Lubicon's Olympic Boycott Cartoon centre of controversy By Lesley Crossingham Indians along the torch route should they attempt CALGARY - A city to put up a blockade." committee chairman has Bear Robe adds that accused the Calgary Herald according to a recent arti- of inciting violence against cle by Ombudsman Jim the Lubicon Lake band and Scott, the Herald had any Indian person attempt- admitted that Lubicon ing to blockade the Olym- Lake Chief Bernard Omi- pic torch relay. niyak had never made a Andrew Bear Robe, a direct threat to blockade Blackfoot band member, the Olympic torch relay but and chairman of the city's was merely responding to a Native Urban Affairs question posed by reporters. Committee charges that "Therefore Mr. Rode - the Herald's depiction of walt's cartoon went far Indian people in editorial beyond the circumstantial cartoons are "morally facts and is in very poor reprehensible, slanted, and taste." stereotypical." In future, "Mr. Rodewalt In a letter to Herald pub- should stick to the reported lisher, J. Patrick O'Cal facts and not blow his edi- DRAMATIC VISION laghan, a copy of which has torial fictions out of accep- been obtained by Winds - table proportions," adds "Visions," was the title of a live theatrical play by dmonton, April 24. The peaker, Bear Robe corn - Bear Robe. Windspeaker camera was there to capture this image of actress, Rhonda C nel. plains that a cartoon drawn The letter was read at the - Photo by Jerome Bear by Vance Rodewalt, pub- regularly scheduled Native lished March 15, "goes Urban Affairs committee / beyond public decency, meeting April 16 and political impartiality and received unanimous sup- objective comment." port. However, several INSIDE THIS WEEK The controversial car- members complained that toon depicts four Lubicon Petro Canada, sponsors of Lake Indians blockading a the torch relay, had not road and preventing an reacted to the cartoon. Olympic torch bearer from When contacted by Coyote Kehewií Best Elder continuing his journey. The Windspeaker, Petro Can- goes to hosts a Alberta Alfred final frame shows the Indi- ada spokesman, Sandy court talent boxers Bonaise ans left scorched by the Hunter, stated that the Olympic flame. crown corporation had no for bingo show meet profiled This, says Bear Robe, intention of reacting. Hun- See Page 7 See Page 14 See Page 20 See Page 22 "implicitly advocates vio- ter added that he felt the lence against the Lubicon Lake Cree Indians and all Continued Page 3 82- year -old Kehewin Elder ties the knot for the first time By Lyle Donald that this is the first time his cially for these two, as at the band office, they all uncle has married in his 82 Elders. approved of it. KEHEWIN - Francis years. He added that this is "After the ceremony we After being a bachelor Jebeaux, an 82- year -old another lesson in life that wanted to shoot shot guns for such a long time, Fran- resident of the Kehewin our Elders are teaching us, from the back of a horse - cis said he feels "great." He Reserve, was an eligible with all the people who are driven wagon but now there also said they have been liv- bachelor until he shared his living common -law, that is a law against that," said ing together for the past vows of matrimony with his when two people love each Gadwa. seven years and that he love for seven years, Geor- other they should get They also wanted to get wanted to get married gina Seawaposum, of the married. married in the old chapel on properly, and do it before Whitefish Lake Band in Chief Gordon Gadwa the reserve but because of he met his maker. Saskatchewan on April 25. said it is wonderful that problems with getting the The chief and council In a reception held in the thesè two married and birth and baptismal certifi- supplied a feast for the Kehewin Church hall, wished them all the best. cates this would of held couple as a wedding pres- Francis' nephew Norbert Gadwa also talked about things back even longer. So ent. Also for a wedding his 413 GEORGINA JEBEAUX Jebeaux expressed some of the problems they when the couple went to present, Norbert and his ...the newlyweds happiness for the couple had in wanting to have a Gadwa and the band coun- wife sang an Indian love and explained to the guests traditional marriage, espe- cil and asked to be married song. L PAGE 2, May 1, 1987, WINDSPEAKER Study says Natives more National likely to get the noose By Terry Lusty group If the Canadian government returns the death form is possibility Native librarians penalty in this country, there a very distinct that Native people would be those most likely to be members. OTTAWA - Aboriginal get Native people onto approach the CLA for executed in disproportionate numbers says a recently librarians from across the They want Native lead- advisory boards and com- assistance in establishing a completed study. country formed a new ers educated as to the mittees dealing with librar- Native scholarship and in The study which was conducted by Economics Pro- national group at a recent importance and value of ies and archives; specifi- preparing a publicity pack- fessor Kenneth Avio of the University of Victoria main- Native library workshop libraries, archives and cally onto the National age to raise Aboriginal tains that this potential is larger than life, particularly if hosted here by the Assem- records management and Library Advisory Baord. awareness of libraries and the government follows its previous patterns in the bly of First Nations. have decided to develop a AIM has also decided to archives. conviction and execution of murderers. - package specifi- The new group calls itself publicity "There is no question," says Avio, "that if you were Aboriginal Information cally aimed at Native lead- Group gets permanent funding Native, you were more likely to be executed." The Managers (AIM), in recog- ers to help achieve this discrimination factor was ever -present. All one had to nition of the fact that Native goal. do was review the past statistics in that regard says libraries also deal with Pointing out the job OTTAWA - Secretary of gram is to finance activities Avio. other information needs, opportunities for Native State David Crombie, and conducted by women's Avio found that, in using an objective case situation in such as records manage- people in libraries and the Honorable Barbara associations to improve the which a white person was murdered and keeping all ment and archival devel- archives, the group decided McDougall, Minister status of Aboriginal women. things equal except for the killer's race, there was only a opment. to publicize openings to Responsible for the Status Operating funds are pro- 21% risk of executing a white person compared to 96% The librarians had their field. of Women, announced the vided for national organiza- risk for a Native. assembled from across To help achieve this goal, renewal of the Secretary of tions such as the Native Surprisingly, the Department of Indian Affairs was the Canada to work out a group is examining and State's Aboriginal Women's Women's Association of one of the greatest contributors in recommending the common position on the monitoring education Program on a permanent Canada and the Inuit death penalty for Native murderers says Avio. The Canadian Library Associa- courses available for Native basis recently. Women's Association. In reason for this was that Natives "need special deter- tion (CLA) Task Force people in the library /archi- Funding will be main- addition, any Aboriginal rence" according to frequent memos of the department Report on Library Services val field. AIM is also looking tained at the current level of women's group working at which were uncovered by Avio during his research. to Native People. at the possibility of a scho- $2.2 million for the 1987/88 the community, regional, In his study, Avio also uncovered marked differences The group decided that larship to encourage Native fiscal year. provincial /territorial, and between white and non -white murderers. Of 21 non- this field. three major issues have to students entering The objective of the national level may apply for white murderers whose victims were whites, 18 had an be addressed by their The group also wants to Aboriginal Women's Pro- support for specific projects. appointment with the hangman while only one of five whites were executed for the same offense. The study which took five years of intensive research to included almost every murder case within a its way to help Native people. Too many people think complete 31 year period from 1926 to 1957. In that time, 440 that helping Native people is the government's job and killers were convicted and, of those, 72% were no one else's. Other newspapers would do well to copy executed. the Journal's example. Or, for that matter, they could What Avio questions in his study is, if capital punish- donate to the Program in Journalism for Native People ment were returned, would the government build in at the University of Western Ontario. Anyway, a pat- OTTAWA safeguards that would prevent discrimination against on-the-back goes out to the Edmonton Journal. REPORT minorities? Although this study indicates that Natives, Now for the kick -in- the -pants. The Journal has a Ukrainians and French Canadians were executed in reputation in the local Native media for its typically disproportionate numbers in the past, the potential to By Owenadeka mainstream coverage of Native affairs. It does make an execute individuals of a minority race or culture lives effort to cover the beat.