QUOTABLE QUOTE "But Natives with AIDS are coming home to die and people don't know how to treat them. They need to know the facts." - Kevin Barlow, First Nations Task Force outreach worker See Page 12 I I No. 25 $1.00 February 28 - March 13, 1994 Canada's National Aboriginal News Publication Volume plus G.S.T where applicable Janusz (John) Zalewski Heading home A Dene man walks through the silence of a winter day near Dettah, on the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. His solitary figure highlights the vast open spaces and peacefulness of a northern winter. To receive Windspeaker in your mailbox every two weeks, just Irwin storms out of chiefs' meeting send yo. - order --- lation that is almost revisiting S.T. By D.B. Smith in the the Constitution. We made this Windspeaker Staff Writer "I'm not saying if I walked, or clear. We are not going into the in saying we had big processes like Meech Lake ran or trotted. I' Accord. EDMONTON and the Charlottetown 15 IE a meeting. They can say what We are not looking at that type EDA RTA Self- government negotia- they want about the meeting ... " of legislation in the House." tions Ottawa and Al- - Ron Irwin, Minister of But Irwin told the Commons between the next berta chiefs took a turn for the Indian Afairs during question period NAMI worse this month. day that he left the meeting be- Indian Affairs Minister Ron cause he did not like the coun- Irwin stormed out of a meeting cil's attitude. Irwin refused to comment The Sawridge Band is one of ADDI with the chiefs of the Lesser Slave said Sawridge Chief Walter Lake Indian Regional Council Twinn. on the actual incident, saying he the richest in the country, he from Feb. 20 after council members "It's an insult to the Parlia- would prefer to remain silent said in reply to a question model for ment of Canada when a minis- until a successful negotiation is Val Meredith, the Reform MP CITY presented their own self -government. ter just walks out." reached. for Surrey White Rock -South "He pointed at the lawyer Self- government must be "I'm not saying if I walked, Langley. Catherine (Twinn) and said 'I'm based on territory, not race, he or ran or trotted. I'm saying we "And that band is saying to POSI not afraid of you'," said council added. The Sawridge model's had a meeting. They can say its people, 'We will not share'. Grand Chief Robert Horseman. municipal -style approach to what they want about the meet- That's not the way this govern- "We proposed a self- govern- self -government was designed ing .... Unless we reach suc- ment or Canadians should op- $10 charge on all ment model that was worked from precedents set out by the cesses, then I'll come up and erate." share the successes with you." Ottawa is chiefly concerned NSF Cheques on by the Sawridge Band ... and Sechelt Act, the Cree -Neskapi he just basically wouldn't look Act and the Indian Act to give The minister insisted he did with dissolving the Indian Act $40 for all subscriptions in at it." the band control over their own not slight the council, only their and then sorting out changes outside Canada The council has spent more territory. proposal, which was a process jurisdicti onover issues like edu- "And we're say- that did not recognize the inher- cation, housing, justice with the Feb 28/94 than seven years and countless that's what L J band dollars to develop the ing. We have to have a govern- ent right to self -government. provinces, Irwin said. "This is the Sawridge legis- See form, page 3. PUBLICATION MAIL REGISTRATION 12177 Sawridge Self -Government Act, ment for our reserves." 00111._ PAGE 2, FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 13, 1994, WINDSPEAKER News Blood council guilty of contempt charges By Barb Grinder and D.B. Smith the group until March 29 to give Council will conduct band eastern Alberta reserve, Canada's Windspeaker Writers the band enough time to hold an business as usual. All current and largest, think Frank's name should election, an event she hoped would future legal costs for Frank, Fox appear on the ballets. purge the council of contempt. and the 12 councillors are to come "He's a good leader," said Keith CALGARY Frank and the 12 councillors from Blood tribe funds. Chief Moon. "I think he want's signed a deal agreeing to hold the 'We need to move forward what's best for the people." The dispute between Blood general election in which any Blood now," Frank said. This has been Chief Frank said he's spent chief Harley Frank and the tribe's band member can run. The deal very bad for our people, but I think more than $70,000 on legal bills council came to an end Feb. 15, at also reimburses Frank his overdue our people are smart, they'll choose this year, though he's tried to keep least as far as the Federal Court is salary and costs incurred from le- the right candidates." expenses down. Council's legal concerned. gal fees. Nominations were to be held costs aren't known but are sure to Justice Barbara Reed found all Former Chief Roy Fox, who Feb. 25 for the March election, but be a prime election issue. 12 council members guilty of con- was elected chief in the illegal June Frank had not decided whether Fox, who originally lost the tempt for breaching court orders 30, 1993 byelection, agreed to step he'd run again. chief position to Frank in a No- against locking Frank out of his down from the position. But he "I have to discuss it with my vember, 1992 election, said he'll office and holding an illegal will receive all salary owed to him family. This has been very hard on definitelyruninthe upcomingelec- byelection last summer. and will be reimbursed all legal them." tionin hopes of restoring harmony But Reed delayed sentencing fees as well. But key people on the south- on the reserve. SALUTE TO WOMEN Sherry Marie Wilson and Self- government definition elusive Leona Yurkoski both have stories to tell success By D.B. Smith part of the self- government package. - The federal government is chiefly con- stories. Wilson, a 35 -year- Windspeaker Staff Writer Ottawa's line on the issue has not changed old Metis, recently received cerned with dissolving the Indian Act substantially in the last month, although the her Doctorate of Philoso- and then sorting out changes in juris- minister of Indian affairs admitted he's operat- EDMONTON ing without a concise definition for self-gov- phy from the University of diction with the provinces. ernment. Calgary. Yurkoski, a 40- It appears that defining Native self -gov- - Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin The federal government is chiefly con- year -old Metis, has sup- ernment for the sake of forthcoming federal cerned with dissolving the Indian Act and pl ied trmporary workers for negotiations will be no easy task, not even for Mercredi said. "But it wouldn't be limited to then sorting out changes in jurisdiction with Calgary busniessesforthe the Natives. just program delivery." the provinces, Indian Affairs Minister Ron past 13 years, six of them One month has passed since Ottawa first But simply transferring jurisdiction over Irwin said. as manager of Kelly Tem- announced its intention to recognize Aborigi- programs such as education, health care, hous- Although he is "not sure of the exact type porary Services. nal self- government outside the Constitution. ing and justice does not equate to self- govern- of self -government" Natives want, the minis- And everyone, from the federal Indian affairs ment because many bands already exercise ter is certain the right can be recognized with- minister to national Native is that right Indian Act, See Pages 7 & 8. leaders, having under the he said. out further constitutional change. an easier time defining what Native self-gov- The right to self -rule must include but is Mercredi said he also advised Irwin to ernment won't be rather than what it will be. not limited toexclusivejurisdiction over those deal with outstanding issues such as land NORTH OF 55 Meetings in Edmonton between federal, programs, Mercredi said. claims and to recognize treaty law. provincial and Native leaders Feb. 17 to 20 "It would also involve upholding our Ottawa must also back off on the issue of The Winter Olympics in produced little consensus on what i means side of the treaties." band membership, he said. Norway have nothing on and even less agreement on how to apply it. Treaties signed between the Crown and "Defining your membership is an aspect the celebrations soon to "It could involve administration of pro- the First Nations are agreements between two of government. But at the same time, we also explode in Slave Lake, Al- grams, which is something that we now do," nations, he said. Maintaining Native integrity say we have to respect the rights of all of our Assembly First Nations as it berta. Contingents from of Grand Chief Ovide relates to those treaties would have to be individual members," he said. communities across the north, from Alaska to Rus- sia, are gathering there to Bloc trying to discredit Indians - Mohawks compete in the hottest ath- OTTAWA letic event of 1994 - The spread rumors of an impending and Kahnawake from Valcartier, responsible for any of the rumors by Arctic Winter Games.