JULY 1, 2014

a r En •Yegi e ~ N E W S LETT E R - carnnews@vcn.bc.ca I

401 Main Street~ Vancouver BC V6A 2T7 604-665-2289 carnnews@shaw.ca www.carnnews.o•·g

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SACRED CIRCLE SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE AT 33 W CORDOVA ST

SURVIVORS TOTEM POLE

Kweegay Iiwaans hin uu dii kya'aang. My name i~ Kweegay liwaans, I' m a young woman from the Ha1da and Squamish Nations. l went to the Open House for the Survivors Totem Pole Project and I' m helping be­hind the scenes as a volunteer to raise this pole.

Our community rests on this land traditionally be­longing to the Tslcil-Waututh, Squamish & Musqueam Nations and with the permission of Chief Bill Williams we wi ll raise this totem pole in the Downtown Eastside

Throughout my life I have struggled with feelings of disassociation from my cultural heritage. This project has introduced me to many young people in the same situation as my own. The sense of community, love & understanding I've felt from everyone involved in this project has been overwhelming. I feel blessed to be welcomed into such an all-encompassing community committed to reconciliation. Not only has working on this project helped me on my own healing journey by reconnecting me with my ownculture, it's connected me to this collective community committed to the idea of finding unity through our struggles. Not only has it reconnected me to my own culture, this proj ect has a lso

given me the opportunity to help bring awareness and healing to a larger group of communities. The open house was a huge success, opening with eld­ers speaking in my native language & continuing with many wonderful speakers from a ll different cultural & community backgrounds; coming together through pain to heal all our wounds. Though we've suffered varying traumas. \Ve recognize that we have all suf­fered. By sharing our stories we share the burden of our pain and together we can all begin our heal ing journeys. We're carving the S urvivor Pole to address issues re­lated to the unfair treatment of communities in this area Such problems include Coast Salish colonization, dis­persalof aboriginal peoples, the internment of Japanese Canadians, various Asian Exclusion policies and now the 'pushing out' of low income people, for and by a wealthier class of people and developers.

Skundaal (Bernie Williams) of the Haida and Coast Salish Nations, and long-time resident of the Down­town Eastside, is the master carver for this project. She will be teaching three apprentice carvers during this project. For three months, she will be passing on the traditional knowledge of carving she was taught from Bill Reid. The totem pole wi ll be carved from a 980 year old, 30 foot, red cedar log an~ will be raised in the heart of the Downtown Easts ide. For over a century, communities have gathered in the Downtown Eastside; by using this space for the Survivors Totem Pole, we'll be bringing art, beauty, and healing to an already important gather­ing place.

It's easy to walk through Vancouver and ignore the stories unfolding around us every day. It's easy to imagine our own suffering as unique and to let our­

selves feel isolated because of it. This project aims to strengthen the bonds of solidarity between all the Downtown Eastside communities. The Survivors To­tem Pole will stand tall and bring awareness and unity to our collective struggles. Together we can make a difference. Together we stand strong.

Haw'aa Thank you

Kweegay Iiwaans

~' .,..;;:..'fl't;:~.S I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to the

Coast Salish peoples, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam, on whose territories we are gathered .... and to Chief Bill Williams, our Elders, Skundaal and Noel for welcoming us here today.

THANK YOU to ALL FORjoining us today. My name is Tomiye Ishida, and I am one of the Board

Members for the Sacred C ircle Society. btc.. L- ~i ~ !vitv \0) ~;:::,-::>It It\ t.lv -c'T(Waiashi wa Sansei no Nikkei )in desu). I am the third generation of my family to live here on Coast Salish Territories. My fam ily was among the 23,000 people of Japanese de­scent who were rounded up, held at Hastings Park in the cattle stalls, and then shipped off to internment in 1942 by the white, colonial government. This was called for by the province; seconded by the City of Vancouver; and put into act ion by the government of

Canada. They were allowed to bring only what they could

carry, and they were told that their property & belong­ings would be kept until they returned. Instead, it was sold at auction to pay the costs of their internment. My family didn ' t have any any property to lose. My grand­father came here around 1916 & my grandmother, a '·Picture Bride", followed shortly after. My grandfather repaired fishing nets, and my grandmother worked alongside Native women in the Canneries, to help feed the six kids they a lready had. Two more were born in internment. My mother sometimes says that the fami ly was so poor that internment was a step up for them. They were moved into filthy, infested, abandoned buildings in interior ghost towns, with no heat or elec­tricity. Families were separated and several families crowded into each space. A step up?

We cannot quantify these losses: of dignity; of the

sense of being valued, of a sense of pride in who you) are; of having a RIGHT to be here. l beli eve these losses to be greater than th e loss of prope1iy. I remember the past so that l can prevent it from hap­

pening again and again.

Let' s talk about displacement: Long before the Japanese created a vibrant communi ty

in the area of Powell St & Oppenheimer Park, Coast Salish peoples (from what I have been to ld), knew the area as 'The Place Where Maples Grow". The First Peoples had been here for thousands of years. They

were pushed out, displaced by the settlers who came and developed the land to meet their own needs.

BUT, what prompted colonizers to leave their lands and colonize other lands? It was a desire to accumulate more wealth. And they did so by extracting resources, in th is case, by cutting down the magnificent forests, sett ing up lumber mills and shipyard s and rai lroads to move these "beings", now considered commodities, to markets .. .. FOR SALE. This has evolved into today's G lobal Economy of Capitalist ic societies.

[t's been like this for so long we can barely remember what it was like before this. Collectively, we almost forgot the time when people were respected for their character and their contributions to the community, more than what they had .in their bank accounts, ga­rages and houses; when we sought out and valued the counsel of our elders; when we lived in self-sustaining communities; and walked gently upon the earth be­cause we knew our lives depended on it.

The displacement of the Japanese Canadians was not about the security of the coast. An extensive investi ga­tion by the RCMP advised the government that the Japanese Canadians were no threat to sec urity .

Displacement continued when the African Canadian community was forced out to make way forth Georgia Viaduct; today, we are seeing a graduated displacement o f another marginalized community, the vibrant, pas­sionate. low income community of the DTES. Corpo­rate Developers are evacuating through eviction, so they can repurpose buildings to make more profit.

The systems that are meant to be protective, have ei­ther been dismantled or co-opted by corporate agendas.

THE TIME HAS COME. THE TIME IS NOW. Yes, this is goi ng to be a beautiful work of public art;

one that will celebrate the resilience of a ll who have struggled and survived; it's about diverse communities and cultures working together. But, more than that, it's a call for consciousness; a call for transformation; it's a call to act, to reclaim space, to re-indigenize.

We are launching a Kickstarter campaign to gather enough funds to raise the Survivors Pole & to have the biggest gathering of conscious people you've ever seen! We hope to raise the pole in late September, and we want you a ll to be a part of it. Help Us to make this happen, whether it is by donating to the Kickstarter campaign at www.kickstarter.com I Survivors Pole project, or by bringing your character, enthusiasm, questions or support. Every person, s imply by your presence, contributes.

Skundaal has created some beautiful g ifts for the peo­ple who donate via kickstarter. Please check out the kickstarter website and look for the Survivors Pole.

Tomiye Ishida

Wednesday, July 9- Volunteer Committee, 4:00pm Wednesday, July 16- Volunteer Dinner. 4:30pm

Volunteers of the month for June 201-1:

Dell Catherall- Tutor; Learning Centre. Dell has volunteered in the Learning Centre for over a decade and has retired. We will miss her and we wish her well!

Bentley Hatchen- Dishwasher Thank you, we don ' t know what we do without you!

Congratulations to you both!

Special Recognition for Volunteer Sen'ice Award

Ross Drybrough- Receptionist Ross has been a volunteer for over 13 years. He did 3 shifts every week and often picked up extra shifts to cover for others. Ross has retired from volunteering; we'll miss him and wish him well! Thank you Ross!

From -the LibrarY Hello readers, members, volunteers, and staff of the

Carnegie Centre! As a former Community Librarian, it's been a long-term goal to work at the Carnegie Library and 1 feel humbled & excited that the chance to be here permanently has arrived. Some of you might recognize me from the Mount Pleasant Branch, or at various community events and meals, or when I helped out at the Central Library offering Job Search tours and reference help. Please introduce yourself and feel free to recommend

titles that you would appreciate in the collection or potential programs we can develop together. I also value your experience and knowledge of living in the Downtown Eastside community, and wi ll do my best to support the neighbourhood by offering helpful and interesting library resources.

First week included celebrating Aboriginal history with Cease Wyss for a night of storyte lling, and Abo­riginal Day at Oppenheimer Park. Heads up: the VPL

is looking for an ·'Aboriginal Storyteller in Residence·· - the deadline is July 18th and informa­tion is here in the branch. Thanks so much for your patience as I learn the ropes!

Your Carnegie Librarian, Natalie

people of the wild horse

my community can't be organized by ghetto-milking poverty players by boisterous gr in-big backslappers we are the people of the wild horse broken and corralled yet refusing to be ridden we live in pure and perfect terror of snakes

my community is not community centre'd dislikes being sized up for a security takedown being scrutinized by a sullen wall of unwelcome

How Much I Luv You All

We get lost sometimes forget who we are I were down here it all gets taken away day to day. every day, no let up I'm dying, can't say I'll miss much 'cept for coup Ia Pauls coup Ia Peters over all tho I'l l be more 'n happy to go

the community centre clenches when a wild horse breaches So to a ll the crackhead subhumans

stomping and nipping while bronco busters work a four- man team pleasing passive pasture people, pumping professional performance pride

here, here's the future wouldn't wannajoin you to the golden atomic future my community is lost in looking for freedom here

has forsaken al l else, deliriously feverish for freedom finding it on the street, on the ground, in the alley crawling through shit and piss and garbage and rot

hope ya' ll have the time you deserve

SAl Paradise crumbs of freedom, powdered partic les of miniscule freedom, each one a treasure because, seemingly, that's the freedom allotted us

fuckhead jones

6RAD£ 3 GRETNA

Never forgot Barbara N ichols dirt poor bordering on Depression Era lots a clothes hand-me-downs thread bare buckteeth she coulda been a beauty 'cept for the$$ for the dentist 'cept for the$ just tryin to eat 6 sad faces round the long table Papa too tired to talk Mama wonders ' !low could Jesus let us all starve here in '69?'

In southern Manitoba next door to the drunken people who never had a problem gettin' drunk and comin' over to beg something we ain't got Jesus, how come? Barbara Nichols hope you ended up better' n you started out as

Richard

I am more powerful than the combined armies of the world; I have destroyed more men & women than all the wars of the nations; I have caused millions of accidents and wrecked more homes than all floods, tornadoes and hurricanes put together; I am the world's slickest thief. I steal billions each year. I find my victims among the rich and poor alike, the young and the old, the strong and the weak; I loom up to such proportions that l cast a shadow

over every field of labor; I am relent less. insidious, unpredictable; I am everywhere - in the home, on the street, in the factory, in the office, on the sea and in the air ; I bring sickness, poverty and death; l give nothing and take all; I am your worst enemy; .. I am alcohol.

My name is Clarence and I have been sober for 28 years.

On June 20, we open our annual Mad Pride show at Gallery Gachet. Its subtheme this year is a response to what's gone on in this room and others- that is, *It's A Crisis!* Mad Pride is an international movement that advocates for human rights within the psychiatric sys­tem, and calls for a re-examination of definitions of mental health within the context of a world gone mad. Mad Pride is also a reclaiming of words I ike Mad­crazy, lunatic, nutters - that've been used to oppress us. We reclaim the systems that have designated us outside of mainstream society, and we assert our right to challenge these labels, and the society that stigma­tizes us.

This is a politics of freedom. We do not want a to­kenistic seat at a table where the meal is already set, that is, the table of the system that has long oppressed us; we want to determine how we're treated, in the broadest sense .

I look to our shared history, and remind LIS all that '·the mad" are always with LIS. I use the idea of neu­rodiversity- the idea that there are different kinds of minds and no matter how different and apart from the ord inary, this difference is part of the hum an experi­ence. At Gachet- well , first- Dr Paul Gachet was Vincent

van Gogh's doctor in the last year of his life. He en­couraged van Gogh's art as part of his care, and that last year was the most productive of his li fe. Gallery Gachet springs from a unique idea, or rather, the coll is ion of ideas. We are an artist-run centre with a social and a political role in mental health. We exist through these two traditions: the artist-run movement, in which arts work collecti vely to advance their prac­tice, and the peer-run movement in mental health. Unfortunately both these movements were more prominent- and better funded - in an earlier time.

Our Basis of Unity We agree to suppott the art istic and professional

development of our community as a means to achieve social, cultural and economic justice

- We agree to support the well ness of people mar­ginalized by their mental health, trauma and/or abuse experience

- We work for the e limination of discrimi nation against people marginalized by their mental health, trauma and/or abuse experience

~ :..- ..

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\ \ . .. ·!" -~ 0 - ~ ... - ....

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. . ..:..-~~~--- We believe in the expression and practice ot art

and culture as a human right - We agree to promote the critical function of art

and culture in buildir'g a healthy society -We believe art is a means for survival. self­

expression and health This is an empowerment model: it sets the conditions for healthy collective work and encourages members to run our own ship -to learn how to manage a gallery at every level. It's a lso a great example of how the role of work, in this case arts-based work, has a pro­found therapeutic value. It is transformational ther­apy, and not merely for us, but the world-as-it-is. We do not believe that art is therapy in a direct sense; rather, it is the work of art in challenging societal norms, st igma, and for the purpose of changing minds

Art is not an adjunct to conversations about mental health, it is absolutely central. Jn the words ofYoko Ono, Ati is a means for survival. To illustrate, programs were in place that encouraged and acknowledged this labour as a way of breaking cycles of isolation and well, the feeling of utter use­lessness that people feel, which is another conse­quence of stigma. To be specific. There was a program by the Ministry

of Social Development that gave people $100 monthly to acknowledge volunteerism in the community. Be­sides the justifications already noted. the program could a lso be understood as a way for people to benin taking steps toward employment, and receive somt financial benefit. That program was cancel led. VCH offers a program for people in the mental health sys­tem: $50 monthly for volunteering. There's quite a waiting list for that program. Here' s a simple and ob­vious way for the city to play in advocating for such programs, and for contributing financially. To use LAPPlanguage, it promotes inc lusion and belonging for all members of our society, particularly the most vulnerable. This kind of initiative goes beyond s imple remunera­tion, however. We want self-determination and mean­ingful lives. As such, peer-run initiatives benefit both the people who run them and the people they serve. The city can play a role in this as well, by facilitating workshops for people to learn how to begin this kind of work, whether it be a social service and/or health initiative or a coffee shop. Or the necessary promo­tion of peer navigators and communication tools to he lp people negotiate the mental health system and be aware of their rights within it.

I would like to end on that point. One of my neigh­bours is in the ACT( Assertive Community Treatment) team system. She sees it as a constant and oppressive intrus ion into her privacy and sense of dign ity. I can put it no better terms than hers: I have the right to my own mind.

[Written & presented by Karen Ward to the Mental Health Task Force]

SO SPECIAL Though you may feel at times that it's too far to travel, or to dream, to wish to risk to venture to com­mit to something or other.. Why not dare to be excep­tional, special, to be honoured by others. To listen, to speak, to create, construct, construe. Attain to be safe and secure, comfortable & profitable and profound. Why hesitate and wait on this road less traveled any longer?! Do it now. way before it's too late. Be spe­cial, so special.

ROBYN LIVINGSTONE.

A Stone Cold Truth Poem

A member of Chicago asked me if I knew the time J at 3:35pm 'as I was walking down the street (Gran­vi lle) one day' looking for butts not long ago.

In an unrelated matter. I was once forced by emo­tional circumstance to tear up a drawing or mine called ·Portrait of a Quantum ofTime'. I say unre­lated because thesis and antithesis ( onlv) synthesise at eternity.

Stephen Belkin [Author's note: o.k. so maybe he wasn't a member of Chicago. Just li ke, in the late 70's (76-78) as I was walking on Pender between Hornby and Granville with very long hair and unshaven, the dark-haired woman who popped her head out of a passing limou­sine to yell 'wild man' at me maybe wasn't Ann Wil­son of Heart. If l weren't so slow on the(re)uptake -slow like a tur­tle?- I'd be e ither dead or in a rubber room. (Megalo­maniac mush?!) oh well, caterpillars are slow too.l

THE TIES THAT BIND Buried treasures lie beneath us, deep down below the surface of the Earth. Now a so-called 'park' where, beneath the toxic, petro unattractive asphalt, modern crappy-looking, sterile, insulting and, most ce11ainly extremely out-of-place ... causing over a long period of time aching rifts in our nation's collective aching souls; of loved ones lost so long ago but it's the im­

planted obscenities that make them freshly remem­bered, as though their presence was missed just the day before yesterday. It's so sad, so hard to bear to remember that hurt, that pain, missing the feel of bow & ash, dirt on hands and broken bonds that always quickened the blood in your veins ... Total recall then: memories flow through you at odd times; you reach hard for to capture completely but as always just out of your grasp. The authentic, true path is out there way beyond and fond re lations call to you to remember ... This strengthens you, stronger by the century towards the infinite desideratum of an unbreakable ancestral ancient undisturbed bond. ' '

ROBYN LIVINGSTONE.

T'S A .BVILDING ... IT'S A NE/GI-i

80UiiHOOD ~ . ..• • • • •

APTN National News [Aboriginal Peoples Television Network! OTTAWA-The Supreme Court of Canada has granted a declaration of Aboriginal title to the Ts ilhqot'in over 1,750 square kilometres of territory in a historic ruling. This is the first time the high court has ever granted a declaration o r Aboriginal title to a First Nation. The ruling a lso acknowledges Indigenous nations can claim occupancy and contro l over vast swaths of land beyond specitlc settlement sites, provides more c larity on Aboriginal title and sets out the parameters for government "incursion" into land under Aboriginal title. The ruling also hands a final victory to the Tsilhqot'in Nation, which enco mpasses six communities with a popu­lation of about 3,000 people, over British Columbia in a long-running battle, w hich inc luded blockades, over log­ging permits in their claimed territory. '·I would allow the appeal and grant a declaration of Aborigina l title over the area at issue, as requested by the Tsilhqot' in," said the unanimous ruling, written by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. '·I further declare that Brit­ish Columbia breached its duty to consult owed to the Tsilhqot'in through its land use planning and forestry au­thorization." British Columbia and Ottawa both opposed the Tsilhqot ' in claim to title. The Supreme Court blasted the B.C. Court of Appeal, which had overturned a lower court ruling on what territory the Tsilhqot'in could claim under Aboriginal title. The high court found the Court of Appeal's definition of occupancy too narrow. ''There is no suggestion in the jurisprudence or scholarship that Aboriginal title is confined to specific vil lage s ites or farms, as the court of appeal held," said the ruling. " Rather, a culturally sens itive approach suggests that regular use of territories for hunting, fishing . trapping and foraging is 'sufficient' use to ground Aboriginal title.·· The high court said that Aboriginal title could be declared over territory "over which the group exercised effective control at the time of assertion of European sovereignty." Ts ilhqot' in Nation Tribal C hair Joe Alphonse called the ruling "amazing" and said it marked the beginning of a " new Canada." Alphonse said the ruling also sent a message to Canada's political leaders. ''It sends a strong mes­sage to all provincial leaders and Stephen Harper to deal with us in an honourable and respectful way," he said. '"It's a game-changer," said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of Union of BC Indian Ch iefs. Phillip said the ruling was met by " tears and cheers" from the Tsilhqot' in and other First Nations leaders gathered in a Vancouver boardroom await ing the Supreme Court·s words. B.C. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said the decision provided "additional certainty around processes and tests that are applied to the relationship between the province and Aboriginal peoples." Anton said the province would ''take the time required to fully analyze it and work with First Nations, industry and a ll of our stakeholders as we do so." Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said the government would be studying the "complex" ruling. ·'Our government believes that the best way to resolve outstanding Aboriginal rights and tit le claims is through negoti­ated settlements that balance the interests of all Canadians," said the statement. NDP Aboriginal affai rs critic Jean Crowder said her party welcomed the ruling. '·We fi nally have a decision that makes it clear that all levels of government must consult with and obtain consent from First Nations with Aborigi­nal title to their land, because they have the exclus ive right to proactively use and manage land that they have title to," said Crowder. 'We are completing this journey'

In the ruling, the Supreme Court laid markers for what established Aborig inal tit le means. ''Aboriginal title con­fers ownership rights similar to those associated with fee simple, including : the right to decide how the land will be used; the right to the economic benefits of the land; and the right to pro-actively use and manage the land,'" said the ruling. The ruling said Aboriginal title came with an important restriction, that ''it is collective titl e held not only for the present generation, but for all succeeding generations." Land under Aborigi nal title, ·'cannot be alien­ated except to the C rown or encumbe red in ways that would prevent future generations of the group from using and enjoying it. Nor can the land be developed or misused in a way that would substantia lly deprive future genera·

tions ofthe benefit of the land.'' As a result of the ruling. governments now must meet a set-out standard for .. incursions" into land under estab­lished Aboriginal title. "Government incursions not consented to by the title-holding group must be undertaken in accordance with the Crown's procedural duty to consult."' said the ruling. ··And must also be justified on the basis of a compelling and substantial public interest and must be consistent with the Crown's fiduciary duty to the Abo­riginal group." The Supreme Court found that British Columbia breached its fiduc iary duty to consult with the Tsilhqot'in and that it had no economic justification for issuing logging permits in the claimed territory, which sparked the over two-decade battle. The province argued that it stood to benetit economically from logging in the claimed area and also that it needed to stop the spread of a mountain pine beetle infestation. ·'Granting rights to third parties to har­vest timber on Tsilhqot'in land is a serious infringement that will not lightly be justified," said the ruling. '"Should the government wish to grant such harvesting rights in the future, it will be required to establish that a compelling and substantial objective is furthered by such harvesting, something that was not present in this case." The legal battle began in December 1989 with a filing by Xeni Gwet' in, but it had s immered since 1983 when the province granted Carrier Lumber Lt. a forest license to log in the community's claimed territory. The Tsilhqot 'in launched blockades, forcing the province to begin talks which went nowhere after the Xeni Gwet'in claim to a

right of first refusal to logging. The long running legal filing was amended in 1998 to include the whole Tsilhqot'in Nation. The trial finally began in 2002 and ran for 339 days. The trial judge Justice David Vickers travelled to the claim area, heard from elders, historians and experts while also reviewing historical texts, includ­ing the diaries of Alexander Mackenzie and Simon Fraser. Vickers found that the Tsilhqot'in were entitled to a declaration of Aboriginal title to about 40 per cent of their total claimed territory. Vickers did not make a declaration of title on procedural grounds. The B.C. Cowt of Appeal then faced the case and held that the Tsilhqot'in had not established t itle and found the nation could only claim territory where evidence existed of extensive use and occupancy. The Supreme Court eviscerated that position in Thursday's ruling. ''We take this time to join hands and celebrate a new relationship with Canada. We are reminded of our e lders who are no longer with us. First and foremost we need to say sechanalyag~(thank you) to our Tsilhqot'in Elders, many of whom testified courageously in the courts, said Xen i Gwet' in Chief Roger William, whose name was used in the original filing. "We are completing this journey for them and our youth. Our strength comes from those who surround us, those who celebrate with us, those who drum with us." 'We meant war, not murder' During a press conference in Vancouver, some of the Tsilhqot'in leaders referred to the 1864 Chilcotin War that ended in the death of at least 19 European settlers and the hanging of s ix Ts ilhqofin chiefs. Back then they faced a planned toll wagon road a imed at connecting the nascent colony's Paci fic coast through Bute Inlet to the newly discovered gold fields of Williams Creek, in the B.C. interior. The project threatened to upend the already be­sieged Tsilhqot'in people facing their first major outbreak of smallpox, spread in large part by infected blankets sold by traders."These white people, they bring blankets from people who die of smallpox," said former Tsilhqot' in chief Henry Solomon, in an oral account of the small pox outbreak contained in a book called Nemiah. The unconquered counlry, by Terry Glavine. "Then he wrap them up and he sell them to these Indians, then the Indian, he didn't know, he just s leep on it, them blankets. Pretty soon he got them s ickness, and pretty soon the whole camp got it. So pretty soon my grandmother and her sister, they ' re the only one that survive." The road work began to cause friction with the Tsilhqot'in. even though some found jobs with the work crews.There were incidents of road workers raping Tsilhqot'in girls. The Tsilhqot'in who worked with the crews were mistreated and denied food. Then, in the spring of 1864, four bags of flour were stolen from a road crew's base camp. The crew's foreman threatened the Tsilhqot'in with smallpox for stealing. Journalist Melvin Rothen­burger, who wrote a book called the The Chilcotin War, believes this threat may have helped spark the war. ''That could have been an important factor because of the fear of smallpox and it had been rampant."' said Rothenburger,

\Vhose great-great grandfather Donald McLean was killed in the ensuing battles with the Tsilhqofin. News of the smal lpox threat and rapes stirred a group ofTsilhqot'in to launch what turned into a guerilla war against the set­tlers. Of th is group, a war chief known as K latsassin or Lhatasassine, meaning ··we do not know his name," came to e mbody the Chilcotin War. They fired the ir fi rst shot on the morning of April 28, 1864. It killed a ferryman who refused Klatsassin and his party passage. The next morning, at daybreak, Klatsassin and his war party de­scended on the main work crew camp. The cook, tending the fire, was the first to be cut down by gunfire. The T silhqot' in then severed the ropes of the tents, shooting and stabbing nine of the crew me mbers to death. Three managed to escape. The war party then moved to another camp. There, the foreman who issued the smallpox threat was killed a long wi th three other men. The Tsilhqot' in used their knowledge of the rugged terrain to their advantage, setting traps, launching ambushes and e luding colonial parties for weeks that had been sent into the bush to track them down. Rothenburger' s greath-great grandfather McLean met his death after falling into a trap set by the Tsilhqot' in. McLean followed a trail of wood shavings carved by the Ts ilhoqot'in that led to an ambush. McLean, known to the Tsilhqot'in as Samandlin, wore a breast plate for protection, said Rothenburger. '·The Tsilhqot'in knew about this and set it up so they could get behind him," said Rothenburger. With the colony ramping up efforts against the guerillas, the Tsilhqot ' in sought to negotiate peace. Believing they had been granted immunity, Klatsassin and a group of chiefs travelled to meet with Frederick Seymour, then the governor ofthe colony of British Columbia. They were shack­led in their sleep and taken prisoner. Klatsassin and four others were convicted of murder. They were hung at 7 a.m. in what is now Quesnel , B.C., on Oct. 26, 1864. Before he died Klatsass in famously said, ·'We meant war, not murder." Two other Tsilhqot ' in men also turned themselves in, offering to pay compensation for what they did. They were also arrested and sentenced to death. One managed to escape, but the other man named Ahan, was hung in New Westminster on July 18, 1865. To this day, the Tsilhqot'in are still trying to recover his remains. The provincial government apologized for the hangings in 1999.

Moses & Jesus are playing golf. Moses tees off & the ball goes bouncing towards the pond in front of the green. Moses parts the waters, the ball carries on & up onto the

~~~ green. Jesus tees off and the ball is coming down toward the centre of the pond but stops just a fraction of an inch above the surface . .Jesus walks out on the water and chips

· the ball to within 6 feet of the pin. A third ball comes off the tee and is going way out of bounds onto a road; it hits a truck passing by, careens off a tree and bounces toward the pond; a frog hops off its lilypad, catching the ball in its mouth, swallowing it in one gulp. but before it splashes back an eagle divebombs, grabs the frog and flies away only to drop the frog onto the green, which is such a shock that the frog belches the ball out on the green where it rol ls into the cup. A Ho le in One!

'~"''""'"'•. Moses turns to Jesus and says, " I hate playing with your Dad." [read somewhere but i forget where ... ]

Tsilhqot'in win extends across the country and to varied resource projects

The Council of Canadians celebrates the precedent setting 8-0 unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Canada acknowledging aboriginal title to more than I ,700 square kilometres of land to the Ts ilhqot'in Nation in British Columbia. The Toronto Star reports, Maude Barlow. chair of the Council of Canadians, which intervened in support of the

Tsilhqot' in at the high cowt, said, "At last, this is a sign to Enbridge that there is no blank cheque for the Norther Gateway project'." The a1ticle cites the example that, "The 1-Iaida have an active title case claiming ownership of lands and B.C. coastal waters through which the Northern Gateway project would dispatch oil tankers to ship Al­berta bitumen to Asian markets." The Georgia Straight adds, "[Grand ChiefStewa1t Phillip] noted it could have 'enormous' implications for re­

source projects proposed for B.C., including Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline and Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeli ne, as well as natural gas terminals and pipelines encouraged by the government of Premier • Christy Clark." He also commented, "Today is a new day. We are in an entirely different ballgame .... We're mov-ing away from the world of mere consultation into a world of consent." Not surprisingly, the Harper government opposed the Tsilhqot'in claim and had only a limited comment on the ruling today.

What implications does the ruling have for Aboriginal title on unceded traditional territories in British Columbia parts of Ontario and Quebec, and much of the Atlantic region? How might it affect other controversial pipelines, as well as mining, fracking and logging projects opposed by First Nations?

CBC reports, "In its decision, Canada's top court agreed that a sem i-nomadic tribe can claim land title even if it uses it only some of the time, and set out a three-point test to determine land titles, considering:

• Occupation. • Continuity of habitation on the land. • Exclusivity in area."

"The court also established what title means, including the right to the benefits associated with the land and the right to use it, enjoy it and profit from it. However, the court declared that title is not absolute. meaning economic development can still proceed on land where title is established as long as one of two conditions is met:

1. Econom ic development on land where title is established has the consent of the First Nation. 2. Failing that, the government must make the case that development is pressing and substantial, and meet

its fiduciary duty to the aboriginal group." The ruling also has implications for Indigenous Nations with treaties. The CBC article notes the ruling "will apply wherever there are outstanding land claims." And the Toronto Star adds, "Even for treaty holders, the ruling builds on previous Supreme Court decisions that underline the Crown's need to reconcile the concerns of aboriginal peo­ple and to take their claims seriously, said Bob Rae, chief negotiator for the Matawa First Nations Tribal Council that represents nine First Nations located around the Ring of Fire mining plays in northern Ontario."

REQUIEM FOR THE DOWNTRODDEN Like sending out wedding invitations to the deceased or sports contracts expiring just before the new season begins swi nging fists at your god doesn't seem to have any effect, come join me at the end of the river my hospitality sets mere mortals morals all aquiver.. I look into the shattered mirror and scream 'What did you expect?' I see Have Violence Will Travel went down to Cali Forni a for a mass murder of sorts will their law'n enforcement let the law let them do what­ever it is they do that "case solved" is redundant and repulsive will they remember the dead in their rep01ts - probably not-as I lay in my end of life's swimming pool, like a Tiananmen Squaredance or a last tango oh spare us Calgary and Moncton have joined the frater­nity of death orders have been sent via Air Mail on the next couple of places where even rulers dare not even try to rule. I may be an anarchist but this is not the way so unfucking cool, sometimes you want to begin the hunt of yoursel f before all the others begin our beloved Vancouver is in on the bloodfest even pacifists are drooling and begging to be let in this tor­ture chamber does pre and postmortems very sticky yet sweet I think not let me crawl to my end of the river (at least give me that), a place without judge­ment 'a view with just enough room' a sound more distinct than s ilence us depressionists harness all of our nothingness and Presto! Instant Doom tunes. ((Lennon would have loved that)), like 'Elvi s has left the bombshelter' Lennon seeps out of the Dakota to die with full knowledge that his expiry dating time has come to kiss him goodbye a human gesture of mankindsmanship now everyone claims to be another 5 o'clock hero so dispirited are we the forgotten & left behi nd now where is my AM-FM digital quartz baseball bat,!? Nosferatu was not a D.J. as we heard the ultra-stupid say like being the C.E.O. ofn.o.t.h.­i.n.g. the best day of life is the day we die you could only live it but s lithering down the wall of truth is no big deal push down for end againagainagain oh not again, drinking Windex on the rocks with friends that are saving for that specia l day the rich trollop around in their expensive cars slide down the poverty level

and watch them speed away putting as much distance between them and you being grateful for not being set on fire and pissed on what absolute wonders of the Stone Age have managed to control the world just try and take my pens ... Knock!Knock! Who's there? it's the Ink Police Saint Minus is in jail and you're evicted go live in a ditch we do not care how lovely the nonexistent friendships of Officer Down and anything with a pulse & a spine. like a born-again atheist using bibles for firewood now where is a storm seller when you need one as the past and it's people's futures bang in the balance your children cannot become the ones they could only live it Saint Minus made bail and has sworn to stick close , these kids are a gold mine, One last note before my nightmare shift is to begin when the atomic apple pie people below us truly be­lieve erad ication of all others is not a sin join me at the end o f the river, there is no such thing as a fresh new start every moment left behind gets shredded Please believe me when I say being poor doesn't make you a sinner!

By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY

PS: Seattle and Las Vegas have joined Mass Death

'R' Us more to fallow Q: ''When all is all and said is done the selfish having taken everything now angry because now there's none

Saint Minus

Almost a Millionaire

Many years ago two friends & I went to work in the Okanagan. I made breakfast & lunch at the cab in we rented and the next day we drove to Penticton. We got jobs as field workers, starting at 8am until 4pm. My job was to pick tomatoes and it was very hot outside. It is semi-desert around Penticton but when the sun goes down it gets quite cool.

One day I worked overtime picking rocks & throw­ing them in a stoneboat pulled by a horse. After work 1 went to the store to get breakfast & lunch supplies & some beverages. There was one customer left before c losing so I just made it in time. I got the food but forgot to get a lottery ticket because I was tired from working overtime. Next day on the radio it said there was a million-dollar winner from Okanagan Falls, and that was supposed to be my ticket!

Marlene Wuttunee

Canada setting new global standard for TPP secrecy

Media Release. June 27, 2014

Ottawa- With an undisclosed location, hidden ses­sion schedules, and even key foreign negotiators kept out of the loop, the secrecy surrounding next week's Trans-Pacific Pa11nership (TPP) negotiating round in Ottawa marks a new low point in transparency for an already secretive trade deal, says the Council of Ca­nadians. Despite being less than a week away from hosting hundreds of negotiators and other officials from the other 11 TPP member countries - which include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Japan, Malay­sia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam - the Canadian gov­ernment has kept a tight lid on any details about the Ottawa meeting. "The Canadian government claims that ' interested stakeholders have an opportunity to provide their views related to Canada's interests in the TPP' but it won't release even the most basic information to al­low for stakeholder access to negotiators as has hap­pened at previous rounds," says Scott Harris, trade campaigner with the Council of Canadians. This is the first time since joining the TPP negotia­tions in October, 20 12 that Canada wi ll host a high­level round of the talks aimed at finalizing the con­trovers ial deal. Initially schedu led for Vancouver, the venue was shifted without explanation to Ottawa late last week. The only information that has been publicly released is a one-sentence notice posted June 24 on the De­partment of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development website stating that "Negotiators, subject matter ex­perts and other officials will meet in Ottawa Canada

' ' from July 3-12. No ministerial meeting is being scheduled on the margin of the officials meeting in Ottawa." New Zealand law professor Jane Kelsey has attended many of the rounds as a registered stakeholder, and, when that process ended without any explanation, as an observer. She describes Canada's secrecy as ''un­precedented." '"There can only be one reason for withholding the details: to shut down the remaining minimal access we have to negotiators. a number of whom are happy

to meet with us," Kelsey says. "When governments are so afraid of informed public debate. they clearly do not believe they can sell the merits of what they are negotiating." On June 20, a range of civil society organizations based in Canada and Quebec sent a letter to Canada· s ChiefNegotiator Kirsten Hillman, Trade Minister Ed Fast, and other officials requesting details of the ar­rangements for stakeholder engagement and briefings based on previous TPP rounds, but have received no response. '· It's an embarrassment that instead of followino in 0

the footsteps of other host countries and facilitating an exchange of information between Canadian ex­perts and the negotiators, Canada is instead making participation in the talks all but impossible," says Scott Harris. '·Even by the standards of secrecy we've come to expect from the TPP. this is extreme.'' The public has had no access to draft TPP texts since negotiations were launched in 2008, but leaks of key negotiating documents have revealed troubling de­tails about the scope of the far-reaching agreement that, if completed, would encompass 40 per cent of the world's GOP and one-third of global trade.

[From the Council of Canadians (www.canadians.org)

lAm There

Today, Saturday/Samedi begins early As all my days Early to bed lights blazing light Blinding Streaming from the fluorescent lights We could do nanotech surgery or Auto Mechanics in my dorm.

I use the shower- everything gets wet -inside, -outside, -down the corridor Young native comes in, pushes her face into mine Demanding answers about my "drug history" I tell her to 'frig off Staff infection gets involved I go back to the dorm. dark now in the rising dawn Day sleepers are restless at dawn, each still aggressive

Wilhelmina

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