Children Victimized in Residential Schools
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a A rodeo in pictures! See Page R4. August IS - August 28, 1994 Canada's National Aboriginal News Publication Volume 12 No. I 1 $1.00 plus G.S.T. where applicable Raging bull Bert Crowfoot Lome Belle of Brocket got away - amazingly - with only bruises after Magnum the bull took exception to being ridden at the Nakoda Nation Taotha Celebration on the Bighorn Reserve. Belle took first place for bull riding with 156 points. To receive Windspeaker in your me - cks, just Children in send victimized residential ney order schools in (G. S.T. By Debora Lockyer which operated from the mid abuses would be in store for her he were to disclose any of their Windspeaker Staff Writer 1800s into the 1970s. The tales son in the 'care and R protection' of activities, Yorke said. memories JUE told include dark of the province. He feared being sent to a B.C. sexual abuses, severe beatings, EC ERTA Yorke was 'institutionalized', penitentiary if any staff com- MONTREAL and other mistreatment at the deemed "too damaged to be re- plained he was not being co -op- hands of the religious and lay coverable", and was placed into erative. He was told "all the in- NAP Ed Yorke has something to staff at the schools. the Boy's Industrial School of mates would take turns bugger- celebrate. The former residential But Yorke doesn't have to Coquitlam, B.C. He was later ing him." school student has found great read the report to understand its transferred to the Brannon Lake Yorkewas a troubled child at ADC relief in a report which describes contents. He's been there. School for Boys where, he said, best and did gravitate toward the abuses Native children en- Yorke was born in 1941 in the children were "preyed upon lawlessness. His first arrest came dured while attending govern- British Columbia, and lived in a by pedophiles masquerading as for stealing half -rotten food out CITI ment sanctioned boarding discordant family. His father was provincial civil servants." of garbage cans at a retailer's in schools. abusive and his mother seemed Yorke began his stay at Vancouver, B.C. Next arrest was The 200 -page report by psy- powerless against his assaults, Brannon Lake when he was 13 for running away from foster chologist Wilma Spearchief and Yorke claims in law suit brought stayed POS years old and untilhewas homes and joy- riding. He has Louise Million is further proof against the Ministry of Social 18. He said he witnessed small since received pardons for these he is not alone in his fight to see Services and Housing in B.C. and boys coerced into sex by adults youthful crimes, he said. $ all the federal government acknowl- various individuals, including and was sexually abused him- But in 1956, when Yorke was NSF Cheques edge its role in the systematic former premier William Van der self by supervisors at the school. 14, he was involved in what he mistreatment of Indian children $40 for all subscriptions Zalm. The sexual abuse at thehands describes as an accidental death. in its care, he said. It was mis- In an effort to protect her son, of a married couple of civil serv- A judge found him not guilty of outside Canada treatment Yorke believes ruined Yorké smothersurrenderedhim ants began whenhewas 17. Yorke any criminal offence, but he his life. to B.C.'s social services and Yorke said the husband watched while claims he was labeled a mur- Aug 15194 Breaking the Silence tells the was made a ward of the Superin- he was forced to have sex with derer from that point on in his personal stories of victims of the tendent of Child Welfare in 1953. the wife. The couple threatened life. PUBLICATION MAIL REGISTRATION #2177 Residential School Program Little did his mother know what to have him charged with rape if See schools, page 3 PAGE 2, AUGUST 15 - AUGUST 28, 1994,WINDSPEAKER News WHAT'S INSIDE Tobacco retailers stall province Arts & Entertainment. 7 By Debora Lockyer ages with the province's unique Arthur Manuel, a negotia- security, and inventory. Windspeaker Staff Writer marks except those sold tax -ex- tor for the association, said the The association believes this empt to status Indians. retailers met with Greg Reimer is the first time the Consumer Business 8 The retailers believed the plan of the Consumer Taxation Branch Taxation Branch is considering CHASE, B.C. would further segregate Indians July 11. its impact on the reserves of B.0 Careers 13,14,15 and non -Indians. It would also The retailers encouraged over taxing tobacco products, sai d The Intertribal Retailers As- create an inventory nightmare for Reimer to view reserves as legal Manuel. Education is the key to sociation of Bri tish Columbia has those retailers who would have and geographicallydistinctmar- further successful negotiations. Our Opinion 4 dealt another blow to the prov- to carry two different sets of each ketplaces with unique legal sta- FirstNations businesses will ince's planned Tobacco Marking kind of tobacco product. tus. To regard reserves as such no longerbe silentwhile theCon- Program, resulting in an indefi- The program was to begin then leads to the recognition that sumer Taxation Branch imposes -6 Sports R4 nite postponement of the pro- May 1, but the retailers' associa- special business problems arise taxationpoliciesdesigned to pro- gram's effective date. tion persuaded Elizabeth Cull, for reserve retailers in regard to tect provincial tax revenue, Your Opinion 5 The association has been Minister of Finance and Corpo- provincial taxation. Manuel said. It's important the fighting the marking program rate Relations, to place a three - Negotiations were not lim- province take into consideration since April because it is consid- month moratorium on the pro- ited to jurisdiction. Also dis- the economic interests of First ered racist. The province in- gram. August 1 then became the cussed DREAMSPEAKERS was the exempt- tobacco Nations when making taxation tended to mark all tobacco pack- effective date. quota program, staff safety and policy. It's coming - North America's biggest Metis suing Alberta society, executives Aboriginal film festi- val. Windspeaker By Debora Lockyer with contractual relations and He said there have been threats notice or hearing, he said. An- Windspeaker Staff Writer cause mental distress for their of violence which prevented other court ruling in favor of takes a look at this role in a year -long squabble. business being done at associa- Penton saw his membership re- year's film lineup, Pentons lawyer Catherine tion meetings. instated. what's changed from CALGARY McCreary said the conspiracy In early 1994 a vote was held The senate then attempted charge is not often used in civil at a meeting of the Zone 3 re- to suspend Pentons member- last year and other A civil suit claiming dam- law because it's not commonly gional council and the defend- ship a second time, and sched- festivities film fans ages of $350,000 has been the way people treat other peo- ants removed Penton from of- uled a hearing for Pentons de- can look forward to. launched against the Metis Na- ple. In this case however, the fice. Penton launched a court fence on Aug. 3. tion of Alberta Association, sen- conspiracy to injure claim fits action, and by June of this year, At this meeting a scuffle ate of the MNAA and numerous the circumstances, she said. the court ruled that Penton was broke out when the media was See Page 7. individuals associated with the The circumstances are the not removed from his position asked to leave. A skirmish be- MNAA. result of a 12 -month feud be- in MNAA by lawful means as gan when a photographer Member James Penton, tween Penton and other MNAA set out in the association's by- started taking pictures and his SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE along with eight MNAA socie- executives, said Penton, who laws. While awaiting the court camera was broken. ties, began the suit by filing a was elected as vice president of decision, business of the regional Penton claims he is weary The suicide -plagued statement of claim in Court of Zone 3 of the MNAA in Septem- council was conducted by the of the fight, but doesn't like the community of Queen's Bench July 29. ber 1993. defendants without authority, corruption that he says powers Penton and his fellow plain- Penton alleges the defend- Penton said. the organization. Pikangikum, in north- tiffs want the defendants to pay ants have gone out of their way In October 1993 the MNAA MNAA president Gerald ern Ontario, is asking damages for what they say was to discredit him and undermine senate attempted to suspend Thom could not be reached for for the prayers and a conspiracy to injure, interfere his authority in the association. Pentons membership without comment. support of First Na- tions across Canada to help deal with the Metis trying to save traditional language on -going crisis af- By Debora Lockyer Audreen Hourie, the provincial is called Metis Cree. In the east, get everything translated into fecting their youths. Windspeaker Staff Writer -co- education ordinator for the Ojibwa is incorporated into Michif. Inuktitut The parents still speak it Manitoba Metis Federation. InCanada, however, there are to their kids. The kids, if they want The word Michif comes from only a relative few who still See Page R3. OTTAWA speak to speak to their grandparents, an Indian pronunciation of the thelanguage,afactFreedmanfmds have to speak it. A lot of Aborigi- French word métis which means discouraging.