Four Cree Die in Car Crash
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/4-3/ Chlorine shipment su 'Bad *àter'1 sparks rumors By Susan Enge 200 gallons of sodium Windspeaker Staff Writer hypochlorite every 2 months which kills bacteria SADDLE LAKE, Alta. in water extracted from Saddle Lake. The last Public notices to boil shipment of the solution the water at Saddle Lake was picked up a few weeks reserve were distributed a ago in Edmonton said few weeks ago by local office manager Don health centre officials Boisjoli. because the water supply in However, office the Indian community was manager Don Boisjoli contaminated with a bad denies the charge they supply of chlorine, says supplied a contaminated head nurse Kay Nagkane. supply. "I can't really CAPTURED! According to a band understand where it would film is scheduled to be telecast on CBC in employee, the reserve's come from in our product," In this scene from the movie Where the Spirit school. The treated water was causing said Boisjoli. He says he Lives, part of which was shot on the Blood reserve in the spring of 1989. See story on page 9. stomach upsets amongst was not notified of side southern Alberta earlier this month, the film's stars the school children and effects allegedly caused Astohkomi and Pete try to escape from residential - Photo by Mami Grossman leaving a bad taste in from the solution. But everyone's mouth until Boisjoli confirmed their cleaned up this week. company resupplied Saddle "We had a bad shipment Lake with another batch. of chlorine," said Richard A Health and Welfare in car crash Jackson, water treatment environmental officer Four Cree die plant program manager for visited the community By Susan Enge were travelling along the investigated the accident, Over 600 people attend- the Saddle Lake Reserve. early last week to Windspeaker Staff Writer gravelled Highway 88 in a said the mishap occurred ed the funeral service on However nurse Nagkane investigate the complaint. government -owned crew because "both vehicles were Oct. 12, held out of doors refutes there were any Details of their findings are FORT VERMILION, Alta. cab truck when it collided crowding the centre in hor- because of the large aven - health problems in the not completed and won't be head on with a Kenworth rendous dust conditions." dance. People from the sur- community. Interviewed available for another week. A head on collision has truck carrying a load of rounding community made from her office on Oct. 12 Jackson plans to taken the lives of four lumber. The four men were News of the accident has the trip to Fort Vermilion to she indicated the water inform the Chief of the young Fort Vermilion men killed instantly while the shaken town residents. attend the service. problem had been cleared mishap and hasn't decided and left residents of this driver of the lumber truck According to Ron Lazotte, "There was lots of sor- up. "It's as normal as it can whether he will small town devastated. received a bruise. All three owner of the local Lucky row that day," said Lazotte. get," she said. recommend suing the The Oct. 6 accident men, except Smith, were in Dollar grocery store, "The Fort Vermilion is a Cree Prairie Industrial company for allegedly killed Ronald Smith, their early twenties. whole community was real- Indian community with a Chemicals Inc. of supplying a contaminated Mervin Hamelin, Terry ly touched. Everyone is population of 500 - about Edmonton supply the sodium hypochlorite Flett and Robert Rose, all of Red Earth Creek RCMP related in one way or anoth- 1,100 km north of Edmon- Indian community with solution. Cree descent. The four Corporal Jim Brady, who ton. Laws will be upheld, Getty warns By Susan Enge band to present to Ottawa," independent nation will Windspeaker Staff Writer but failed to endorse the proceed. membership list prepared "We have to have some- EDMONTON by the band identifying thing very substantial to elegible land claim recipi- stop the blockade. We've In a last- minute meeting, ents. waited 48 years already," Premier Getty issued a Getty promised daily he said. warning to the Lubicon consultation would begin Although Ominayak nation leader he will not immediately between welcomes provincial gov- permit laws being broken provincial and band nego- ernment assistance in set- in the province while the tiators to assist in finding a tling the land claims dis- band sets up road block- solution. pute he said the "ultimate ades preventing free access In response to the pre- constitutional responsibility to 10,000 square kilometres mier's statements, Chief is between the band and the of land claim area on Oct. federal government." 14. Ominayak confirmed Lubi- So far, Indian Affairs "Laws in Alberta must con members have no Minister Bill McKnight has be upheld (and) will be intention of breaking any not met with Lubicon upheld," said Getty. laws or carrying firearms members to avert road Although he was reluc- while blockades go up this blockades. He cancelled a tant to state whether road weekend. Unless a deal last minute arrangement to blockades were illegal, he providing at least 145 meet with provincial or said the situation would "be square kilometres of band representatives. assessed from day to day." reserve land can be worked The Lubicon Indian He agreed to help out with the federal govern- Nation are claiming 236 sq. develop a proposal provid- ment, Chief Ominayak says km. of land in the Little ing a solution which plans to continue asserting Buffalo Lake area with fur- "would be acceptable to all jurisdiction and strengthen- ther management control of Don Getty members of the Chief's ing their sovereignty as an an additional 11,600 sq. km. Promises daily consultation: Premier Page 2, WINDSPEAKER, October 14, 1988 CLOSE TO HOME affgaWS TAW WOZW'i2YI%e Far dSrYii'/ ANN 'Best in Alberta' L'Hirondelle stands up for centre's bookkeeping By Susan Enge Windspeaker Staff Writer EDMONTON Allegations over finan- cial mismanagement at the Canadian Native Friendship Centre from a past vice - president have sparked an angry rebuttal from three board members. "Our bookkeeping is the best in Alberta. Secretary of State says that," states Victor L'Hirondelle, presi- dent of the friendship cen- tre. He admits there have been problems in the past Allegations spark rebuttal: Vic L'Hirondelle with the handling of cash transactions from money- making social events hosted charges came as a complete "Maybe we'll get that at the centre, but points out surprise when she received (charge) squashed," L'Hi- in the last six months book- a phone call from city police rondelle said, indicating keeping practices have investigator Les Scheeler plans are underway to over- improved. about two months ago. turn the conviction. He "It's just the cash we According to L'Hiron- believes Russell was merely never knew about," L'Hi- delle, Russell and executive covering up for Harriet Fid- rondelle added, referring to director Georgina Donald, dler. money allegedly stolen by who kept news of Russell's Meanwhile, the friend- former bookkeeper Harriet conviction confidential, are ship centre has been ordered Fiddler, who unexpectedly undergoing six month's pro- to submit a monthly finan- resigned following the con- bation. Work performance cial statement to the Secre- viction of sports director will be scrutinized and fur- tary of State during a six Gordon Russell. Russell ther assessed at the end of month trial period. was convicted of theft over that term, L'Hirondelle said. $1,000 in September 1987. Executive members "We're under probation A popular exhibit back again: Carver Duffy Wilson Further charges of theft and L'Hirondelle, secretary Gor- too," said L'Hirondelle. fraud over $1,000 are being don Poitras and vice- presi- However, the executive laid against Fiddler. dent Henry Bedard believe members are confident the Arts and crafts fair Former friendship centre in Russell's innocence centre will pass with flying vice -president Muriel Stan- regarding the theft charge, colours. Financial records ley -Venn was furious Rus- despite the fact Russell of program dollars received sell's conviction was kept pleaded guilty and received from various government will be bigger says Breum from her while she sat on a suspended sentence and agencies are in good stand- the board. She claims his two years of probation from ing and were never in ques- returns for its eighth time. ular ones of: eastern stone By Terry Lusty conviction and Fiddler's an Edmonton judge. tion, he confirmed. If not better, it will at carvers Duffy Wilson and Windspeaker Correspondent least be bigger, according Tom Hill Jr., Thunderbird from Tree - EDMONTON to spokesperson Sharon Crafts Ontario, Breum, program officer for line Trappings from the Native education to be topic Christmas is just around Alberta Indian Arts and Yukon, silver and turquoise the corner...only 72 days Crafts Society which spon- jewellery from British away. sors the event. She Columbia's Bill Montague, at Edmonton conference Ever wonder what to informed Windspeaker that art from the Art Loft at By Keith Matthew In designing the confer- A Degree Worth? by buy that someone who has about 55 booths are com- Peterborough, and many, Windspeaker Staff Writer ence, the planning commit- Chester Cunningham of the everything? How about mitted compared to 47 last many others. tee has placed a high priori- Native Counselling Services something unique, some- year with at least two from Last year, exhibitors EDMONTON ty on involving participants Alberta, and Native People thing traditional, something the Yukon and three from hailed from such distant and presenters with each And University Education cultural.