Davis Inlet Negotiations Shaky Send Your Cheque Or Money Order in the Am^,,Nr
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QUOTABLE QUOTE "I'm not going to vote. I can't partici- pate in another level of government that is not our own." - Jerome Morin, Alberta regional vice -chief, Assem- bly of First Nations Volume I 1 No. 15 October I 1 - October 24, 1993 Canada's National Aboriginal News Publication $1.00 plus G.S.T. where applicable Field of dreams Harlan (Tom Jackson, centre), and Will (Graham Greene) visit Martha Old Crow (Maggie Black Kettle) in a scene from the movie Medicine River. Black Kettle, a 76-year -old Siksika Elder, makes her acting debut in the Canadian -made movie, filmed in southern Alberta. (See review, Page 7.) r To receive Windspeaker in your, mailbox every two weeks, just Davis Inlet negotiations shaky send your cheque or money order in the am^,,nr. .J CM /r C T Davis Inlet Chief Katie Rich said 'We are asking the Innu to lion for several months. The de- it Innu leaders, they were encouraged by Otta- register under the Indian Act in plorable living conditions in the to qualify for the federal village of about 500 people first wTh wa's agreement over the new order letter from came to international attention 15001 mainland site for the village at programming," the government band police EDMON Sango Bay, 15 kilometres from federal negotiator Ross Reid and last January when the inlet Indian Affairs Minister Pauline discovered two groups of chil- can't agree But the Innu leaders were trou- Browes said. dren high on gasoline fumes and bled by Ottawa's insistence that 'It is important to emphasize screaming about a suicide pact. NAME:_ _ on procedure the Innu people register under the that we view registration as an The children were airlifted to federal Indian Act to access serv- interim step... to a modern rela- a treatment centre in Alberta By D.B. Smith ice and programs the Innu say tionship between the Innu and where they underwent several ADORES; ^ _ Windspeaker Staff Writer they are already entitled to. the federal government." months of substance abuse "The Indian Act is an outdated Penashue and Rich also said therapy and sexual assault coun- colonialist act which treats Abo- federalnegotiatorsrefusetohonor selling. Counsellors from OTTAWA Ottawa's constitutional responsi- Poundmaker s Lodge near Ed- CITYITO' ° riginal people as children," the letter read. "How can you make bility by extending certain pro- monton also flew to the inlet to Negotiations between Innu such a suggestion when the Hu- grams and services to the com- start a treatment program for the leaders in Labrador and the fed - man Rights Commission explic- munity. community's adult substance POSTAU 3 3 eral government over the rebuild- itly said one month earlier that "Canada's failure to meet its abusers. ing of Davis Inlet are threatening the Innu not be required to go responsibility has contributed to But talks between the Innu to collapse. through a symbolic act of subor- the cultural and social breakdown and provincial and federal offi- $10c Neither side appears able to dination by requiring them to reg- of the Innu people, induding poor cials have not gone as well. Pre- NSF Cheques agree on how to proceed with ister under the Indian Act" housing, overcrowding and lack mier Clyde Wells refused to ap- emergency reparations to the iso- Federal officials responded of proper fife protectionservices." prove the Sango Bay site for $40 for all subscriptions lated village 300 kilometres north with their own letter Oct 4, say- Innu leaders from Davis Inlet months before the province fi- outside Canada of Goose Bay. ing they were asking the Innu to have been negotiating with both nally left the talks in August. to The Innu marched on Padia- Oct 11/93 In a Sept. 30 letter to federal register under the act only out of Newfoundland and Ottawa L. representatives, Innu Nation "fairness" to other status Natives move the island community to a ment Hill Oct. 5 to "appeal to the PUBLICATION MAIL REGISTRATION #2177 President Peter Penashue and in Canada. more hospitable mainland loca- people of Canada." (See Page 3.) OCTOBER I I - OCTOBER 24, 1993, WINDSPE KER PAGE 2, News Mayor says organized crime Arts & Entertainment. 7, R2 Business 11,12 behind smuggling violence Careers 14,15 By D.B. Smith that maybe are looking to fuel the eye to the smuggling because of discuss their commitment to a Windspeaker StaffWriter fires for their own benefit. But I've the financial benefits it brings his regional police task force to stop News 1,2,3,R1,6,8 specifically said the Mohawks are community. the smugglers. getting blamed unfairly." But Martelle, a former RCMP Martelle said he shares the he is the target officer, said he could not tolerate concerns of local law enforcement Our Opinion 4 CORNWALL, Ont. Martelle said of scorn by some of the Natives the smuggling under any circum- officials to keep violence from Natives from a local reserve from Akwesasne who think he stances. He went into hiding un- escalating but a crackdown can Sports R7 are not the only players in eastern blames them for all the smuggling. der police protection last month only be effective if federal offi- Ontario's cigarette smuggling "Some of the Mohawks are after unknown boaters on the St. cials address long-term solutions trad e, the mayor of Cornwall said. extremely upset with me again," Lawrence River opened fire on like lowering cigarette taxes to Your Opinion 5 The Mohawks from nearby he said. "But they don't listen, I Cornwall's civic sports complex. cut theprofitabilityof smuggling. Akwesasne Reserve are unfairly guess, to the newscasts that are "Whenever violence is being CigarettebuyersintheUnited blamed for a lot of the violence coming out." allowed to happen and organ- States do nothave to pay taxes on that organized crime is perpetrat- Although he could not be ized crime has not only shown a Canadian cigarettes, and they in ing, said Cornwall Mayor Ron reached for comment, Akwesasne total disrespect for law and order turn sell them to the smugglers. Martelle. Chief Mike Mitchell has said he but also for human life, and city of Police estimate 50,000 cartons of Racism has a way of ap- "Ihavemadeitadistinctpoint agreed with Martelle that some- Cornwall buildings and federal cigarettes are smuggled through border city every day. The pearing In the most unex- for clarification to say that it is thing had to be done about the buildings are being fired at, the the down on cigarettes are resold for about $15 pected places, and that In- organized crime we are after," he renegades on the river but did not time has come to clamp Mohawk peo- per carton below retail prices. cludes hockey rinks. said. "Some of the like Martellé s referring to them everything." ple are involved in the smuggling. as "savages." Martelle met Doug Lewis, The location of Cornwall, on a 14 -year Justin Johnson, There are some Comwall people Mitchell has also said he does federal public security minister, the boundaries of Ontario, Que- old Micmac from Mllibrook that are in it for the profits. There not approve of the violence on the and Ontario Solicitor General bec and New York State, make Reserve In Nova Scotia, are probably some individuals river, but is willing to turn ablind David Christopherson Sept. 23 to the city a haven for smugglers. was called "wagon burner" and "dirty Indian" by fans of the opposing quota Protesters team. The RCMP had to Mohawks protest cigarette escort Johnson off the ice when the crowd became By D.B. Smith leaked to the Brantford Exam- and develop something. But it head south violent. Windspeaker Staff Writer iner. was not a done deal." But Ontario does not have The issue has also been a TOFINO, B.C. the power to impose a quota cause of concern for the Minis- See Page 8. SIX NATIONS, Ont. system because the province has try of Finance, said Murray, but Native leaders from no jurisdiction within Six Na- the government is the first to ClayoquotSound took their The latest controversy over tions territory, Chief Williams acknowledge that tax -free sales fight south of the border to the control of tax -free cigarettes said. of cigarettes is not a First Na- try to halt logging on Van- AIDS Is not a white man's is heating up between the On- And Native reserves are not tions problem. couver Island's west coast. disease, say Natives in- tario government and a band in the only communities that have The Ontario government ClayoquotChief Francis fected with the deadly HIV the southwest comer of the prov- a problem wi th the reduced sales has discussed the possibility of Frank led a delegation of five virus, the precursor to ince. of illegally obtained cigarettes, regulating cigarette and gaso- Vancouver Island chiefs to AIDS. And Native organi- The provincial government Williams said. line sales to Natives more tightly, lobby officials at the United zations across the coun- did not adequately consult with Toronto's Chinatown and said provincial finance depart- Nations and in Washington, D.C. in of an inter- try are Increasing efforts the Six Nations of the Grand communities across Quebec and ment spokesman Jay Young. support national boycott of British to raise awareness about River before putting its latest British Columbia have the same The new measures are before the pro- aimed at making sure that only Columbia forest products. HIV and AIDSthrough edu- policy proposal problem. the band's chief is, they're saying Aboriginal communities have The group spent 90 min- cational programs and vincial cabinet, "The thing said.