ON CANADA Native trek highlights new vision for future By LEW LEACH OTTAWA — About one hundred Native and non-Native men, women and children of the Cana- dian Alliance in Solidarity with Native Peoples (CASNP), formerly known as the Indian Eskimo Association, marched onto Parliament Hill in Ot- tawa just after noon on Friday, October 12. As vanguard, a traditionally dressed North American Indian, held aloft a striped flag of green, blue, red, yellow, black and white, representing the earth, the sky and the red, yellow, black and white races of the world. They all moved to the rhythmical throbbing of native drum beats, sym- bolic of the ‘‘heart-beat of mother earth.”’ The journey had started from Hope, B.C. on May 1, 1983 following a resolution at an informal gathering of Native peoples of many locations. The nucleus of four starters grew as the cross Canada walk progressed. During the winter of 1983 and into the spring of 1984 they had lived on a Saskatchewan Indian Reservation and in Saska- toon. Before leaving that area they had commemo- rated Hiroshima day, August 6 in traditional Na- tive fashion. In Ottawa on Oct. 12, marchers gathered at city hall to hear Mayor Marion Dewar proclaim it the day of International Solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere, in keeping with an international conference of indigenous peoples held in Geneva in Sept. 1977. (In some U.S. states the day has been celebrated as Colum- bus Day — after Christopher Columbus. Others mark it on the 11th.) Mayor Art Eggleton made a similar proclamation in Toronto. Explaining Way of Life Native spokespersons Jake Badger and John Graham, also traditionally dressed, told the Tribune that many like themselves have dedicated their lives to the rebuilding of Native nations. The purpose of the present pilgrimage, they said; was to explain to all Canadians the history, culture and way of life of the first North Americans. In addi- tion, it is to restate the meaning of Native Rights and explain what and where violations occur; to describe what the Native peoples hold sacred and, when desecration takes place, expose where, what and who is responsible. Graham pointed out that the land, including forests, lakes and rivers, which is holy to Native peoples, is being polluted and desecrated by government and commercial organizations. The dumping of uranium waste in Lake Athabaska, for example, pollutes that lake, caus- ing the mutation of animals upon which the Native peoples feed. He stated that for every pound of uranium produced, 1,000 Ibs. of waste is created. The drowning of thousands of caribou in Quebec was another example of the interference with na- ture by industrial agencies. Traditional Native land is being increasingly ravished by mining and timber organizations. He vigorously condemned the extermination of the buffalo herds and the present threat to the moose population from the nuclear industry as further examples of the desecration of natural re- sources. It was pointed out that no interview with government officials was sought, however, follow- ing speeches by spokespersons for the Native peoples, Cyril Keeper, New Democratic MP for Winnipeg North Centre and Jim Manley, NDP MP for Cowichan-Malahat-The Islands (B.C.), an In- dian affairs critic, spoke at the pow wow held on Parliament Hill and each expressed solidarity with the marchers. Recognition of Rights On Oct. 13 all the marchers attended the CASNP 25th Annual Meeting at the University of Ottawa. ° The theme of the meeting was ‘‘What are the responsibilities of indigenous peoples in preserv- ing, protecting and pursuing full recognition of in- digenous rights to self-determination for the en- hancement of all life’’. Workshops were held on Prison Justice (while Native peoples represent only 2 per cent of the population in Canada they comprise a majority of prison inmates); Native Child Welfare; Education of Native Women. Co-operation between Native and non-Native Canadians was encouraged. The meeting called for mobilizing the resources and skills of the rest of the population to assist Native peoples. _ The meeting also agreed to continue acting for Justice on issues identified by Native people, such as self-determination, education, the penal system, and child welfare. Resuming what they refer to as their eternal trek on Oct. 15, with Cornwall, Ont., as first stop, the walkers hope, the CASNP points out, that “increasingly Canadians will realize that the tradi- tions and values of the Native people provide a vision for the future which strengthens the fabric of our country.”’ last December. PORTRAIT OF A TELE PHONE Con PANY (Martin interim Alberta NDP head EDMONTON — Ray Martin, the sole remaining New Demo- crat in the 79-seat Alberta Legislature was unanimously chosen interim provincial leader, Oct. 23, to replace Grant Notley, who was killed in a northern plane crash, Oct. 19. Martin said he will be a candidate for the permanent leadership post at the Nov. 9-11 convention here of the Alberta NDP. Acquitted cops get guns back SHERBROOKE, Queb. — Two Sherbrooke police detectives got their guns back, Oct. 22, just two days after being acquitted of all charges of the killing of an innocent man at nearby Rock Forest Roger Dion and Andre Castonguay, who admit kicking down a motel door and firing into the dark room with a machine gun, had been charged with the murder of Serge Beaudoin, 33, a carpet-layer. His work mate Jean-Paul Beaumont, also 33, was wounded in the raid, which took place because police said they believed that the room was occupied by armed robbers who had killed a Brink’s guard the previous day. The police termed the gunfire “‘self- defence” because of who they believed was in the room. Across Canada | ttt LAS + 3-St-me Lewis, Roche appointments a smokescreen By WILLIAM KASHTAN Leader, Communist Party of Canada The appointments by the Mul- roney government of Stephen Lewis as Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations and of Douglas Roche as Canada’s Ambassador on Disarmament (Oct. 5) elicted varied responses when the press announced them. The surpise was particularly, widespread about Lewis’ appointment bearing in mind that he is a member of the New Democrtaic Party and its one- time leader in Ontario. Some commentators drew the conclusion that it was a Machiavel- lian move by the Mulroney government which would then undertake the same kind of __ patronage that typified the Liberal government. Others, particularly * _ Peace activists, saw in the appoint- ments a concession to peace senti- _ Ment throughout the country. Still __ others saw in it a slick manoeuvre __ by the government to divert public _ attention from the dangerous con- __ tent of its foreign policies. That last view may be closer to the truth. Peace activists and others should have no illusions about what Mr. Lewis will do in the UN. He will not be advocating NDP policy but government policy That policy has already been indicated in the course of the federal election and since. It starts with the declaration by Prime Minister Mulroney that his government will support U.S. foreign policy. It includes the deci- sion to increase military expendi- ture from three per cent to six per cent. It includes as well the decision to send another brigade to the Federal Republic of Germany and the modernization of the armed forces as part of the strengthening of Canada’s role in NATO. The government is also deter- mined to continue the testing of U.S. cruise missiles on Canadian soil. It opposes a nuclear weapons freeze. It is not for making Canada a nuclear weapons-free zone. It has not separated itself from U.S. mil- itary intervention in Central Amer- ica and now has decided to send the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to Grenada to ensure capi- talist restoration in that country. How is it possible for Lewis to reconcile NDP policy and Conser- vative policy? It is not as difficult as one may assume, at least for the right-wing leadership of the NDP. Ian Deans, the house leader of the NDP, advocates that the NDP rethink its position for withdrawal from NATO. party leader Edward Broadbent said the same thing some time ago but the NDP con- vention overrode him. Now the question is coming up again. By naming Lewis as Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Mulroney hopes to evolve a bipartisan for- eign policy. The ingredients are already there. The Liberals and Tories support NATO. Both sup- port cruise missile testing. Perhaps the right wing in the NDP will come over to the same position. Lewis may have some addi- tional value to the government. As an anti-Sovieteer he might even line up with Jeane Kirkpatrick, ‘U.S. ambassador to the UN. Every- one knows how she “loves peace and how she defends the rights of peoples.” All of this should warn peace activists against illusion regarding the appointment of Lewis. That appointment does not indicate a change in government foreign pol- icy of that Lewis, assuming he wants to, will pursue a course dif- ferent to that of the government. How about Doug Roche? Before being appointed to his new post he spoke out strongly against cruise missile testing. What is he saying now that he is Canada’s ambassa- dor for disarmament? He says that Canada should increase defence spending. “This is the price we have to pay,” he says, to “bring us down from the nuclear mountain.” This fits in with the new NATO strategy of increasing emphasis on -convention arms, but arms that are akin to nuclear weapons. This new military strategy is directed to attacking the Soviet Union all in the name of defending peace. Roche’s assignment as ambas- sador for disarmament is directed not to achieve disarmament but to support U.S. imperialism’s policy of peace through strength, by increasing military spending as part of the process of the militari- zation. One can conclude from the above appointments that they are not directed to strengthening Can- .ada’s voice for peace or for achiev- ing a made-in-Canada foreign policy. They are part of the orien- tation of the Mulroney govern- ment directed to more active support of U.S. foreign policy and with it, active support for the dan- gerous course being taken by NATO. Peace activists cannot afford to maintain illusions about the selec- tion of the above two men or to have any illusions about the aims of the Mulroney government, and certainly not to place any reliance on that government. Their main reliance must be on building up an ever more powerful peace move- ment, a united peace movement strong enough to force changes in Canada’s foreign policy. PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 31, 1984 e 7 sit She Beret A ote Le 2 As i a te a+ —