Commentary As the Manitoba aboriginal justice inquiry continues its year-long hearings across the province, the horror stories con- tinue to mount. The testimony has revealed such gross injustices in legal treatment of aboriginal people that even conservative judges and police officials are calling for an alternate justice system for aboriginal people. Just a few of the submissions should dispel any notion that Canada’s courts, prisons, or society is just or democratic. @ The RCMP was cleared of any wrongdoing after an inquiry into the 1971 murder of Helen Osborne, an aboriginal woman from La Pas, Manitoba. The town of 7,000 is divided by a river which also separates it into two different worlds — a reserve on the north side, the “white” side on the south. Osborne, 18 at the time, was picked up by four white men, assaulted and stabbed at least 50 times with a screw- killing at a party; a lawyer told the four to keep silent because the RCMP had no direct evidence; and a local sheriff who heard a confession by one of the men at a local bar also did nothing about it. One of the men is now serving time, two others driver. Her murderer later bragged of the © Paul Ogresko were granted immunity and another was acquitted. @ An aboriginal leader told how white motorists are waved through RCMP road- blocks while all the Indians were stopped and searched. A woman testified how, while on her way to her son’s wake — he had committed suicide in his jail cell after receiving a long prison sentence — the car she was in was stopped by the police. She watched as the Indian driver was beaten by RCMP officers and left lying in the snow. ® Band council after band council reported how they are starved for funding, their requests tied up in the endless bureaucratic red tape of Indian Affairs and provincial government officials, while alcohol rehabilitation centres remain unbuilt and reserves are helpless to stop the social disintegration. Meanwhile, Ottawa is pouring money into an exten- COMMENTARY sion of the Stoney Mountain federal peni- tentiary, half of whose inmates are Indian or Metis. There is a desperation and a hopeless- ness on the reserves that the Manitoba inquiry is just starting to reveal. However, the inner pain caused in communities where traditional lifestyles of hunting and trapping have been forever erased is hard to measure. There are no jobs, and the anger and violence are directed both inward — self-destruction through alco- hol, aerosol and glue sniffing — and at each other — gang warfare, domestic vio- lence or child abuse. The history of residential schools, of languages being banned, and of children being torn away from their families, leaves a painful mark today. The point is, and its hard to be objective about this, if the “revelations” of the Manitoba inquiry somehow results in a justice system that is responsive to, and The ‘buffalo jump’ at Indian Affairs controlled by, aboriginal people — then it will have been a useful step. But the root causes of all the horror stories, both those told and those that will never be heard, lie with the government of this country. It is the federal government that under former Indian Affairs minister Bill McKnight began cutting back on reserve funding. It is primarily they that have blocked every move towards self-deter- mination; have carried on a double- agenda, and that have, under the guise of granting self-government, left band coun- cils with more “control” but with less funding. Aboriginal leaders have called the fed- eral policy “buffalo jump.” Each band council is made to compete with each other for the few dollars available, the provinces are getting more control, and each reserve is being pushed over the cliff, one by one. Certainly the justice system is in dire need of a radical revamping, but until the policies of the government of Canada are changed — any justice system, no matter how responsive, will be unable to handle the horror stories that lie ahead. Letters Dueck’s policy ‘life-threatening’ I certainly agreed with the comments expressed in your article “Groups warn of Socred threat to health care,” (Tribune, Feb. 13, 1989). It was wrong for Peter Dueck and Mel Couvelier to convene a meeting of Canada’s ministers of health and New user fees announced Aren't we too harsh with our righteous Zalm? I do not understand all the religious fmance to lobby for the re-introduction of in bid to cut health costs user fees. FLETCHER y If you visit . Pas. 2% y, : Since Mr. Vander Zalm took office, two _ practitioners, prenannte, Medical cl. ged hospitalaccs free ne lower-cost alternates to physician icians and re-open negotiations Sit* ‘6 ners, prepare to ee i rites start pay- S, he services. “That's something everyone ex: clergy (B.C. churches hit poverty,” Tribune, Feb. 27, 1989). Why do they | try to crucify Premier Bill Vander been implemented into our eR : “That is bad health poli ts ever user fees have or both have resulted in Pruner mepercenneweeriwem. bat reninuy pee Borace_ bd financialpoliey.” oY" Prmthe BC Mates eae medical system and both have re: "Finance Miners ae aia ess. ani vanced 1 | ili _ py The executive directorof the B.C. to all doctors oa Zalm? He has always been a highly principled and kind Christian. He has told us that many times. He has taken away $50 a month from the most : wretched, poorest and most down- trodden segment of our society. He has also facilitated things for the rich- | est of the rich (Toigo et al). reduced use by patients. The fee for sup- plementary medical services such as chiro- practors resulted in almost nine per cent less billings to the B.C. Medical Plan in 1987-88 than in 1986-87. During 1987-88 as well, one million fewer prescriptions were filled by seniors because of the introduction of the USER FEES IN 1987 BUDGET .... they forced many people to do without medical services and prescriptions. The truth is that 33.3 per cent of last year’s provincial budget was allocated for health care — an increase of only 2.8 per services they would for example fund AZT for AIDS patients and not continue to chop funding for homemakers, senior citizen ren- found guilty of fraud to the tune of $95,000. He was sentenced to one year in jail and a $50,000 fine. With good con- duct and parole, he could be out of jailin a few months. I am sure a lot of people would spend a few months in jail for $45,000. This case compares with the Nova Scotia woman who was caught stealing a pack of cigarettes. She was fined $500 and since she could not pay, was ordered to serve 30 days in jail. Is this fair justice? It also shows in the way the law is pare that with the Unemployment Insu- rance Act that states: “Anyone who, for any reason, receives unemployment insurance benefits to which he or she is not entitled, will be required to repay the benefits.” Shouldn’t the above apply to every- body, regardless who or what is being robbed? Do we have a double standard society? Fernand Samson Kamloops On behalf of the Palestinian community in Vancouver, we wish to thank you for the article Dr. Adel Safty wrote for your paper (“Uprising is forcing Israel to confront its own history,” Tribune, Feb. 6, 1989). The realities he discussed in the article have long been denied and continue to be denied. We have, of course, been telling the world our plight and the oppression and suffering inflicted on us by the Israelis since the year of catastrophe (1948), but the West was too preoccupied with Israel’s “heroism,” Israel’s democracy” and Israel’s “miracles” to listen $125 deductible. This massive drop resulted cent since 1978. If this government was truly __ tal subsidies and other independent living Frankly I do not know what is in an investigation being launched last fall committed to containing medical costs programs for older British Columbians. wrong with humanity. Why do thy go by the B.C. Pharmacists Society. while at the same time actually improving. When I look at Peter Dueck’s policies and blast him almost daily? There . they often seem to be life-threatening rather must be something wrong with them. | than life-preserving. Riding the Trojan I think they are being unkind to him, % E horse Sg user fees is a poor excuse for a long the Christian Ayatollah. 7 term plan. Two standards of justice Darren Lowe Serr B.C. Liberal Party — ‘ 7 A few things have happened in the written. Bill Bennett, his brother and erage sys abies 1 past few weeks that clearly demonstrate / Herb Doman were charged with breach- that we live in a not so fair and just ing ne ee information law govern- : society. ing the stock exchange. It has been stated t , | It eae in the way the law is applied. _ that this offence carries a maximum fine O Nn ly a few | | } ed | a | iste Nn | n g } Former Tory MP Michel Gravel was of $150,000. The amount of money involved is said to be $2,500,000. Com- to the victims. Now that courageous Israeli historians and writers are finally recognizing the sto- ries and the realities of our sufferings, is it too much to expect the people and media of the West to pay attention? Apparently it is for the established media, for only a few courageous writers and editors, such as yourself, are paying attention. But we shall overcome. Hiyamm Deeby American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Vancouver Pacific Tribune, March 6, 1989 « 5