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Page 16 International News Do Native people have as much rights as Caribou? By Kerry Coast Recently, BC Supreme Court held up a coal mine near Chetwynd because their plans would spell the extinction of the Burnt Pine caribou herd. There’s about a dozen of them. On the other hand, Newfoundland and Labrador governments are trying to stop Quebec Innu from hunting the Red Wine caribou herd there. The caribou is their sustenance. There’s a roadblock happening. Tolko logging company won a court injunction against Okanagan protesters of logging in Brown’s Creek, the Little Okanagan Indian Band’s drinking water supply. According to BC’s new Forest Practices Act, Liberal new, it’s fine to develop any area that is essential habitat to Species at Risk if the alternative renders the development ‘impracticable.” Translation: “do what’s cheapest for you.” What is interesting about this recent BCSC ruling is that the courts would seem to be saying that BC’s rules which permit driving species to extinction are not acceptable. BC regulations would have allowed the coal mine to destroy some of the last remaining habitat of the Burnt Pine herd. The court said it was because of the West Moberly First Nation’s objections that the herd must be spared in a new plan. The same courts decided it was fine to destroy the last buffers around the Okanagan Band’s water reservoir. If you look at a Google satellite map of Brown’s Creek, where Tolko wants to continue to log - in spite of the area being under court revision of aboriginal rights (no longer title, it was ruled out) in the Jules, Wilson case, you can see there is precious little forest standing to allay any number of slides into the reservoir. The same courts are probably going to agree that the Prosperity Project, which makes the Tsilhqot’in Fish Lake into a mine tailings dump, is fine to go ahead. Technically, the BC courts say, it is okay to destroy an Indian Band’s water, fishing, hunting and gathering supply area. Not so for the caribou. Incidentally, there are more than a dozen Okanagan IB members. What is in the cross hairs is the many governments of Canada’s policies towards Indian Bands, and the courts’ nonchalant capitulation. So what is a species? Are only animal species protected by the court? What about human species? What about extinction? Perhaps that is a moot point, considering the Comprehensive Claims Policy of 1974, which underlines the BC Treaty process and demands extinguishment of title and indemnification of “any and all” parties who may have harmed the people in the past. Language extinction is a regular concern in this newspaper, to say nothing of the decimation of whole villages of people by removal of their right to resource. Seventeen Chiefs signed the Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe. There are eleven Lillooet communities today. Clearly the West Moberly Band has already stopped hunting the caribou - there are only eleven. From other articles in this paper alone you can see indigenous people have given up access to the resources - fisheries, forest or water, because there isn’t enough to sustain itself. BC has no such legislation. While the aboriginal people seem to be the first ones in BC who will go to court to advocate for their dependence on natural resources (think sockeye), and the ensuing responsibility to protect them in perpetuity, the courts have nothing to add to government policy on extinguishing aboriginal peoples, whether through legislation or disruption of access to resource (think Indian Reserves). Caribou can be protected. Indian Bands, no. As the Labrador example shows, if it had been West Moberly that wanted to hunt the Burnt Pine caribou, they probably would have been shut down, too. While nothing in Canada protects an Indian Band from certain ends, the Indian Bands are still, in most cases, trying to get courts to protect the animals. Who will the judges turn to when they are faced with the extinction of the common butterfly, and no one will speak for them? The St’át’imc Runner April 2010 Missing Justice arrested by Strahl On Monday, March 29 At 12:50pm RCMP officers arrested six women who were peacefully refusing to leave Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl’s office until he pledged to restore funding to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. The sit-in began at 12:05pm. “By cutting the funding to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and having us arrested for protesting these cuts, Harper is denying Peoples’ Climate Summit Endorois can return to their land The African Union’s ruling that Kenya’s minority group, the Endorois, return to their land; be compensated for their forceful eviction; receive royalties from the earnings of the reserve and be given first priority in employment opportunities in the reserve is a great milestone on justice. The sub-group of the Kalenjin people (now numbering about 60 000) have fought a 12 –year protracted court battle against the Kenya government for being forceful eviction from their ancestral land in 1973 that paved way for a national reserve and tourist facility. The ruling is a slap on effective services to thousands of residential school survivors,” said Maya Rolbin-Ghanie, a member of the Montreal-based grassroots group Missing Justice and among those arrested. “Harper and Strahl’s budget cuts affect 134 organizations across Canada, including the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal,” said Monica van Schaik, another member who was arrested. Bolivian President Evo Morales, announcing the objectives of the upcoming Peoples Climate Summit, made it clear that the socalled developed countries of the world have usurped the bounties of Mother Earth at the expense of the poorest people in the world. Cautioning mankind of the suffering and displacement which leads to forced migration, Morales called for The Peoples World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth's Rights, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, April 19-22, 2010. Morales said climate change represents a real threat to the existence of humanity, of living being and Mother Earth. The danger is serious for the islands, coastal areas, glaciers in the Himalayas, the Andes, mountains of the world, poles of the Earth, warm regions like Africa, water sources, populations affected by increasing natural disasters, plants, animals and ecosystems, he said. "Those most affected by climate change will be the poorest in the world who will see their homes and their sources of survival destroyed, and who will be forced to migrate and seek refuge." He pointed out that 75 percent of historical emissions of greenhouse gases originated in "the countries of the North that followed a path of irrational industrialization." African governments that alienate their citizenry from development programs. Such a move has given rise to natural resource conflicts such as the human-wildlife conflict in Kenya . The same story is replicated in Nigeria’s Niger Delta; DR Congo and Sudan . The AU verdict thus calls upon African governments to think long-term and put their people first to realize any meaningful development. Development that is external oriented will only serve to produce nice graphs with no meaningful impact at the grassroots hence inflaming passions. - The African Executive, March 24 WebCrawler fnuniv.wordpress.com A blog for supporters of First Nations University of Canada, which “offers undergraduate and graduate degrees within an environment of Indian culture and history combining First Nation-oriented and standard areas of study in all programs.” FNUV’s funding has been cut.
Ka-hál'ha I pétsklha 2010 The St’át’imc Runner McIvor case wins Indian Status to children of women who married-out non-Indian; and b. whose children born of that marriage had the grandchild with a non-Indian after September 4, 1951. There is no automatic right to membership that is associated with the legislative amendment concept. First Nations determine their own memberships under Section 10 of the Indian Act, or otherwise under self-government arrangements. These First International News Page 17 Nations will determine any potential new members in accordance with their chosen membership criteria. It is estimated that those First Nations whose memberships continue to be determined by the status inheritance rules of the Indian Act will have 28,584 individuals newly entitled to membership and Indian registration in 2009. Amendments to the Indian Act following the McIvor case will provide Indian registration under Section 6(2) of the Indian Act to any grandchild of a woman: a. who lost status due to marrying a This chart was produced by the Ministry of Indian and Northern Affairs in its “Estimates of Demographic Implications From Indian Registration Amendment,” March 2010. It shows the number of people expected to be eligible to claim Indian Status, and whether they will likely live on or off Reserve. Rave Reviews for Evolve Fashion Show at Talking Stick Festival By Nadine Spence Evolve-"envision the spirit that evolves the style" Bee The Change Aboriginal Arts Society Fashion Show was held February 26 at the Talking Stick Festival with an eager and appreciative audience. During the show, at times you could see the designers in the dark gathered together behind the stage encouraging each other, complementing each other and proud of each other… something very rare in the fashion business. Models consisted of male and female volunteers from the age of 12 and up. Their various sizes gave the designs a realistic feel. Helen Mcphaden of Stardale Womens Group of Saskatchewan and Calgary gave a presentation on her programs that support Aboriginal women and girls in poverty, abuse and sexual exploitation; and provided supporting materials for the guests. This presentation had brought many of the audience to a better awareness of issues many aboriginal women face today. The show can be described as a movement of aboriginal design in all its diversity representing Canada with an unspeakable creative energy and minds working together. Bruno Henry opened the show with his hand worked molded leather works of art (he doesn't use sewing machines for his designs). Ringing Bell Robes local Hope BC designer Linda K. Peters showcased many different tribal influences that inspire her. Sho Sho Esquiro impressed Bee The Change with her design skills and she blew the audience away with her recycled materials, bold and contrasting colours bustiers and men's hoodies were a breath of fresh air. Disa Tootoosis’ free flowing burgundy, reds and black tops and skirts; form flattering for many sizes with just a hint of Plains motifs and symbolism. Swirling Wind Designs (Tracey Toulouse) as always, her Ojibwa designs on modern cut pieces sent a strong powerful message of pride and forward thinking. Tracey George Heese of Timeless Shadows Apparel showcased beautifully decorated bone & beaded jackets and crisp & colourful men's ribbon shirts. Rev/Evo Fashions Designer: Cedar and Berry (Gloria Cardinal) Photo: Luis Valdizon designer, Nadine Spence, presented her recycled wools, natural dyes, silk hemp and birch bark bustier showing the use of material traditionally utilized in a modern way. And last but not least the show closed with the talent of Cedar and Berry, Vancouver's very own talent designer Gloria Cardinal’s retro bathing suits in stripes definitely turned heads, ending with her evening wear silk satin gowns with hand beaded designs. For more info on the event and designers, contact Nadine Spence at: 250 491 1308 or online: http://beethechange. shawwebspace.ca Designer: Disa Tootoosis Photo: Luis Valdizon Model: Denni
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