Posts By: First Nations Drum

By Staff Writers

Four years since his arrest, and with a body count of 63 women, Robert Pickton is charged with 26 counts of first-degree murder.

The trial, set for the January of 2007, will now be the first of several trials as a result of the judicial bombshell that was dropped by the B.C. Supreme court on August 10.

Court Justice James Williams stated the reasons for the decision:

“Proceeding to trial on the indictment as it is presently constituted will impose an unreasonable burden upon the members of the jury in terms of the anticipated duration of the trial, the volume and the nature of the evidence, and the complexity of the legal tasks that this case will require of them.”

Translated, the legalese means that if all charges were dealt with at one trial it would take two years for the trial to wade its way. No one, with the exception of Senators and the idle rich, could afford to take two years off from their lives to be part of a jury.

Chairman of the criminal justice section for the Canadian Bar Association Mitch Foster cited another problem for jurors involved in a lengthy case:

“For a jury to sit there for a couple of years, and at the end of it sit down and remember what was said two years ago by a certain witness they can’t even remember puts a challenge on the jury system that perhaps hasn’t been encountered before.”

The six women selected for the first trial are Mona Wilson, Marnie Frey, Sereena Abotsway, Georgina Papin, Brenda Wolfe and Andrea Joesbury. The women were selected because: “The evidence in support of those counts is materially different than that with respect to the others. One trial will proceed on those six counts; the balance will be tried separately.”

Most families were shocked and confused when they first heard the news, as most of them have waited years to find out what happed to their missing daughters, and having to deal with the reality that their child is another victim found at the Pickton farm. They now must wait even longer for justice in the courts.

Jack Cummer, the grandfather of Andrea Joesbury, had a different attitude about the trial. “If Pickton is found guilty of six killings and not 26, then justice will be done because he will be jailed for life.”

Perhaps, but if he is found guilty of all crimes, the families can move on and close a dark page of their lives. The media barrage that will follow the trials will surely expose the Vancouver Police for negligence and show the obvious fact that the same judicial system that is taking so long to bring Canada’s most brutal serial killer to justice must accept some of the responsibility for Pickton not being arrested until 63 woman were killed.

Cree nation debates potential health risks due to increased oil production

By Clint Buehler

FORT CHIPEWYAN, AB – The incidence of cancer and other serious diseases is worse here than elsewhere . . . or not. This alleged higher incidence is caused by the pollution of water and air by oilsands plants upstream on the Athabasca River . . . or not.

Accusations and denials, anecdotal evidence and “expert” refutations, political pressure vs. economic opportunity-all unresolved (and maybe irresolvable) issues and conflicts that ultimately come down to a stalemate between rampant resource development and the preservation of traditional (and healthy) lifestyle and land use.

The most recent focus on the situation came at Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB) hearings on the Suncor application to double its production to 500,000 barrels a day.

The Mikisew Cree First Nation here strongly opposed the application, citing its potential damage to traditional land and lifestyle, including spirituality, hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering of herbal medicines. In filing its opposition, the Mikisew acknowledged that its stand could well jeopardize the extensive current and future employment, contract and other economic opportunities afforded by its association with Suncor and other resource development corporations.

The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, the other First Nation at Fort Chipewyan, took a different stance, signing an agreement for employment and contracts for its members and affiliated companies, then supporting the Suncor expansion application. Since then, however, the First Nation’s Chief Archie Cyprien has expressed his concerns over health issues in the community.

Countering the concerns of the two First Nations was a report released by Alberta Health and Wellness and the Alberta Cancer Board, entered into evidence at the AEUB hearing, that said “the rates of cholangiocarcinoma, leukemia and lymphoma and other cancers are not elevated among residents in Fort Chipewyan.” The results were based on cancer registry statistics from 1983 to 2005, with main analysis comparing the community to the rest of the province from 1995 to 2005.

Despite that report, however, a steering committee composed of health region officials, community residents, business people and a variety of other stakeholders will continue to pursue the issue.
And the community doctor and medical examiner who sounded the alarm is adamant in defending his conclusions and concerns.

Shortly after Dr. John O’Connor arrived in the community in 2001, he diagnosed a patient with a rare cancer of the bile duct. After some research, he concluded that three to five residents had died of that rare disease (cholangiocarcinoma) over the past five years in a community with a population of 1,200.

That disease normally occurs at the rate of one in 100,000, so the number of cases in Fort Chipewyan would normally be expected in a city the size of Halifax.

What is even more telling is that none of the other communities Dr. O’Connor visited in the area experience the health problems such as leukemia, lymphoma, colon cancer, cervical cancer, lupus and Graves’ disease. Further, none of the other communities in the area draw their water from the Athabasca River, reinforcing the suspicions of some that waste water from the many oilsands plants upstream are the cause of the problem.

“We have to deal with this, and we have to deal with it now,” says Chief Cyprien.

The Fort Chip health situation is one of the more dramatic issues in a much larger dispute over the proliferation of oil sands plants in place, under construction or planned for the near future.

It is estimated that oilsands and other resource development activity in northern Alberta will directly impact more than 20 percent of the total area of the province, most of it treasured boreal forest, and the habitat of many species of animals, birds and fish, an environmental treasure in themselves, and integral to the traditional lifestyle of the indigenous people of the area.

One of the conditions for open pit mining of the oilsands is that the overburden removed in the process is restored, and plant life replaced. There is a perception that this restoration has been ineffective in that plant life is too slowly recovering, and the habitat will not be adequate for birds and animals to return significantly for many years.

Critics such as the Pembina Institute’s Energy Watch warn that expansion is so rapid and so extensive that resulting damage to the eco-system may irreparable if that development is not slowed and staged more responsibly. One critical factor is the enormous amount of water required for oilsands plants, and the long-term impact that will have not just for the area, but for everyone everywhere linked to that water system.

And the concern doesn’t stop there.

The City of Fort McMurray is strained beyond its means to provide the infrastructure required by its constantly booming population-housing, roads, medical services, schools, water, sewers, recreation facilities, etc.

The Member of the Alberta Legislature (MLA) for the area, Guy Boutilier, is put in the position of being a master juggler. As Alberta environment minister, he is supposed to be stweward of the eco-system. As MLA he is charged with ensuring adequate infrastructure. As a member of the Alberta Cabinet, he is expected to support the industries-many of them in his riding-that have contributed unprecedented revenue to the province and enabled it not only to operate with a surplus each year, but to retire its debt.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Time will certainly tell.

Aboriginal high school students from across the country are among the winners of the 2006 Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation’s excellence awards. The award recognizes outstanding students for their leadership skills, community involvement, academic achievement and interest in innovation.

“The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is very proud to salute the entrance award recipients and looks forward to celebrating their continued achievements,” said Gérard Veilleux, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

There are three levels of excellence awards: national ($5,000, renewable for up to 3 years, for a possible total of $ 20,000), provincial/territorial ($4,000, renewable for up to 3 years for a possible $16,000) and local (one-time award of $ 4,000). The awards will be used towards the cost of studies at any Canadian university or college this fall.

“These students come from vastly different backgrounds, cultural influences and interests, but what they all have in common is the significant contribution they have already made to their communities and the potential to become some of Canada’s premier community leaders,” said Norman Riddell, the Foundation’s executive director and chief executive officer.

The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation is a private, independent organization created by an act of Parliament in 1998. It encourages Canadian students to strive for excellence and pursue their postsecondary studies. The Foundation distributes $340 million in the form of bursaries and scholarships each year. Since its inception, it has awarded 670,000 bursaries and scholarships with a total value of $ 2 billion, to Canadian post-secondary students.

Profiles

CharbonneauSinéad Charbonneau (National)
Sinéad is a Métis student, living in Medicine Hat, Alberta. She is one of 100 students to receive a National Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. She will receive a cash award of $5,000, renewable for up to three additional years (to a maximum of $20,000).

Accomplishments
Sinéad is an energetic and dedicated leader whose community service has focused on social justice and environmental issues. In 2004, while living in Victoria, she and the other members of Students for a Free Tibet Victoria organized a candlelight vigil at the legislature in support of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a Tibetan monk facing a death sentence in China.

As a member of the Streamkeepers, she helped to organize an environmental awareness event that attracted more than 700 people and participated in the cleanup of two polluted streambeds that were home to spawning salmon.

In recognition of her significant commitment to service, Sinéad received a Volunteer Victoria Community Achievement Award.

Sinéad moved to Medicine Hat in 2005, she immersed herself in the life of her new school, creating Medicine Hat High School’s first paper recycling program and becoming a very active youth representative on the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education Advisory Committee.

This year, Sinéad is particularly proud of her accomplishments as head of a local Organizing Committee to celebrate March 21st – the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A complete performance was developed for this occasion. One of the highlights was a “Racism Dance” that portrays the effects of learned racism from parents to children.

The dance was performed by the Oskayak Teen Dance Troop (of which Sinéad is a member). Other activities included: traditional Aboriginal dancers, a new immigrant speaker from Zimbabwe and Métis jiggers (whom Sinéad taught and performed with).

To make this a community celebration, organizers offered an encore presentation in the evening serving a traditional Aboriginal meal. More than 200 people attended this sold out performance. In addition to all of these duties, Sinéad took on the role of MC for both performances.

Sinéad intends to pursue a career in international law with the dream of working towards the plight of women everywhere. In the fall, she will enroll in the Humanities at the University of Victoria.

Terrilyn Dallyn (National)
DallynTerrilyn is a Métis student, living in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. She is one of 100 students to receive a National Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. She will receive a cash award of $5,000, renewable for up to three additional years (to a maximum of $20,000).

Accomplishments
With Terrilyn’s infectious enthusiasm and drive to succeed, it is no surprise that this outstanding individual has accomplished great things in her school and community.

As Co-President of her Student Council, she has promoted unity and school spirit among her peers. Terrilyn has helped organize fundraisers for charities such as the Terry Fox Organization, Telemiracle, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Operation Christmas Child and Tsunami Relief. Terrilyn was also active in the Youth Mentoring Program – these mentors were recently honoured with a Saskatchewan Community Spirit Award.

As an entrepreneur, Terrilyn has created her own business — T.J.’s Lawn Care Service – an endeavour that has expanded and flourished under her leadership. In May, Terrilyn was on the winning team of the University of Regina’s 2006 Youth Business Institute’s Grand Challenge.

Terrilyn is a gifted athlete. She has played Volleyball and Track and Field at a Provincial level. Terrilyn’s diverse interests are evident in her membership in many school clubs, everything from the Drama Club to the Concert Band. Terrilyn is involved in a myriad of volunteer activities such as coaching volleyball and educating children as a Peer Mentor. In fact she won the “Centennial Medal of Saskatchewan” for her broad range of contributions to her community.

Terrilyn intends to pursue a career in physiotherapy or chiropractics. In the fall, she will take Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan.

Kelly Graves (Provincial)
GravesKelly is an Interior Salish First Nations/Métis student, living in Port Moody, British Columbia. She is one of 31 laureates in British Columbia to receive an Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.

Accomplishments
Kelly believes that it is as a role model that she’s made her most significant contributions to her community. She credits her participation in a Native Dancing and Drumming Group as instrumental in helping others embrace their culture and take pride in their heritage. Similarly, by volunteering as a reading buddy, she believes that she can have a profound impact on how a child perceives reading and learning.

Kelly has represented her school at the “Strengthening the Circle: Aboriginal Youth Leadership Conference” for three years, leading both the plenary session as well as smaller individual groups. She is also a founding member of her school’s Environment Club.

As a talented baseball player, member of the jazz band and gold medal recipient of a district-wide public speaking contest, Kelly exemplifies the attributes of a well-rounded student.

Kelly intends to pursue a career in civil engineering. In the Fall, she will begin her studies in Engineering at UBC in Vancouver.

David Lussier (Local)
LussierDavid is a Métis student, living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is one of 27 students in Manitoba to receive an Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He will receive a cash award of $4,000, towards the cost of studies at any Canadian university or college this fall.

Accomplishments
Dave’s leadership shines through in his ability to see where he can make a difference – and then take the necessary steps to make his idea a reality. His experience tutoring a student in chemistry opened his eyes to his school’s need for a peer tutoring program. So he launched the Gordon Bell Learning Centre, applied for (and received) a $1,000 grant to cover the cost of supplies, trained tutors and advertised services. The program is proving extremely popular.

Similarly, several years ago he began spending time with his neighbour, Dave, an 18-year-old with severe cerebral palsy. What began as occasional one-on-one sessions soon led to regular participation in a Special Ed Social Group. This year. Dave volunteered to co-lead the Social Group and he has been actively recruiting volunteers, planning activities and creating opportunities for group members to participate in extracurricular school events. These and other initiatives are certainly helping to improve the lives of others and strengthen his community.

Equally active in sports, Dave has co-coached grade 7 and 8 basketball.

David intends to pursue a career in medicine. He will remain in Winnipeg to study Biochemistry at the University of Manitoba.

Nicholas O’Bumsawin (Local)
O’BumsawinNicholas is an Abenaki from Odanak, Québec living in Sudbury, Ontario. He is one of 8 students in Sudbury to receive an Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He will receive a cash award of $4,000, towards the cost of studies at any Canadian university or college this fall.

Accomplishments
Nick doesn’t simply do things. He does things very well. Nick didn’t just learn to play guitar, he is an accomplished player in both jazz and classical. He isn’t just physically active, he is an outstanding athlete who was named Athlete of the Year at Lasalle Secondary School in Sudbury. Most recently, after competing in the Aboriginal Track & Field Games, Nick qualified to compete in the International Championships in Colorado. He also excels in the math and sciences, has placed first and second in local and regional math contests and was a winner at the Regional Science Fair in physics.

But it is not these accomplishments that Nick takes the most pride in. He believes his greatest success has come from peer tutoring grade nine students in math and loves to hear those magic words, “Hey Nick, it makes sense to me now!”

He also volunteers his time to teach power skating to children and, as with math, takes great joy when the children feel good about their achievements.

He believes he is helping to build confidence and self-esteem in these young people. Although Nick credits his volunteer teaching as his most meaningful contribution to his community, his positive approach to everything he does is probably a close second.

Nick intends to pursue a career in Computer Engineering. In the fall, he we will study Computer Engineering at Western University in London, Ontario.

Chelsie Scragg (Local)
Chelsie is a Métis student, living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She is one of 23 students in Saskatchewan to receive an Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. She will receive a cash award of $4,000, towards the cost of studies at any Canadian university or college this fall.

Accomplishments
A member of the Saskatoon Community Foundation’s Batting 1000 Youth Advisory Council, Chelsie is part of a group that awards over $10,000 a year in grants to charities that support Saskatoon’s children and youth. For her, this work is a significant way to help disadvantaged youth discover new opportunities and maximize their potential. Chelsie also volunteers as a mentor to grade nine girls to help smooth their transition into high school, and she was the youth co-ordinator of a health career conference at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Chelsie received the SaskTel Aboriginal Youth Award of Excellence and was the recipient of an Aboriginal Youth Bursary from the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Businesses.

Chelsie plans to become a lawyer specializing in Aboriginal and environmental issues. In the fall, she will study at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Arts and Science in Saskatoon.

Christopher Sowden (Local)
Chris is a Métis student, living in Port Alberni, British Columbia. He is the only student from Port Alberni to receive an Excellence Award from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He will receive a cash award of $4,000, towards the cost of studies at any Canadian university or college this fall.

This young leader is already an experienced and enthusiastic ambassador for his small hometown of Port Alberni. Christopher first learned the true importance of his nurturing community when he represented his town, speaking to audiences in both English and Japanese, as an exchange student in Abashiri, Japan.

Christopher has also represented his town and school as an athlete and a musician; he has competed in provincial badminton and waterskiing events as well as regional jazz festivals.

In an effort to share the beauty of his home, Christopher has recently begun work on a project called E-Spirit, an outdoor adventure business plan that showcases the Port Alberni area.
Christopher also works hard within the community to bring out its potential.

He is a Student Rep on his school’s First Nations Steering Committee, volunteers his time and labour to the community’s elderly, and helps run local sports initiatives. Christopher’s kindness and dedication have earned him several prestigious sportsmanship awards.

Christopher intends to pursue a career in teaching. In the Fall, he will begin his studies in Nanaimo at Malaspina University/College.

By Staff Writers

Violence is on the rise in Vancouver. Bus drivers are attacked by young hoods in broad daylight, citizens are beaten in their homes; and now Squamish male Wendll Paull was stabbed to death on Monday September 11. Paull was mentally handicapped and in his cousin Sean’s words was a wonderful person.

”Everybody up and down North Vancouver would know who Wendll was – he was the nicest guy in the world to everybody. Even if he didn’t know you, he’d tell you how much he loved you-he was a bit handicapped. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. That’s why we can’t understand who would do this to our little cousin Wendll Whopper-we used to call him that because he liked his Whoppers at Burger King.”

Wendll’s body was discovered in Mackay Park at 6.30 p.m. and was rushed to the hospital but there was too much blood lost to save him. North Vancouver RCMP questioned people in the park but unfortunately found no clues as to who was responsible for this vicious crime.

”We’ve got some squatters that do utilize that area and we get the occasional call down there to clear people out.”

The victim suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, he had the mind of a ten year old. “Even though he was 31, he lived a simple life, he’d get up and collect bottles just for smokes and he would have occasional drink of beer. I guess that’s what happened that day. He was on his way home and bumped into whoever did this to him. He had a few drinks of beer at the park and people at that park are pretty vicious when they get together and drink,” Sean told the Vancouver Province.

On Thursday band members gathered in Mackay Park to bring the wandering soul back to earth according to Squamish tradition. “He is walking and dancing on the raindrops. We want to direct him toward the light of the creator, that’s where he’ll find the rainbow that is the highway to heaven where he will be reunited with his ancestors.”

When the ceremony ended helium filled blue balloons were sent towards the sky. Wendll’s Aunt Kathy Carpenter remarked, “All the balloons are going to heaven for Wendll.”

North Vancouver police and the Mayor Darrell Mussatto have vowed that the murderer shall be found and brought to justice.

Would the murderer who committed this heinous crime have acted differently if Wendll was a white male? We will never know the answer until he is apprehended, and the chance of that happening is remote unless the police make this case a priority. They won’t, and all the promises coming from city hall and the police will fade into the next year. Wendll Paull will become another unsolved native murder that will eventually get lost in the cold files.

By Clint Buehler

METIS CROSSING, AB – The sweet song of the fiddle soared through the hot summer as young dancers picked up the beat, their tapping toes pounding out a frantic jig, to the enthusiastic and appreciate applause of hundreds of proud Metis and their friends.

The occasion was Metis Crossing Voyage 2006, the second annual celebration of Metis history and culture August 25 and 26 at this historic site 100 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

Emphasis at the event was on interaction and hands-on experiences, including cooking bannock over an open fire; demonstrations of sash and loom weaving, beadwork and hide tanning; jigging lessons and, for the children, face painting and canoe crafting.

Entertainment included performances by the Kikino Northern Lights Dancers, the Muskeg River Band, Donny Parenteau, and the Edmonton Metis Cultural Dance Society.

Other activities included a talent show, adult and youth leg wrestling competitions, the Great Metis Race, the river’s edge nature tour, the historic village tour, and the Metis Ages Barn Tour.

Other attractions included a trade show and crafter’s village, a fur trade tent and a petting zoo.

The Metis Crossing park and interpretive centre is a $15 million initiative of the Metis Nation of Alberta (MNA) on this 512-acre site on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, part of the Victoria Crossing National Historic Site.

The North Saskatchewan River (Kis-is-ska-tchewan, or “swift current,” in Cree) has played a central role in Western Canada’s history. It was the water highway used by Metis and all Aboriginal people, missionaries, explorers and fur traders.

Any spot on the river where crossings could be made became a vital intersection for all who traveled the area. Metis Crossing had already been such a spot for centuries. Archeological excavations have unearthed the remains of a 6,000-year-old campsite.

Before European contact, Metis Crossing was a connecting point for First Nations persons on their age-old overland journeys.

Southern tribes used this crossing to get to the rich northern fishing grounds, while northern Cree, in particular, used the crossing to reach the grasslands and buffalo of the southern plains.

In 1862, Methodist missionary George McDougall established a mission here and a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post soon followed. Many English-speaking Metis from Manitoba and Saskatchewan arrived, farming began and the fur trade thrived.

Over the years, this Metis settlement became a permanent river lot community.

The restored farmstead, purchased by the MNA in 2001, includes a restored barn, farmhouse, machine shed and chicken coop.

Additions and improvements since the purchase include a parking lot, RV, a stage and redevelopment of the barn as an interpretive centre as the first step in the development process.

Future development, expected to be completed by 2009, includes a campground, cabins, more tipis, a lodge, a cultural centre, a gift shop, a training and retreat centre, York boat and Red River carts, an historic village, an ampitheatre, a canopy walk and walking and hiking trails.

“The facilities at Metis Crossing are being developed with respect for our culture,” says executive director Juanita Marois, and awareness of the needs of those who will visit and use the facilities.

“We want to share our culture so that all people can enjoy and experience who we are as a nation. This is one of our ways to move from being Canada’s forgotten people to being Canada’s instrumental people.”

Metis Crossing is designated to become the premiere centre for Alberta Metis cultural interpretation, education, gatherings and business development. The site, where Metis, European and First Nations people have gathered for generations will be a place where visiors can experience the history, customs and celebrations of the Metis people.

As the hub of the MNA’s developing tourism strategy, Metis Crossing is the first of many Metis tourist attraction across the province. It will foster financial self-reliance among Metis in the region, creating many jobs and significant economic development.

There are an estimated 300,000 Metis in Canada, 67,000 of them in Alberta, which has the highest Metis provincial population in Canada.

By Clint Buehler

LAC STE ANNE, AB – They came by the thousands from across western Canada and the northwestern United States. They camped under tarps and in tents, trailers and motor homes, jammed together in crowded campgrounds.

The 2006 Lac Ste Anne Pilgrimage drew an estimated 40,000 mostly Aboriginal pilgrims together for a week, some in search of spiritual and physical healing in the mythical waters of the lake, at the many Masses held in the shrine on the site, and at the Stations of the Cross on the grounds.

The Masses are offered three times a day throughout the Pilgrimage, in Cree, Chipewyan, Blackfoot, Dene and English. This year there was even a special Mass in Dogrib for a group of pilgrims who had traveled all the way from Rae-Edzo in the Northwest Territories.
A highlight of the Pilgrimage is the Holy Eucharist Blessing of Lac Ste Anne each year in which the waters of the lake are blessed, recalling new life, rewceived in baptism, the waters becoming a source of blessing for all believers. The pilgrims then wade into the water, the faithful believing the waters will cleanse their souls and heal them spiritually and physically.

For everyone involved it was a time for gathering in peace and harmony, as it has been for centuries-even before the arrival of the Oblate missionaries who renamed the lake and established the Catholic imprint on the pilgrimage in honour of the Mother of Mary, the patron saint of the Oblates-a time and place for renewing old friendships and making new ones.

According to Charles Wood, chair of the Lac Ste Anne Trust that holds title to the site, before the arrival of the Oblates the Aboriginal people called the lake Manio Sakahigan (God’s Lake or Spirit Lake) and believed it was blessed and offered spiritual and physical healing.

Even people from tribes otherwise in conflict would set aside their differences when they gathered at the lake, usually during buffalo hunting season, including Cree, Dene, Stoney, Blackfoot and Metis.
Father Jean-Baptiste Thibault, an Oblate missionary, arrived in the area in 1843 and set about converting the Native people gathered there. It was he who changed the name of the lake.A small log church was built, but when it was destroyed by fire, Fr. Thibault returned to nearby St. Albert, then the most populated centre in the area, and with a large Metis and First Nations population. He expected his congregation to follow him, but they did not.

The Oblates attempted to establish a Pilgrimage with its Aboriginal converts in 1880, with little success. It was not until 1889 that the Pilgrimage became an annual event, with the number of pilgrims increasing over the years until they regularly numbered in the tens of thousands in the last half of the 20th century, and into this century.

And as the years passed, the means of travel and camping became more advanced, horses and wagons giving way to cars and trucks, and blankets and teepees giving way to tents, trailers and motor homes.

But as the last century came to an end, there was a new concern.
The furor over residential school abuses and the potential for lawsuits as a result were of concern because the Lac Ste. Anne site was owned by the Oblates who were among those being accused of residential school abuse.

This was of particular concern to Aboriginal leaders who felt the Pilgrimage was a vital part of the life of their people. They feared that if successful lawsuits were launched against the Oblates, the prime lakeside property on the shore of Lac Ste. Anne could be seized and sold to developers.

Charles Wood and other concerned Native leaders were able to negotiate with the Oblates, who were fully cooperative, to transfer the title for the land to a newly-created Lac Ste. Anne Trust, which Wood now co-chairs with Oblate Fr. Camille Piche. Other trustees are John Zoe, Rse-Edzo, Northwest Territories; Harry Lafond, Muskeg Lake. Saskatchewan; Bernadette Fox, Blood Reserve in southern Alberta; Edna Woodward, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories and Roman Catholic Archbishop Thomas Collins.

The actual management of the Pilgrimage and the site is handled by the Lac Ste. Anne Management Board chaired by local long-time resident Murleen Crossen, and including Merv Kootenay, a member of the nearby Alexis First Nation now living at Enoch, outside of Edmonton ; Father Garry Laboucane (Metis), who is the pastor at Slave Lake and responsible for Pilgrimage’s Shrine Program; Robert Beaulieu, Yukon Territory; Louise Breland, St. Albert, and Trevor Gladue, Provincial Vice-President, Metis Nation of Alberta.

The transfer from the Oblates has brought a sense of security, underscored by the site being designated a National Historic Site, which does not ensure any funding, but further ensures that the site will be protected.

What the changes in ownership have done is create a number of challenges.

As Murleen Crossen notes, “the Pilgrimage has been part of our lives for over a hundred years. In the past, our Oblate Piests and Brothers were abundant and there were many volunteers. Now with our aging Oblate Priests and Brothers, along with our aging volunteers, the need for hired-out and contracted services is increasing.

“The Pilgrimage has been forced to rent out concessions, restaurants and the gift shop. These have been very good partnerships, but this also means less money for the Pilgrimage.”

She says that revenues have not increased over the past five years, but expenses have increased at an alarming rate, including full-time wages for an administrator, plus increased costs for utilities, taxes and insurance.

“We do not recover the full costs to operate the annual Pilgrimage. We therefore have no money to repair the shrine, which needs a new roof, or to replace the aging washrooms and volunteer centre.”
For each of the past three years, the Pilgrimage has incurred an operating deficit of more than $20,000, $22,475 in 2003, $43,220 in 2004 and $18,782 in 2005. This has reduced cash reserves to “a very low level” and was expected to put the Pilgrimage in financial crisis after this year’s event if there was no significant increase in revenues.

By B.H. Bates

I was asked where I get my ideas for the ‘Bee in the bonnet’ columns. Ironically, a of lot them come from casual conversations that I have with non-native people, who insist on sharing their views about ‘us’ Natives. They usually begin with: “You’re an Indian … Oh, excuse me, I mean, First Nation’s person? Aren’t you?

If you were to see me, face to face, you’d see; brown eyes, brown skin, black hair (mostly), high cheek bones and of course, my chubby little Injun cheeks. So why do some folks look at me – then cock their heads to one side like a confused little puppy, then ask me something so completely and utterly obvious? Makes me wonder why ‘we’ are the ones living on small reservations!

It was one of those confused puppies, who observed that the local Chief seemed to be very ‘well-to-do.’ He drove a nice car, was dressed in a smart looking suit, lived in a nice house and, as she added: “With a nice lawn, too!”
Her question to me was: “Why aren’t all of you (First Nation’s People) wealthy? Why don’t you, too, drive a Cadillac? After all (she reasoned), you get money (her tax dollars) just given to you. Why are only a few Natives rich, and the rest of you are street people?” “Oh! But not you, of course.” She quickly added. (And may I add, we were, ironically, having that particular conversation on the corner of Main street and Brown.)

Luckily, I have quick answers for just such questions: “Why aren’t all you (confused puppies) rich?” I responded. “You stole an entire Continent from us – and you have nothing to show for it? Shame on you!”

And that got me to thinking – just how many times I get asked the same old questions over and over again. And because I’ve had to answer these same queries time and time again, I’ve unwittingly developed a wit for it. See how many of these same queries get asked of you – and please feel free to use my renegade retorts.

(Q).”Why are so many of you Natives prone to alcoholism, Chief?”
(A).”If you buy me a drink, I’ll tell you!” (Q).”What do you Injuns, do with all that tax money the government gives you?”
(A).”Don’t tell anyone! But we’re putting it in an off shore bank account and we’re going to buy an Island – England.”
(Q).”It must be nice, not having to pay tax.”
(A).”Yes, it is! Thank you. But the truth is; after the government destroyed Native culture and took our land, they thought: “What the hell, let’s give’um a 14% break on cigaretts and gasoline!”
(Q).”I’d like it too, if I got land and a free house, like you guys!”
(A).”Want’ta trade? See how you guys like living on reservations.”
(Q).”You’re Native, right? Do you know, Bob?”
(A).”Oh, yeah, Bob; black hair, brown eyes – Bob?”
(Q).”What’s it like being Native?”
(A).”Ah, brown-ish!”

Those are just a few examples of the things I’ve been asked over the years, and sometimes, by educated individuals, whom you’d think would know better. It makes me question why we Natives aren’t further up on the old political totem pole? I mean, really! … Have you ever walked up to a Caucasian person, cock your head to one side, and asked: “Are you white?” I’ve discovered (through the research I do ) some very interesting things, that most people (both Native and non-natives, alike) don’t know. For instance, the scalping of hair was something that the English introduced to the North American Native.

If that wasn’t barbaric enough, the native’s hair was then sold as souvenirs or kept as trophies. How about this bit of trivia: Back in the formative years of North American governments, there were two camps of thought about the ‘Injun’ problem. One group wanted to eradicate and the other to integrate. If not for a mere ‘two’ vote margin, I wouldn’t be here writing this!

It’s said, if you want to get at the truth, follow the money! It’s true – there is a whole shit load of wampum spent on the Injun problem. But, just who gets all that money? The first bite of the golden pie, is taken by the big boys in the countries capital, and of course, all of their supporting staff. Then the pie gets passed down to the provincial big-wigs and their staffs’, next is regional, then local and finally to the heap big Chief on the reservation. After all those people and their massive bureaucratic payrolls – I’ve yet to taste one ‘crumb’ of that pie!

Dear reader,
if you have a bee in your bonnet about Bee in the Bonnet column, or suggestions for future articles please feel free to contact B. H. Bates at: beeinthebonnet@shaw.ca

By B.H. Bates

You can fight for your right to ‘parrr-ta!’ You can fight for your sister’s honour. And it’s even understandable to punch some jerk in the nose for pinching your ass. But where do you draw the line – between a kick in the pants and a bullet to the head?

Unless you live in a cave, or on some impoverished reservation, without a radio, televison or newspaper – you should know about the ‘war’ going on in the middle east. The whole thing reminds me of two little boys in a schoolyard dispute: “You shoved me first!” “No way! You shoved me first!” With the United Nations playing the part of a spineless teacher, and the United States as the big bully, egging on the combatants: “Fight! Fight!”

Now I know there’s more to it than that, but really, if you were Chief, would you be willing to put the lives of everyone on your Rez on the line, over a patch of dirt? Dirt, that’s been there long before you were born and will be there long after you’re dead? What if some idiot said: my gods bigger than your god? Would you, as the heap big Chief, be willing to crucify your own son? I know if I lived on a Rez, with a Chief who’d be crazy enough to do something like that … I’d move my tepee!

If you think that the on going Native land claims have been going on for only the last few generations … you’d be wrong. They’ve been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years. Even before uncle whitey showed up at the wigwam door, we Natives have been fighting over the best hunting grounds. With mighty bows and swift arrows we sent other Natives to the ‘happy hunting grounds,’ just to lay claim to, basically, dirt and rocks.

I’m just glad we Natives didn’t have’um the sticks that made thunder (guns), back then. Who knows what might have happened? Would Natives have been so nearsighted and stupid enough to kill off every last tribe, except their own?

Everyone deserves their place in the sun and under the stars. But what price would you put on the ground that you stand on? Would you take someone’s scalp, simply because they tepeed in your backyard? Would you slather honey on someone’s bottom and then tie them to an anthill for an acre of prime bottom land? What if I stole a rock from your yard … would you pick up another rock and throw it at me?

I think I may have a solution to our land claims: Why don’t we just call a ‘do-over’ and we can start from the beginning. Everyone who’s not a Native – get on a boat and we’ll start again from scratch! Manhattan, for some ‘Beads and trinkets?’ … my ass!

Here’s a: “Did you know?” Did you (a regular every day Injun), know that the lawyers, who are supposed to be helping Natives negotiate disputed land claims, are being paid by the same government we’re negotiating against? Does that sound very ethical to you or is it just me? And this is the part that really burns my brown bottom; All of that money, that all of those lawyers will earn, over all of those years … is going to come from the sale of those disputed lands! In other words we’re going to get it up the – you know where!

Who was the idiot who made such a stupid deal? Take, for instance, the lawsuits brought against the large tobacco companies. The lawyers who were on those cases only got paid if they won, and only an agreed upon percentage. Do you remember the ‘hot coffee’ lawsuit? Do you think the lawyer got McDonald’s? Drug companies, tire companies, car companies, right down to toy manufacturers can kill hundreds, if not thousands, of people and they get a better deal on lawyers than we do! Hell, even a mass murderer like Saddam Hussain has gotten better legal advice than the Natives of this land.

Just think of all the money to be made, if all of these land claims were to be settled? We’re talking about billions and billions of dollars. Now if I were the chairman of a large legal firm, I’d put in a bid and take these land claims to court ASAP. Then I’d buy an Island with all the money I made … maybe Hawaii.

If lawyers could settle our land disputes, maybe they could go to the middle east, stand between the warring factions and wave their legal briefs at them. I know that I, for one, would just love to see a lawyer get it in the end!

Dear reader,
Iif you have a bee in your bonnet about Bee in the Bonnet column, or suggestions for future articles please feel free to contact B. H. Bates at: beeinthebonnet@shaw.ca

By Rick Littlechild

Story telling is a tradition among First Nations, handed down from generation to generation, the elders carry the stories that have been told in front of campfires and in tepees a thousand years ago and are retold in homes and friendship centers in the new millennium.

Thomas King and Eden Robinson are representative of a new generation of novelists, their stories are written by and about Native people and are reaching an audience that goes beyond a First Nations demographic. Chad Solomon is an illustrator who has created a comic strip know as RABBIT AND BEAR PAWS, he celebrates the Native oral tradition not with prose but with a illustrated novel based on two mischievous Ojibwa brothers.

The graphic novel has just been released, it is set in the 18th century and follows the stories of the brothers as they lay pranks and have amazing adventures using a traditional Ojibwa medicine that transforms them into animals for a short time.

Chad developed the stories along with writer Christopher Myer and the guidance of his Community Elders, the stories are based upon the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers ( Wisdom from the Anishinabek community) and convey a entertaining tapestry of Native traditions and oral history. He is from the Henvey Inlet band and moved to Toronto an obsessed self taught graphic illustrator.

He worked with Ty Templeton of BATMAN fame and slowly found his own niche before coming up with RABBIT AND BEAR PAWS.

The association for Native development in the Performing & Visual Arts selected RABBIT AND BEAR PAWS as one of the native representatives in the 9th Annual Fine Arts Exhibit being held at the Roger’s Skydome in Toronto November 26. RABBIT AND BEARPAWS was selected for representing the theme of the Fine Arts Exhibit this year which is ” SEEING IN A SACRED MANNER; THE SHAPES OF ALL THINGS.

”Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, but anywhere is the center of the world and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shapes of all shapes as they must live together like one being.

And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy…… ”

The comic strip has been printed monthly in the community papers of Anishinabek News and Niiji Circle and now is available for the first time in book form. Chad is the grandson of native traditional healer and justice activist Art Solomon, he found commercil success in 2003 with the release of two children’s fairytales, ”Pied Piper’ and the ” Ten Commandments.

Chad became aware that there were no cool comic book stories for the young people of his own Native community and that many of those representions of the personalities and cultures of the native people in existing books were often negative sterotypes. With RABBIT AND BEAR PAWS, Chad has succeeded in creating a positive image for Native youth.

By Clint Buehler

EDMONTON – An abiding belief in the strength and spirit of Aboriginal women and her concern for the rights of all humanity has led Muriel Stanley Venne to devote her life to championing human rights.

Her dedication has resulted Ain extensive recognition, most recently the Order of Canada and, The Honourable Lois E. Hole Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Edmonton YWCA’s Tribute to Women of Distinction.

Her career as a human rights advocate began in 1973 when then-Premier Peter Lougheed appointed her one of the first seven commissioners to the Alberta Human Rights Commission. In honour of her commitment and work in the area of human rights, Stanley Venne, who is Metis, was presented with the Alberta Human Rights Award on the 25th anniversary of the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

Stanley Venne, the mother of four and grandmother of three, was born on a farm 60 miles east of Edmonton at the end of the Great Depression, the eldest of nine children and part of a long line of strong-minded women. (A grandmother built her own covered wagon and drove it halfway across Alberta when she was in her late 50s.

She survived two bouts of tuberculosis that ended her high school career early and entered two marriage which were marred by violence. Marrying young, and with little education, she was scrubbing her kitchen floor with two young children in tow when she heard on the radio that it was possible to complete high school through correspondence. She began this process in 1965 and finished Grade 12 six years later.

She attended university for three years, then left four courses short of a degree to become department head of Job Opportunities and Placement for the Metis Association of Alberta.

She was executive director of Native Outreach for 10 years, working to gain employment for Aboriginal people in Alberta; Bechtel Canada’s Community Relations Officer for the Alsands Project in Fort McMurray; coordinator of the Metis Settlements Carpentry Training Program; general manager of Settlement Sooniyaw Corporation (financing Metis Settlement businesses), then marketing officer for the National Film Board of Canada in Edmonton.

She left the film board to create MSV Development Corporation with its four divisions: Aboriginal Expressions, Square Sircle Boxing Club, Esquao Fashion Design and MSV Consulting. As her focus turned to the issues confronting Aboriginal women, she concentrated on human rights with her new company, Dynamic Dimensions Consulting Inc., through which she conducts human rights seminars and project management within the context of the Aboriginal community.

But her iconic achievement was the creation of the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW), created “to let our voices be heard. Now we are ready, willing and able to address the need to be heard, listened to and excellerated into decision making” for Aboriginal women. “We will help each other. We are ready for action.”

Key initiatives for the IAAW are the Esquao Awards (covered elsewhere in this issue) and its Social Justice Award, recognizing those who have made an exceptional contribution to human rights such as Amnesty International, for drawing the world’s attention to the abuse of Aboriginal women in Canada.

“For them to recognize the injustices and issues of Aboriginal women in this country is extraordinary, and we have benefited from their attention to this.”

One of Stanley Venne’s major concerns and initiatives has been the tragic plight of the missing or slain women, most of them Aboriginal and many of them sex trade workers, in western Canada.

“Hundreds of Aboriginal women are missing and murdered in Canada but does anyone care? The Insititute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women says, ‘not enough.'”

She hopes that perhaps now something can be done to address the social conditions that lead women into that world, what she calls a national disgrace.

“We still have a long way to go,” she told the Edmonton Sun, “but the first thing that must happen before any problem is addressed is awareness. We’re finally at that point.”

At long last, times are changing, she says, “and there’s almost a groundswell, or revolution among Aboriginal women. We realized that things were bad, but we didn’t think that we could do anything to change it. We’re coming together, and now we’re no longer willing to believe that we have to accept these things.”

A critical step in that awareness was the “Gathering Our Strength Conference on Violence Against Aboriginal Conference” that she organized.

Stanley Venne and the IAAW produced a booklet, “Rights – Path Alberta” with the assistance of Aboriginal lawyers, referring to the racism involved in the Connie and Ty Jacobs killing by an RCMP officer at the T’suu Tina First Nations near Calgary. The booklet was created to inform Aboriginal people of their rights and responsibilities. The booklet gained international attention when it was endorsed by Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations.

When she received the 2004 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Law and Justice, she said, “I am delighted and honoured to be receiving a National Aboriginal Achievement Award.”

The former NAAF board member added that “receiving the award is important to me because it gives me an opportunity to bring forward some issues affecting Aboriginal women. Creating awareness of what Aboriginal women face is an essential part of IAAW’s work.

“I will continue to reach out to Aboriginal women, to listen to them and to validate their concerns. It’s critical that women feel supported and see opportunities for participating in the community.”

In 2005, Stanley Venne received the Governor General’s Award in commemoration of the Persons Case, an early 20th century challenge of legal definitions that denied women their rights, basically defining them as not being persons.

A recent project dear to her heart was the book “Our Women in Uniform” which she edited, chronicling the contributions of Canada’s Metis women in the armed forces.

She says she is very proud of the accomplishments of these courageous women.

“This is a unique historical record of our women that reflects the dreams of these young women to defend our country. They give us a glimpse of their growing up, how things were during the war years, the courage it took to join up, the romance and toughness of it all.”
Stanley Venne is currently chairman of the Aboriginal Human Rights Commission.

Among the the many other awards she has received are the Bowden Native Brotherhood Award, the 2002 Queen’s Commemorative Medal, Metis Woman of the Year, the Canadian Merit Award, and the Aboriginal Role Model Lifetime Achievement Award.