Inside This Week
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INSIDE THIS WEEK Feds sue province over Lubicon claim "Tell them Willie xiy is here!" BY DOROTHY SCHREIBER before there have been any Hobbema's Littlechild Windspeaker Staff Writer meaningful negotiations." itit.,seeking PC The federal government minution. See PROVINCIAL filed a statement of claim in 'Page 2. Federal legal action the Courts of Queens against Alberta and the Bench in Calgary on May Lubicon Indians may.-not 17 proposing the band leave the band any choice receive 45 square miles of but to assert jurisdiction land (117 square km) and over the disputed land says declaring the province in Chief Bernard Ominayak. breach of its obligations to "Their goal is to tie us up provide the Lubicon people in the courts and delay and with a reserve under the 1 delay," says the Cree chief 1930 Constitution Act. indicating the recent lawsuit In a prepared statement is pushing the band closer the minister of Indian to taking control over a Affairs Bill McKnight said 16,000 square km area negotiations with the band under Aboriginal claim by and the province "proved n:- the band. impossible...and in the LOOKS COMPLEX ENOUGH! Samson boxer He says the band made absence of prospects for a This youngster, Gary Starr, is getting an early start in a difficult and exacting ith Nepoose is only the decision earlier this negotiated settlement this :ask performing the hoop dance. The 16- year -old demonstrated his talents last e of many winners year but decided to put can only be achieved with ekend at a Hobbema powwow to raise gas money to get home on. See I'lxeing groomed by Jim plans on hold when he and the assistance of the Premier Don Getty agreed courts." to set up a tribunal to help During question period resolve the 48- year -old land in the legislature on May 17 claim. But the tribunal was Premier Getty said the rejected by the federal province is being sued Metis housing society helps people cope government. because they will not make "It is our land and we're an agreement with the going to utilize it...we can't federal by offering affordable city housing government which DOROTHY SCHREIBER, Windspeaker be trying to deal with these they believe is unfair to the guys forever," said BY DOROTHY SCHREIBER Lubicons. Windspeaker Staff Writer Ominayak. "It doesn't "The federal government seem like there's going to is suing us because we will PROVINCIAL be any real serious effort not agree to act on a At the beginning of this made byy¿¿,,tthe federal govern- unilateral basis with them," year Metis Urban Housing ment, so`hat doesn't leave he says. Corporation (MUH) was us any choice." In a letter from federal able to move 90 low income E. Davie Fulton, former negotiator Brian Malone Native families into afford- minister justice and author the province was told that able accommodations but independent report of an unless the government the list of those who need situation on the Lubicon received an interim agree- low- rental housing continues had agreed to become a ment for 68 square km of to grow. the tribunal. member of land along with "a concrete Currently, the corpora- In a telephone interview offer" by May 16 from the tion has a waiting list of a great pity Fulton said: it's province, legal proceedings about 350 people in that (federal they're would begin. But, there was Edmonton alone and hopes government) going to court "no substantive offer" from to attain approval from the province says the Canada Mortgage and federal background paper. Housing Corporation to The band is asking for a purchase 80 to 100 more "It's more like a real home ": Hazel Willier, MUH counsellor and Florence Gladue 237 square km reserve homes in the coming year. based on the Treaty formula For 59- year -old Florence place for the children. "I'm and families on welfare, great and Watson says in a of 128 acres per band Gladue, low income housing happier here, it's more like many of whom were paying number of instances the member and the band provided by the corporation a real home." as much as 60 per cent of affordable rents offered by claims a membership of has made her life a lot The corporation, owned their income on rent. MUH has helped people to 457. They also claim happier. by the Metis Association of "Anyone who has Native "cope with everyday life." Aboriginal title to 16,000 Before moving into a Alberta (MAA), was set up ancestry," and whose gross In the future MUH would square km of traditional MUH home, Gladue, who in November of 1982 and income is less than $27,000 like to expand its operations hunting and trapping lands. is confined to a wheelchair now owns 385 houses annually is eligible to rent a to include other areas of However, the province due to a spingal injury, lived throughout the province of home from MUH says special housing such as a 20 and the federal governents in the basement suit of a Alberta. Watson. unit adult complex. argue that the band duplex. "I was always stuck Housing manager Gordon The minimum monthly membership is just over 200 Watson is currently in the basement," says Watson says the private rent charged by MUH is therefore "looking into" the possibility and the size of the Gladue who adds that now non- profit corporation is $102 and the highest is reserve should be smaller. of having 10 houses built in that she lives on a ground the largest of its kind in the about $680. Ominayak left for Sweden Bonnyville and Lac La floor it is easier for her to country and owns houses Watson explains that a on May 18 to meet with a Biche. get out. in Edmonton, Red Deer, subsidy program through European Indian support Gladue lives on a disability Calgary and Lloydminster. Canada Mortgage and Overall, he says the group. He says he is still pension of $720 a month President of the MAA Housing Corporation corporation has been very hoping that Getty can and says she is now paying Larry Desmeules says the (CMHC) allows tenants to successful and attributes make some headway with about $200 less a month in corporation owns roughly pay only 25 per cent of their this to former housing the federal government. rent. $27 million worth of real income toward rent and manager Larry Desmeules "But it's clear that it's Two grandchildren live estate and its operating CMHC picks up the who started the corporation. going to have to be over with her and a third will budget for next year is outstanding balance of the "In five years they've gone and above McKnight who is soon be moving in and about $11.5 million. mortgage payment. from no houses to 385 that really useless as an Indian she feels the house and the The majority of their The need for affordable they now own," says Affairs minister," he said. neighborhood is a better tenants are single mothers, housing for Native people is Watson. PAGE 2, May 20, 1988, WINDSPEAKER CLOSE TO HOME Baby accidentally given mother's medicine Photo Courtesy of the Simpson Family BY TERRY LUSTY acidosis. Rose Boyle, the Brenda Symons, the happened at other hospitals Windspeaker Correspondent assistant supervisor in the vice -president of Fort across the nation and is neonatal unit said, in order McMurray Regional hospital being investigated nationally EDMONTON to counteract the effects of where baby Simpson was she added. What nearly spelled the drug given to the baby, born and administered the The baby's mother and disaster on May 4 for a the hospital administered ergot, agrees that it is easy grandmother still are not newborn male infant has its phenobarbital for the to confuse the two medica- convinced that the situation mother, Cynthia Simpson, seizures and also performed tions with each other and was unavoidable. The breathing a sigh of relief a brain ultrasound. said it has presented them grandmother said she is not today. The baby's grandmother with a problem they are readily swayed, especially The child, born May 4 at who is a registered nurse now trying to deal with. since she is somewhat 7:11 p.m., had to be rushed explained that, "the ultra- Symons informed Wind- knowledgeable given her by plane from Fort Mc- sound test only tells you if speaker that the hospital education and experience Murray to the University of all the tiny blood vessels in has investigated the in nursing matters. "These Alberta hospital when it the brain are intact and that Simpson case and "the things are supposed to be was discovered he had there is no bleeding occur- circumstances which led up double checked," she said. been injected with ergot, a ring." This does not to it. The other thing we've Because the bottles may medication that was meant indicate, she added, whether done is change some of our happen to be the same for for the mother. Ergot is an future complications may practices since that time to both medications, she said, oxytocin, a drug which or may not crop up. She reduce the chance of any is all the more reason for helps prevent hemmorrhag- confessed that she is rather error ever being made them to be double checked. ing by mothers after giving concerned over the potential again." Symons claims they Whether any legal aciton birth, explained Dr. Winston of future brain damage and have learned from their will result from the incident Koo, the attending admitted, "only time will mistake.