board in the environmental assessment of the Enbridge pipeline project. In late November, the First Nations Summit had called on the federal government to establish an independent First Nations review process for the pipeline project.

The Enbridge project has the tentative support of 25 of the 42 First Nations groups along the 1,170 kilometre pipeline route. But the Gitga’at already know the pain of environmental damage from the Queen of the North sinking, and an Enbridge oil spill would result in irreparable harm to their culture and the devastation of rich and ecologically diverse territory. “There is nothing but risk in this whole process for the Gitga’at people,” said band councillor Cameron Hill. “There are no benefits. I have not heard one.”

By Lloyd Dolha

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations wants to make it clear to the Saskatchewan government that there needs to be full and meaningful consultation and accommodation with the FSIN on any nuclear development plans in the province. “First Nations need to be accommodated and involved every step of the way,” said FSIN vice-chief Delbert Wapass, in light of a new report on nuclear development in the province. “We want to ensure that we balance our responsibilities as stewards of the land, but at the same time providing safe and sustainable economic opportunities for our people,” he said.

A report released by the government-appointed Uranium Development Partnership (UDP) on April 3rd says the recommendations could increase the province’s gross domestic product by an estimated $50-billion and create 6,500 construction jobs and 5,500 long-term jobs. The long-awaited report includes 20 recommendations, including the construction of a new nuclear reactor. According to the report, Saskatchewan is currently the largest uranium producing region in the world and accounts for about 30% of annual world uranium production.

Dr. Richard Florizone, believes it is important to “develop a process and a timeline for a (new nuclear reactor) and define the role of government.” Florizone, a nuclear physicist, is also vice-president of finance at the University of Saskatchewan. He said “The province will require at least 1,000 megawatts of new generation in the next 15 to 20 years” and recommends considering nuclear energy as an option.

The report makes several specific suggestions: partnering with the federal government to build a research reactor and pursuing medical isotope production, creating a centre of excellence for nuclear research and training, partnering with developers of laser-enrichment technology, reviewing the province’s royalty framework, defining duty to consult parameters with Métis and First Nations, and prioritizing the development of infrastructure in the north. “The report has, for the first time in the province’s history, put forward a thoughtful, measured, and well-researched strategic plan to revitalize and expand Saskatchewan’s uranium industry,” said Enterprise and Innovation Minister Lyle Stewart, who added that a public consultation process will start immediately. The consultation process will feature a conference of so-called major stakeholders and a series of community consultation meetings between May 19 and June 5 around the province. Individual stakeholder organizations will have a chance to provide oral and written submissions over two days, with an extra day set aside to hear from First Nations and Métis groups.

There has long been debate over benefits and cost of nuclear development, and grass roots opposition in the province is growing. In late March, in anticipation of the report, the Coalition for a Clean Green Saskatchewan (CCGS) was formed. The CCGS is comprised of a network of diverse grass roots organizations across the province who want the government to move toward many renewable energy options in a more sustainable manner. “The Coalition was formed to oppose the push towards an economically and ecologically detrimental nuclear pathway, and to propose modern renewable energy technologies and strategies,” a press statement from the group noted. “We propose that the best way to build a prosperous and healthy Saskatchewan is to implement creative energy efficiency and conservation strategies and to develop wind, solar, biomass, co-generation, and small-scale hydro electrical sources. A shift toward decentralized renewable electricity generation could greatly benefit many communities throughout the province by providing high quality jobs. These small energy producers should include First Nations and Métis communities, farmers, ranchers, co-operatives, regional businesses and rural and urban municipalities.”

The CCGS points out that current proposals for nuclear development in Saskatchewan include nuclear reactors, uranium refining, conversion, enrichment, reprocessing, new uranium mines, and a high-level radioactive waste storage facility. According to the coalition’s background materials, nuclear power is not a “clean” energy alternative. A full energy audit of nuclear power shows a massive carbon footprint from uranium mines, energy-intensive uranium enriching processes, nuclear power plant construction, and the decommissioning of nuclear plants and spent fuel storage. Nuclear power plants routinely release invisible, dangerous isotopes into the environment, and a series of European and American studies now link higher instances of childhood leukemia among those living near nuclear facilities.

Still, the benefits and risks of any future nuclear developments in the province have yet to be scrutinized and debated by its populace. “I can assure you that no decisions have been made,” said Minister Stewart. “The input received will be considered by the provincial government as part of the decision-making process. As such, I encourage all citizens to get informed and get involved.”

The FSIN points to Article 29 of the United Nations, which affirms that “Indigenous peoples must give their Free, Prior and Informed Consent before hazardous materials are stored or disposed of on their lands.” Vice Chief Wapass added, “The federation wants to ensure that future generations for all Saskatchewan people will continue to enjoy and benefit from a clean and sustainable environment.”

By Clint Buehler

EDMONTON – Three levels of government have stepped up to provide $450,000 to fund and participate in an innovative new initiative created to provide a way for Edmonton’s Aboriginal communities, along with government and private sector organizations, to come together to understand and address urban Aboriginal community priorities.

It’s called the Wicihitowin (Cree for “they help each other”): Circle of Shared Responsibility, or Wicihitowin Circle, and establishes a mechanism for inclusive, culturally appropriate consensus on Aboriginal community priorities and coordinates the efforts of multiple partners to develop and implement needed services and programs. The three levels of government and other stakeholders, in addition to providing funding, have played a facilitative partner role with the community to develop the Wicihitowin Circle.

A contribution of $185,000 from the Government of Canada, $190,000 from Alberta Aboriginal Affairs, and $75,000 from the City of Edmonton will help support the organization’s operations and its work to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal people in Edmonton, including research for solutions to issues such as health, employment, housing, education, poverty, addiction, economic development, community information and cultural programs.

The funding will help Wicihitowin set up a small office, pay salaries and bills, and provide administrative and logistical support.

Wicihitowin will not deliver programs and services itself, but will coordinate groups that already provide services to Aboriginals, helping the organizations work together to complete major projects, secure funding and other resources, and avoid duplication.

Discussions about a more community-driven approach to help Aboriginal people in Edmonton started in 2005 when city council signed an accord aiming to improve relations. Since then, a dozen “community circles,” each composed of as many as 40 different organizations, have been working to create Wicihitowin.

The circles are a traditional way to peacefully discuss divisive issues.

“The Government of Canada is pleased to be a strategic partner and active participant in the Wicihitowin Circle in its role as steering committee for the Urban Aboriginal Strategy in Edmonton,” said Edmonton Centre MP Laurie Hawn on behalf of Hon. Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians. “We are particularly proud to be part of a process that brings governments and community organizations together to support the aspirations of Aboriginal people living in Canada’s urban centres, and respond to their concerns.”

His comments were echoed by Alberta Aboriginal Relations Minister Gene Zwozdesky: “The Government of Alberta is committed to working with urban Aboriginal communities, municipalities and other stakeholders to enhance programs and services delivered by Aboriginal people,” he said. “We’re helping Aboriginal people to help each other.”

Zwozdesky said the circle reflects a change in thinking in government circles, with newfound respect for constitutional rights, Aboriginal rights and now asserted rights.

In addition to Wicihitowin, the province supports a number of urban Aboriginal initiatives by providing more than $700,000 in operating funds for the Alberta Native Friendship Centre Association and the network of 20 friendship centres across Alberta.

Said Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel, “we are fortunate to share in the diverse cultural, social and economic contributions that our Aboriginal population brings to our city. The support of all orders of government is very much in the spirit of Wicihitowin and will help ensure that Aboriginal people have a strong voice in our city’s future.”

Veteran Edmonton City Councillor Ron Hayter—long a vigorous champion for Aboriginal people—calls the new initiative a breakthrough, a change from governments having ultimate say over Aboriginal programs and policies.

Hayter said the greatest achievement could be having the many groups and governments work efficiently, all in one direction, rather than the city setting its course, and Aboriginals setting their own course.

“My children don’t just want survive, they want to thrive,” says Joy Sinclair, Wicihitowin president and co-chair (with Faye Dewar).

“We, as urban Aboriginal people, have never before come together in this way to help address the specific concerns and issues of Aboriginal people in the city of Edmonton.

“The voice of Joy Sinclair is at the table,” she told the Edmonton Journal. “That never was the case before , to have community voices actively being a part of decision-making on our own behalf, actively working in partnership, and that’s what Wicihitowin’s all about.

Alberta has an estimated Aboriginal population of almost 250,000, with two-thirds of them living in urban centres, and 52,000 of those in Edmonton, giving it the second-largest Aboriginal urban population in Canada next to Winnipeg, according to Zwozdesky.

“That’s up 56 per cent from just over 10 years ago, so you can see how quickly this is climbing.”

By Lloyd Dolha

Manitoba First Nations are developing a plan to standardize Band Council elections, set new term limits, and choose an Aboriginal electoral officer. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Ron Evans said he hopes the changes now being readied will allow for greater continuity in First Nations leadership in the province and will put an end to the repeated appeals and electoral frauds that have plagued a number of First Nations in recent years.

In January, at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs general assembly, a resolution was passed to develop a new electoral system that may be taken to all Manitoba First Nations in a referendum as early as Fall this year. The new system would have every First Nation hold an election on the same day, on a three or four-year term, similar to the elections in Manitoba municipalities.

Evans said a provincial First Nations electoral officer position will be created to oversee the elections like Elections Manitoba does for provincial elections. “We can put in conduct rules and regulations,” said the grand chief. He said the standardized dates and formats would mean greater continuity in First Nations leadership.

Right now, many First Nations hold elections every two years, which means there is little time for implementing new initiatives, and chiefs are often loathe to make challenging decisions because of the short election cycle. Hopefully, the new standardized election cycle will help overcome overt corruption in some elections and introduce greater transparency as well as a greater sense of legitimacy to elected chiefs, according to Evans. The AMC has until its next general assembly in September to come up with a formula for holding the referendums.

Right now, there are two ways First Nations in the province elect their chiefs and council. Thirty-seven Manitoba First Nations elect their leadership through the rules set out in the Indian Act, which requires elections of chief and council every two years. The remaining 25 First Nations set their electoral rules using community custom election processes. Many of the custom election systems are not written or codified, and some are in breach of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Some of them also lack effective dispute resolution mechanisms, and there are large procedural gaps in some systems. As a result of this, situations often arise where governance disputes can paralyze the day-to-day business of a First Nation.

Electoral problems continue to arise rpeatedly on some First Nations, such as the Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation and the northern Norway House Cree Nation (NHCN). In January, the NHCN Election Appeal Committee (EAC) announced a finding of corrupt practices by three band councillors during the March 2006 NHCN chief and council election. Just days prior to the election, incumbent elected councillors Eliza Clarke, Mike Muswagon, and Langford Saunders signed and delivered 90 letters promising new homes, trailers, and furniture to band members. The EAC found that the actions constituted corrupt practice. An appeal of the election of the three candidates was launched to the EAC by four other candidates of the 2006 election: Alphius Wilson, Andrew Simpson, Henry Moore and Hubert Hart.

According to a January press release, the members of the EAC were politcally appointed by the previous chief and council that included the three candidates. On May 10, 2007, the EAC dismissed the appeal. As a result, candidates who submitted the appeal sought a judicial review of the EAC decision in Federal Court. The court referred the matter back to the EAC in August and instructed the committee to consider the law on corrupt practice and three other federal court decisions that won when he was elected NHCN councillor in February and March 2006. At that time, the court found that Eliza Clarke, Mike Muswagon, and Langford Sauders all engaged in unlawful conduct, influence peddling, and blackmail against Marcel Balfour.

“I am saddened these individuals engaged in corrupt practice when they were elected officials. However, their activity is certainly not refective of the rest of the council or the NHCN band as a whole … It’s been over two years since our election and this matter has interfered with the governing of the Cree nation,” said Chief Balfour. “We have already engaged in a renewed process involving our people to change our election law, a process the previous leadership denied our people despite the law’s mandatory requirement to do so,” added the chief. “The EAC’s decision requiring a by-election and our electoral reform will finally erase the legacy of previous unlawful conduct and set a bold new direction for our people.”

In March, the Roseau River Anishnabe First Nation asked the federal government to intervene in the election results after two seperate votes elected two different men as the First Nation’s chief in the March 2nd election. Both Terry Nelson and Antoine Felix say they are the legitimately elected Chief and discount the other’s election as bogus. The rife is a source of tension in the community 80 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) has been in contact with both parties and will make a decision on how to proceed soon. The double elections are the result of an ongoing battle between Nelson and Antoine for the First Nation’s leadership, which includes a court case that’s been ongoing for two years.

By Frank Larue

The murders of Rose Roper and Betty Osborne in the late sixties proved that Native women were marked when it came to sexual abuse and murder. When Gilbert Jordan (a.k.a. The Boozing Barber) showed up on Vancouver’s Eastside they also became the target of a serial killer.

Jordan was arrested in 1961 for kidnapping a five-year-old Aboriginal girl. Even though the girl was found in his car far from the reserve, a stay of proceedings ended the trial. Later that year, Gilbert Jordan reappeared in the daily newspapers when he halted traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, threatening to jump. At a subsequent trial, he was charged with contempt after giving the judge a Nazi salute. Clearly, Jordan had complete contempt for the judicial system.

A raging alcoholic himself, Jordan developed a deadly new practice of seducing and poisoning women with alcohol. The bars on skid row were often hangouts for heavy drinkers and drug addicts, so Jordan didn’t look out of place nor did he attract attention that would lead to a police investigation. He would find a woman in a bar, then buy her drinks until she was inebriated enough to go home with him. Once behind close doors, Jordan would continue to give the woman booze until she was passed out, then he would pour more alcohol down her throat until she was dead.

One of his first alcohol poisoning victims was switchboard operator Ivy Rose. Her nude body was found in a hotel room on the Eastside of Vancouver in 1965, but Jordan was never charged. Ivy Rose’s death was considered accidental, even though her blood alcohol level was a lethal 0.51. Her murder was just the beginning of a series of killings for which Jordan always eluded punishment.

Jordan was brought up on charges several times but was not convicted until 1974 when he was living in Prince George. He was found guilty of indecent assault, which came with a sentence of just two years in prison. The Crown counsel wanted him declared a dangerous sexual offender upon his release in 1976, but the request was denied in court.

Jordan never showed remorse about his conduct; in fact, he was charged with more sexual charges the same year he left jail. Eventually, his luck ran out. Not long after his release, he was convicted of kidnapping a woman from a mental institute and raping her. If the court wanted proof that Jordan was a dangerous sex offender, there it was: raping a woman who was mentally impaired was finally reason enough to lock him up and throw away the key. Unfortunately, the courts cast a blind eye on his former convictions and his multiple charges and treated him with more empathy than he deserved.

Jordan’s sentence was only two years and two months—another miscarriage of justice that resulted in tragic repercussions when Jordan was released from jail and went on a killing spree that took the lives of seven women. He made use of his incarceration by learning a profession and opened a barber shop in the Eastside of Vancouver upon his release.

Jordan settled in with little fanfare. His shop was close to Hastings Street, near the kind of bars he liked to use as stalking ground. Once Hastings leaves the downtown core and reaches the Woodworth’s building, the scenery changes drastically as pawn shops and sleazy hotels and abandoned buildings with boarded windows create a seedy backdrop for Vancouver’s Eastside.

Bars are everywhere, but the most notorious are on the block of Hastings between Columbia and Main street. The Sunrise Hotel was often a haven for junkies, and waiters had to sweep up the needles left on the dance floor after the band finished playing. Celebrity junkie Cathy Smith was once arrested there. Across the street is Brandi’s, where patrons can watch porno movies while they drink. The Pennsylvania, the Regent, the Balmoral were all bars that catered to hard core drinkers.

Jordan was a heavy drinker and a regular in bars along Hastings, where he blended in well with the locals. Jordan was short and stocky, with a bald head and thick black-rimmed glasses. His meek appearance in the shadow of burnt out junkies, wired hookers, and cokeheads made him look anything but dangerous. It was easy for him to find the kind of women he felt were “on their last legs”—alcoholics like himself who didn’t mix with the drug crowd and appreciated a free drink.

From 1980 to 1987 Jordan killed seven women, three of whom came back to his barbershop where he taunted them to consume more and more alcohol until finally they passed out. Jordan then poured alcohol down their throats until the women were comatose. Three aboriginal women were found dead in his barber shop, and the police never charged him with a crime. These deaths were ruled accidental. It wasn’t until his sixth victim (a white woman named Vanessa Buckner) was found dead in a room at the Niagara Hotel that police began to take an interest in stopping him. Vanessa (unlike the other victims) wasn’t a heavy drinker, but at the time of her death her blood alcohol level was more than eleven times the legal limit. Family members knew Vanessa was a victim of foul play and pressured the police for action.

Ironically, it was Jordan himself who tipped off police by reporting the death of Vanessa Buckner in an anonymous phone call. Police tracked the telephone call to Jordan’s room at the Marble Arch Hotel and strip joint. A month later, an Aboriginal woman named Edna Shade was found dead in a hotel room and Jordan’s fingerprints were found on a vodka bottle and several glasses. The police monitored Jordan’s actions for the next week, and they captured Jordan on tape coaxing his victims into dangerous states of intoxication. “Have a drink,” he said. “Down the hatch, baby! Twenty bucks if you drink it right down. See if you’re a real woman.”

The Vancouver Police finally interrupted Jordan as he was attempting to poison another victims; the woman was already unconscious as Jordan tried to force more Vodka down her throat. He was arrested and charged with the murder of seven women, but unfortunately was convicted of only one: Vanessa Lee Buckner. He was sentenced to fifteen years in jail, but his time was reduced to nine years on appeal. He ended up serving only six of those years—a final insult to women’s groups who felt that serving less than year for each woman Jordan killed was a long way from true justice.

Jordan apparently never felt any remorse for his actions. In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, he told writer Jim Beatty: “I didn’t give a damn who I was with. I mean, we’re all dying sooner or later, whether it’s in this bar, across the street, or wherever.”

Gilbert Paul Jordan died in the late ‘90s, and even though this should have inspired a sigh of relief from women’s groups such as Sister’s in Spirit, there was already another psychopath stalking women in Vancouver’s Eastside: an even more sadistic killer who would take the lives of 53 women before he was captured. His name is Willie Pickton.

By Bernie Bates

Can you believe what they’re doing in this day and age? There was a time, not that long ago, when the man in the moon was nothing more a nursery rhyme. Today, there are cars with telephones that have video, play music and tell you where to go. Today, there are medical marvels that can speed you up or slow you down with one quick fix. And we take it all for granted, as we ask, “what’s next?”

In this day of wonderment there are pills for the chills, a person’s will and even a blue pill that will give your partner a thrill. Can’t fall asleep? Can’t stay awake? Maybe you’re feeling listless or just plain old bored – simply twist the childproof cap then take a nap and wake up feeling refreshed and alert. But, be warned there’s a price to pay for the wonderful way you feel.

Inside that bottle of medical miracles is a hidden demon waiting for you to uncork the ledger of trial and error. Read carefully the print on the side of the box: may cause hives or drowsiness. Do not operate machinery, drive a car or walk the walk. And if per chance you lose your sight please call 911, maybe even notify your next of kin. But, under no circumstances contact a lawyer’s help.

You’d have thought that the pharmaceutical companies would’ve perfected these wonders of human woe, but, sadly, the answer is apparently no. They go merrily along singing the praises and reaping the winnings at the lose of a few poor souls who didn’t know: “Do not take with alcohol.”

So what’s next on the horizon of this terrific scientific journey that we’re on? Will the day come when all of life’s bumps and lumps become a thing of the past? Will we just grow older and older ‘till all of life has lost it’s zest? But, think of the other side of the coin – the wisdom to be gained, the lessons to be learned over an extended lifetime of study and experience. That’s now, unfortunately, cut short by things like circumstance, pestilence and ignorance.

Will we fly to neighboring stars and spread our wings of knowledge and peace or just prolong our march to war? Science is a two sided sword that cuts both ways, only for the wise to discern. There are those who wield power like you and I command the dog to lay and behave. Some of these masses that condemn mankind for wanting to discover our true place in this universe. They fear the day when we the people will stumble upon a treasure not marked by a gilded cross. And it’s these chosen few who’ll suffer the greatest lose – when we the people discover the inevitable meaning of humanity.

But, back to reality, to a World that counts on dimes, not time. Where the cost of bread determines who lives and who dies. This World where crude oil makes cruel decisions about a child’s need to be fed. Economies of countries are crushed under the rush to be first or worse. Flags are torn, boarders are ignored and all done at the point of a gun. Technologies that where once meant to disarm, deter and dissuade, are now used to quell, capture and conquer. How helpless, how hopeless, how sad it’s all become.

Trust these words, don’t be so damned glum, turn that frown upside down. And if by chance you know someone, who truly gives a crap – then step inside that voters box and beside that name mark an ‘X.’ And who knows … maybe, just maybe we’ll find that someone who’ll bring us hope, change and glory. A person who’ll actually have some effect, that doesn’t cause temporary drowsiness. Technology is a wonderful tool to be used to make every day a discovery. A reason to hop out of bed, stretch and scratch yourself from your head to your ass, then yawn and carry on. You may not have all the money in the World, but you have what counts the most – you have a life to live and love to give.

I truly hope this bit of wit made you feel a little better. In these times of uncertainty remember this: “There is nothing more powerful than a smile, a hug and a kiss!”

THE END

Dear reader: Please feel free to contact, B. H. Bates at: beeinthebonnet@shaw.ca

By Frank Larue

The one-hundredth anniversary of the Montreal Canadians has been less of a celebration and more of an embarrassment for the once proud hockey team. Les Canadiens have won more Stanley cups than any other NHL team and have produced legends such as Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, Jean Beliveau, Jacques Plante, Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, and many more. Despite Montreal’s success, the New York Yankees (previously the second most winning sports franchise in North America) now claim first place.

Unfortunately, the glory years are a thing of the past, and the new Montreal Canadians have no superstars. They have not won a Stanley cup for twenty-five years. The ‘90s were not kind to the team that used to dominate the league. They have seldom made it past the second round in the playoffs, and with Bob Gainey at the helm, the future looks a long way from bright.

Carey Price, the pride of the Ulkatcho Indian Band, was chosen number one goalie for Montreal in his second year in the NHL when the Canadians traded Cristobal Huet to Chicago. Carey had stellar performances last season and continued in the same direction at the beginning of the ‘08-‘09 season. Unfortunately his team started losing in mid-season, and they have yet to find the magic they had in October.

Carey’s fate went the same way as the team’s. He has been struggling since January and was pulled from games several times. It didn’t help that coach Guy Carbonneau was fired and the team had injuries at the worst time during the hockey season. Carey became discouraged and did not show the form that had earned him his job. In a game against the Philadelphia Flyers where he was a healthy scratch, he told CBC that he “didn’t deserve to be in the lineup.”

Bringing in Bob Gainey as interim coach did nothing to improve the Montreal Canadians. They barely made it to the playoffs, and in the first game against Boston they looked bad, not only losing the game but also presenting no match for the number one seed: the Bruins.

You don’t have to be Merlin to realize the once mighty Canadians will be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, and since the team is up for sale, Carey Price can’t feel confident in his future with Montreal. It may not be much of a consolation, but he’s not the only Aboriginal hockey player in the NHL dealing with a sub-par season. Jordin Too Too and Jonathan Chee Choo have also dealt with injuries and low productivity.

Jonathan Chee Choo with the San Jose Sharks won the Rocket Richard Award a few years ago for most goals scored by a forward for the season. Chee Choo is considered one of the premier snipers of the league, and since the Sharks ruled the NHL this season, he was expected to have a banner year. That didn’t happen. Although his team finished first in league, Jonathan was injured and missed several games. Since his return, he has yet to show the golden touch that made him one of the highest scorers in the NHL. The Sharks are facing the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the first round of the playoffs and have already lost their first game on home ice. If by chance they are eliminated in the first round, it would be the upset of the year, adding insult to injury for Chee Choo. Whether or not he can rebound and help his team fulfill its destiny remains to be seen. Judging by the first game, it may not happen, and Jonathan will be going home to Moose Factory in Northern Ontario long before the playoffs are over.

Jordin Too Too won’t have to worry about the playoffs at all because his team (the Nashville Predators) didn’t make the cut. For the first time in nine years, the Predators will be watching the playoffs from the golf course. Jordin has been criticized by Kelly Krudey on Hockey Night in Canada for being a mindless goon whose role doesn’t go beyond delivering checks meant to injure his opponents. Veteran Jeremy Roenick (now playing with the San Jose Sharks) added to the controversy by stating, “I don’t like the way he plays. He’s not well respected in the league. Most players don’t like him.” Fortunately, the Predators coach Barry Trotz has total confidence in Jordin and has no problem with his playing style. “His job is to piss players off and get them off their game,” said Trotz. “He hits hard and never backs down. Jordin is an important part of this team.”

Carey Price, Jonathan Chee Choo, and Jordin Too Too are three young hockey players who inspire young Aboriginal athletes by being role models both on and off the ice. There are hills and valleys in all sports careers, and the good players always bounce back. There is every reason to believe that all three young men will come back to the ice next year on a mission to make up for this year’s lost season.