The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - A5 CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag lam not a deadbeat Dear Sir: This is in reply to John Jensen's letter “They're like bananas” in the March 20 The Terrace Standard, | have to agree with you about many issues you so humourously ridiculed, Mr. Jensen, but one that really get’s my goat is the so-called social services Becees (welfare) that we have here, . ane I don’t know if you intended it-as.a joke, but let os me clear things up for. you. [:am 49. years-old, I am not a deadbeat and yes, ] am on welfare. Thank you Mr. Campbell, but due to your messing up this north country big time, there are a lot of honest hard working people living “high off the hog” on welfare as you cail it, Mr. Jensen. Yeah, on $510 a month, give me a break and quil being so funny. Not to mention the many families who have left here in disgust due to no jobs here, I had found a job in Alberta but could not financially afford to get there and welfare refused to help sol could go there to work. ] later found out that welfare has funds set up to help people relocate to a different’ province if they have a job waiting for them, which I did, So, it, appears that this office could care less if we get off welfare or not. So much for people trying to get off welfare when they are refused help. And, every time an industry tries to come here, all the goody two shoes come out and gripe and beliyache till these companies leave in disgust. A plywood mill, a steel mill, to name just two and there were others also, a lot of others. You peaple know who you are so give yourself a pat on the back, and how dare you call us a bunch of deadbeats living high off the hog. Shame on you. Granted there are some on welfare who do not wish to work but not all of us are there because we want to . ae be. try living on $510 per mouth and see how far you aos pe get. Personally, I think you owe all of us an apology, ia Mr. Jensen, for calling us deadbeats. I was raised in this town but by God if 1 am lucky enough to find my way out of it again, I will not be back. People would be a lot better off if they would help one another instead of calling each other down, but I suppose that is the sign of the times. Everyone for himself, the richest man wins. Guess what bud, you can't take it with you and your kids sure won’l appreciate it, they will just end SATELLITES are increasingly a force on our lives. The many facets of their influence are explored i in anew documentary produced by Smithers film maker Monty Bassett. It airs on the Discovery channel at 8 p.m. April 16. Don't look Ue Smithers film maker turns his eye to the sky in latest documentary work By LARISSA ARDIS Special to the Standard MOST OF us don’t think much about satellites — ‘but a new documentary written, directed and produced by Smithers-based film maker Monty Bassett offers several reasons to de so more often: ‘In Sanrn’s Eyes: Satellites Taking the Pla- net's Pulse, Bassett explores the world of sa- ‘tellites ‘and their implications for everything from communication and culture, to natural and human-made disasters, to the distribution of political power. Bassett’s documentary is scheduled to air with satellites began, “IT was working on a wildlife collaring pro- ject in remote wilderness,” said Bassett. “When one of our pilot’s planes disap- peared during the project, we started looking at how information produced by satellites could help us find him.” Intrigued by the multiple layers of percep- tion offered by what Bassett calls “orbital ste- thoscopes,” he pitched a documentary idea about satellites to the Discovery Channel, for whom he'd worked previously. They loved the idea. award-winning Hazelton photographer Cas Sowa, whose original camera work is all aver this project, Bassett counts Saturn's Eyes as the latest in a series of documentaries. Another project, Chasing Shadows: The Simon Peter Gunanoot Story is currently nomi- nated for several film industry awards, Chasing Shadows relates the tale of a Gitx- san man from the Hazeltons, suspected in 1906 of having murdered two white men in a bar room brawl. Simon Gunanoot managed to elude bounty hunters and RCMP alike for 13 years, it what became the lengthiest and cost- on.the Discovery Channel at 8 p.m. April 16. Driven by an engaging musical score and packed with enough thought-provoking facts and compelling imagery to merit multiple viewings, Saturn's Eyes is a treat for the eyes, ears and mind. In one mesmerizing sequence, viewers are invited to, contemplate the political meaning of satellite-produced images of the electrified earth as seen at night — appropriately, to Bee- thoven’s haunting Moonlight Sonata. “Just as the sun reveals our activities by casting. shadows upon. the earth, our illumina-_, tion, of the earth at night reveals who has the | power," intones the narrator, while a pan of a relatively dark landscape of continental Africa gives way to the frenetic blaze of electric light emanating from North America. In another scene, actual promotional foot- age from the U.S. government’s Star Wars pro- ject- relies on computer graphics to illustrate tidy stellar warfare as envisioned by the Re- agan administration, In our post-September II world, it reads as an eerie high tech fairy tale, Bassett remembers when his fascination Saturn’s Eyes: Satellites Tak- ing the Planet’s Pulse explores the world of satellites and their implications for everything from communication and culture, to natural and human-made disas- ters, to the distribution of political power. weeks of. editing later, Bassett’ £ 46-minute! ‘do- cumentary is ready for view! ./!171" Rich in elegant turns of phrase, Saturn’ s script hints at Bassett’s own background as a seasoned wordsmith who experienced rebirth as a documentary filmmaker only five years ago, Saturn has also been enhanced by the ta- lents of several Bulkley Valley residents. Among these are Smithers songstresses Elaine Edmison and Abra Hamilton, who deliver a celestial rendition of a Lakme duet, and Almost three years of research and 22- : liest manhunt in Canadian history — and the thorn in the side of the local police. Gunanoot owed his tenuous freedom to years of covert support from countless mem- bers of five First Nations and many whiles who considered themselves his fans. “His allies all had a common enemy: the government,” winked Bassett. As a fugitive, Gunanoot did more than just survive: he flourished, fathering four children with his wife and enjoying the live-in company of his parents, While researching that documentary, Bas-. , “sett found ‘himself wondering ” why the ¢ no - “dian government ‘and the police Focused Wa" much resources on capturing this one man, in a frontier atmosphere where unsalved murder cases were not uncommon. Bassett’s research suggested an answer: po- liticians of the day feared Gunanoot’s sway among native people and the spectre that he might become the next Louis Riel, Bassett has also produced Life on the Verti- cal, the story of mountain goats living in the Stikine Canyon north of here. ” up with a real attitude. Makes me wonder where you got your money from. Cam Schulte, Terrace, B.C. Right on, Roger Dear Sir: Do you know what happens to a country that has a socialist economy? Ask Russia, Cuba, New Zealand, or China, Now we can ask British Columbians. The Liberals have been in power for less than one year. How long have you been unemployed? If you are like most loggers and. mill.workers in;the north, your E.l, benefits, have Tun out and are’ now, on, social wy if ny Wt ¢ assistance, Eight years of socialistic madness has left northern B.C. devastated. Does the Lower Mainland care or even know about our plight? Did the NDP care? The votes are ali in the south. Why should they care about us? The Liberal government does care enough to take the steps needed to correct the huge wrongs done to us by the NDP. Keep going, Roger Harris. government spending. Bring back prosperity. Keep lowering Steve Alvey, Terrace, B.C. Corporate tax breaks could help natives Dear Sir: The editorial on taxation on Indian reserves in The Terrace Standard of March 20, 2002 deserves some comment. It is interesting to note that the non-aboriginal population carries the perception that aboriginal people are getting a free ride while the aboriginal population carries the perception that it is the whites who are getting something (land and resources) for . nothing. So the question is this: how does the amount of foregone income tax compare to the amount of corporate tax and royalties collected on tribal territories? [ would ask your investigative journalists exactly how much did the provincial government receive in timber royalties for. logging on Nisga’a lands before the treaty came into effect? During the same time period, exactly how much income tax did the province forgo? And where was this forgone provincial revenue spent — Terrace, by any chance? all issued to destroy, spoil treaty referendum ballot By LARRY GUNO WE CONDEMN the Liberal government's ill- advised and reckless decision to press on with its treaty referendum, in spite of a growing number of reasoned voices calling for the gov- ernment to cease and desist. It is clear, that by any reasoned analysis, whether on a legal or historical basis, the eight questions presented to the citizens, ostensibly to inform future treaty negotiations, reflect an astonishing breadth of ignorance of our history. It is a history of over a hundred years of painstaking struggle that took place in our courts, in various political arenas, and most of all, in the hearts and minds of people of good will. Finally it seemed that, through dialogue, We are of the opinion that it will do the exact opposite. First, the govern- ment’s decision has clearly atie- nated the First Nations commun- ity, who view this process 4S an as- sault on their aboriginal rights that have long re- cognized and ex- sae panded by our Se highest courts, tions fall outside the jurisdictional powers of the province. But beyond the clear duty to negotiate, the Supreme Court of Canada, in the Delgamuukw case, stated unequivocally that the Crown is under a moral duty to enter into and conduct those negotiations in good faith. The Liberal government, in undertaking this referendum, unquestionably, is acting in bad faith. We are proud to state, that our province, with its growing diversity of peoples, has de- veloped a tolerant culture which accepts the differences that now exist amongst us. And in this struggle to co-exist, we have become more appreciative of the fragility of freedom, realizing that the diminishment of one, threa- tens all. we had arrived at a consensus that the time is now right, to reconcile a long standing ques- tion of human rights through negotiated settle- ments. But now Mr. Campbell, driven by some nineteenth century mind-set, will have us be- lieve: that through this expensive and divisive ~ and enshrined in our constitution. Indeed, this muie- headed action on the part of this government not only flaunts the tenets of representative goverment, it undermines the very corner- stone of any effective democratic society, that Larry Guno While it is now too late to stop the Liberal government from taking this reprehensible step, we urge those who want to support the First Nations peoples to heed the instructions of their leaders on how to best demonstrate their support either by boycotting it or spoiling their ballot. The irony is that the policy of the B.C. Liberals to increase tax collected on Indian reserves comes at a time when everyone else is getting tax breaks. The only people subject to a tax increase in British Columbia will be those living in the communities with the highest unemployment rate and the lowest standard of living. In the present system it is ultimately public money that supports reserve infrastructures. By providing tax breaks to corporations operating on reserves, in effect crealing tax-free economic development zones, much more private capital could become available to these impoverished communities. I would suggest that the Liberals follow their own philosophy on this one, The question on the treaty referendum should read: Should corporations or individuals acting in partnership with First Nations organizations or individuals be given tax incentives for any joint ventures taking place on tribal lands? Larry Guno is a lawyer and playwright. He ran as the New Democratic Party candidate in the the Skeena riding in the 2000 federal elec- tion and writes this as a member of the Action | Coalition of Terrace. process, he will facilitate the important matter of removing the uncertainties that unresolved aboriginal aspirations presents to the economic well-being of our communities and our pro- vince. | Children will suffer from cuts By KEN HEALEY is to protect minority rights from the tyrannical whims of the majority. : Secondly, many of the questions that are contained in this referendum are unconstitu- tional, in that the area and scape of the ques- obvious geographical ones, not faced in the These children and youth come from dys- + sears FOSTER CARE used to be based on the best interests of the child. A child at risk would be placed with a caring family who slated their - home and heart. The child had the opportunity to be exposed lo normal family life instead of a dysfunctional one. The child would have rou- tine, rules, and vaiues to guide development. Everyone would agree that this should be the standard. Everyone except the Ministry for Children and Family Development. The mini- stry has been told to cut the budget and to start - with the children who cost the most — the - children and youth in need. The north has unique problems, beyond the lower mainland. Services are not on the door- step. Often they are five hours or more away, and involve costs such as child care, toss of pay, gas, motels, meals, etc. Social workers will now determine if services such as medi- cal, dental, orthopedics, orthodontics and var- ious therapies are seen as necessary rather than optional. Foster parents will now be ex- pected to cover the expenses themselves. The ministry will, if the case is pleaded, consider some financial aid if the ministry deems it an_ emergency, although no member of the. staff has the medical background to make this as: sessment. — functional settings, not just poor ones. Some are being sent back to unsafe situations. The ministry’s response is “we are willing to admit that there will be fatalities”, These children and youth do not have a choice. Please know that our children surely are worth more than this. Children are being trea- ted as a commodity that can be devalued in order that some bureaucratic hierarchy can be maintained. We ask the minister, Mr. Gordon ‘Hogg, to live by his words and do what “is in the best interests of the child.” Ken Healey is a local foster parent end a member. of several foster parent organizations. David Dickinson, Hazelton, B.C. About the Mail Bag The Terrace Standard wetcomes letters. Our address Is 3240 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C, V8G 5R2. You can fax us at 280-638-8432 or e-mall us at standard@kermode.net, No attachments, plaase. We need your name, address and phone number for verification, Our deadline Is noon Friday ar ‘noon. Thursday if it’s a long _ weekend,