KI ISELAS CARVER Stan Bevan solemny beats a ceremonial drum
as protesters occupy the Kitselas band office in an attempt to oust

the band council.

Siege at Kitselas
Chief told to quit |

TERRACE — Angry Kitselas
band members vow to continue
their occupation of the band’s
administrative office until the
chief and deputy chief resign.

The protesters have been oc-
cupying the office around the
clock since last Wednesday
when they staged a sit-in and
demanded the band council -
resign. They want new elections
to be called for next month.

“We're in this for the long
haul,”? said protesting band
member. Ron Mould. ‘We'll
stay here for, as long as it
takes.”’

Group spokesman Ron Nyce
estimates the band has lost more

than $3 million in federal grants

Ralph Wright

this year because of what he

charges is the incompetence of ~

the band council, The loss of
that money means the planned
construction of about 20 new.
houses this year at the band’s
new subdivision near Kitselas
Canyon won't go ahead, he
said, adding the housing ‘pro- -
gram has been dealt a setback of |
at least a full year.

Citing ‘‘irregularities” in the .
band’s finances, Nyce presented -

petitions to the band council on ~

Wednesday calling for. the
resignations of chief councillor
and deputy

‘of Indian) Affairs’ and

chief/administrator Brian
Seymour. The petitions — sign-
ed by 53 band members. —

_ represent a majority of Kitselas

electors, he says,

Nyce. ‘said . ‘the. band © had -
previously: negotiated the hous-
ing grants with the Department:
the.
Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC), but.that

Money -wasn’t pursued by the
new. administration, elected. last

May to two-year terms.

~ "We feel this is the only -1
recourse left to us,” Nyce said,

adding numerous. meetings to

resolve the dispute have failed.
_ “We have: attempted : ‘to’. voice
our concerns. through normal
channels.” . :
Wright suffered. a’ stroke «|
shortly after last year’s election,
‘and appointed Seymour, who is
his son-in-law, deputy chief and
administrator — a move that
protesters say puts Seymour ina
conflict of interest between “his

elected position as-a councillor

and his appointed office.”
ud $ dictatorship, is what it
** protester Fred Mason said.
» Chief Wright: has not. return-

cont'd: AZ

see page C3.

YOUTH SOCCER kicks off its 15th season here this Saturday with opening ceremonies schedul-

ed for noon and teams in all divisions in action. In anticipation of the start up, Ray Hernes, above, .
was out at Christy Park practising the skills needed to win matches. For details of opening day,

Logging companies want

say in Nisga’a talks

TERRACE Forest com-
panies here want to know more
about the progress of -negotia-
tions on the Nisga’a land claim
to 25,000 square kilometres of
northwestern B.C.

“This could affect our in-

dustry and our whole’ lifestyle.

here,’ said Skeena Cellulose
spokesman Pat Ogawa, ‘'We

_ want to know what the, hell’ s.

going on.’
Ogawa said he ji is 5 close to ar-
ranging a series of meetings: for

local third party. interests -to
meet with negotiators: for the

could, be scheduled for.a as early
as next week. -

One meeting. would. be: with

forest licensees, small ‘business *
loggers, the Northwest Loggers :

Association and the ministry of
forests. :

‘Skeena Cellulose,
province, the federal govern. ..
ment and the Nisga'a Tribal‘
Council. He said:the meetings’

Aldermen from Terrace. and .

MLAs would participate in a se-

‘cond information meeting.

And a third meeting would be
with local chambers of com-
merce and Rotary Clubs, which

Ogawa says would give “a.

reasonable cross section of the

. public.’’- ;

“| feel that we. as citizens

- should have the opportunity to

have input,” he added.
_The Nisga’a claim, centred on

the Nass: River valley, incor-

porates’ large. portions of the
tree farm. licences ‘held by
Orenda
Forest Products, cand other
companies.

- The current focus of the land
claim talks is working out a deal
on interim measures prior to a

". ‘final ‘settlement. An agreement
“on interim™ measures will deter-

ming: whether ‘third’ parties —
suchas logging and mining

S companies --_will be allowed to
“continue” resource “extraction
while: | the main ‘negotiations

According to provincial of:
ficials, Nisga’ a negotiators. tried
and failed: ‘during:
measures talks to get'a one-year
delay in the approval of Orenda
Forest Products’ proposed 3365
million groundwood pulp and
paper mill just south of Lakelse
Lake.

interim |

TERRACE — Doctors didn’t
treat internal bleeding quickly
enough in the case of a 19-year-
old native woman who died here
of abortion complications, a
coroner’s report says.

Myrna George lay bleeding in
Mills Memorial Hospital for
three days following a Sept. 11,
1991, abortion before doctors
here decided she should be
flown to St. Paul’s Hospital in
Vancouver. She died two hours
after arrival of heart failure on
Sept. 14.

Coroner Jim Lynch points to
a delay in recognizing the inter-
nal bleeding that followed a
rupture of the uterus as a

“significant factor” leading to

her deathy ~
“The responsibility for the

recognition of hemorrhage in.

this period rests) with the
gynecologist performing "the
operation,” Lynch said in his
inquiry report.

That gynecologist — Terrace
Dr. Gordon Boyd — also had a
“different recollection of some
of the events than those set out
in the hospital records, ” Lynch
added,

His report lists the cause of
death as being multiple organ
failure due to the massive
bleeding that was caused by the
laceration of the uterus during
the abortion procedure.

George received more than
five litres of blood in the hours
after the abortion on Sept. 11
before doctors operated again

Delay cited
abortion deat

Myrna George

that night to repair the rupture.
She remained comatose at Mills

‘Memorial ™ “Onn e

the. completion of. the ‘second
operation until Sept. 14; when
her condition deteriorated fur-
ther, and she: was flown out.

Dr. Boyd réfused ta comment
last weeks 002

The: hospital's chief of
medical staff, Dr. Lani “Almas,

‘said the-type of complication .

that ultimately killed George
isn’t uncommon when perform:
ing abortions.

“It is’ marvellously easy. to
perforate a pregnant uterus,”
she said. '‘There was no error in

‘the technique used. And I think

the report states that.”

Almas said Boyd is ‘‘eminent-
ly qualified’? to carry . out
therapeutic abortions.

Lynch's report also pointed

Mom vows fo sue

TERRACE — Myrna George’s ,

mother says she is launching a
‘malpractice suil against Terrace
Dr. Gordon Boyd.

Maureen George believes her’

daughter would be alive today if
doctors had reacted faster to in-
ternal bleeding she suffered

~ after-having an abortion here.

She points to the seven hours

°° that passed ‘between when her
*> daughter started receiving units

of blood after the abortion to
» when doctors Operated a second
time’ lo repair her perforated
uterus, :

George wants to know why so
much time was allowed to pass
before action was taken to save
her daughter when, she points
out, Myrna was obviously in
danger.

‘doctors and : nurses.

If there had been a quicker
response, she maintains ‘‘Myr-
na would be here today.”’

George is .also angry she
wasn’t given the eption of going
through-‘with a coroner’s in-

' quest, and says she may appeal

coroner Jim Lynch’ s decision to
issue only an inquiry report.
Had the case gone to inquest,
involved
could have been subpoenaed. to
testify about what happened.
“Hearing the report was like
living through. it:all- over, again

— like waiting in the hospital .

with Myrna lying there suffer-
ing and. nobody doing
‘anything,’’ she said. ‘'l was told
it would take a long time to get
over this, bul I don't think |
ever will.’’

to other risk factors . ~— the fact -
that it was George's sixth -
pregnancy and third ‘abortion
and that she. was, abusing
alcohol and Tylenol prior-to the ©
abortion — as. possibly con-_
tributing to the outcome. . ;
“Tt is well known that rates of
morbidity and. mortality are
higher in members: of our
Native Indian society . than
others in’ British: Columbia,”’
Lynch states’ in the report.
“Myrna George exemplifies the
social setting which places these
people at risk. Raised in a fami-
ly with one parent having a
drinking problem, Myrna
herself’ drank: alcohol :to excess
and had. multiple pregnancies

.. betwéen the. ages of 16 and:d9,"" -

He added that he believes the
investigation. ‘puts:'to, rest the
possibility that George received
a lower. staridard of -care
because she was a native Indian.

“The case under investigation
does.’ not ‘demonstrate - any
evidence that there was ariy' lack
of _ responsibility. shown, . by
multiple: members| ‘of - the
medical team,” the report says.

Lynch recommends: . °

* That the College of Physi-
cians and ‘Surgeons. ‘conduct an:
in-depth review of the case. .

' © That-the hospital’ s chief of
medical staff -review ‘the: case
with the medical ‘staff involved
in an attempt to emphasize ‘the
appropriate monitoring and
treatment of ‘post-operative

cont’d A2

‘Turners

Foresters celebrate, |

Money. wget
_ Page AQ.