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Terrying About
Winners and achievers shine
By Terry Lusty
Tansi!
Winners, winners, winners. Isn't it
wonderful!
All over the province, achievers and
sport competitions have been producing all kinds of achievers
and role models.
Ft. McMurray: The Feb. 21 Regional Aboriginal
Recognition Awards acknowledged the achievements of 20 or so
people who were most deserving. Congratulations all of you, especially
to lifetime achiever, Eva McKenzie and 105-year-old Rapheal Cree.
Anzac: From Feb. 21 to 22, a mere 40
km south of Fort McMurray found the 15th Annual Anzac Winterfest,
which hosted all sorts of events, ranging from crib to snowmobile
drag races. From Native country, however, the big thing was the
"sigow," the King and Queen of the North Competition.
At the senior level, the brother-sister
duo of George and Alice Martin took first place and $500, while
Ryan Martin and Sherri Martin-McKenzie placed second and George
Whiteknife and Niki Harris came third.
In the juniors, the winners were Crystal
Powder and Clayton Roy, followed by Miranda McKenzie and Matthew
Alook.
The carnival also held a fishing derby,
Barni-Birkie Ski Race, Skijoring and Kids Karnival.
Gift Lake: Métis Settlement councillor
Terry Anderson reports that hockey is going great guns over his
way. The Lakeland Eagles, made up of players from Atikameg, Gift,
Peavine, East Prairie and Sucker Creek are in their second series
of the season. They beat out Manning recently and now have to
get through a few more teams.
At the Alberta Winter Games in High
Prairie, the Allies co-ed volleyball team took home gold and
expect to compete in the Alberta Summer Games. The location is
TBA.
Sucker Creek: This community produced
a gold medalist in boxing from 14-year-old Erin Willier at the
Alberta Winter Games in Red Deer. Wow!
Blood Reserve: Yet another community
to grab medals in boxing: The Blood Reserve's Kenny Frank won
in the Golden Gloves and the Silver Gloves Provincials in Lethbridge
just recently.
Also from Blood Country, congrats to
Charlton WeaselHead, who was named a basketball All-Canadian
by the Canadian Colleges Athletic Conference. A second year guard
with the Lethbridge Community College Kodiaks, he led the team
to a second-place finish in the Conference and advanced to the
final four.
Peigan Reserve: A great big congratulations
to local Elders Joe and Josephine Crowshoe - two more recipients
of National Aboriginal Achievement Awards held on March 12 in
Toronto!
Siksika Reserve: This Blackfoot reserve
has opened a new daycare centre near their elementary school.
At the helm is Claudia Calf Robe.
Kikino Métis Settlement: Gloria
Collins informs us that they are gearing up for the summer rodeo
season and are really looking forward to the Kikino 9th Silver
Birch Rodeo and Celebration Days, which are a true local highlight.
The August 7 to 9 event usually attracts about 30 chuckwagons
and about the same number of pony chariots. Fireworks, a talent
show, steak supper and dance are other activities.
Edmonton: Most of the talent for the
May 29 to June 3 Dreamspeaker Festival is now confirmed with
the line-up including; Ulali, Maree Sheehan, Allpa Kallpa, Aaron
Peters, Dene Tha Drummers, Mountain Song, The Dream Team, Harley
Davis, Magoo Crew, Dallas Arcand, Eagle & Hawk, Fred Mitchell,
Mitch Daigneault and youth performer Chandelle Gouchui. This
year's Retrospect is actor Wes Studi with Dale Auger serving
as the event's emcee.
No
answers, no culprits in leaked letter investigation
By Paul Melting tallow
Sweetgrass Writer
TSUU T'INA FIRST NATION
The results of an investigation into how a letter sent by
Tsuu T'ina First Nation band member Bruce Starlight to Indian
Affairs minister Jane Stewart ended up in the hands of Tsuu T'ina
chief Roy Whitney have produced more questions than answers.
Ron Newman, the security officer with the Department of Citizenship
and Immigration, presented his investigation report on Feb. 26.
Newman concluded the 10 page report by saying that, "Collected
facts in this investigation do not permit the identification
of the individual who released a copy of the Bruce Starlight
letter to Chief Whitney."
No information uncovered in the investigation placed any direct
blame for the leak with minister Stewart or staff of Indian Affairs.
Barring any further information coming to light, the investigation
is closed.
The letter in question was faxed by Starlight on Oct. 20 last
year, and contained allegations of mismanagement by the Tsuu
T'ina chief. A copy of the letter was provided anonymously to
the chief in mid November.
Chief Whitney then took action to sue Starlight for libel.
Starlight said the lack of action coming from the investigation
report was anticipated.
"I'm not surprised by it," Starlight said. "I
didn't expect anything positive from them."
Starlight and his supporters don't give the report any credibility.
"It was just a waste of time as far as I'm concerned,"
Starlight said, adding that one federal department investigating
another federal department is anything but impartial.
"It's like asking the coyote to say who ate the chickens
while the coyote is hiccuping. . . It was just a farce,"
he said. "I would have liked to have the Privacy Commission
do its own investigation and a private firm hired to do it -
Either that or the RCMP, then it would be little more thorough.
But the way it is, it doesn't look like they put any effort into
it."
Roy Littlechief, with the Committee Against Injustices to
Natives, an Alberta Aboriginal organization which has been backing
Starlight, is also skeptical of the report, the process it took
and minister Stewart's handling of it.
"The problem came from the civil service within her department
and she went and appointed someone from the civil service to
do the investigation," Littlechief said. "She wasn't
too sincere about the investigation."
Kelly Ronan, Stewart's press secretary, said that when the
leak was discovered the department treated it very seriously.
They went straight to the RCMP, but were told to handle it internally.
"Upon learning that there was a disclosure of Starlight's
letter, one of the first things that we did was contact the RCMP
to advise them of the disclosure," Ronan said. "They
informed us that it was a matter for the department to deal with."
Although their own investigation did not turn up a specific
individual, it did make a series of recommendations to better
secure sensitive material coming into the department. The recommendations
included educating departmental staff on the handling of sensitive
documents, developing procedures to deal with sensitive documents,
using secured fax machines, better tracking of letters within
the department and tightening up security in the department to
prevent any future leaks.
With all these changes called for, Starlight said his letter
has opened up a can of worms about the department's current security
status.
"What concerns me is what were the rules before,"
Starlight said.
adding that if staff members within the department were not
required to take an oath of secrecy, then common etiquette should
have dictated that information not be leaked. "I mean that's
a given. It's like they don't care."
Preston Manning, the leader of the Reform Party, has also
sided with Starlight. Manning has asked the government's Privacy
Commissioner to investigate the apparent breach of the Privacy
Act.
Under the act, personal information under the control of the
government about an individual and his/her views about someone
else cannot be released by the government without the consent
of the individual. Anyone wanting to gain access to any individual's
personal information must make an official request through the
Access to Information Act. The Privacy Commission must then approve
the request before the information is released.
In the case of Whitney, all reports indicate that he was not
aware of the letter until it was leaked to him and he did not
make a request for access to information.
Whitney, however, has not been available for comment.
The Privacy Commissioner's report is expected to be released
in the upcoming months.
Starlight is still looking for assistance in fighting the
legal battle against Whitney. As of the Alberta Sweetgrass deadline,
it appeared that the government was considering paying for the
legal costs.
The Indian Affairs department is discussing whether or not
they will assist Starlight. They will contact him to work out
any details.
The department also confirmed that minister Stewart has attempted
to contact Starlight directly to inform him about the findings
of the investigation and the possibility of financial assistance.
Starlight said he suspects any financial support he receives
from the minister may require him to remain quiet. He also feels
that Whitney's case against him is being funded by government
money. Officials at Indian Affairs said the Tsuu T'ina band has
agreed to pay for the legal case with band funds.
The Starlight camps sees that as an improper use of government
resourses.
Whether or not this case even gets to court, supporters of
Starlight are pleased that the incident has put focus onto the
workings of Indian Affairs and the accountability of government
and band councils toward reserve members.
"What we're hoping. . . is that there be a total investigation
of Indian Affairs," Littlechief said. "We're hoping
that the authority of chief and council be stripped and find
a solution to accountability where the people will be involved
and where the chief and council will have to be accountable to
the people."
The Committee Against Injustices to Natives has set up a defense
fund for Starlight's and is accepting donations at any Calgary
branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Art
work to pay for expedition home
By Rob McKinley
Sweetgrass Writer
EDMONTON
Roger Deranger wants to go back home.
The Fort McMurray artist, who's traditional Denesuline name
is Dene K'izi (The way of our people), has made his way down
from northern Alberta to Edmonton with two original paintings
and a portfolio of his other works. By selling his art, he wants
to make enough money to go back to his family's traditional encampment
site in northern Saskatchewan.
 Deranger
is looking for help to pay for transportation back to Luezan
Tue (Carswell Lake), located about 40 km south of Lake Athabasca
and 350 km north of La Loche, Sask.
Deranger, who was born in Uranium City, Sask., moved with
his parents many times when he was younger. The nomadic family
settled for some time at what he calls their traditional encampment
at Carswell Lake.
Deranger, several members of his family and some friends now
want to go back to their ancestral home and make it their own
again.
Using his natural talents as an artist, Deranger hopes his
Dene-style paintings will catch the attention of some potential
buyers, enabling him to pay for expenses, transportation and
start-up supplies for his planned trip later this spring.
The appeal of living in practical isolation in northern Saskatchewan
is simple, he said, explaining that his people needed to step
away from modern society and go back to their traditional roots.
"We are living between two worlds," he said. "Some
of us feel more comfortable living in our traditional, ancient
lifestyles," he said.
Deranger said there are already about two dozen people who
are interested in moving to the area. They will live off the
land by fishing and hunting. Other food supplies will be purchased
from stores in La Loche. For the younger members at the camp,
education will be available through family members who are certified
teachers. Standard subjects will be taught as well as traditional,
cultural and spiritual education, Deranger said.
A lot of the ideas so far are just that, ideas, but Deranger
said things will fall together once they get back to their land.
"Once we get up there, then we are going to have to get
together and figure out how we are to become economically self-sufficient,"
he said, adding that money is not a priority. "Money is
not the issue. We are people who can get by on the very least."
But some start-up money would be appreciated, he said.
He has already appealed to different levels of government
and Aboriginal agencies for initial funding. His letter, which
was sent out earlier this year, asked for $5,000 to help get
the encampment going.
So far his letters have had no response. Making the bus trip
from Fort McMurray to Edmonton with his art was necessary to
raise some money and awareness to the project.
"Right now we have nothing," he said. "We need
help from anywhere we can."
Anyone wishing to contribute to Deranger's journey home can
contact Mr. Flett, at #114, 2606-139 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta,
T5Y 1A1.
For information on Deranger's paintings, contact Alberta Sweetgrass
by calling 455-2945.
Privacy
boss' report calls I/A policies 'lax'
By Rob McKinley
Sweetgrass Writer
OTTAWA
An investigation by Canada's Privacy Commissioner into how
a letter from Tsuu T'ina First Nation member Bruce Starlight
made its way from the Indian Affairs department and into the
hands of Tsuu T'ina Chief Roy Whitney, has found no new evidence,
but offers a very critical review of how Indian Affairs handles
sensitive correspondence from the public.
In a statement issued on March 5, Privacy Commissioner Bruce
Phillips said his office could not find who was responsible for
the leak of the letter, which questioned accountability and financial
management on the Calgary-area reserve. Phillips added that the
culprits "perhaps never will be identified."
Part of the difficulty in finding the leak, he said, was the
"lax manner in which correspondence was handled" at
Indian Affairs.
The Privacy Commission's investigation did find that Starlight's
rights under the Privacy Act had been breached by Indian Affairs.
Despite the findings, Phillips pointed out that under the
Privacy Act, no compensation can be provided to Starlight.
"Mr. Starlight might find some comfort in knowing that
his case was directly responsible for exposing a serious problem
in a major government institution . . . he has been instrumental
in providing a solution," noted Phillips.
Starlight doesn't care if he has helped put Indian Affairs
under the microscope. He just wants his letter to be answered.
"The leaking of the letter is immaterial, but the contents
of the letter - that's what I want to know about."
Starlight fears that once the dust settles on the problems
at Indian Affairs, the concerns written in the letter will be
forgotten.
"Are they going to forget about the real issue?"
Starlight asked.
Since the Indian Affairs' first investigation, Starlight said
he has received phone calls from Minister Jane Stewart and several
of her departmental staffers. The attention is nice, he said,
but it's not for the right reasons.
"It's all about the letter, it's not about what the concerns
were inside the letter," he said.
While the government investigates itself and tries to correct
changes, there are still unanswered questions about accountability
and financial mismanagement. Nothing has changed since he wrote
the letter six months ago. He hasn't heard anything about those
concerns.
Legal action by the Tsuu T'ina chief prohibits Starlight from
saying exactly what he put in the letter.
What he can say about the letter is that it was just questions,
and all he wants is answers. He is open to the suggestion that
his reserve might be running smoothly, but until his letter gets
a response, he doesn't know.
"I'm prepared for a debate. Maybe there's nothing wrong,"
he said.
Though considering legal action against Indian Affairs, Starlight
said he wishes the matter could have been resolved on a more
personal level.
He said he has made attempts to approach the chief and council,
but hasn't been successful in getting their attention. Making
things worse is the fact that many people on the small reserve
are related, and Chief Whitney is Starlight's cousin.
Amid all the uncertainties this issue has caused, Starlight
is positive of one thing: He won't be writing anymore letters
to Indian Affairs.
"Not with what's happened. This has really soured my
trust of them," he said.
Chief Roy Whitney has been away from the Tsuu T'ina band office
and has not been able to be reached for comment.
Treaty
7 hosts conference
By Rob McKinley
Sweetgrass Staff Writer
CALGARY
For the first time in the 11 year history of the Community
Futures business conferences, an Aboriginal organization has
been selected to host the event.
From May 31 to June 3, the Treaty Seven Economic Development
Corporation will see representatives from small business, government,
and the Aboriginal community participate in a premier small business
conference for Western Canada.
The conference theme is, "Forging a Future Together Through
Entrepreneurship.".
The idea behind Community Futures is to assist in the development
and creation of small business. Across western Canada, 90 communities
have Community Futures Development Corporation offices. Independent
and non-profit, Community Futures has played a major role in
establishing small business operations as an integral part of
Canada's economy.
The conference is to be held in Calgary and many guests, speakers
and dignitaries are expected to attend.
So far, the Treaty Seven Economic Development Corporation
has an impressive line-up of scheduled guests. They include Assembly
of First Nations Grand Chief Phil Fontaine, Premier Ralph Klein,
all seven chiefs of Treaty 7, Irene Pfeiffer, the president of
Calgary's Chamber of Commerce, and Dr. Leroy Little Bear, a professor
at Harvard University. In total, the conference is expected to
draw more than 500 participants.
Since the Treaty Seven group is hosting the event, they hope
to shed some special focus on First Nations businesses and entrepreneurs.
The conference will also hold a mini-trade show to showcase
Aboriginal businesses.
In keeping with this year's conference theme, the Treaty Seven
group hopes to show people attending the conference how Aboriginal
and non-Aboriginal businesses can "forge together"
for larger benefits.
For more information on the conference, call (403) 251 9242.
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Published
March 16, 1998