White supremacist defies inquiry

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Carney Nerland refused to testify before the inquiry into his shooting of a Native trapper after months of legal wrangling to extradite him from his Manitoba prison.

The white supremacist refused to even give his name after the commission refused to ban photographers from taking pictures of him. Nerland has received many death threats, he told the commission, and he wanted his new appearance, many pounds lighter and minus a beard and mustache, to be kept from the public.

Commissioners Ted Hughes, Delia Opekokew and Peter McKinnon ordered a charge of contempt laid against Nerland.

Nerland's lawyer, Brian Beresh, had a statement Nerland had intended to read but Nerland chose to make it public via a CBC radio interview with Beresh the following day.

Because of Nerland's refusal to speak at the inquiry, the commissioners challenges his right to be represented before the commission and his right to have his lawyer question witnesses. A decision about continued standing will be announced at the next sitting.

Beresh told Windspeaker Nerland's decision was not a matter of attitude.

"It is because he lives in fear from a number of constituencies. The fears are real to him. If he were defiant this (inquiry) would be a soapbox for his alleged views," Beresh noted.

David LaChance, brother of slain Cree trapper Leo LaChance, was disappointed Nerland refused to testify.

"I expected the truth today. Now the truth will never come out."

Despite Nerland's refusal to take part in the inquiry, which was set up following public outrage at Nerland's guilty plea to charges of manslaughter and subsequent four-year sentence, David LaChance will not give up on the inquiry.

He hopes to learn more about the shooting of his brother by Nerland, who is rumored to be both an Aryan Nations/Ku Klux Klan leader and an RCMP informant on white supremacists.

Alphonse Bird, vice-chief of the Prince Albert Tribal Council, expressed his doubts that the commission was hearing the truth after four days of testimony by investigating police officers and Prince Albert Crown prosecutors.

Prince Albert City Police detective sergeant Peter Mesluk continued testimony started last summer. The inquiry was put on hold while RCMP challenged the commission's order to name an RCMP informant on white supremacists.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the RCMP.