rs S ...iv { Itf,u ativ week: 9 was unloading m special tws a little too f. the Machine Gun. constables Danny Stonewalk r winning the C profiled light- heavyweig ing title over Day P.12to; chine Gun' Fiddl February 2,1989 North America's No.1 Native Weekly Newspaper Volume 7 No. 48 Whooping cough epidemic hits 250 in Hobbema School, facilities close By Josie Auger Windspeaker Staff Writer HOBBEMA, ALTA. The Samson Band has closed its schools because of a whoop- ing cough epidemic that has hit 250 Hobbema residents. One day care, a kindergarten facility and a private school have closed in order for parents to have their children immunized and treated, said Samson Band Councillor Larron Northwest last week. On Jan. 18 the Hobbema Health Centre staff had 100 chil- dren diagnosed with whooping Samson Chief Victor Buffalo cough. It's spreading fast and the When Samson Chief Victor numbers will increase before it Buffalo found out about the epi- tapers off, said Mustoe. demic proportions, a public Last week Chief Buffalo de- Photo courtesy of The Edmonton Sun -old gets a hug her Danny, after Stonewalker defeated health meeting was held to in- cided to close the day care, kin- Three- year Poppy Stonewalker from dad, light champ Jan. 29. form the band members. dergarten and private school for Dave 'Machine Gun' Fiddler to become the Canadian -heavyweight on On Jan. 30 the caseload at the the parents to get their children health centre had soared to 250. immunized and treated. Over half of the whooping The schools and day care will Stonewalker punches way to title cough patients are under 10 reopen next week, said North- years of age, said Dr. Richard west. Mustoe, a federal medical serv- But closing the schools may Crowned Canadian light -heavyweight cham ices branch official. not be the wisest move, said Had parents maintained Mustoe. By John Holman "I was unloading my arrows a But Rutter viewed them proper immunization schedules, "We have been suggesting to Windspeaker Staff Writer little too fast for the Machine differently. the number of cases wouldn't be the principals to keep the schools Gun," boasted a stiff and sore "When you're cut that as high, he said. open. If you close the school, RED DEER, ALTA. Stonewalker, who now has a badly you have to be very But immunization is unpopu- then the children will pass it on record of 15 -4 -1. careful," he said. lar with parents because it has to throughout the rest of the com- Hobbema boxer Danny I pretty well had him figured The cuts made Stonewalker be done regularly and it causes munity. If the schools were to Stonewalker punched his way out. He was no threat, really. I a defensive fighter. He stayed swelling and pain for the chil- remain open, the teachers and to the top, grabbing the Cana- controlled the fight." on the outside rotecting his dren, he explained. staff could identify cases and dian light-heavyweight title But cuts above each eye cuts later in the fight when he inform parents to have kids Jan. 29. proved otherwise. A head butt in normally would have coun- treated," said Dr. Mustoe. The 28- year -old Metis won a the second round opened up old tered Fiddler's low ap- unanimous decision over Dave scar tissue and - a "legitimate proaches and wide "ha k Whooping cough symptoms 'Machine Gun' Fiddler of Ed- punch" in the third opened up ers" with an uppercut, Rutter are similar to the flu. They in- monton for the vacant title be- the second wound, according to explained. fore 1,600 at Red Ray Rutter, Stonewalker's chief "Had it not been for those a nose, a nagging spectators clude runny Deer's Westerner Exposition second and cut man. cuts he would have dropped cough, white mucus in the back Altaplex. Stonewalker denied being Fiddler in six or seven of the throat and shortness of Three judges awarded staggered, but admitted to being rounds," predicted Rutter. breath. Anyone with these Stonewalker a unanimous de- "disoriented" from a left hook to Even then, Stonewalker symptoms is advised to see their cision in the 12 -round bout, one the eardrum. punished Fiddler, knocking doctor. of five on a card deemed 'Judg- "The cuts weren't a big factor The virus has been spreading ment Day.' in the fight at all," he said. Con't page 3 throughout the rest of the prov- ince, but Native communities seem to be hardest hit. Wabasca, Atikameg and Driftpile have also fought the whooping cough epidemic. Immunization is the best preven- tion but antibiotics are available for treatment, said Mustoe. Paralysed Eden Valley Indian plans $2 million suit against RCMP - Alberta had about 650 cases of Page 2 whooping cough in 1989, up 3 from 149 in 1988. In 1984, there Northern Indian chiefs urge diseased bison be treated - Page were only 33 reported cases. Goodfish band launches major business expansion - Page 4 Whooping cough is regarded Page 7 as a dangerous illness, particu- Leonard Peltier anniversary sparks appeal - larly in babies who have not been Laura Vinson wins female recording artist of the year - Page 9 immunized. It can cause brain Home team wins Clifford Metchawais memorial tourney Page 15 damage and may be fatal. - PAGE 2, WINDSPEAKER, FEBRUARY 2, 1989 National Digest Paralysed man intends to launch Royal commission $2 million lawsuit against RCMP vindicates Donald Marshall, RCMP investigation into arrest condemns justice system complete HALIFAX- The myal commission into the wrongful mur- By Dana Wagg he said. gary Herald, quoting a family der conviction of MicMac Indian Donald Marshall has blasted Windspeaker Staff Writer John Szumlas, executive as- member, said Pelletier seemed police, lawyers and bureaucrats in Nova Scotia for their role in his sistant to Solicitor General Dick to be losing the will to live. unjust im nsonment.'The criminal justice system failed Donald CALGARY Fowler, said the minister was in But Devlin said he didn't get Marshalljr. at virtually every turn from hisarrestand wrongful no position to offer a detailed that impression. "He seemed conviction for murder in 1971 up to and even beyond his acquit- A lawyer for paralysed Rod- comment until the RCMP report quite strong and wanted to fight tal by the Court of Appeal in 11-83," the commission said. Ithas ney Pelletier intends to file a was received. on." mnduded the justice system in Nova Scotia is riddled with racism, multi -million dollar lawsuit But "it's a matter we don't Percy Potts, Treaty 6 vice - ineptitude and unfairness. Marshall, the son of thegrand chief of against the RCMP. treat lightly," he said. president with the Indian Asso- theMicmacs, spent 11 years in prison for the stabbing murder of The claim will be for at least Devlin said the claim will be ciation of Alberta said his "heart his black friend, Saaly qeale. He was released in 1982 after RCMP $2 million, "because of the seri- filed shortly but he declined to certainly goes out to both par- reviewed the case. The real killer, Roy Ebsary, died after spend- ousness of his injury, potential specify who will be named in ties - the members (of the po- ing one year in jail in 1986. loss of future income and costs the suit other than the RCMP. lice force) and the(Pelletier) fam- for future care," said lawyer He said he was instructed by ily." Brian Devlin Ma telephone inter- Potts said he's confident view from Calgary. Pelletier's paralysis was an acci- Pelletier, 21, a Treaty Indian "I'm sure nobody in dent Ontario study finds eight from Eden Valley Reserve, is in their right mind would I'm sure nobody in their the intensive care unit at Cal - go out and intentionally right mind would go out and in- 10 gary's Foothills Hospital para- paralyse a person." tentionally paralyse a person ". of Native women abused ysed from the neck down fol- - But he accused police of behav- TORONTO-Eight out of every 10 aboriginal women in On- lowing an arrest at his reserve, Percy Potts ing with a "Rambo mentality." tario have been battered, threatened or sexually abused by a family 64 km. southwest of Calgary. Potts said he's counting on member, according to a recent study. That's eight times the He was apprehended by Pelletier to file a claim after a recommendations to come for- Canadian average. Husbands were cited as the abuser by 84 per Turner Valley RCMP Jan. 16 at two -hour interview with inves- ward from the recently an- cent of victims. Almost all of the victims -82 per cent - want his home following a domestic tigating officer Sgt. Hugh Davis nounced probe on Native jus- charges laid. The Ontario Native Womeí sAssociation (ONWA) dispute. Family members accuse at which he was present. tice in Alberta to head off simi- study also found four of every 10 aboriginal children are "highly police of beating him after his A speech therapist skilled in lar episodes in the future. victimized." Association members were "devastated" by t or arrest. lip reading had to help them Sheila Pelletier, a teacher at findings. The ONWA wants between $750,000 and $1 million from Supt. Brian Davison, corn - understand what Pelletier was Plains Indian Cultural Survival the province to establish three healing lodges. manding officer of the Calgary saying because he can only move School in Calgary where Rod- RCMP detachment, said his of- his lips. ney was a student for two to fice has completed a criminal "He's unable to vocalize be- three years, described him as a investigation into the incident cause of the tracheotomy tube in "very, very likable person.