Top News - April - 2002
What kid doesn't like to play in water, whatever the time of year? Wassinode Webb, 6, takes time out from his studies in the Anishnaabe Bimadiziwin Cultural Learning Program at Burleigh Falls to slosh around.
Photo by Annette Francis.Judge clears driver, but case not closed
Indigenous Human Rights Week hosted by McMaster university
Shelter celebrates 10 years
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Judge clears driver, but case not closed
Roberta Avery, Windspeaker Contributor, Lion's HeadJust 10 days after a Native commercial fishing boat owner said he had concerns about his safety after a judge cleared him of any wrongdoing in the death of a teenager, his boat mysteriously sank while moored in a safe harbor.
Police are still investigating if Myles Jones' 50-foot boat was deliberately sunk, said Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Dan Hillman. It is the second time in two years that Jones' boat has sunk while moored.
On March 1, Jones, 49, of the Cape Croker reserve on the shores of Lake Huron, was found not guilty of trying to escape criminal charges or civil charges following the death of Nigel Johnston-Lavelley.
The 17-year-old died after being run over by a pick up truck driven by Jones at Cape Croker on Nov. 14, 1999.
"This was not a situation where an individual struck someone with their vehicle and left the scene, hoping not to be detected as the individual responsible," said Justice Robert Thompson in dismissing all charges against Jones.
When Jones discovered Johnston-Lavelley's body on the road he immediately contacted police and then returned to the scene and sought assistance from a neighbor. He then left to pick up a crewmember of his fishing boat to take him to the boat so the crewmember could start working, said the judge.
Jones returned to the scene and gave police a statement.
Jones told police he felt a slight bump as he went by what he thought was a dog lying in the road. This was just before 6 a.m. When he passed a few minutes later he saw it was the teen who for some unknown reason was lying face up in the middle of the road.
Jones initially didn't believe his vehicle had come in contact with the teen, but accepted police forensic evidence that it was his right rear wheel that had run over the youth.
Because Jones had left the accident scene to pick up his crewmember he was charged with failing to remain at an accident, but Judge Thompson found that his actions were "not those of a person trying to escape responsibility for an accident he knows he caused."
Johnston-Lavelley's family members were clearly shaken at the verdict.
"There is no justice," said Sandra Johnston-Lavelley.
Jones, who was escorted out of the court by several police officers, an unusually heavy police presence in this rural community, said only "this isn't over yet." Ten days later his boat could barely be seen as it lay on its side submerged in about 20 feet of water.
Several sailboats stored on the dock will need to be moved before the boat can be raised.
Jones' boat hasn't been the only target in the last two years. In early 2000 his house was burned to the ground and a few months later his truck was torched. No charges have been laid in connection with any of the incidents.
Indigenous Human Rights Week hosted by McMaster university
Dan Smoke-Asayenes, Birchbark Writer, Hamilton
McMaster University's Indigenous Studies Department played host during Human Rights Awareness Week held March 11 to 15.
Dr. Dawn Hill, the director of the department, Kim Anderson, a Cree/Métis author; and Sylvia Maracle, the Mohawk executive director of the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres addressed the topic of Aboriginal women, painting a bleak picture of the social inequities Native women suffer. This prompted a discussion on how this situation has evolved to this point.
Anderson, author of A Recognition of Being: Reconstructing Native Womanhood examined changes brought about to the status of Native women by means of colonization. She sees colonization as "the deliberate dismantling of the gender equity that we had in our societies in order to get at the resources."
Anderson explained that in many societies, older women held a good deal of political authority. It was generally understood that the decisions they made were about the wealth and the wellbeing of the future generations. She said the Indian Act, however, prohibited women from holding public office, from voting, and from speaking at public meetings.
Maracle is quoted in Anderson's book as saying, "the fact that I'm a Mohawk woman means that I have a license to make changes in the world."
Maracle insists, "we need to understand that what we're looking at in terms of human rights is justice. It's not going to come to us in law. There is no justice in law. Law has been created by men, in the interests of men, so that they can perpetuate the power imbalances that they stole in the beginning."
She maintains "the other thing that is going to have to happen is governance. We aren't going to go back to the traditional forms of government if we don't go back and articulate power and articulate ways for women to be involved."
She asserted that any governance had better include 52 per cent representation by Aboriginal women.
"That's what we are as part of this society...52 per cent of the resources are not spent on us. Fifty-two per cent of the power is not housed in our hands, but more than 52 per cent of the responsibilities for our future are."
She contends that "men are going to have to unlearn the colonizers' behaviors and learn to sit and be silent," while women, "are going to have to learn to find our way, to make our mistakes, to be responsible for ourselves and to articulate that direction."
Norma General, Cayuga faithkeeper and Elder in the Indigenous Studies Department, talked about the importance of "connecting with the blood memory."
She explained.
"It's such a marvelous thing because it gives me the freedom to travel within my mind and to reconnect with the ancestors to help bring the teachings forward."
Ward Churchill, author of 22 books and professor of American Studies at the University of Colorado, delivered the keynote address.
He said the internationally-accepted definition of genocide is: 1) outright killing of members of the targeted group; 2) implementation of policies causing severe physical or psychological harm; 3) attacking the conditions which allow the group to maintain its lifestyle; 4) forced prevention of births; and 5) forced transfer of children.
Canada adopted a modified definition of genocide in 1952, deleting the second and fifth definitions of genocidal actions and, in 1986, the fourth action was also removed. Even so, the majority of people don't recognize that genocide has occurred.
"There's an incredible wall of denial," he said, but from that acknowledgment you can begin to work towards constructive resolution.
"We can't undo what has been done, but we can alter the outcomes."
Churchill spoke about his enlistment in the Vietnam War. He was told that it was America's duty under international treaty to fight, yet he came to see that the U.S. disregarded the treaties his own people had signed with that country. He discussed a paper written by Jean-Paul Sartre, entitled "On Genocide" from which came the equation, "colonialism equals genocide." He argues that the decolonization movement of North America's Indigenous people has inevitably been an armed struggle, because one side (the government) is always unrestrictedly armed.
"We have common ground," Churchill said. "And to the extent that we have common ground, we have a common struggle. And to the extent that we have a common struggle we have the possibility of creating an alternately and infinitely better future for our coming generations-seven generations into the future-and that is something to which we all, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, can aspire."Dan Smoke-Asayenes , Birchbark Writer, London
"We chose International Women's Day, March 8, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our shelter, Zhaawanong" said Darlene Ritchie, executive director of Atlohsa Native Family Healing Services Agency.
Zhaawanong means "south" in Ojibway, referring to the direction which signifies warmth, change, nurturing and renewal in Aboriginal culture, qualities that are promoted at the shelter.
The Zhaawanong shelter is one of three women's shelters serving the London region. It provides protection and safe shelter for up to 42 days in a supportive, healing environment. Programs focus on intervention and holistic crisis counseling (group or individual), the understanding of the cycle of violence; the promotion of health and wellness, the prevention of family violence. The shelter provides traditional healing circles, emergency transportation, and referral and advocacy while clients are in transition. A crisis telephone line is also operated.
Ojibway Elder Mary Sturgeon and Oneida Elder Howard Elijah opened the March 8 program with good words. Elijah was helped by a young Oneida girl, Kahnatine, a student from the Tsi'niyukwaliho:t^, the Natural Way Learning Centre on the Oneida settlement near London. He shared a teaching.
"If you want to be happy in this life, all you have to do is make sure that your mother feels good about what you are doing in your life. And if you want to be happy about life, and you have a grandmother, if she feels good about what you are doing, then you're doing the right thing. We should respect the female side, and if we do that then the women will understand what life is about...so, we want to thank you because life wouldn't be here if it weren't for the women."
The Ogitchidaw Kwe Ok Singers, a women's drum group, sang healing songs and helped to create a sacred atmosphere. A highlight of the afternoon was an eagle feather presentation to each of the founding grandmothers whose vision created Atlohsa and Zhaawanong.
The seven grandmothers honored were Bernice Ireland, Letitia "Tish" Antone, Donna Sears, Susan McPhail, Pauline Doxtator, Carol Trafford, and Rosemary Albert. An honor song paid tribute to their service to the Native community of the region.
A grand feast was prepared by Sandra Hopkins Catering, a new business founded by the shelter administrator, Sandra Hopkins, who welcomed everyone. She spoke of the dedicated commitment of the 16 staff members who ensure a safe 16-bed environment for women and families.
Hopkins noted the shelter is running over capacity at 101 per cent.
Gloria Mulcahy Alvernaz, president of the board of directors, outlined the history of Atlohsa from its beginning on Oct. 26, 1987.
A committee formed in l984 was helped by another London agency to become incorporated, with some limited funding, as Atenlos. The name was changed to Atlohsa in 1998, and means "spiritual seed" in the Oneida language.
Mary Deleary, a past board member, told how she and Dorothy Wassegijig-Kennedy were given tobacco to select a fitting name for the women's shelter. The word Zhaawanong "reflects the southern doorway and direction from which renewal and change take place in a person's life...This is the beginning for people so they can continue to grow strong and find healing, and then new life," she said.
