Posts By: First Nations Drum

By Lloyd Dolha

The Commission on First Nations and Métis Peoples and Justice Reform released its final report on Monday, June 21, 2004.

Commission Chair Willie Littlechild said the report contains a number of recommendations designed to return justice to First Nations and Métis communities.

“It’s obvious to the commission that there is no better place to find solutions to the problems facing First Nations and Métis people than in their own communities,” said Littlechild. “Justice must be transformed to incorporate First Nations and Métis culture, traditions and beliefs.”

The two year $2.8 million investigation into the Saskatchewan justice system found that anti-native racism exists throughout the provincial police force creating an environment of mistrust between aboriginal people and the Saskatchewan police.

The commission’s final report, entitled Legacy of Hope, comprised two volumes and makes 122 recommendations that suggest a number of ways to combat racism in policing such as better screening procedures, training programs for officers who exhibit racist attitudes and a proactive strategy to recruit First Nations and Métis into the police force.

Some of the other recommendations include:

• * an independent complaints agency for First Nations, Métis and non-aboriginal people to be in place by April 1, 2005;
• the establishment of a “therapeutic court” to deal with issues such as addictions, family violence and fetal alcohol syndrome;
  the immediate construction of emergency detox centres in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and La Ronge;
• greater involvement of the community in screening cases before charges are laid to allow Crown prosecutors to consider whether a case can be better dealt with by the community instead of the justice system;
• consideration of sentencing alternatives with input from First Nations and Metis elders;
• and, a provincial study on why the incarceration rate is so high among aboriginal youth and a strategy to reduce that rate by March 31, 2005.

Notably absent from the release of the report were representatives of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations – one of the prime motivators for the commission.

In a press release the following day, the FSIN said the report falls far short of what Saskatchewan First Nations had hoped for.

“It is important to remember that it was treaty First Nations individuals who were found frozen to death outside of Saskatoon and it was those deaths that sparked this commission,” said FSIN vice chief Lawrence Joseph.

“We cannot and should not forget that it was First Nations leaders in this province who insisted that the commission be created to examine the relationship between First Nations and the justice system so that the sacrifice of those lives would have meaning.”

According to the FSIN, the report falls short of their expectations in a number of ways:

• it focuses on improvements to existing programs or the implementation of new programs rather than the actual reform of the justice system;
• it recommends initiatives that are “aboriginal” in nature that include both Métis and non-aboriginals without acknowledging the distinct status of treaty people;
• and, it does not address the constitutional treaty right of First Nations to the inherent right to self government.

Joseph said that the report contains a number of useful recommendations that will improve the administration of the provincial justice system in the short term, but makes no clear recommendations regarding long-term solutions or real reforms to address the root causes of the unacceptably high interaction between First Nations people and the justice system.

“We have no choice but to try and extract the applicable short-term solutions that will benefit our First Nations communities and continue to work on implementing our own solutions,” said Joseph.

By B.H. Bates

CartoonThe famous potato famine is known world wide as a time of great hunger for those poor, begotten Irish folk. Boo, Hoo! There were times when I was growing up that I wish I had a friggin’ spud!

I’ve heard tales from some non-native folks, who’ve complained: “The wolf was at our door, many-a-time!” On our Rez, the wolves knew better than to come around … “Yee Hah, wolf stew!

There’s poor, there’s dirt poor … then there’s “Indian poor!” There was a time, not all that long ago, when you could drive on to any Rez in the country and you could find lots of snot-nosed kids running around and you knew just by the look on their poor little faces that they’d kill for a McMeal.

Let’s me start at the beginning of this shameful trail. There was a time of great joy and plenty for the North American Native: Deer, fish grouse and buffalo as far as the eye could see. Roots, greens and berries enough for all of the Creators children. Then along came ol’ Chris Columbus and he pissed on the fire.

It’s a well known fact that the boys in the halls of power decided that the best way to rid themselves of those pesky Injuns, was to starve their brown ass’ into submission. So out went the order: “Kill every last buffalo on the great plains!”

Then the reservations, the indigenous were ‘given,’ didn’t help matters. There were certain conditions these reservation lands had to meet, for instance, it couldn’t be valuable agriculture bottom land, prime forest, grazing lands or mineral bearing property. Swamps, deserts and barren wastelands were okayed.

Being rejected by employers because of prejudice, the next diabolical trick, pulled on the Injun, was the welfare wagon. Just enough to survive, but not enough to strive!

The combination of no work and the numbing effect of firewater, worked like a charm – the native was hooked! It was easier to sit around, drink and complain … “Oh, my grandfather was abused, bla, bla, bla, bitch, bitch, bitch!”

The table was set for the starvation of an entire culture. Generations were lost!

Now I know, that in the past, I’ve ranted in writing how I thought that the mask of jealousy was weighing us down. I’ve since changed my mind.

“It’s now a good thing!” – in my opinion. If it weren’t for one Native saying about another Native: “Ah hell … if he has all that, I can too!” – we Natives wouldn’t be as progressive as we are today. A lot of us would still be sucking on the tit of welfare.

Growing up, I witnessed first hand how things used to be. Years ago, about eighty percent of Natives drank and twenty percent were working men with families. Today, the complete opposite is true. Today, it’s now the drunkards who are in the minority.

A few years after I was born, my family moved off Rez and my dad found work as a foreman on a large ranch in Washington state. Life was pretty good as I remember it, we always had enough to eat and a roof over our heads. I went to a regular school, joined the boy scouts, we drove around in nice cars, life was “As seen on TV!”

I was oblivious to life outside that valley. That is … until, dear ol’ dad blew it! He drank himself and his family right out of the best job he ever had, right into a nightmare! “Back to the REZ!”

From a fancy home complete with running water, to using an outhouse. You have no idea what it’s like for a young kid to go from store bought toilet paper to using last years Sears catalog. It’s kind of like driving down the road doing eighty then shifting into reverse … life changed.

As poor as we were, there were still some folks on our Rez, who were much worse off than us. I remember one childhood friend who grew up in a house with a hunk of plywood for a front door, the windows that were broken were covered up with cardboard and his bed was a dirty blanket thrown onto a bare floor in the corner.

Any food that came in the door way was eaten as fast as it hit the table. I actually saw him fight his little brother for a scrap of food. It was a sad thing to see, but when you have six brothers and sisters, it was a matter of ‘survival of the fittest’ in his home on the Rez!

I wonder if the North American Native is known in other parts of the World by – “The Great Buffalo famine”? … Just a little food for thought!

By Lloyd Dolha

Former aboriginal leader Margaret Swan avoided a jail sentence, but still received a one-year suspended sentence on May 31, for stealing $35,000 from her own band while she was chief of the Manitoba Lake First Nation of southern Manitoba.

Crown attorney Tony Kavanagh, told the court how Swan made out two cheques to cash – one for $10,000 and the other for $25,000. Swan then deposited the ill-gotten gains in her own account and used the stolen funds to pay off a loan on her Jeep Cherokee and put a down payment on a new house.

“The victims are not faceless. They’re the ordinary people going about their lives and having to do with less, ” said Kavanagh. “This is not a rich community. Every penny is needed in that community and $35,000 is a lot of money.”

Swan’s abuse of trust was compounded by the fact that she was an elected official who stole from the very people who had chosen her to lead them, Kavanagh said.

Swan, 42, was charged with fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000 last August, but denied any wrong-doing for months. Late in March at trial, Swan admitted that she had stolen the money from her band while chief.

At the time of the theft, Swan had told her colleagues that she had used the money to pay off a loan on an elder’s house, when evidence of financial irregularities surfaced.

The RCMP alleged that the former chief had drawn some $61,000 in unauthorized cheques for her own personal use before leaving to become grand chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization over two years ago.

The former grand chief begged the court for leniency, saying that her future should be considered when the judge sentenced her.

“I weep for my people, because they need all the help they can get,” said Swan. “I hope the justice system gives me a chance to carry on … to enhance or better the lives of our people.”

Swan was fired from her $85,000 per year job as grand chief of the Manitoba Southern Chiefs Organization in mid-May, when the chiefs passed a non-confidence motion by a vote of 20-7. She had been suspended without pay in March after pleading guilty to the theft.

Defense lawyer Greg Brodsky asked the court for a conditional discharge so Swan would not have a criminal record and would be able to “get back to work.” He noted that Swan was a perfect candidate” for such a discharge.

“She was on her way to making a huge difference in the lives of her people and, as a result of her indiscretions, its all come tumbling down,” said Brodsky.

Sentencing judge Robert Kaplan also took notice of the “magnificent contributions to society” Swan had made during her tenure.
Swan was ordered to repay the money she stole and to perform 50 hours community service.

An election for a new grand chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization will be held June 24, at the Long Plain First Nation.

By Lloyd Dolha

Final arguments into the death of Saskatoon aboriginal teenager Neil Stonechild concluded at the public inquiry on May 19, after months of hearings, dozens of witnesses and 8,000 pages of testimony.

Stonechild was found frozen to death in a northern industrial area of the city with one shoe, a blackened sock on the other foot, with his hands curled up in his sports jacket in an attempt to keep warm on November 29, 1990 on a night of -28 C with a wind chill factor.

The public inquiry began on September 8, 2003, after an extensive RCMP investigation and a Saskatoon Police investigation mired in overtones of racism.

The case made international headlines based on the testimony of Stonechild’s friend Jason Roy, then 16, who had alleged he had seen Stonechild in the back of the Saskatoon Police cruiser screaming, “Help, these guys are going to kill me.”

The RCMP investigation suspected Constables Larry Hartwig, nicknamed “Redneck,” and Brad Senger, but the constables were never charged.

Gone on arrival?
The story told at the inquiry was that it was a Saturday night. Stonechild was on the run from a youth detention centre and wanted a drink. He traded a pair of leather gloves for a bottle of vodka.

Following a few hours of drinking and playing cards at a party, the teenagers went to look for Stonechild’s former girlfriend who was babysitting at a nearby apartment complex. Because they didn’t know the apartment number, they walked around trying buzzers at random. After a while, Roy got cold and left. Stonechild eventually found the right number, but his formergirlfriend wouldn’t let him in because she could tell that he was drunk. Her sister’s boyfriend called the police and Stonechild soon wandered off.

The constables responded to the call at 11:51 p.m. the cruiser’s computer terminal indicated, “Drunk to be removed/Neil Stonechild/17 years old.”

The constables testified that they had no memory of searching for Stonechild because that would have been routine. Dispatch logs showed they never found him. The logs indicated he was “GOA” or Gone on Arrival. Stonechild was found the next day.

The question of police involvement in the death of Neil Stonechild caused a storm of outrage in the province’s aboriginal community in light of the other “starlight tours” in which Saskatoon police regularly took troublemakers out of the city to make them walk home.

But according to Jason Roy, he was walking away from the apartment complex when the cruiser stopped him. The officers asked his name and he gave them a false identity. Roy testified he watched them type the name into their data terminal and saw the time. It was 11:56. But no record exists that can confirm Roy’s assertion that he saw Stonechild in the backseat of the cruiser.

The most important item in that evening’s chronology was the constables’ encounter with Bruce Genaille. Genaille testified that the two officers had also stopped him, demanded to see his identification, and asked if he had seen Stonechild. Lawyers for the constables argued that the time the police ran his name on the computer database, 12:04 a.m., was when they questioned him. In other words, the police were still looking for Stonechild and Roy’s assertion was untrue.

Lawyers for the Stonechild family suggested that the officers could have met Genaille earlier and checked his name as an afterthought.
The next time the constables whereabouts could be confirmed was just before 2:00 a.m., when they investigated an assault.

Constables Hartwig and Senger testified that they could not recall anything during those two hours over 13 years ago. They pointed to their computer records that they were too busy to have taken Stonechild to the north end of the city. Their records showed the pair had completed two calls, confirmed the two identities and checked six license plates.

But lawyers for the Stonechild family said the constables had plenty off time for a quick trip to the city’s north end.

After the inquiry
Now that the Stonechild inquiry has come to its conclusion, it’s up to Justice David Wright to weigh the evidence and reach some conclusion to serve the interests of justice for the Saskatchewan aboriginal community.

Whatever comes out of the inquiry, there are some things that have become clear and must be addressed by the presiding judge.

In March, former Saskatoon police chief Dan Wiks admitted that the police had misled the public about the investigation into Stonechild’s death and that the investigation was in itself at best, “shoddy.” Saskatoon police admitted that they had lost evidence, ignored tips and lied to the family.

The Saskatoon police set up a so-called “issues team,” to develop tactics to deal with questions raised at the inquiry – in essence – to lie to the inquiry.

It was further revealed that the Saskatoon police discussed placing the two constables on paid suspension and telling the public they had been reassigned.

But what is most telling about the entire affair is that the public inquiry into the death of Neil Stonechild was the role of his friend Jason Roy. As noted in the written submissions, Mr. Roy has consistently told his version of the events since that cold night in November 1990 to the police, other witnesses and the inquiry. It is indeed noteworthy that the lawyers for the Sakatoon police went to great lengths to discredit Jason Roy’s account of that night.

Why would Roy, whose involvement in the entire Stonechild affair was what forced the inquiry itself, go so far out of his way to the point of homelessness to tell his side of the story if he wasn’t telling the truth? This is what Justice Wright must determine.

By Malcolm VanDelst

The 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Independent Media Arts Alliance took place in June. This event, comprised of exhibitions, presentations, round table discussions, screenings and meetings, happens in a different Canadian city every year.

This year, Rim Shots, Media Arts Festival, as the meeting was called, took place at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver, BC.

Aboriginal media artists, and co-founders of IMAGeNation (Indigenous Media Arts Group) and the National Aboriginal Media Artist Coalition, Cleo Reese and Dana Claxton, curated Inside Focus, one of three pivotal screenings at the meeting, bringing a strong native presence to this national association.

The First Nations Drum talked with Cleo Reese about the programme she co-curated, Rim Shots, the Indigenous Media Arts Group, and the evolving presence of First Nations in the national media art community.

Let’s start with Inside Focus. What was the programme about?
Inside Focus was a program of works from artists from the Pacific region, I guess throughout BC. We looked at a variety of works and decided on the program that we screened. We had a theme of alienation. It seemed to be a recurring theme when we were (auditioning) different works.

It went with the overall theme of Rim Shots, the whole media arts festival, using the globalization of culture as one of the topics we were looking at and how artists find themselves in that milieu. All the works that we showed were distinct. They all had a different way of telling a particular story that was compelling and interesting.

We just thought, we’ve got lots of talent here on the coast. We showed not just our own Aboriginal peoples’ works but works from the all the artistic communities in this area, and from Victoria.

And alienation seemed to be the defining element?
Yes. It is a time when its easy to feel lost, you know, and maybe not quite at home in (a global culture). Artists have to create their own environments, whether they are internal or external environments – that’s what makes them artists – to take what they see and feel and express it in their own ways. This is what we found in the works we selected. They were individual but all expressed an interest in the world beyond themselves.

So globalization has expanded – made the world bigger – by making it more in our faces, perhaps? And the reaction is to feel small, or alienated?
People have different reactions and artists have their own way of dealing with problems. If they see something as a problem or if it is an issue of importance to them, they will take it and work with it in a creative way to (express) what they feel. There are issues of technology, issues of cultural loss, loss of identity, freedom, loss of spirituality – all of these are things that people struggle with constantly. It’s a way of making sense of them by doing something creative. The result is some of the works we have shown at Rim Shots.

Rim Shots was a media arts festival and IMAA is the Indigenous Media Arts…?
No, it’s actually the “Independent Media Arts Alliance”. It had a name change last year. It used to be called the “Independent Film and Video Alliance”. To get more in sync with changing technology its now called “Independent Media Arts Alliance” simply because technology has changed. We don’t simply work in film and video anymore. There’s new media; there are other formats.

… The Internet…
Yes, and new media technology…

…Music – digital…
Yes, including music, and all digital formats…

Digital forms of photography, things like Max…
Yep, some photography, but media, in general.

How does technology fit into what you were talking about: the loss of culture and spirituality?
Well, it’s a medium to be used. People used oil paints and expressed themselves by making paintings. Then film came into use; after that, various other formats. There are artists using all of these formats in whatever way they want or need to express themselves. People are constantly evolving and using whatever’s there and adapting it to their own needs. There are multi-media environments now. That seems to be the way a lot of work is going, instead of using just one medium. But of course, you have people who are always going to work in the one medium of their choice. So, we’ve got everything.

Did the works in Inside Focus encompass traditional art making techniques?
Some of them did. It went from film, which worked solely in light, colour and sound, and went into animation. There was the film medium, the video medium and, of course, the digital.

Digital film?
Yes.

Also, cross genre. We showed narrative works to documentary to experimental – to show the differences out there and the (various ways to tell) a story.

Do you make media art yourself?
Yes. I work mainly in documentary. I’ve done a bit in other mediums as well – not so much mediums – but I’ve worked in short dramas, and a bit in television.

Which was your favourite piece in Inside Focus?
I would like to look at the very first one and the very last one.

The first (piece) was a short by Velcrow Ripper, an artist in Vancouver. I really enjoy his work. He’s always got an interesting message.

(The one we showed) was “Rise”. To me, it was about the alienation of, because I am an aboriginal person, I would say, non-aboriginal, or white people. They have ways of looking at spirituality, maybe because their traditional religions didn’t work for them, where they go out and search for meanings in their own way. That was one of (these ways), this Burning Man thing, which was the focus of “Rise”.

The very end (piece) was a drama by Claudia Medina who is also based (in Vancouver). She is originally from Mexico, or her parents are from Mexico, and she went there to make her story.

It’s a spiritual, supernatural type of story where wandering souls find one another. People who are spiritually lost sometimes run into other souls who are also lost – looking for something, some place to rest. It was a beautiful short drama depicting that whole looking around for your soul, your essence or your being. It ended with an inspiring, healing message, which is what we wanted to get across with the whole Inside Focus programme. People who have been lost can find themselves again. They may need help but (can find) whatever it is that they need to know to help them continue on as healthy, functioning human beings.

Can you talk about IMAGeNation?
IMAGeNation is an annual Aboriginal film festival, held in Vancouver, usually at the VanEast Cinema on Commercial Drive. It’s a community-focused festival. We show films and videos from all over the indigenous world: Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US, and North and South America. We show the variety of indigenous cultures and the variety of talents and stories out there, but also the fact that we are all connected. This comes across in the works we (screen). People can see the talents indigenous people have, the wonderful stories and the art that comes out of the communities. It’s amazing.

How long has IMAGeNation been in existence?
The first one was in 1998 and we have continued every year.

You founded IMAGeNation?IMAG
Yes, myself, Dana Claxton and several other people were the original founders. It’s been growing every year. It’s an exciting event. We’ve got every other kind of film festival you can think of, but this is our own Aboriginal film festival. We are really proud of it and happy that we are able to offer it.

Do you get funding, like Canada Council grants?
Oh yes, we get Canada Council funding. This is the first year we’ve actually got other sponsors, like the National Film Board and the Museum of Anthropology. We had a panel and a film series that was done at the museum (of anthropology) this year. We’ve had other sponsors that we’ve been able to bring in. It’s great: bringing more people into our community, sharing and helping each other.

If people want to submit something, get involved or donate to IMAGeNation, how can they do that – is there a web site?
We have a web site: www.imag-nation.com. They can get information about our past festivals and information about who we are and how to reach us. Our next festival, we’re planning to hold in February. In the past, we’ve held them in early November. This year, we held it in February. We’re going to keep on with that time frame: late February or early March.

What about the National Aboriginal Media Artists Coalition?
NAMAC, for short, is a group of Aboriginal people who work for artist run centres or individuals across the country. All have a media arts component to their programming or they’re strictly media arts like us. The Indigenous Media Arts Group deals strictly with media, mostly video production and the IMAGeNation festival.

NAMAC has gotten together in the last three years at the AGM of the IMAA (Independent Media Arts Alliance) and have held meetings in our own communities, discussing the issues of importance to Aboriginal media artists and media art centres – and, artist run centres that may be visual arts or some other focus, with some component of media arts involved – we get together with all these groups, plus individuals, because they are many places that don’t have an Aboriginal media artists’ run centre.

We join with individuals who work in this field. They’re video producers, film producers, directors, writers, and television producers, even. We talk about common issues and concerns and try to do something about (them).

So is IMAG a body of the National Aboriginal Media Artists Coalition?
Yes, we are. We actually belong to the Independent Media Arts Alliance. We are a member centre. We go to meetings and we have a voice and a vote.

You’ve been a member since…?
For the last two years.

That’s the National Aboriginal Media Artist Coalition and IMAG?
Yes. Actually, in the IMAA there are 5 regions that make up the centres across the country: the Pacific region, the Prairie region, the Ontario region, the Quebec region and the Atlantic. As a result of our involvement with the various Aboriginal representatives that have been going to these meetings, a new region was announced three years ago: the Aboriginal region. There are two members on the board. I’ve been a member for the last two years and now I’ve been replaced with a new member. We do that every two years. We’ll have a new member come on. These two members represent the Aboriginal voice on the IMAA.

Who’s the new member?
Her name is Kym Gouchie. She’s from Penticton, part of the Ullus Collective and also a member of the IMAA.

How has membership in the IMAA helped IMAGeNation and the National Aboriginal Media Artist Coalition?
It’s good to be involved in a larger organization that lobbies and advocates for media centres and media artists so we have a voice in the national – at the level that they work with: with national funding bodies and organizations – so we have a voice at that level.

We are also able to connect with other media art centres and artists that may have never met an Aboriginal person. Through networking and going to meetings together and that sort of thing, we are able to see common concerns and maybe ways that we can work together. That’s been beneficial. I’m sure it’s going to be even more so in the future.

How have IMAGeNation and the National Aboriginal Media Artist Coalition contributed to the IMAA?
We are a member centre. We’ve had people on the board. I’ve been able to attend meetings, participate and help in decision making and getting information out. I was very involved in this year’s Rim Shots, connecting with local resources, helping to bring in the elder that spoke and did the opening prayer, helping to get the salmon; doing Inner Focus. I helped with the planning. I was glad to be able to participate.

…and bring Aboriginal culture to the IMAA…
That’s right. Bring the Aboriginal culture and our participation as Aboriginal artists. It’s good to be able to do and offer some things that maybe other people can’t, that they just don’t have –

Yes, the culture – Any word on next year’s Rim Shots?
Well, it will be a different name. “Rim Shots” was the name the Pacific region gave the media arts festival and the AGM. It’s going to be in…St. John’s? No, Halifax – that’s next year’s IMAA Annual General Meeting. There’s a group (in Halifax) that’s going to look after it. They are going to give it a new name and focus, so we’ll see what happens then.

And you will be representing again?
Yes. I’ll be representing the Indigenous Media Arts Group, as well as other members (will be representing).

How do you see the future of Aboriginal involvement in Canadian media art evolving?
This is a good entry into other organizations, by being part of this larger group, the IMAA. But we also have plans to develop our own regional and national organizations that will sit down with other bodies – other funding bodies, broadcasters and what have you. It’s really the beginning. Something’s got to start somewhere. We’ve been slowly working towards a point where we are able to go to other organizations, talk to them, and voice our concerns rather than sit back and wait to see what people are willing to give us. We will be more active and act as a lobbying support group.

For more information about Aboriginal media art, your web site….
Yes…There’s a lot of Aboriginal media art out there. We encourage people to look for it and find out about it. The web site is great because people can access it from wherever they are. It’s one really good way to get information out.

People can also call us here if they have interest in and/or questions for the Indigenous Media Arts Group.

The phone number is: 604-871-0173 or or email: Imag@telus.net.

By Lloyd Dolha

More than 60 aboriginal searchers from across Saskatchewan continued a desperate bid to find any sign of missing five-year-old Tamra Keepness in Regina, ten days after she was reported missing by her father.

“We’re going through the bushes and also the mud – virtually searching every space we can find,” said Ellen Keewatin, one of Tamra’s great-aunts, who is also part of the search effort.

“When you really start thinking about it, it is scary, but you have to keep your mind set on finding that little girl.”

Some aboriginal crews came from as far as La Ronge, Sask., 550 kilometres north of Regina.

Tamra KeepnessThe little girl was reported missing by Troy Keepeness, her father, on the morning of Tuesday July 6. She was last seen the night before when her mother sent her to bed at about 11 p.m. at night.

At a press conference on Tuesday, July 13, Regina police announced that they have called off the search for the five-year-old as of 9 p.m. Monday night, but vowed their investigation will continue and posted a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the missing child.

“We will find Tamra and if there has been criminal conduct, we will find those involved,” said Regina police Chief Cal Johnston. Police said they have spent some 5,600 man hours looking for the little girl. Up to 120 police and civilian volunteers conducted an exhaustive search of the immediate neighbourhood and sections of the city without finding any sign of Tamra or her personal effects.

“As each day passes, the likelihood that this incident will end happily diminishes,” said Johnston. “The possibility that Tamra met with an accident or other misadventure becomes remote.”

Deputy police Chief Clive Weighill said that police have interviewed 100 people, including family friends, relatives and neighbours, as well as known sex offenders and are planning to interview 60 more.

Weighill said that 40 detectives are still working on the case and were assisted by RCMP major crimes detectives.

“We will continue to actively investigate Tamra’s disappearance,” he said.

Scott Keepness, Tamra’s uncle and spokesperson for the family, said that he’s not discouraged by the move by police.

“They’re just human,” said Keepness. “Everybody has a limit to what they can do and stuff like that. But I’m believing we’re going to see her again.”

On the Monday before police called off the search, Lorena Keepness, Tamra’s mother, said that she was frustrated with the pace of the investigation into her daughter’s disappearance. She told reporters at the time that she believes Tamra was kidnapped and said that Regina police have not even talked to even one of the people she named as possible suspects.

Family and friends held a vigil at the Keepness home that night and prayed for the safe return of the child, whose five young siblings include a twin sister.

“It’s never too late, and God has the power to bring her home,” said Lorena Keepness.

“Hopefully, somebody brings her home,” said Troy Keepness. “I’ m getting more frustrated each day and she’s not home yet.”

The immediate family of the missing girl has said little in public since then. Police suggested that they still have some unanswered questions about what was going on in the family home the night Tamra went missing.

Tamra Jewel Keepness is described as a three-foot-five aboriginal girl and weighs about 40 pounds with a thin build and brown bobbed hair and brown eyes. When last seen she was wearing a light blue halter top with pink accents, light blue jeans, and pink and white shoes.

Aboriginal leaders of Saskatchewan said that the disappearance of Tamra Keepness is only part of a larger and sadder picture.

Guy Lonechild of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations said that the FSIN hopes this case draws attention to the plight of other aboriginal people who vanish every year across Canada.

On Thursday, July 15th, the television show America’s Most Wanted posted a picture and a brief description of Tamra’s disappearance on their website.

Regina police spokesperson Elizabeth Popowich, said the show’s producers expressed interest in filming a segment on the case.

“Tamra’s picture is out there internationally, and I think that sends a tremendous message of unity on this single goal.”

Popowich said that Tamra’s case will also be featured on a radio broadcast of the show.

“Anything that can help is a tremendous thing.”

By Malcolm VanDelst

Tammy Lynne does not always look like a filmmaker. The first time I meet her, she keeps her eyes on the floor and speaks quietly. Her clothing is kind of trashy and she looks like she would be more comfortable begging change than writing, directing and producing not one, but three feature films.

The next time I meet her, she is more “filmmaker-ish.” She wears a beautiful native design inspired necklace and a long black dress. She looks me in the eye; she seems to be filled with an otherworldly energy. When she is quiet, there is nothing particularly striking about her; you would not look twice if you saw her at a bus stop – or begging change; yet, when she speaks about her film, Eagle Feather, or about the politics and social issues that drive it, her plain, too pale face becomes infused with a life force and beauty. I notice her cheekbones, her Cupid’s bow lips, her dark, tumbling curls.

When she laughs, I laugh, and I find myself listening not only to what she is saying, but to what she isn’t saying. The connections she makes by juxtaposing disparate ideas, images and stories “because I have ADHD,” she laughingly tells me, says a lot more than the ideas, images or stories on their own – and they are already loaded ideas, images and stories.

Tammy Lynne tells me about the Aboriginal prophecies and the film she had been writing when social issues pressed in and demanded attention and a film of their own. In this film (the one she had been writing), an Aboriginal girl loses her history. When she goes back to the reservation to find it, she discovers that she carries the key to lighting the 7th fire.

I can’t help but wonder how close to this character Tammy Lynne feels. Prophecies, like myths and legends, have their roots in the ordinary. As well as being a filmmaker, Tammy Lynne is an actor, stunt performer and activist. I get the impression that she has read a lot, particularly in Native history and myth. And she is busy. She has a seven-year-old and a twelve-year-old, whom she continued to raise through her six years of business and theatre studies, at John Abbott college in Montreal, then Capilano and UBC here in Vancouver.

It’s who you know
She seems to know everybody, not only in Aboriginal film, but in Canadian media and politics, both of which she is actively involved in. She does her homework. She made the NFB take out a clause saying that they would have first right of refusal on Eagle Feather, when they helped fund the project.

“Research” is a word that comes up again and again when she is talking about her film – from how to depict the drama segments to who to interview for the documentary parts to what special effects company to use and where to go for funding. Tammy Lynne herself, lives in the past, present and future simultaneously, it seems, just like the jumbled but connected and sensical montage that will become Eagle Feather.

“Does she know something the rest of us don’t know?” I can’t help but think when talking to her. So much information, infused with her particular energy and viewpoint, is crammed into our short discussion. She talks quickly, as if to make sure she gets everything in, everything she needs to tell me so that I can tell you, before our time together is through. She may be talking about the past, in the present, but her mind is in the future.

She talks a lot about connections, and unity, and food sovereignity, which to her mind, is the one thing people can all agree on and work together for.

“(Eagle Feather will start) from the beginning of human life when most of us were hunters and gatherers. The way to earn respect at that time was to be able to provide for the people. So if you hunted and gathered really well one day, you would bring that back and you would share that with the community and they would honour and respect you,” she says.

“I think if you can sit there and eat a bowl of food while some is starved right beside you, that you are anti-productive in this world, and that, I think, is the one thing people can agree on.

“It creates war; it creates all kinds of things, right? …People get desperate and things like that…Our communities aren’t strong anymore… So it’s the rebuilding of these communities and bringing people together that’s important.”

I’ve never thought of filmmaking as a political, or activist tool, but Tammy Lynne wields her storytelling ability like an army. This reminds me of something I read about the three seats of power: military, communications and law. The communications seat is about talking people into believing what you want them to believe – usually, that they should follow your orders.

Legends, stories, artistic depictions, music and songs can all instill in a populace beliefs about who they are, collectively, and what their lives should entail. When the white men put Native children in residential schools, forbidding them to speak their native language and forcing them to accept the white men’s stories, religion and history as their own, they were practicing this communications seat of power to the max – propping it amply, of course, with military and legal seats.

Eagle Feather, Tammy tells me, is “an Aboriginal historical documentation of unheard contemporary and historical accounts aimed to encourage the rising and healing of our people – rippling on to reach us all. It starts from the beginning of human life on through today, and will carry a visual representation of the hope and beauty that lies in the future.

“It is inspired by the recent rise in aboriginal children being taken into the care of the government and the need for our First Nation’s people’s stories to be told.

“From 1999 to 2003, there has been an increase of 1000 aboriginal children taken into the care of the government however there’s been a decrease of 2000 non-aboriginal children,” Tammy Lynne tells me.

“Through my research – I talked to Libby Davies; I talked to Jenny Kwan… I found that the decrease in total, can be attributed to the cuts to child apprehension (overall) but what they’ve done is cut to all the services that support families, then take the kids.”

An advocacy worker who was helping Tammy get Social Assistance (after she finished her scholarship at UBC) pointed out this trend to the filmmaker. They both agreed that this story needed to be told, that Aboriginal people had forgotten how to love each other, hear and support each other, and that their stories, however painful, needed to be told.

For Eagle Feather, Tammy will interview women who have lost their children recently and survivors of the residential school systems. She has already interviewed protesters from the Woodwards movement and will also include dialogues with David Suzuki, a big supporter of Native philosophy, and lawyers such as Rob Gibbens who is working to see “victims of residential schools acknowledged as citizens under the Canadian Constitution or Prisoners of War under the Geneva Convention, which distinctly allow for compensation.”

These interviews, combined with an overview of civilization – from the Native perspective – myths, legends and stories from Native culture, all filtered and connected through Tammy’s unique, powerful vision, will infuse identity, pride and power in all who view it, Tammy tells me.

With generous help from sources such as the Aboriginal Employment Centre (who provided a $15,000 grant for the film’s development, in exchange for instruction to Aboriginal youth in filmmaking), the Canada Council and the CBC, and the collaboration of such Aboriginal talent as mentor/executive producer Ryan Black, best known as an actor from projects such as Dance Me Outside, The Rez and North of 60; Midcan, a Native production company based in Winnipeg, and Meaches, a Native owned special effects company, also in Winnipeg, Eagle Feather will be completed by late 2005.

This spring, a preview of the project will be viewable on CBC’s Rough Cuts, with the money made through this broadcast being directed to the final production.

Will Tammy Lynne light the 7th fire? With Eagle Feather, the process has already begun.

By Shauna Lewis

It was standing room only on the evening of June 22, as more than 400 distinguished guests arrived at the Museum of Anthropology on Musqeam territory at the University of British Columbia. Filling the museum’s main gallery, onlookers came from far and wide to share in the opening of premier Haida Gwaii artist Robert Davidson’s remarkable exhibit entitled Abstract Edge.

Packed into the gallery and overflowing into the museum corridor, the assembly of spectators waited in anticipation for the evening’s festivities to commence. With the opening address delivered by museum director Michael Ames, the official welcome and prayer expressed by a Musqueam Elder, and a taste of the night’s entertainment provided by Haida Gwaii’s Rainbow Creek dancers; the opening ceremony to Davidson’s show was a fitting initiation to a night overflowing with cultural veneration and exceptional artistry.

Words of praise and recognition for Davidson’s works resonated throughout the opening ceremony as Chief Reynold Russ of Old Masset, Haida Gwaii and the Chief of Skidegate, Clarence Dempsey, conveyed their pride in both Davidson’s character and his works.

“He [Davidson] believes in what he does,” stated Russ. Davidson’s steadfastness and dedication to both his craft and Haida lineage was also illuminated in Chief Russ’ address: “Robert you did so much for our Haida people, for showing our culture and artistic work.” In finalizing his reverent address to Davidson, Russ concluded on an emotional note: “You are the eagle of the dawn,” he said. “We are so proud of you.”

Reg Davidson, brother of Davidson, also took to the podium to deliver a short yet poignant speech. Laced with respect for his brother and his works, the younger Davidson touched on elements of the artist’s persona, as he relayed personal information to those of us lucky enough to be a part of the culturally lavish affair. Relaying stories of the artist’s youth, Reg’s speech touched on how his brother believed it important to balance the symbiotic relationship of civic obligations with his artistry concluding that he passionately made time for both.

Additional comments in the opening address were articulated by a small number of local and national museum delegates. Greg Hill, representative of Ottawa’s National Gallery, expressed his pleasure in the exhibit, announcing that Davidson’s works will be a part of a nationwide exhibition that will conclude at the National Gallery of Canada in 2007.

Next, Karen Duffec, exhibit curator at the Museum of Anthropology, took to the podium to shed light on the inspiration behind Davidson’s innovative exhibit. Addressing the crowd, Duffec began by illuminating the conceptual elements within Davidson’s works.

In reference to the Abstract Edge exhibit, Duffec acknowledged Davidson’s theme as being centered on the space, line, or ‘edge’ between that which is tangible and that which is intangible. Through interpreting the ‘edge of abstraction’ as being the medial space between both the cultural/spiritual and physical/material plain, Duffec referred to Davidson’s works as a “meeting at the center” of two distinct realms.

“The duality is always there,” said Duffec, in reference to the exhibit. Davidson’s art “cannot really be isolated from cultural practices” she said, as his works and their blatant amalgamation of traditional and contemporary elements denote a sort of merger within the edge of physical and cultural space.

Artist takes center stage
When all of the speeches from family, friends, and museum representatives had concluded, Michael Ames called upon Robert Davidson to take center stage. After initially thanking the Musqueam people for being on their traditional land, Davidson began his address with the formal introduction of his Haida dance group, the Rainbow Creek dancers. Following a beautifully executed prayer song and ornate robe naming ceremony, the evening concluded with a myriad of customary dances and songs that can very well be noted, along with art, as the integral threads of Haida culture.

Before guests were permitted to view the exhibit and sample some of the traditional First Nations foods set up in the outdoor adjacent longhouse, Davidson concluded by delivering expressions of gratitude to those who have walked beside him throughout his artistic journey. Stating that he was “happy to be a part of a team that will make a difference in the world today,” Davidson thanked those individuals who have shaped his life personally and publicly.

Conveying that he has been blessed to have such a supportive family, the artist thanked his grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, and other extended family members. Calling his family his team, Davidson also expressed his gratitude to his wife Terri-Lynn, his son Ben and daughter Sarah for their undying support.

Last but not least, Davidson thanked the Chiefs and elderly members of his nation, who he said “maintained the thin thread of knowledge…the thin thread of art.” In both laying the foundation for First Nations artists and bridging the gap from the past to the present, Davidson also extended special thanks to Robert Davidson Sr, Bill Reid, Victor Adams, Todd Davidson, Pat McQueen, Kim Pearson and others whose guidance and mentorship have been integral in his career.

In reference to our contemporary society, Davidson noted that “we are living in a very blessed time,” and he urged us to focus on what we are blessed with rather than what we lack.

“Together collectively we can make a difference individually,” he said. Regarding the future, the artist simply stated: “Energy is to rebuild…goal is to rebuild.”

Past and present floats through exhibit
Following the superb opening ceremony, and after partaking of elk, salmon and other savory delights, I made my return to the museum and toward Robert Davidson’s Abstract Edge exhibit. Unfamiliar with his works, I was excited with what I would soon be viewing. While seasoned within the artistic genre, nothing could have prepared me for the west coast talent that I would soon be appreciating.

A unification of past and present seemed to free float throughout the exhibit, as if there were no old or new styles, but a mixture of both. The duality that Duffec had earlier described was an essential ingredient within every piece, regardless of mediums used.

Although installations of monochromatic aluminum, like that of Davidson’s newest work entitled Meeting at the Center (2004), were juxtaposed with a low relief red cedar and acrylic piece entitled Green (2002); a common theme of mergence, separation and the space in between was visually echoed through each of his works.

While Davidson’s active use of negative space, curvilinear contours and rigid lines allude to the traditional attributes of Haida art; the incorporation of postmodern shapes and occasional optical illusions derived from unconventional color hues, enable the marriage of that which is traditional to that which is contemporary.

By creating masterpieces splashed with the rather eccentric hues of avocado green and canary yellow, an avant-garde backdrop floats the execution of traditional shapes in various works. It is within such duality, that questions arise in regard to stereotypical First Nations artistry. Is this true Native art? And if no, why not? Many individuals all too often idealize Aboriginal art as having a specific style, and in such traditional technique, a way of stereotyping specific methods and approaches is identified.

Davidson, like his mentor Bill Reid, go beyond set ideologies of what is defined traditional art of the northwest coast, and in doing so, an emergence of what is intrinsically Indian is both transformed and catapulted into the 21st century.

Davidson is nothing short of a trailblazer in regard to First Nations artistry, and his works are the very representation of a style in transformation. While the importance of preserving traditional elements is actively portrayed within his pieces, a contemporary style also emerges; posing the question once again “what is Native art”? Davidson answers this theoretical question through the implementation of duality in his works.

Native art mustn’t solely live within the echelons of historic representation set to adhere to a specific unwavering style; Native art can and does, as seen within Davidson’s exhibit, merge fittingly with postmodern style. It is within this fusion of contrasting elements that the increasingly blurred conception of old and new, figurative and conceptual teeters on the Edge of Abstraction.

By Joseph O’Conner

When Paul Martin assembled his new cabinet in January, Robert Nault was not reinstated as minister for INAC. In the period Nault was in office he was often under attack from Native councils, it was a tenuous relationship that didn’t improve when Phil Fontaine was elected as head of the A.F.N last July.

The new Prime Minister wanted a clean agenda, most of all he wanted a fresh start with native leaders across the country and to show he meant it, Robert Nault was given the boot.

Paul Martin stated in his throne speech that, “Aboriginal Canadians have not fully shared in our nation’s good fortune. While some progress has been made, the condition for far too many Aboriginal communities can only be described as shameful. This offends our values. It is in our collective interest to turn the corner. And we must start now.”

Robert Nault couldn’t have been very happy with the Prime Minister’s decision but it didn’t mean the end of his political career; or perhaps it did. In February AFN Ontario Regional Vice-Chief Charles Fox announced he would run for the Liberal nomination in Nault’s riding.

“Under the leadership of Paul Martin, Canadians have been told they will have a voice in the development of a new Canada,”‘ Fox said from his home Eagle Lake First Nation. “With your support, I can ensure that the Kenora-Rainy River Riding is a resounding part of that voice.”

Nault says no
For Nault this was the last straw. He announced his withdrawal from the election and threw a parting dagger at Fox. “It’s not about winning or losing; I don’t see Mr. Fox as a credible candidate to start off with.”

If he’s not credible why did Nault roll over before the first salvo? Nault’s double talk, which he cultivated during his tenure as minister, comes off sounding more like sour grapes than anything else. He has represented the riding since 1988 and according to Liberal insiders
Nault has an “intimidating knowledge of local, regional and national party organizations, election tactics and resources.”

Which means nothing if Martin doesn’t like you, if Fox can secure the Aboriginal vote and win over the white voters, it could spell a new era in Native politics.

“This is not a native platform. It is one that affects all of the people of this riding, and by bridging the cultural gap between natives and non-natives, we can build an economy that will benefit all cultures resulting in a stronger future for youth. This riding has the tools to improve its quality of life for generations to come.”

Charles Fox has an impressive record for standing up for land claims and native rights. His agenda, if elected, would be developing partnerships with business and government in order to improve the local economy. “While Canadians have been told they will all have a voice in the development of a new Canada, that has not traditionally been the case of the north. There is a unique way of life for all people in this region; one that has not been considered when it came to legislation concerning the gun registry, tourism, health care and wildlife management, to name a few, but our voice was simply not heard.”

There may be obstacles to overcome, but if Charles Fox is elected in the coming federal election, he may be the man who makes sure the First Nation’s voice is heard loud and clear.

By B.H. Bates

From bows and arrows to quills and computers. From mud huts and tepees
to condos and mansions. Natives have come a long way, in such a short
period of time.

Even though it’s been, roughly, five hundred years since natives first
made contact with the paleface, natives have made great strides and against great odds, too. Natives have faced wars, pestilence, starvation and disease . . . Hey! Wait a minute, doesn’t that sound a lot like the four horsemen of the apocalypse?

Even my own dear Grandmother (may the Great Spirit watch over her) witnessed many, many changes in her life time. Let’s take transportation, for instance. Annie Sellars (my Grandmother), lived long enough to see the introduction of the horse, to the horseless carriage, to seeing some horse’s ass hitting a golf ball on the moon!

In the past, natives have been beaten, starved, shot and even dismembered and that was only in last week’s newspaper . . . Yet, we’re still here! Natives have been robbed, cheated, conned and lied to – that, was on page two! And yet, we’re still here!

If it wasn’t for the famous, or should I say infamous, General Custer,
we natives wouldn’t have gotten any press at all. “Savages, nothing but Godless, red skinned heathens that place no value on life nor property!”

Little did they know, back then, nothing could’ve been further from the truth.

It’s only been in the last few generations that non-natives have come to the realizations, that natives were right all along. Only after many years of trial and error, substantial pollution to the environment, wild fires and the destruction of irreplaceable resources, have non-natives taken a closer look at the “ways of the red skinned heathens!”

Natives weren’t Godless after all. Natives worshiped, that which gave us life itself. Everything had it’s own spirit and it’s own place on this Earth. Natives gave thanks to the deer for giving its life, so that we may live another day. And natives never took more than they could use. Natives also had much more respect for the land, than that shown by the other races of humans! And as far as the ‘red skinned’ part goes . . . don’t ask me where they got that from. The last time I looked in the mirror, I was still a nice warm brownish colour!

I’d wager that the person that first coined the phrase “Doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief”, had little or no idea, that one day, he could be talking about a single individual. I’m, of course, referring to the Chief, natives have come a long way . . . baby!

We’ve gone from ‘scalping’ to ‘scalpels,’ from the defendant’ to the
‘Judge!’ From Indian Chief to . . . well, you get the idea. And that’s
only the tip of the iceberg, there are natives in almost every profession you can think of. And it’s only the beginning of things to come. Who knows, maybe one day a native could be watching his T.V. and say, “Hey, look! It’s Chief Horse’s Ass and he’s hitting a golf ball on the moon!”

Speaking of the ‘boob tube,’ the Aboriginal Achievement Awards are once again about to put feathers in many a deserving cap. Natives from across this great land will be recognized for their talents in their chosen fields.

It’s a show every native should watch at least once. If you’re a first time viewer of this awards show, you’ll see first hand just how accomplised and how diversified natives have become.

Only a few moons ago, our own parents (if you’re over forty), would never have dreamt of the things natives are doing today. We have our own television network (APTN), natives produce movies, are gifted entertainers, actors, writers, musicians, aritists, athletes and yes . . . “Doctors, lawyers and Indian Chiefs!”

The Aboriginal Achievement Awards show has made me stop and think of the ‘big picture.’ The native population is a very small part of the more than six billion humans on this Earth. Natives have been faced with extinction from a number of things. Natives have lived through ice ages, invasions and the stick that makes thunder (guns) . . . and yet, we’re still here!

Tough as weeds and as stubborn as a nagging wife (who knows she’s right). We’re as hard to get rid of as a jailhouse tattoo. Natives should be very proud of all of their accomplishments and one of those is getting this far into the history books!

I, for one, am looking forward to the future. Who knows what the next few generations can do, considering they will be armed with better educations and good breeding

. . . Good breeding!